Li'l Clotile and The Roux du Paree" - John's 23rd Annual Christmas Poem

“Li’l Clotile and the Roux du Paree”[1]
John’s 23rd Annual Christmas Poem
December 25, 2008

A long time ago but not too far from here, dey was a jeune fille français [2]named Clotile. She was a leetle poteet but jes’ in height, so ever’body dey call her “L’il Clotile”. [3]Well, (dat’s a deep subject, ain’t it) L’il Clotile was jes awash in scrubbed crinolines and scarlet waistcoat trimmed in hunter green as she gone step out a de pirogue[4] in the poteet village of Poitrevent, Miss’ippi.[5]

Ta say da leas’, it had been a arduous ocean voyage in de steerage and den a ride on de train dey call de “City of New Orleans” for her and her Mama, Mama Aimee,[6] and den a ride in a canoe she learnt dat dey called a “pirogue” – all the way from Vaux, near Verdun – France, her belov France, dat had been gassed and burned trench to trench from the “waw to end all waws.”[7] Yeah, L’il Clotile and her Mama Aimee – but not Papa. Papa he done fought wid de General Robert Nivelle at Verdun and, well he don’ come home[8] – but a lot of his comrades de arms don’ either. (Dis worl jes ain’t a peaceful place is it, Mon Cher.)[9]

Now, Li'l Clotile she miss her Papa ever so whom she love dearly as she was always his Petite Mon-Cher. He done dote on her and always had chocolat truffles to give her – all she wanted, but now, dey was no mo’ chocolat truffles - and no mo’ Papa. She miss’ him ever so and her couer-heart she hurt.

Now to make tings worseer for L’il Clotile an’ her Mama Aimee, Mama jes’ foun’ it too blessed hard to raise a little girl in de village in post-war France, especially after havin’ been occupied by de Germans. It was no place for a belle-perky,[10] head-strong nine year old jeune fille. Mama Aimee’s solution was to do what many a her amis[11] had done and bring de jeune fille to dey “relations” in South America – South Miss’ippi – to make a new life for demselves in de “New worl’.”

Ta be speecific, dey fount demselves in the tiny village of Poitrevent, just over the state line from Louisiana, (God’s Country, don’t cha know) ‘way up a little bayou off the Hobolochitto Creek, dat feed into the mighty Pearl River dat empty into the Great Pontchartrain.

Well, her relations consisted of a eccentric fambly of unabashed Cajuns transplanted from Louisiana who had come up de Pearl in dey Pirogues years ago from Lafitte in Jefferson Parish, settling dere ta work de tung oil trees.[12] The fambly had done been dere for years and years and instead of losin’ dey Cajun ways, dey only magnified dem, or “got worser” as some might say, “cajunizing” many a dey friends and neighbors (‘specially “Uncle” Caimon.). You see, dey had done learnt well to live the “joie de vivre”[13] and dey would never give it up.

Dare was Grandgam and Poppi T, [14]her great aunt and uncle; None Podna and Nona Michele[15] and dey children, Little Pistache and his big sister, Babelle. [16]Dey next door neighbors was likable folks, too “Uncle” Caimon and “Aunt” Boo. [17]Of course, dey was de two cats, Boudreaux and Thibodaux which belong’ to – well de whol’ community.[18]

Stepping out of de pirogue, L’il Clotile foun’ herself in not only de New Worl’, America, but a whole new worl’, Cajun Country. A Country where ever’body had de “joie do vivre,” loved to pomee (laugh out loud,) loved to dance de fais-do-do and sing de Jolie Blonde. O yes, and eat. My what dey could do with shrimp, crawfish, andouille, okra, tooloulou[19] and ouaouaran.[20] All dey needed was little red wine and a roux[21] and dey had demselves a partie.[22]

Yes, into this whole new worl’, L’il Clotile was thrust with only her steamer trunk and a Magical box made for her by her dear Papa – her one prized possession, containing what her Mama always call de “Roux du Paree.” “Magical,” yes, at leas’ Mama said it was magical. “It can only be opened once,” she would say, “and once you open it, you gotta use de “Roux du Paree” and only for one time – you can’t keep it.” But, what was de “Roux du Paree,” L’il Clotile always wondered?

But, cha know, de box, itself, was a treasure. It was about 6 ½ inches long and four inches high and deep. Papa always say it was made of acacia wood imported from Asia[23] and it was covered wid pure gold. It had a gold ring attached to each corner and had little gold feet. Cou, [24]it was unique and a real treasure. (But I digress.)

All de fambly come out for to meet de little French cousin and her Mama Aimee and L’il Clotile didn’ really know what to make a dem all. Dey was all so happy and gay in spite a de fac’ that dey was all as “pore as Job’s turkey.” But, Grandgam welcomed dem with a big “Bon Jour, Mon Cher” and said, “you both gotta be hongry wid all dat travellin’. Let’s eat. - And dey did.

Well, time pass’ on for L’il Clotile, de transplanted fille français in de Cajun colony and she grew to know and love each of her fambly. She learnt to enjoy giggin’ de ouaouaron and gator baitin’. Soon her classic country French began to take on a decidedly Cajun twist, especially when she yelled out “yea-eee!”

As I done say, de tung oil, she was playin’ out and times were a gettin’ hard –but dere was always gators and poke salad to eat.

L’il Clotile enjoyed de times de fambly and friends got together to celebrate t’ings like Mardi Gras, but de biggest and best time of de year was de partie de la veille de Noël (Christmas Eve party), always helt at Poppi T and Grandgam’s.

Howsomeever, dis year was a hard year and food was scarce. How would dey be able to have de big feas’ at Grandgam’s on Christmas Eve when dere just wasn’t enough food to go aroun’? It wouldn’t be Christmas widout dis feas’ and it certainly was not a celebration. Dey had a little okra, some onion, some bay leafs, an andouille or two and some green and red pepper, but that was about all. De cupboard was basically bare. Dey didn’t really have even a start on a partie.

Nevertheless, Mama Aimee took L’il Clotile aside and said, “L’il Clotile, I think it’s time for you to learn a lesson about life. Sometimes de tings we treasure de mos’ we have ta give up for de greater good. I’m talkin’ about your box, your most treasured possession. We need what’s in it. Now L’il Clotile has saved that box and its contents for a long time and she would give up anything before she would give it up. It was de last ting she had of her old life in France and de las’ ting she had of her belov Papa. But she tought about it and Mama Aimee was right. It was time to let go of her old life and share her new one wid others.

In de meantime, Mama Aimee tol’ Grandgam what was up and Grandgam got Caimon and Boo, Podna and Michele and Little Pistache and Babelle to decorating de house for a Joyeux Noël. And, cou, what a time de had decoratin.’ But what would dey eat? It ain’t no partie widout food.

Carefully Li’l Clotile took de beautiful box down from de shelf in her room (de one she done share with Babelle,) and she an’ Mama Aimee brought it to Grandgam. “Grandgam,” she say, “I have somethin’ to give you, it’s Christmas and it’s in dis box. Dis box has magic in it – Christmas magic. Let’s open it and see.” - And so dey did.

She carefully laid de beautiful box on Grandgam’s big kitchen table and looked for a way to open it. She finally figured out dat de only way to open it was to break it. She hesitated for a minute and den with a las’ hug for de box, she slammed it down on de cutting board in de middle a de big table with a huge whack! Suddenly, de room was filled with a flash of light, like a million fireflies, and with de wonderful smell of the streets of New Orleans after an afternoon thunderstorm when everyone is cooking somethin’ in the kitchen.

De box shattered into a myriad of pieces, but in de bottom of what was left de was a reddish lump. “What is dat,” Li’l Clotile ask?” “It’s de Roux du Paree,” say Mama Aimee. “And what do we do wid it,” asked Li’l Clotile? “I’ll show you,” said Mama Aimee. “Tell Little Pistache to run down to de bayou and start bringin’ water.” - So dey did.

Pistache brought water and Mama Aimee poured it into de hugest big black wash pot Li’l Clotile ever saw, den she drop in de Roux du Paree. “Mo’ water,” she tol’ Pistache and dey kept on adding water and kept on adding water to de pot. Dey fired it up under de big ol’ pot and de mixture became redder and redder until it was finally full. Grandgam put in what few t’ings she had, de okra, onion, bay leaves, and andouille and de green and red pepper and dey started in to boilin’ de pot until it commensed to frothin’, stirrin’ it wid a boat paddle. “Now,” said Mama Aimee, “start dippin’ de mixture into de bowls.” - And dey did.

And den, and den, a funny t’ing done happen, as dey began to dip de red mixture, what come out was gumbo – rich, thick, tasty gumbo. But not just any ol’ gumbo, gumbo jes loaded with all sorts a delicacies from de bayou an’ de river. Besides de veg’tables, it had in it andouille, shrimp, crawfish, poisson,[25] caimon, even snapper turtle. (Cou, did I mention okra, it wouldn’t be gumbo widout okra, would it?) And de funniest t’ing was, what was in yo’ bowl all depend on what you wanted in yo’ bowl! And de mo’ dey dip, de mo’ dey was. So, dey call all de rest a de fambly, None Podna and Nona Michele and Babelle, den dey call de neighbors, “Uncle” Caimon and “Aunt” Boo. An’ dey all ate gumbo and had seconds. (Uncle Caimon had thirds.) But de mo’ dey dipped, de mo’ de gumbo grew in de pot and every bowl full was better dan de las’.

Dey call de rest a de neighbors and ever’body dey know – and den de whole village and ever’body up de bayou. Folks came by wagon and cart, pirogue and bateau.[26] Dey was folks ever’where eatin’ gumbo.

Now, a course when you get a bunch a Cajuns together eatin,’ a partie, she gonna break out and it did – a big partie. Dey brought in de fiddles, de accordions, de concertinas, de drums, and de g’itars. Dey even played de soup spoons and washbode! All de people told stories and danced de fais-do-do. Dey sang and sang and everybody was happy dat Christmas. By de time dey sang de las’ “Sainte Nuit, Belle Nuit”[27] and “Noel, Noel,” ever’body was bone tired and began to head for de house..

After all de town had left, only de fambly and Caimon and Boo stayed. Dey began to pick up de place (dat many folks can make a powerful mess, don’tcha know?) Dey emptied out de big black wash pot and dey had exactly twelve bowls of gumbo left over (thirteen, if you count de one Uncle Caimon snook when nobody was watchin’.)

Li’l Clotile went back into de kitchen to see what was left a her beautiful box, de one dat had held de Roux du Paree, de magical one that she had done sacrificed and give up so dat ever’body could eat and be filled. She picked up de pieces, mostly just “jibbutties,” but dare was one larger piece she saw out of de corner of her eye as it was lyin’ on de floor under de table. It seemed to be in de shape of a heart. She stoop down and picked it up and as she done look at it closely, she saw dat it had writin’ upon it. It was hard to make out, so she called Grandgam and Mama Aimee. Dey finally could see de writin’ what had been carved and it say, “… and the greatest of these is love. – Papa.”[28]

And somewhere, just south a Jackson on a southbound, Papa, he smile a big smile, ‘cause he know somethin’ ever’body else don’ know – dis Christmas gonna be even happier den dey ever imagined.[29]
________________________________

And so, Leslie, this story tells us that each of us is special and each of us has something special to give. It may be contained in a pretty box or it may not. The point is not the box – it is the gift inside the box – the gift inside each of us. This is a gift given to each of us by our Papa. It is not given to keep on a shelf and look at but to share with our family and the whole village – maybe the whole world.

If we all share this gift, then the whole village will be blessed and we will have the happiest Christmas of all.

An’ dat’s what I wish fo’ you and yo’ fambly dis Christmas. I garontee![30]
[1] This is a story told by an old Cajun grandfather to his new granddaughter. The connection is that Amy and Stacy had our first granddaughter, Leslie, this fall. The live in Mississippi not far from the Louisiana state line. They have two cats named Boudreaux and Thibodaux. Naturally, Clotile (the wife in all the jokes) goes with those two if you’ve ever heard Cajun jokes. The story is told in the Cajun dialect using a number of French and purely Cajun words. If you want to read this more than casually, I have posted an explanation of the names and words on my blog: http://johnwible.blogspot.com./Feel free to visit there and leave a comment.
[2] Young French girl.
[3] I wanted to call Leslie “Clotile”, but they would not let me.
[4] A flat-bottomed boat or canoe used by Cajuns in the bayous propelled by “poling” the shallow bottoms.
[5] A fictional town near Picayune, Mississippi – as close to Louisiana as I could get it and still be in Mississippi. My pastor and friend, Alan Cross is from Picayune. The Poitrevant family were among the early settlers of Picayune, founding the local paper which moved to New Orleans, the Times- Picayune.
[6] In this story, characters are drawn from family and friends. Leslie is “Li’l Clotile, Mama Aimee is my daughter, Amy.
[7] World War I.
[8] Papa is my son-in-law, Stacy. Don’t get overly concerned about Papa, the story’s not over yet.
[9] “My dear.”
[10] “Pretty-perky.”
[11] Friends.
[12] Tung oil production was once the principle industry in Picayune.
[13] “Joy of living.”
[14] My wife, Susan and me, the “cats” named us “Poppi and Gam.
[15] Susan’s Sister, Michelle and her husband, Leo. “None” and “Nona” mean “Uncle” and Aunt.” “Podna” means “friend.”
[16] Leo and Michelle’s children, Lauren and Mark. “Pistache” means “peanut.”
[17] My friends Don and Catherine Lynch from Louisiana. “Caimon” means “alligator or ‘gator.” “Boo” is a name of endearment.
[18] Actually, they belong to Stacy, Amy and Leslie.
[19] Turtle.
[20] Bull frog..
[21] A roux is a mixture of butter and flour, cooked until bubbly. It can be browned very deeply, then used as the basis for etouffe and brown sauce or gumbo.
[22] One associates Cajuns with a party and a good time among the family.
[23] Multiply the dimensions by 7 and see Exodus 25.
[24] “Oh!”
[25] “Fish,” not “poison.”
[26] “Boat.”
[27] “Silent Night, Holy Night.”
[28] A double-entendre on “Papa.” My friend, Carmen Falcione, is fond of calling God his “Papa.”
[29] I told you not to worry about Papa, didn’t I? Also, there is a strongly Messianic allusion here. Jesus is Immanuel, "God in the Flesh." Jesus came on Christmas, thus God or "Papa" came on Christmas. So here, Papa is coming on Christmas. Likewise, His first coming portends His second coming. When Jesus (Papa) come the second time, it will truly be a happy event for His "family."
[30] Justin Wilson, the late Cajun comedian and raconteur used to sign off with the phrase, “I guarantee.”

October 24, 2008 Is it really about Me?

Well, it's been weeks since the fall. Physically, I'm getting better, but psychologically, I've bottomed out. Long-standing anxiety has taken over me and holds me prisoner. For weeks now, I've been whining about it and begging God to fix me. Perhaps he will, perhaps He will not.

Well, I'll say this, I don't believe it yet, but I'll say it. Perhaps God is using this suffering to bring Glory to Himself. If that is so, I've not glorified Him very much yet and I confess that. I have rebelled and kicked and screamed and basically cried out, "why me, Lord, why me?"

Max Lucado's book, It's Not about me, addresses this very issue. I've been reading it today. He reminds me that whether I believe it or not, it's not about me. I am not the center of God's universe, God is. If God chooses for me to continue as I am and have all my plans and dreams end, then that is for His glory - but also, it is because He loves me more than I love myself.

For the most part, my prayers have been about me and my healing. Oh, I've had the occasional prayer for some sick friends, more out of duty than anything else, but as for me, it's been, "heal me, God." Well, maybe He will and maybe He won't.

My prayer to all you reading this (so far, I've 0 comments) is that I would learn to glorify God in my suffering and let it be about His glory - and nothing more. He is sovereign and I can trust that. I want to believe this even as I write it and as I say, I don't feel or believe yet, but I need to want to.

Update 10/16/08

I have tried to eat a little more. I ate half an egg salad sandwich for supper. No supper the last 2 night, though.

The good news is a good report from Dr. Thornberry(I have several doctors who do not coordinate with each other at all.) He's the orthopaedist. He took me off the sling and said as far as he was concerned, I could do what I wanted to do include drive. He says it's making Ok progress and should all heal. See him in a month.

However, Dr. Kwan, the lung doctor has me under wraps until Oct. 28. I just got out the hospital Tuesday.

Other bad thing, perhaps the worst, is that the depression/anxiety is really bad. Anxiety grips me staring early PM and does not relent until I take a sleeping pill to go to bed. The Lexa-Pro has not kicked in yet. I wet today to Dr. Bannister, my psychologist and we worked on some issues. He wants me to see Dr. Mmungara, a psychiatrist who may be better able to find the right meds to help me. I have an appointment next Wednesday. Dr. Banister called Dr. McLaughlin, my internist to discuss this and Dr. McLaughlin is OK with it. I think he is tired of my anxiety any way.

So, that's where I am. I've lost a lot of weight and am trying to eat a little more, per Mim's fussing. I've got to get a handle on myself.

Spiritual issues - I'm withdrawing and not praying as much. I feel distant and removed from God. Perhaps that's one issue that I either blame Him or don't trust Him or don't like the outcome so far. I still want to just cope, but that may not be God's plan. I'm reading a book, believe it or not, The Shack by William P. Young. It's a very interesting view of God-come to Earth. I'm sorting out the theology of it but don't et a lot of it, but I'm staying with it.

Pray for my spiritual, emotional and physical health and for the healing of my home and relationship with Susan.
Thanks, everybody.

Monday, 9/29

I'm feeling a little better today. Susan is not feeling well, though. Please pray that Susan will be better. It seems that my prayers are all so about me feeling better and not being afraid? How do I move past that?

Father, draw me closer to You in this injury. Make my faith more real and less assumed. As John the Baptist said, "I must decrease, and He must increase." God, please make it so in me.

Changes

On September 6, 2008, I fell off a ladder. I was in the hospital for a week with broken collarbone, 6 broken ribs and slightly punctured lung. I'm recovering at home now. Several weeks to go, taking it a quarter of a day at the time. God has been faithful every step. This is very hard. Pray for me.

Jesus' Call to Evangelism in Luke 9-10

Luke portrays Jesus as "the Man." It is the must "human" of the Gospels. The book is written to Greeks by Dr. Luke, hiumself a Greek and companion of Paul. It is said that Luke's account is seen through the eyes of St. Peter. Luke, of course, has the famous Chapter 2 passage of Jesus' birth with which we are all familiar. But there is more ot the book.

Look at the missionary or evangelical progression of the book. In Chapter 4, we see Jesus enter into 40 days and nights of temptation by Satan. One way of looking at that temptation is to view it philosophically, if that is so, then what Luke is really saying is that for a long time (40 days in Hebrew numerology is a “a long time,”) Jesus considers the pros and cons of the various paths he could take to accomplish his divine mission of changing the world and bringing it back to God – the mission failed in by Adam and by the Hebrew people.
He, in close communion with His Heavenly Father, is lead to the ultimate path which concludes that He must get people’s attention, present his message, teach others who will carry on the message and then add the motivation to carry on the message – that being his death, resurrection and promise of resurrection for his followers. He ultimately gives them a cause that is bigger than one man, bigger than one people, in fact bigger than the world itself – a cause that is so big only God, Himself, can accomplish it.
After the temptation and choosing of a path, He sets out to execute His divine plan. He begins his ministry and at the same time He searches out and calls his followers – starting with the twelve men. This is enlarged upon by the followers, both men and women who travel with Him such as Mary Magdalene. Later, it grows to a larger circle (the 70 or 72. [1]) If we assume that the numerology is significant here, we see a picture within the picture of Jesus’ mission. Moses appointed 72 leaders to help him govern the Children of Israel. If 72 is the number, we have the same progression that Jesus gives in the “Great Commission” wherein he says to go first to Jerusalem (the Jewish people,) to Judea (the expanded Jews, IE., all the people in the area and ultimately to the world. Taking that picture, we have the mission first going to the Twelve solid traditional Jews, the 72 expanded Jews and then at his ascension, we see “more than 500 men and women,” representing the giving of the mission to “all the world.”
He performs miraculous healings that at the same time show God’s compassion for man and also display God’s power over the forces of the world – sin and sickness, ultimately over death itself.

He earns a forum from which to speak and then delivers his message which basically is that the law has taught us that we must be righteous, and indeed we should seek to live righteous lives, but ultimately, no righteousness is good enough to please God and we must recognize that only God, Himself can make us righteous. This was completely opposite from what the Jews even and especially the “righteous” Jews were taught. They had been taught that they should live righteous lives but they believed that it was possible to do so. That being the case, they didn’t really need a God at all. Jesus demonstrates the folly of this idea by systematically proving it to be wrong not only with words but with His actions. He continues to perform compassionate miracles and continues to reveal more and more of his message.
Then we come to the set up of today’s passage, thee sending of the 70/72. In Luke 9, we see Jesus sending out the Twelve apostles. The instructions he gives them will be mirrored in Chapter 10 in his instruction to the 70/72.
An interesting thing happens after the Twelve go out, Herod, the Tetrarch, the very ruler of Galilee where this scenario takes place, hears about it and is concerned. He begins to ask is this man they are talking about a redivivo John the Baptist. Herod says, “I thought I had him beheaded.”
The Twelve return and report to Jesus what all has happened and He and they retreat to Bethsaida for some “R & R” and debriefing. At this time Jesus reveals more of His ministry and mission to them.
The crowds get larger and we have the great miracle of the feeding of the 5,000, after which Jesus asks Peter, the spokesman for the group, “out on your mission, Peter, you preached about Me. Who did you find that the people thought I was?” Peter, apparently impressed with what Herod said, says, “John the Baptist or one of the prophets.” Jesus follows it then with the question of the ages, to see what Peter had really learned on this mission. ‘”But who do you (that is a plural you, the Twelve) say that I am?” Peter answers with the famous, “thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Jesus congratulates him but gives him a bit of a warning – “you have well said, but you didn’t figure this out, God Himself has revealed this to you. – so don’t get the big head.”
Following this scene, Jesus, taking note that they have gotten the message up to this point, begins to take them to the next step, He tells them that he has to go “up to” Jerusalem and suffer at the hand of the Jewish leaders and then die, “but be raised on the third day.” They don’t really get – but they couldn’t be expected to at this point.
Jesus tells them the real cost of discipleship – now don’t miss this. The real cost of discipleship is that you also have to die. For them, that meant a literal martyr’s death for all except Judas, who betrayed him and hung himself and for John who survived to old age to write the last chapters of the story.
But for us, it means that we have to die also – not go to Jerusalem and die, but die to self. Perhaps this is even harder. What do you think?
Jesus punctuates the message by allowing the inner circle of the Twelve, Peter, James and John, to see Jesus in as close to real a manner as is possible with Earthly eyes at the Mount of Transfiguration. They prove, that they only partly get the message by Peter’s witless idea of building “booths” and staying there for a while. Later, they fail in the mission. They are unable to heal some and to cast out some demons and have to come back and report that failure. Jesus chides them, calling them “an unbelieving and perverse generation;” Then He casts out the demon to show them who He is and who they are.
Jesus, always the teacher on numerous levels, again reveals more of His real mission and tells them again about His impending death – which, they still don’t fully grasp. To prove that they don’t fully grasp it, they devolve into questioning about if Jesus really does come into power, which will be the greatest and likewise they continue the struggle for power by quibbling over some others, not of them who have begun casting out demons in Jesus name. Jesus rebukes both manifestations of their desire for power and tells them the “greatest among you must be the servant of all.” He will demonstrate this on the night of the last supper with the foot washing ceremony.
Now in Luke 9:57 through 62, we have a representative sample of others who think they want to follow Jesus. The first one simply says, “I want to follow you.” Jesus replies that he has no home and no possessions. Apparently, the man can’t take that and goes away. The second man likewise asks to follow him. But Jesus tests him and says, “great, come now.” The man says, “well, I didn’t mean right now – today, I meant when I have gotten all my affairs in order and have satisfied my family obligations to bury his father” (who is not dead yet.) Jesus likewise remarks, “let the dead bury the dead.” The last man goes down with only wanting to go home and tell his folks that he is leaving. Jesus says, "no one who looks back is worthy."
The scene shifts and we see the 70 /72 depending on the translation, that really are ready to follow Jesus. Jesus gives them the exact, same instruction he gave to the Twelve to go out as lambs among wolves, to take no provisions and not to be greedy of even food. All this he tells to have them understand that one who does not rely on God for his success will never be successful. He tells them to go quickly and trust in the Holy Spirit to have prepared the way. Those that are ready to receive will receive and those that are not ready, won’t receive it – though “one from the dead” proclaimed it to them. They are to go to those are eager but woe to those who are not, he tells them to demonstrate how critical this message is If they deliver the message and it is not heard, they are to leave and the message will likewise depart – never to be heard again, spelling doom. That is sobering for the listener, but also for the disciple.
In application, we should note that while Jesus sets out principles here for the spread of the Gospel, these are not hard and fast rules. This was a particular situation to a particular people. Time was of the essence. Jesus knows that “soon and very soon,” he was to go up to Jerusalem and die. Here was not the time for cultivating but the time for planting only – sewing seeds in the morning. The time for cultivating would be later and the time for harvest even later.
Following Jesus instructions, the 70/72 are frankly amazed at the power they are able to display. “Even the demons” they say, “hear and are afraid.” Jesus reminds them that they are not the source of the power – God is. He lets them know here that such is the case and that further more, He is that God. He states, “I saw Satan fall.” Only God saw Satan fall, so he must have been there with God and if so, he must be God. John explains this further and later in John 1. If you forget that God is the source of the power even for a moment, all will be lost – just like Peter trying to walk on water.
In the end, Jesus is satisfied with their progress and says, “blessed are the eyes that see what you have seen.
What we have seen in this passage is the evolution of the Gospel the “progressive revelation” of it right before our eyes. Wow, what a God!
[1] King James, New King James, and the New American Standard Bible read that Jesus "sent forth 70 disciples," while the New International Version, The Jerusalem Bible, and the New Living Translation reflect that Jesus "sent forth 72 disciples." Looking at Nestle’s Novum Testamentum Graece, we find that the Greek word "hebdomekonta" is translated "seventy." However, immediately following this word is the Greek word "duo" in brackets (duo) translated "two." Footnotes of several translations indicate that the Greek manuscripts are divided between 70 and 72 as the number sent out and there is no way to be sure of which one is the original. – John Ankerberg.