I must apologize for missing so many weeks for this blog. My husband and I have been in the process of moving to a new home and everything got a bit unorganized for a while! But now I’m back with the next portion of Luke and I hope to be back on schedule from now on.
Sending Out
The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Jesus says this to His disciples as he sends them out to the world to proclaim the kingdom of God. Many years ago, I worked for an international mission board. I would travel to different schools and churches to speak and this was our call to the people I came into contact with. “There is a world out there that does not know the Savior and they need us to go and tell them. How will they know if there isn’t someone preaching or teaching? There are people all around you walking, working, and living without a vision for the kingdom of God. Will you go and tell them?” And this is Christ’s call to each of us. We must be ready with His message of salvation.
Vs 9:1-6 Summoning the Twelve, He gave them power and authority over all the demons, and power to heal diseases. Then He sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. “Take nothing for the road,” He told them, “no walking stick, no traveling bag, no bread, no money; and don’t take an extra shirt. Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there. If they do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” So they went out and traveled from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing everywhere.
One thing I’ve found throughout my ministry is, when God calls us to go, He also equips us for the journey. The power of the Holy Spirit is always present, so, if God is asking us to speak truth into the world today, He will equip us to do it. Throughout Scripture, we find God calling many people with varying responses. He called Moses, who gave all sorts of excuses as to why he shouldn’t go. God answered every excuse with a way He would equip Moses for the job. He called Samuel, who answered “here am I Lord” and God equipped him to do amazing things throughout his life. He called Jonah. who ran away, but God pursued him and placed him exactly where He needed him to be. He called Daniel. who followed God all the way into a lion’s den. Daniel trusted God’s faithfulness and was rewarded with a miracle and a voice to the king. Now we find Jesus calling the twelve. As they responded with a yes we will go, Jesus equipped them to do three things – they had power and authority over demons, power to heal diseases and the power to proclaim the kingdom of God. The amazing thing – these are the very things Jesus was doing. He equipped the disciples to do the same work He was doing. And God is calling us today. He asks us to trust Him to equip us to do the same things Jesus did. When we step out in faith, we will find everything we need to do the task He has asked us to do.
The next thing we notice is Jesus next request. He says, “take nothing for the road”. They had to go in faith knowing God would not only equip them but He would also provide for them. Over the years, I have known many missionary friends who have gone all over the world to preach and teach the gospel of Jesus Christ while entrusting God to provide for them. Amazingly, He has provided for them every step of the way. Even when times get hard, God always made a way for them to do the work He called them to do. Jesus says in Luke 12:22-24; “Then He said to His disciples: “Therefore I tell you, don’t worry about your life, what you will eat; or about the body, what you will wear. For life is more than food and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: They don’t sow or reap; they don’t have a storeroom or a barn; yet God feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than the birds?’” The answer to Jesus’ question is yes, we are worth more than birds. If God takes care of the birds and flowers, then surely He will take care of us. How does He provided for us? In many ways. Often it is through other believers who have also been called. In this passage, the disciples needs were provided by people in the towns they were going to. They stayed in their homes and ate at their tables. In the same way, we must provide for each other. Is there someone in need? Is another believer in trouble? Look around you and see what needs you can provide for. In this way, you become the hands and feet of Christ. Here I have to brag on my little town. I currently live in a very small (under 1000 people) town, yet they have a network going to make sure no one in that town goes without. If they hear about a need, they instantly post it on our community Facebook page and the response is instantaneous. The other day, they posted a notice to “adopt a senior” for Christmas, making sure our senior citizens are not left alone or forgotten. No bills go unpaid and no one needs to go hungry. There are people ready and willing to meet each need. These are the hands and feet of Jesus in our world. These are people who exemplify the kingdom of God.
(This week, I am going to skip over a few passages for continuity. We will come back to them next week.)
Vs 10:1 After this, the Lord appointed 70 others, and He sent them ahead of Him in pairs to every town and place where He Himself was about to go.
In this next passage, Jesus sends out 70 people to go and do the work of God. This shows us a couple of things. First, there were not just 12 disciples following Jesus at the time. He had many other disciples. He chose the 12 to become His apostles while others also followed Him throughout His ministry. Out of these, he chose 70. Why 70? We don’t know for sure, but here is one thought as to why Jesus may have chosen this specific number. It may have been to recall people’s minds back to Exodus 24:1; “Then He said to Moses, “Go up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and 70 of Israel’s elders, and bow in worship at a distance.” Jesus often reminded people of Scripture and how He fulfilled it. These 70 elders were not of the priesthood, but they were called none-the-less to serve and to praise.
The next thing we find is they were sent out two by two. This way, they always had someone to support them. They were not alone in their endeavor. They also learned to work with one another. We find throughout the New Testament people traveling with another ministry partner. Paul had Barnabas and the Silas. Peter often worked with John. Paul also worked with many young believers throughout his ministry – like Mark, Timothy and even the author if this book – Luke. Having them travel in pairs gave them the courage they may have needed to continue to speak the truth about the kingdom of God with everyone they met. It also allows for accountability. These are lessons we can take with us as we go into the world to minister.
Finally, Jesus sends these 70 disciples to the places He was about to go. They went ahead of Him to prepare the way. They spoke God’s message with the confidence that Jesus was going to come behind them to add the explanation point! We can also speak confidently because we know the message of God will always be backed up by God Himself. And now for their instructions:
Vs 2-9 He told them: “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest. Now go; I’m sending you out like lambs among wolves. Don’t carry a money-bag, traveling bag, or sandals; don’t greet anyone along the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’ If a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they offer, for the worker is worthy of his wages. Don’t be moving from house to house. When you enter any town, and they welcome you, eat the things set before you. Heal the sick who are there, and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near you.’
Jesus is very specific in His instructions. He first makes it clear that the harvest is abundant, but there are very few workers to bring it in. Jesus once again uses an agricultural analogy. There were fields all around them and the harvest was ready to come in. They could see and understand His meaning. Like the fields before us, the human harvest is also ready. They await the message we are bringing – if only there are those who will go. They also understood that if there weren’t enough workers for a harvest, the food in the field would spoil and be worthless. Without enough workers to speak the message of truth, those who were ready will no longer have open hearts or ears to hear and take in the message of the kingdom of God. The Greek word for pray here is deomai, which actually means to pray earnestly, to beg, to want this for yourself. We are not praying for God to just send someone else, we are praying for God to send us out. We want to be the ones to bring in the harvest.
Jesus also prepares them for the dangers they may encounter. Not everyone will want to hear the message they are bringing. They will be lambs among the wolves. They will encounter threats and resistance, but they are to be as gentle as lambs, trusting the Lord of the harvest. And in trusting Him, they are to bring nothing with them – no money, no extra sandals, no traveling bag. They were witness as to how God provided for the 12 earlier, and they can trust Him to also provide for them. They are not to greet anyone along the way. This may seem odd to the 21st century reader, but if you understand the tedious ceremonies of greeting in this time, then you would see it would become a huge distraction from their mission. Jesus didn’t want them to be hindered from what He called them to do and be. They were to stay focused. There is a game I used to play with my students to illustrate this point. One person is blind-folded at one end of the room. Another person is the voice they are to listen to. This person will lead them to a particular place in the room. Meanwhile, everyone else tries to distract the person’s focus to lead them off the path. It is a great way to teach the importance of listening to God in the midst of all the other voices we will encounter. You have to stay really focused to dissect the right voice.
When they came to one of the towns, they were to find a house of peace. The Greek phrase is huios eiréné or literally a son of peace. In the Jewish custom one is a son of …. something or someone. For instance, you may have heard Jesus referred to as ben David – or One coming from David. (Ben is the Hebrew for son.) It is highly likely that Jesus used the Hebrew term for peace, which is shalom. Shalom is a word that has a deeper meaning than just peace. It is a greeting, a welcome, a word that encompasses so much more than just peacefulness. The 70 were looking for men in the town who were ben shalom – more specifically sons who exhibit a peace that was welcoming and benevolent. They were looking for someone who would give them hospitality – a person who would be honored to serve and meet the needs of the traveler. Once a son of peace was discovered, they stayed in their home for the duration of their visit. This may sound excessive to us, but hospitality was taken very seriously in the Middle East during biblical times – and still is today.
Their instructions were to “Heal the sick who are there, and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near you.’” They had a mission from Jesus to do as He did. The phrase come near you in Greek is eggizó, which means that it is already present. As they healed the sick, it showed the people that the kingdom of God was already present with them in that moment. The word of God came in power.
Vs 10-16 When you enter any town, and they don’t welcome you, go out into its streets and say, “We are wiping off as a witness against you even the dust of your town that clings to our feet. Know this for certain: The kingdom of God has come near.’ I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes! But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will go down to Hades! Whoever listens to you listens to Me. Whoever rejects you rejects Me. And whoever rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”
When their message wasn’t welcomed they were to publicly give a witness to the town by shaking the dust off their feet. The act of shaking the dust from their feet was a symbol of their rejection of the town. There is a price to pay for rejecting the message of God. Whether you believe it or not, the kingdom of God is near. His kingdom is present at this very moment and we all have a choice to either accept it, or reject it. Woe to those who reject the message of God – they will fare worse then even Sodom. That’s pretty bad! We all know how Sodom fared, or didn’t fare. Jesus also mentions Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum. These towns witnessed many miracles and heard many teachings of Jesus. Their rejection of His message is even worse. Their eyes had seen and ears had heard, yet their hearts still did not accept His message.
Vs 17-24 The Seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your name.” He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a lightning flash. Look, I have given you the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy; nothing will ever harm you. However, don’t rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” In that same hour He rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and the learned and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, because this was Your good pleasure. All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son desires to reveal Him.” Then turning to His disciples He said privately, “The eyes that see the things you see are blessed! For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see the things you see yet didn’t see them; to hear the things you hear yet didn’t hear them.”
After their return, the 70 gave joyful witness to the things God did through them. They were amazed at all God had done and Jesus rejoices with them. They boldly went out in faith and found that God did indeed provide for them, and worked through them in mighty ways. Jesus tells them He watched Satan fall from heaven like a lightning flash. When the message of the kingdom of God goes out, Satan is defeated. When people respond to the message of Christ, Satan will fall. When God is with us we will be empowered by the Holy Spirit to do His work. We will have the power to trample the snakes and scorpions we come across and we will have power over the enemy. Because our names are written in the book of life, nothing can harm us. And this is what we are to rejoice in. It can be so easy to get caught up in our successes in ministry and the joy of victory. While there is nothing wrong with that, we must remember where our joy comes from. Our joy is in the Lord who has written our names in heaven!
Then Jesus praises God for His marvelous deeds. He praises God that everything He promised has come to fruition. Prophets and kings hoped for this very day and now it has come to pass. The Messiah has come to earth and His disciples are witnessing God’s promise come to life. They see and hear what those prophets and kings could only long for.
As I studied this, I realized the 12 and the 70 are a part of the great cloud of witnesses for us. Their walk of faith can can help us on our journey. Just as God provided for them and worked through them, He will also do the same for us today. They show us that if God is calling us to something, we can also step out in faith knowing He will be with us to carry out the task. We can be assured He will enable us to do all He is asking us to do. God will equip us, provide for us, and be with us every step of the way. We will see and experience extraordinary things if we, like Samuel, can say “Here am I Lord, send me.”
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