“And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. And he said to them, ‘Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics. And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.’ And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.”
Luke 9:1-6
Repetition in the Bible is never by accident.
After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you.”
Luke 10:1-6
Luke deliberately highlights the sending of the 12 apostles in chapter nine and then the sending of the 72 in chapter ten. The instructions Jesus gives are similar, but not identical. The repetition is meant to help us feel the sent-ness of all followers of Jesus. It wasn’t just the 12, but the larger group of disciples were all sent out to carry the good news of the kingdom.
Both groups went out in total dependence on God – taking nothing along to sustain them on the way. If you missed the message on Sunday (9/3/23) from our friend, Austin Wilson, please check it out right away! Austin did a fantastic job walking us through John 5 and helping us apply the key verses:
So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.
John 5:19-20
Our mission as a church is “to join God in His work of transforming people and communities through the gospel of Jesus Christ.” We recognize that God’s work matters much more than ours – so our first job is to discern His activity and prayerfully join in that work. May we increasingly live out the reality of John 5 – doing nothing on our own accord but only what we see the Father doing!
That’s what Jesus was teaching the disciples in Luke 9 and 10 – to join in the work of the Father by moving out into the harvest. Notice just a few principles Jesus gave that are so relevant for us:
- Expect a mixed reception. Some people will welcome us. Many will not. Look for the receptive ones – the ones the Father is already drawing to Jesus.
- Depend on God completely. Trust the Father to provide for you day by day and don’t take matters into your own hands. Pray!
- Pray for workers to be sent out. The specific prayer Jesus taught us is not for the harvest (that will come in!) but for workers to be sent into the harvest. Obviously the 72 were the initial answer to their own prayer – and guess what? You and I are the ongoing answer to their prayer and to our own prayer if we regularly and faithfully pray for more workers.
- Show and share the good news. It has always been about truth and love – both the proclamation and demonstration of the kingdom. Jesus didn’t just preach, he also healed. We are not just called to share the message of the gospel but also to show how that good news is changing us and making us more loving, generous and kind.
For me, the most encouraging detail in Luke 10 is that Jesus sent his disciples to every place “where he himself was about to go.” This remains true today. If Jesus is nudging you to go to a certain place or a specific person, it could well mean that He himself intends to go to that place and have an encounter with that person. How is the Lord speaking to you? What is the next step He is guiding you to take?