The Sending of the Seventy-Two (Luke 10:1-12)

James Tissot "He Sent Them Out Two-byTwo"

Jesus’s mission has always involved His followers being sent out. Here we see a second time Jesus sends His followers out as emissaries of His mission and kingdom. Their task was to proclaim the kingdom message. The methods of their task listed here are summarized: go together, go in prayer to the Lord of the mission, raise up more workers from the harvest, go into risk, go humbly and in need, go to those to whom you are sent without stopping along the way, stay with those who receive you, supported by them, minister and proclaim the kingdom, don’t pursue those who reject you.

Some thoughts:

This passage is descriptive of a prescriptive event. How prescriptive is it to Jesus’s followers today? Jesus changes some of these instructions after the cross, but the missions in Acts reflect a carrying on of other aspects of these instructions.

The mission is ultimately dependent on God. Acts is often described as the Acts of the Holy Spirit. The Apostles activity is directed, dependent, and a work of the Holy Spirit. Prayer is key, and sensitivity to God’s leading is as well.

Part of that sensitivity lies in responding to those to whom we proclaim the Gospel. Are they open? Are they uninterested? Are we communicating well? Are we speaking unintelligibly? If one is sensitive to the Spirit and communicating coherently, a quick evaluation should be possible. However, sensitivity and coherency can be a challenge!

What does ministry look like today, in a time when so many physical needs are supplied? We need to zero in on the needs that society and modern technology overlook. Mental health, community, purpose, and a solid footing are lacking today the way that medicine and healthcare were in Jesus’s day. That may be a place to start in Western Cultures.