Jesus Sends Out His Disciples
The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit. These were his instructions to them: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields. Now go, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves. Don’t take any money with you, nor a traveler’s bag, nor an extra pair of sandals. And don’t stop to greet anyone on the road.
“Whenever you enter someone’s home, first say, ‘May God’s peace be on this house.’ If those who live there are peaceful, the blessing will stand; if they are not, the blessing will return to you. Don’t move around from home to home. Stay in one place, eating and drinking what they provide. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve their pay.
“If you enter a town and it welcomes you, eat whatever is set before you. Heal the sick, and tell them, ‘The Kingdom of God is near you now.’ But if a town refuses to welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ‘We wipe even the dust of your town from our feet to show that we have abandoned you to your fate. And know this—the Kingdom of God is near!’ I assure you, even wicked Sodom will be better off than such a town on judgment day.
“What sorrow awaits you, Korazin and Bethsaida! For if the miracles I did in you had been done in wicked Tyre and Sidon, their people would have repented of their sins long ago, clothing themselves in burlap and throwing ashes on their heads to show their remorse. Yes, Tyre and Sidon will be better off on judgment day than you. And you people of Capernaum, will you be honored in heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead.”
Then he said to the disciples, “Anyone who accepts your message is also accepting me. And anyone who rejects you is rejecting me. And anyone who rejects me is rejecting God, who sent me.”
When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, “Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!”
“Yes,” he told them, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning! Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.”
Glory be to God for the triumph of the Word!
New Discoveries
With today’s reading, I discovered that the message of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke is still applicable today. Everyday Jesus sends us out for a mission. The Lord did not say that our mission is easy (Luke 10:3-4) but He has given us an authority over all the power of the enemy (Luke 10:19).
Rewrite a Verse
The second verse struck me most when it said that the harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest.
Ask a Question
I have always wondered what is the difference between an apostle and a disciple? We all know the names of the 12 apostles and who are the other 72 disciples that the Lord appointed? What does Luke 10:4 mean to you? Did the disciples take it literally?
Personalize It
As believers of Jesus, we are destined for a mission. Most of the time we meet other people and we go in different places. In the same manner, Christ sends us out to face every city, place and people. What do you think will be our mission? Christians bear the name of Christ that is why we must act the way Jesus did. Our primary mission is to preach about God—nothing more, nothing less.
I live in a small community and I have had the opportunity to share the goodness of Jesus to other people and I experience a joy within when I do it. Some will believe on what you say and some wouldn’t and that is exactly what Jesus told the disciples in Luke 10:16.