Lesson 32: Luke 10 Mission and Message

Two By Two 10:1-9

English Standard Version (Chapter 10)

10 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. 2 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. 3 Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.

Laborers are sent out as Lambs. This is interesting strategy. The command to go is very risky because lambs will come in direct contact with wolves. This is not just sheep with wolves, but you are sent out as lambs, totally vulnerable. Other passages in the New Testament read 70 were appointed, and the first verse says 72, or 36 teams went on ahead of Jesus. These advance teams are doing more of a city wide campaign rather than the previous 2 by 2 mission. The earlier advance was for house to house, but this is not that(vs. 7)

Yes, this is not the only 2 X 2 ministry thrust. This more pointed and urgent. Each place the teams went, Jesus followed soon after. Jesus was getting ready for a harvest vs. 2, but the problem was He wanted more help than what he had. The laborers were far and few between. Therefore, the difference is earnest prayer- plead and beg for help! There is an unmistakable combo: the Lord of the Harvest and laborers who are harvest workers. These people are workers. Workers who are not afraid to what? Work is the correct answer. There is nothing worse than being in the harvest field with people who are shirking their duty, whether it be on a wagon, tractor, harvest equipment, or common laborers walking alongside the harvest doing whatever needs to be done. Ask God to send some smart workers into the harvest and not the bulbs that are soon to be replaced in the socket.

The “Go your way” statement in verse 3 is like saying, “Moving along.” In other words, “I am saying this, like this because you are already in motion! Go! Git on your way! You are being sent out as moving targets. It is not until you read Corinthians and Ephesians that are weapons for this risky business that are not o this world. These weapons will help a brother to stand even in the worst kind of situations. You are being sent out as lambs, but not without power and fighting resources.

Once again the teams are told to go with:

No money

No backpack

No sandals

No greeting

The no greeting seems to be a strange one until you remember that this is an unpopular time. They may be evangelizing, but there is opposition and they do not want a roadside encounter to harm what good they may do in the next town. While this is not a house to house operation, it does not mean they cannot enter someones home while they are on the road(vs. 5- “whatever house.”) While in these homes, eat and drink what they provide…in other words, “where He leads me I will follow, what He feeds me I will swallow.” Those homes, in particular, are providing them with the hospitality and sustenance they will need for their journey. God’s provision for them, day by day.

The business at hand seems to be healing, urgency, and kingdom.

( vs.9- “Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you. )

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Luke 10:9.

The “House peace” of verse 5-7 is a general blessing that people really needed in this hour of trial, instruction and testing for the 36 teams. Notice how that they are being told to look for a “son of peace” while staying in someones home. Because, if he is there in that home, your peace will be imparted unto the man of the house. If the man of peace is not there, that peace will still be with you. Now back to the healing! This is something to be done in the towns: Heal and preach- vs.9!

If the ministry of the 72 is rejected, go directly to the streets and say this nasty thing:

‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Luke 10:11–12.

Now I’m getting ahead of myself. Here’s what comes next:

English Standard Version (Chapter 10)

10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.

13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades.

16 “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

Did you see what happened here? Jesus just put a huge accountability message to those who reject His workers message!!! First the disciples clean the dust off their feet and then the place will be facing judgement far worse than Sodom and Gomorrah. We all know what happened there: instantly vaporized under afire from heaven. So, it’s going to be worse than that, because the kingdom of God had come real close to them and they refused to acknowledge it. Check out I John 4:

English Standard Version (Chapter 4)

4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

Here is an extra connection to the accountability of receiving the message of the laborers of Jesus Christ. It means the difference between truth and error. Which side are you on and are you hearing what the Lord Jesus is saying to us? In particular, the two places of Chorazin and Bethsaida had been places that had rejected the message of Jesus and His kingdom. Both were in Galilee and Bethsaida was where some of the disciples lived. Hometown rejection. Jesus is really saying walk away from your rejection, and leave the results to me. The Scriptures say plainly, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

John in I John 4 is very plain in what we are dealing with: rejection means there is error at the forefront instead of the truth. Time to let God do His will with them and we continue on in our mission of hitting the road for Jesus and talking it to the towns and streets with the complete message of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.