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166. Jesus Sends Out Seventy-Two


Luke 10:1-12
Key Verse: "Yet be sure of this: the Kingdom Of God is near."
Luke 10:11-B

Jesus is on the last leg of His journey on earth, but there are still so many who need to hear! Jesus can't do it all by Himself as a human on this earth. Earlier, He had only sent out the twelve, (day 133) but sending them two by two would mean that they could only visit six villages at a time. Now, the urgency of the mission has Jesus sending out seventy-two, not just the twelve. This means that thirty-six villages can be reached at a time. Jesus’ ministry is growing, but the message is the same as at first, "the Kingdom of God is near."

We know who the twelve are, but who are the other sixty? Well, remember that when Jesus called out the twelve disciples, He was choosing from a much larger group of followers. These twelve were Jesus' chosen men who would stick with Him constantly, but that doesn't mean that the others just fell away as if they had lost a contest. Many still chose to stay, benefiting from Jesus' teachings and being useful to Him. They had not fallen away when Jesus began talking about the necessity of denying themselves. They had counted the cost and they were still sticking around. Now, unnamed though they be, Jesus puts them to use to spread the good news of the Kingdom as well.

These other sixty are similar to us. They remained unnamed to the history books, just as most of us will be. To the world, we are insignificant. The most we will do is influence our immediate surroundings. However, by remaining faithful, these people were given a responsibility for advancing the Kingdom, just as we have been given the job to spread the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. Fame was not their motive, obedience was. Remember, Jesus had said, "If you love me, you will obey me and keep my commandments." The same is true for us. We show our love for Christ by our obedience to the task He has given, even if we do not receive recognition for it during our mortal lives here on earth.

Your reward may have to wait until heaven, but Jesus has promised that it will be great. "God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised." (Heb. 6:10-12) What He wants from us now is obedience to His call. What He has promised is a reward in eternity.

Hymn: "Come Labor On"

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