The Word This Week
Luke 10:1…
Now Jesus repeats with seventy of His disciples what He had done prior with His twelve apostles.
From all of His followers, probably numbering in the hundreds, if not thousands by now, Jesus appointed seventy to go two by two into every city and place where He was about to go.
These would be forerunners, meant to prepare all 35 of those villages for Jesus’ visitation.
Just as John the Baptist had prepared the hearts of those who came to him for Jesus’ soon appearing with a baptism of repentance, these seventy were sent expressly by Jesus as lambs among wolves with no money for the journey, no bag, no knapsack, and no sandals on their feet.
Jesus had encouraged them to pray – as He encourages us – to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into the harvest. (Obviously, Jesus’ focus is on a harvest of souls into God’s eternal kingdom, and that the work is so great and overwhelming more laborers are always needed.)
The question arises then, if the work is so great it requires more than are already involved, why doesn’t God just do it Himself?
It fascinates me God has chosen to employ believers to expand His kingdom, rather than doing it Himself.
Jesus goes on to explain not everyone will receive Jesus’ message He has given them to deliver, and many of those will be wolves bent on their destruction. This is why it is so important to find those welcoming homes along the way, and to stay there and receive the blessings they desire to offer, rather than always seeking to better your situation.
But to all those who will not receive the blessing of your healing ministry and your pronouncements of the kingdom of God, let them know they have not rejected themselves, but God’s kingdom. Shake the very dust off your feet to visibly warn them of the grave mistake they are making.
Jesus then goes on to explain it will be more tolerable for Sodom ‘in that day’ than for any city which rejects the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ – which is the same message we deliver today to our friends and family and fellow workers and even strangers. We can expect the same retribution to apply to any and all those who reject Christ. This rejection and eventual destruction is not anticipated with joy, but with the tears Jesus sobbed not too many days later over the condition of Jerusalem as He entered the city on the back of a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Pastor Bill
Now Jesus repeats with seventy of His disciples what He had done prior with His twelve apostles.
From all of His followers, probably numbering in the hundreds, if not thousands by now, Jesus appointed seventy to go two by two into every city and place where He was about to go.
These would be forerunners, meant to prepare all 35 of those villages for Jesus’ visitation.
Just as John the Baptist had prepared the hearts of those who came to him for Jesus’ soon appearing with a baptism of repentance, these seventy were sent expressly by Jesus as lambs among wolves with no money for the journey, no bag, no knapsack, and no sandals on their feet.
Jesus had encouraged them to pray – as He encourages us – to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into the harvest. (Obviously, Jesus’ focus is on a harvest of souls into God’s eternal kingdom, and that the work is so great and overwhelming more laborers are always needed.)
The question arises then, if the work is so great it requires more than are already involved, why doesn’t God just do it Himself?
It fascinates me God has chosen to employ believers to expand His kingdom, rather than doing it Himself.
Jesus goes on to explain not everyone will receive Jesus’ message He has given them to deliver, and many of those will be wolves bent on their destruction. This is why it is so important to find those welcoming homes along the way, and to stay there and receive the blessings they desire to offer, rather than always seeking to better your situation.
But to all those who will not receive the blessing of your healing ministry and your pronouncements of the kingdom of God, let them know they have not rejected themselves, but God’s kingdom. Shake the very dust off your feet to visibly warn them of the grave mistake they are making.
Jesus then goes on to explain it will be more tolerable for Sodom ‘in that day’ than for any city which rejects the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ – which is the same message we deliver today to our friends and family and fellow workers and even strangers. We can expect the same retribution to apply to any and all those who reject Christ. This rejection and eventual destruction is not anticipated with joy, but with the tears Jesus sobbed not too many days later over the condition of Jerusalem as He entered the city on the back of a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Pastor Bill