Sixth Sunday after Pentecost:
Sending the Seventy
8 July 2007

Note: I’m following the Textus Receptus reading of “70” in verses 1 & 17.

Sermon text: Luke 10:1-20:1   After this the Lord appointed seventy 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.’ 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.

Luke 10:13   “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.

Luke 10:16   “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.”

Luke 10:17   The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” 18 And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Imagine you’re chosen for a special mission: You’re to go ahead of an important dignitary and tell others of his coming. You have to make the preparations for his arrival, including finding a place for him to stay. Even more, you have to make certain the people where you go actually want him to come in the first place. Nothing’s worse than an unwelcome reception!

These 70 followers of Jesus didn’t have to imagine this scenario; they lived it. We don’t know how long they were gone, but they had plenty to do on their trips. Their experiences were important enough to the early Church that St. Luke recorded them for our benefit. Their experiences continue to speak to us today, for we know that Jesus is coming again. This time, He’ll come to claim the universe as His kingdom.

First, notice the urgency of the trip. Jesus stressed the urgency using a common agricultural metaphor: “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” Most people know what it’s like to find themselves in a job and then realize they’re shorthanded. It’s not a good feeling at all. The 70 were about to learn the real feeling of “shorthanded” as they traveled throughout Galilee preparing the way for Jesus. The King of the Jews had come, and His message was urgent. Unfortunately, there were far more villages to prepare than there were workers to cover them. Therefore, the workers were to “pray” for more help to arrive.

We often find ourselves in this situation. Think of all the people you know that are unprepared for Jesus’ second coming. Who will tell them of this time-ending event? Who will emphasize to them the necessity of repentance and salvation? Fortunately, each person who accepts Jesus as Lord becomes a worker in the field, so to speak. We each have a responsibility to tell others about Jesus and the joy of salvation.

Jesus says more about the urgency. In essence, He says, “leave now.” There’s no time to pack, no time for a trip to the bank for extra cash. (Remember, first-century believers didn’t have debit cards and ATM machines.) Instead, God would provide for the men as they traveled. God already knew where they would go, and He had provided for them before they even accepted the call to go. Do you believe God still works this way? I could tell you many stories about God’s provision during my time in seminary after I left a safe, lucrative job for the insecurity of a student’s life. God graciously provided for us in more ways than I have time to tell.

This trip also involved risk. Today, we often try to mitigate risk; we buy insurance policies, drive safer cars, and wear protective gear when we play various sports. Jesus knew about the risk and didn’t try to hide it. Jesus told these chosen followers they would be “as lambs in the midst of wolves.” Opposition had already formed against Jesus, and many people throughout the area would give His followers no better treatment than they would give the Master. Today, we know that believers around the world often face mistreatment and death for the cause of spreading the Gospel.

Just as badly, these men weren’t guaranteed an enthusiastic welcome. Some villages would welcome them and provide for them; others wouldn’t. Jesus gave them an important lesson regarding the villages that rejected them. The men were to shake the dust from their feet as they left the villages and let God handle the rest. We read in Luke chapter 9 that James and John, the “sons of thunder,” had already wanted to call fire from heaven on an inhospitable Samaritan village. When people reject our testimony, they’re not rejecting us; they’re rejecting Jesus. We must allow God to continue to work in the lives of those who reject us. Sometimes, He gives second chances. Will we love those who despise us enough to tell them joyfully about the Gospel? Remember, Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount to “love our enemies” and to “do good to those who spitefully use us.”

These men would also meet people who didn’t think the Gospel applied to them. Look at the cities Jesus condemns; He Himself had preached in each of them. Yet, most citizens in each considered themselves above the Gospel message. Their rejections would prove costly in eternity. Today, we often find people who believe earnestly that their good works and proper behavior will gain them entrance into heaven. The message of Christ is that all have sinned and that all need to repent.

Lastly, notice that these men went out with a power that defied the enemy. Satan himself couldn’t withstand them! Instead, these men experienced the power of God as they ministered in the communities they visited and spread the message of the Kingdom of God. When we see someone come to Jesus, asking to be born again, we again experience the power of God and witness the defeat of evil. Every new believer is another person who will spend eternity in heaven. Every new believer is a personal defeat for Satan.

Nonetheless, there’s an important lesson here for those who think they can go out fighting the powers of evil: Fighting Satan isn’t the greatest thing in a Christian’s life. Instead, the presence of our name “in heaven” is far greater than any victory we win over sin. When we confess Jesus as Lord, believing that God raised Him from the dead, we win the ultimate victory over sin and death. We will spend eternity in the presence of our loving Father and the Son who died for us.

There’s a huge lesson in this story for us. Jesus still calls people to His service. This call is a privilege, not a burden. If Jesus calls you to serve Him and His Church, accept the call. You’ll experience God’s protection, provision, and power in ways you cannot imagine.