Slices
Prepare
‘Let my heart want for only you; let my heart want for nothing but you, just you’ (from ‘Only Jesus’, © 2016 Bethel Music, by Jason Ingram, Brian Johnson, Hank Bentley and Joel Taylor).
Bible passage
Jesus sends out the seventy-two
10 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.
5 ‘When you enter a house, first say, “Peace to this house.” 6 If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.
8 ‘When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. 9 Heal those there who are ill and tell them, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.” 10 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 11 “Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: 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 miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.
16 ‘Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.’
Explore
Following Jesus means having the same priorities he has and living the life he lives. It’s inseparable togetherness for ever (John 14:20). Just as he’s constantly on a mission to bring people to God, so are we. That’s exactly what he asks his followers to pray for (v 2) – we are some of those much-needed ‘workers’.
And on this tough, urgent mission, following a Saviour who goes to a horrid death before rising to life again means that we too can anticipate hardship, pain, opposition and a feeling of helplessness, while we also look forward to fruitfulness and victory. That’s all part of ‘dying to self’, and it’s normal – lambs can’t expect much fun from a pack of wolves (v 3).
People have always rejected God and his ways, and they always will. Remember Sodom – the problem (Genesis 18:20,21) and the outcome (Genesis 19:24)? The towns of Chorazin and Bethsaida (v 13) had Jesus himself bless them with miracles, but in the end, they were too wrapped up in themselves. Even Capernaum – where for a while Jesus lived, taught and healed people – couldn’t care less about him (v 15).
Respond
Sometimes, as we follow Jesus, our hearts will be broken when we bring good news to those closest to us and they reject it – sometimes us too. Pour out to Jesus any heartbreak like this that you have experienced.
Deeper Bible study
‘May I run the race before me, / strong and brave to face the foe, / looking only unto Jesus / as I onward go.’ 1
Jesus’ followers keep increasing in number. He commissions not just the 12 but 72 more disciples! And he sends them all. From Luke’s account, they are being sent into Samaria, for reasons explained in Jesus’ outburst. Very few Jews in Galilee had recognised the Messiah foretold by their own prophets – not Bethsaida where he fed the five thousand; not Capernaum where the disabled man was let down through the roof. We can learn much from Jesus’ instructions. Churches like mine seem to have abandoned the practice of sending out members door to door. Are we in danger of forsaking our mission entirely? Does financial support for mission and church organisations relieve us of personal responsibility?
What does Jesus say? Well, 12 crucial things.2 ‘The harvest is plentiful’ (the world needs the church’s mission). ‘... the workers are few’ (there is more work than labourers). ‘Ask the Lord of the harvest’ (prayer does matter). ‘Go!’ (all are sent, not just high-profile people). ‘... like lambs among wolves’ (God’s mission is vulnerable; the forces of evil are real). ‘...do not greet anyone on the road’ (we need to be single-minded). ‘...say “Peace to this house”’ (be a peacemaker). ‘Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you’ (be gracious; accept the hospitality offered, particularly by culturally different people). ‘...tell them, “The kingdom of God has come near”’ (be transparent about your motives). ‘...when … you are not welcomed’ (we won’t always succeed). ‘... say, “Even the dust from your town we wipe from our feet”’ (put failure behind you and keep trying). ‘...the kingdom of God has come near’ (we are not alone; God is always near). Jesus’ principles guide us in every generation. The context, means and forms of mission will change, but its basis in God’s redemptive love remains constant.
Lord of the church’s mission, teach us again how to be your witnesses, send us out once more into your world, feeling your constant presence on the road.
1 Katie Wilkinson, 1859–1928, ‘May the mind of Christ’ 2 R Alan Culpepper, The Gospel of Luke: The New Interpreter’s Bible, Abingdon, 1995, p222
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Ezekiel 20,21; 1 Peter 2
Pray for Scripture Union
Please pray for the Development Hub as they finish working on resources for churches and Faith Guides to use with children and young people in the runup to Christmas.
