Scripture: St. Luke 10:1-11
Today’s text includes the labors of the 12 Jesus sent out before sending a 2nd group of 70.
The number 70 is the number of how many were chosen to help Moses in leading the Israelites in the wilderness.
70 is also the number of Sanhedrins, the supreme counsels for the Jews.
If we relate these 2 groups of men as the helpers of Jesus, we are talking about laborers for the harvest.
Luke, in chapter 10, is nothing short of emphasizing the amazement and terror these men experienced.
Jesus, sending his followers out 2 by 2 ahead of Himself, showed all His faithful disciples the things that may be required of them in serving. He provides a kind of traveling checklist that includes danger, dependence, and the deeds of His power.
Today we have a big picture understanding of where that may take us. That’s hindsight 20:20 theology. The 70 came back with joy and surprise. They were amazed at the power He had given them.
Does this mean that they might have power like Jesus Himself? Absolutely yes!
There is one essential thing we must do to find the Lord: One has to leave home.
• Adam and Eve, for disobeying the Lord, were sent into the wilderness.
• Abraham and Sarah became wanderers.
• Jacob journeyed far from his family.
• Jonah ran away to the sea. There he found wisdom inside a whale.
• Elijah lived in the wilderness.
• Ezekiel was alone with the people of Israel, living in exile.
• The oldest Biblical law, found in Exodus 22:21, states: “Don’t mistake an oppression for punishment, because you were once an immigrant in the land of Egypt.
• Jesus also includes Himself in the stories because He wandered from heaven to earth.
Wanders in sin, the lost sheep, and a despised woman are all at home in the realm of God’s love.
I believe that God sends out you and I yet today to gather the lost sheep of His flock. The decline in the Protestant church in the United States is because we all stay in the church building
Meanwhile, the harvest for sinful brothers and sisters wander in the world for each passing day. At the same time, laborers for harvest grow smaller and smaller. Some Christians stay in the safety of the church, afraid that the sinful world may engulf them if they leave it, yet someone left the church building to harvest and seek each of us out so that we may encounter God’s love.
The greatest love one can experience is the living presence of Jesus in their heart and life.
Father God, help us to cry out for mercy as sinners. Have mercy on each one of us so we will step up from the plate and serve You.
One local church I served a while back when I was reappointed has stepped up to the plate to gather in the harvest.
• A certified accountant with many years of experience. (Ed)
• A professional typist for several lawyers. (Judy)
• A chemist, who experienced 2 tragic deaths in his family: his father and his sister. (Tim)
• A church janitor, who became a layspeaker and now serves as a laypastor. (Linda)
Who among us will be the next one to step up to the plate and hit a home run for God with Jesus guiding us?
Let us pray!
