JESUS SENDS OUT THE SEVENTY-TWO, Ron Ward
WORKERS IN THE LORD'S HARVEST FIELD
Passage: Luke 10:1~16  
Key verse: 2
Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two(A)(B)(C)
10 After this the Lord(D) appointed seventy-two[a] others(E) and sent them two by two(F) ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.(G) 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.(H) 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.(I) 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.(J) Do not move around from house to house.
8 “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you.(K) 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God(L) 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.(M) Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’(N) 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom(O) than for that town.(P)
13 “Woe to you,(Q) 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(R) and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum,(S) will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.[b]
16 “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”(T)
Footnotes
- Luke 10:1 Some manuscripts seventy; also in verse 17
- Luke 10:15 That is, the realm of the dead
Cross references
- Luke 10:1 : 10:4-12pp — Lk 9:3-5
- Luke 10:1 : 10:13-15, 21, 22pp — Mt 11:21-23, 25-27
- Luke 10:1 : 10:23, 24pp — Mt 13:16, 17
- Luke 10:1 : S Lk 7:13
- Luke 10:1 : Lk 9:1, 2, 51, 52
- Luke 10:1 : Mk 6:7
- Luke 10:1 : Mt 10:1
- Luke 10:2 : Mt 9:37, 38; Jn 4:35
- Luke 10:3 : Mt 10:16
- Luke 10:7 : S 1Ti 5:18
- Luke 10:8 : 1Co 10:27
- Luke 10:9 : S Mt 3:2
- Luke 10:11 : S Mt 10:14
- Luke 10:11 : ver 9
- Luke 10:12 : S Mt 10:15
- Luke 10:12 : Mt 11:24
- Luke 10:13 : Lk 6:24-26
- Luke 10:13 : S Rev 11:3
- Luke 10:15 : S Mt 4:13
- Luke 10:16 : S Mt 10:40
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source:  BibleGateway
1. Pray for harvest workers (1-7)
To follow Jesus also means to be sent out by him into his harvest field. Jesus sent out seventy-two other disciples to go ahead into the towns he would visit. Many needed to hear the gospel but there were few who could carry out that task. Going into Jesus' harvest field could be dangerous and required total reliance and focus on God. But there is no more eternally important work than working in the Lord's harvest field. Let us ask the Lord to send out harvest workers into his harvest field.
2. Heal the sick; preach the kingdom of God (8-16)
The work in the harvest field had two components - healing the sick and telling people that the kingdom of God had come near. Healing the sick was visible evidence that God's kingdom had come. This life-saving work would be met with strong resistance. Jesus foretold judgment against those who rejected his workers and his kingdom.
Prayer: Lord, thank you that your kingdom has come. Please send out workers into your harvest field, including me.
One Word: Lord, send out workers.