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Luke 10 begins with Jesus appointing a much larger group of disciples and sending them out two by two into the cities and places where He Himself was about to go. That detail matters. Their task was not to make a name for themselves or draw attention to their own ministry. They were going ahead of Jesus, preparing people for the King and His Kingdom. And this time the mission extends well beyond the Twelve. There is encouragement in that for ordinary believers like us. The work of Christ is not reserved for a small spiritual elite, the pastor at the front, or a handful of recognised leaders. Jesus involves ordinary disciples in His work.
Jesus then gives the great picture of the harvest: “The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few.” Notice that He does not say there is a shortage of harvest. The need is for labourers. And His first instruction is prayer: “Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest.” The harvest belongs to God. The people belong to God. The work belongs to God. Yet immediately after telling them to pray, Jesus says, “Go your way.” There is a wonderful challenge in those two commands together. Pray that God will send workers, but also be willing for God to answer that prayer by sending you.
Jesus does not pretend the mission will always be comfortable. “I send you out as lambs among wolves.” Yet notice that He sends lambs, not wolves to fight other wolves. Christian witness is not about bullying, manipulation, domination or winning arguments through force of personality. We go dependent upon our Shepherd, carrying His message and seeking to reflect His character. The specific travel instructions Jesus gives belong to this particular mission, but the principles remain valuable: depend upon God rather than your possessions, do not become distracted from the work, receive hospitality with humility, and bring peace rather than unnecessary drama. Our security is not ultimately in the bag we carry, but in the One who sends us.
And the mission itself joins message and mercy. Jesus tells them to heal the sick and say, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.” Caring for people and clearly proclaiming God’s Kingdom belong together. We should never treat people merely as an audience for a sermon, but neither should compassion become an excuse to leave out the message of Christ. For us today, we proclaim Christ crucified and risen, calling people towards repentance and faith, while remembering that the King is coming again. The Kingdom is both now and not yet. We serve, care and love people, but we also clearly announce the King.
Jesus also prepares His disciples for rejection. Not every town will receive them, and rejection does not mean the mission has failed. Their responsibility is faithfulness. They are not commanded to remain indefinitely arguing until somebody agrees. They proclaim what Christ has given them and leave the response with God. Yet rejection is serious because “the kingdom of God has come near.” Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum had received extraordinary light, yet greater exposure to God’s work also brought greater responsibility. Nearness to the things of God is a privilege, but nearness is not the same as repentance and faith. The question is not simply, “How much have I heard?” It is, “What have I done with what I have heard?”
That leaves us with a simple commission. Pray for the harvest, but be willing to go. Go as a lamb. Depend upon the Shepherd. Carry His peace. Care for people. Speak clearly about the Kingdom. We cannot manufacture conviction in another person’s heart through clever arguments. Our responsibility is to faithfully speak the truth of Christ; the Spirit does the work that only God can do. And if the message is rejected, do not carry that rejection around as a burden. Remain faithful to the One you represent. The harvest is still great, the Lord of the harvest is still Lord, and ordinary disciples are still being sent ahead of the returning King so that others might be ready to meet Him.
Watch or listen to this study from Luke 10:1-16 as we consider Christ’s call to pray for the harvest, be willing to go, faithfully proclaim His Kingdom and leave the response in the hands of God.
Scriptures mentioned:
Luke 10:1-16
Luke 9:1-6
Luke 9:51
