“After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. 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. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace be to this house!' And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. 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. Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 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.' I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. "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. But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades. "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." The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!" And he said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 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. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."”
Introduction
Luke 10:1-20 invites us into the ongoing missional life of Jesus’ followers. Here we glimpse God’s plan to multiply his own presence through ordinary disciples, sending them in pairs to prepare the way for Jesus’ arrival in many towns. The passage pairs practical instructions with a deepening of faith: the harvest is plentiful, but workers are few; reliance on God’s provision; gospel proclamation; signs of the kingdom; and a sober warning to those who resist God’s messengers. For modern readers, the text speaks to our own calling to participate in God’s mission with humility, courage, and dependence on God’s grace.
Historical-Cultural Context and Authorship
Luke 10:1-20 is part of the Gospel of Luke, authored by Luke, a careful historian and physician who wrote to Gentile readers and sought to present Jesus as the Savior for all. In Luke’s narrative, Jesus sends seventy-two followers in a pattern similar to (and connected with) the sending of the twelve, highlighting a broader outreach beyond the inner circle. The instructions reflect first-century Jewish and Greco-Roman hospitality customs: hosts received travelers, relied on gifts, and churches sent workers with support. The insistence on dependence—no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals—speaks to trust in God and the hospitality of those who welcome the gospel. The tone also includes prophetic rebuke for unrepentant cities, revealing God’s justice and mercy in judging receptivity to his messengers.
Characters and Places
- The Lord (Jesus) – the one who appoints and sends the seventy-two.
- The seventy-two (or seventy) disciples – commissioned to go ahead of Jesus to towns and places he intends to visit.
- The towns and cities: Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum, Tyre, Sidon — places used to illustrate receptivity and judgment.
- Sodom (in a saying) and the people of the towns – comparisons that highlight accountability for rejecting God’s messengers.
- The message bearers and their audience – hosts in homes who receive or reject the gospel.
Explanation and Meaning of the Text
- The harvest imagery communicates a ripe opportunity for God’s kingdom and a call for workers to be sent out. Prayer for more laborers is not passive; it accompanies action: go ahead of Jesus to prepare the towns.
- The disciples’ instruction to travel light emphasizes dependence on God and on the generosity of hosts; the worker’s wage is the “laborer deserves his wages.” This underscores dignity and fair provision for those who serve.
- The blessing of peace upon a house—“Peace be to this house!”—signals a God-ordained welcome that can settle, rest, or be refused, shaping the disciples’ ministry in response to human receptivity.
- Healing and proclamation—“The kingdom of God has come near to you”—connect acts of mercy with a public message about God’s reign in Jesus. The response of cities (receiving or rejecting) shows how households and towns respond to Jesus’ presence and message.
- The words about Sodom, Tyre, Sidon, Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum warn of judgment for hardness and lack of repentance despite witnessing mighty works. Yet Jesus also speaks of authority given to the seventy-two to triumph over evil, while redirecting joy away from magical or status gains to the security of one’s name in heaven.
Devotional
- God’s mission invitation remains open to us today. We are sent not just to preach at people but to embody the gospel in our daily rhythms—hospitality, mercy, prayer, and humble dependence on the Lord. May we respond with trust, knowing that the harvest belongs to the Lord and that our true reward is written in heaven.
The response of the seventy-two to the authority given them invites us to delight more in being known and saved by Jesus than in any power we might wield. Let us live with grateful hearts, embracing both the privilege of sharing in God’s kingdom and the responsibility to reflect Christ’s love in a world longing for peace.