In Luke 10, Jesus sent out his seventy-two disciples to spread the gospel message. He also gave them very specific commands of what they could and could not do. Jesus sending out his disciples to spread the gospel reminds us that Jesus has compassion for those who do not know him. "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd" (Matthew 9:36).
Sometimes it can be overwhelming just to think of the number of people that you know who don’t know Jesus. Maybe it’s your family or your best friend or your coworker. Looking beyond the people in your life, it can be more overwhelming to think of people all over the world who need to hear the gospel.
Here are four things that we can remember from this passage in Luke 10:
You don’t have to do it alone
In verse 2, Jesus does say, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.”
This statement can be disheartening. But, notice that Jesus didn’t say “The harvest is plentiful and there are no laborers.” He says there are laborers—they may be few—but they are still obediently laboring.
God has people all over the world who are faithfully sharing the good news of his Son. The kingdom of God is spreading and this should be immensely encouraging!
When Jesus sent out the seventy-two, he sent them out two by two. They didn’t see what the other disciples were doing. They just knew of the task in front of them, and they were faithful.
Prayer is powerful
Jesus follows his statement about laborers with encouragement and an action, “Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” We don’t have to wait for more laborers to come. There may be few laborers right now, but Jesus gives us clear steps on how we can add more numbers to the few.
We can pray that God would bring more laborers. Praying isn’t passive. It’s a powerful action that can cause God to move in ways that we could never imagine.
You can trust God
When Jesus sent the seventy-two out, he said this: “Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no money bag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road.”
When we become a laborer, the road ahead is not easy. Jesus literally describes us as lambs among wolves. And, Satan does not like the work we are doing. He will do anything to try and hinder us from furthering God’s kingdom and living like Jesus.
If Jesus warns us that we are going into enemy territory, why does he instruct his disciples not to carry anything? In war, if you’re going into enemy territory, you’re armed. But Jesus isn’t sending them unarmed. He tells his disciples not to carry material things—money, knapsacks, sandals. He’s telling them where they can put their trust—not in material things—but in God. He was teaching them to rely on God as their provider—not their own strength, their own preparation, or their own wealth. If we rely on ourselves, we will fail. God is the one who sustains us.
God knows his people
When the seventy-two return, they are rejoicing in what God had done (Luke 10:17-20). As they’re rejoicing, Jesus reminds them, “Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.’”
We don’t know the names of the seventy-two disciples. We don’t know their stories. We don’t know what they did for a living—if they were poor or rich. We don’t know how they came to follow Jesus. We don’t even know what hardships they faced when Jesus sent them out.
But what we do know is that they didn’t need to be remembered—their names and stories are known by God. They faithfully and joyfully did the work that Jesus called them to, and they came back victorious.
When we become a laborer of the gospel, it’s not our story that matters. What matters is sharing Jesus’ story. And, we can remember that we’re not alone, we can pray for more laborers, and we can trust that God will provide for us. We don’t need to be remembered or glorified on this earth to make an impact. God knows your story. He knows what you’re doing for his kingdom.
So, how can you be a laborer of the gospel today?
Kali Gibson is the editor-in-chief for So We Speak and a copywriter for the Youversion Bible App.
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