Some part of you wants to be sent. Deep down we long to be trusted with something bigger than our daily routines — to have our small yes matter in the unfolding of God’s work. Yet alongside that longing is the fear of being laughed at, ignored, or turned away. Luke 10:1–16 gives us the strange comfort that Jesus both sends ordinary people into the world and prepares them for rejection.
In Luke’s account Jesus appoints seventy (some manuscripts say seventy-two) and sends them out in pairs to every town he planned to visit. He gives simple, countercultural instructions: travel light, rely on hospitality, proclaim that the kingdom of God is near, heal the sick, and offer peace. If a town receives you, stay and bless it; if it rejects you, shake the dust from your feet — a sober sign of judgment. Jesus also reminds them that whoever listens to them listens to him and to the One who sent him. Note: Matthew tells a similar commissioning of the twelve (Matthew 10), and Mark has elements of sending the Twelve (Mark 6), but this particular mission of the seventy and Jesus’ emphasis on revelation to “the little ones” is unique to Luke.
This passage shows us who Jesus is: he is the sending Lord who trusts his mission to fragile, fallible people. The kingdom advances through dependence, not power plays; through hospitality, not headline ministries. There’s a weight here — the work is urgent (“the harvest is plentiful”) and rejection has real consequence — but it’s also full of grace: Jesus equips and affirms those he sends, and he delights that God reveals truth to simple, open hearts. Don’t miss that tenderness: God chooses ordinary means to display his glory.
Practical today: pair up with one other person and do one small, courageous thing — invite a coworker to coffee, bring a meal to a neighbor, or speak a short, honest word of hope to someone who’s hurting. Travel light: leave your agenda, expectations, and performance anxiety at home. Trust God with the outcomes; if you’re received, stay and serve; if you’re rejected, learn, let go, and keep walking in obedience.
In Luke’s account Jesus appoints seventy (some manuscripts say seventy-two) and sends them out in pairs to every town he planned to visit. He gives simple, countercultural instructions: travel light, rely on hospitality, proclaim that the kingdom of God is near, heal the sick, and offer peace. If a town receives you, stay and bless it; if it rejects you, shake the dust from your feet — a sober sign of judgment. Jesus also reminds them that whoever listens to them listens to him and to the One who sent him. Note: Matthew tells a similar commissioning of the twelve (Matthew 10), and Mark has elements of sending the Twelve (Mark 6), but this particular mission of the seventy and Jesus’ emphasis on revelation to “the little ones” is unique to Luke.
This passage shows us who Jesus is: he is the sending Lord who trusts his mission to fragile, fallible people. The kingdom advances through dependence, not power plays; through hospitality, not headline ministries. There’s a weight here — the work is urgent (“the harvest is plentiful”) and rejection has real consequence — but it’s also full of grace: Jesus equips and affirms those he sends, and he delights that God reveals truth to simple, open hearts. Don’t miss that tenderness: God chooses ordinary means to display his glory.
Practical today: pair up with one other person and do one small, courageous thing — invite a coworker to coffee, bring a meal to a neighbor, or speak a short, honest word of hope to someone who’s hurting. Travel light: leave your agenda, expectations, and performance anxiety at home. Trust God with the outcomes; if you’re received, stay and serve; if you’re rejected, learn, let go, and keep walking in obedience.
Luke: 10:1-16
Jesus appoints and sends out seventy-two disciples in pairs to proclaim the kingdom, heal the sick, and rely on local hospitality while traveling light, instructing them to offer peace and move on if a town refuses them. He warns that unrepentant towns will face judgment and emphasizes that welcoming or rejecting the disciples is the same as welcoming or rejecting Jesus—and by extension, the one who sent him.
Open Verse