Luke 10:1-20
New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
10 After this the Lord appointed
seventy-two others and
sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was
about to go. 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. 3 Go! I am sending you out
like lambs among wolves. 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 a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on
him; if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they
give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move
around from house to house.
8 “When you enter a town and
are welcomed, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal
the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near 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 that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom
of God is near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be
more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.
13 “Woe to you, Korazin!
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 and
ashes. 14 But
it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to
the skies? No, you will go down to the depths.
16 “He who listens to you
listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him
who sent me.”
17 The seventy-two returned with joy and
said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”
18 He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from
heaven. 19 I
have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to
overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice
that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in
heaven.”
Often times in this life of ours
we get so very excited about what God has done through us. We begin to rejoice at the accomplishments
that we have had on this earth. Whether it is something very small or large we
seem to think that God is wonderful because of the work He has done through
us. Today we look at a passage that
tells us that is not where our excitement should be focused and it brings us
back to our human state.
Seventy-two disciples were sent
out, not just the twelve closest to Jesus.
Seventy-two experienced what it is like to have the power of the Lord
with them as they traveled throughout the region proclaiming the Kingdom of God
was near. Do you know who else
proclaimed this? John the Baptist, but
now he is imprisoned and is just about to be executed so Jesus appointed others
to spread the Good News of the coming of the Lord. How often do we proclaim this today? How often do we do as these disciples and put
our entire trust in Him? When we do
proclaim Him to others do we seem to carry our own baggage as we spread the
Good News? Do we get excited because of
what we have accomplished in the Lord’s name or do we get excited because He
chose us as a tool for His Glory? We
know what that answer should be but somehow we often bring it back to
ourselves, just like these disciples did.
They were excited about what they had accomplished tagging on “in Jesus
name”. But Jesus reminds them and He
reminds us today that there is more to life than the life on this earth. We can accomplish so many things here, some
in the name of Jesus, and some because we are a determined, strong-willed
individual and we people around us who encourage and lift us up. You don’t have to know Jesus to accomplish
great things in this world. Many
successful people do not know Christ, they think that all their power comes
from within their own being. While on
this earth the think that they are big stuff but someday they will realize how
small they are and they will no longer be rejoicing.
What is important in this life is
to know that your name is written down in the Book of Life, that your name is
written in Heaven where you will have eternal life in communion with the
Lord. Having your name written down in
Heaven is what separates us from the rest of the world. It is what guarantees us a place of eternal
life through Christ Jesus our Lord. I
don’t know what you have accomplished in this life, maybe you have overcome
obstacles that you never thought you could.
Maybe you have been able to build a successful business, maybe you are a
great speaker or writer that has touched many lives and maybe many have come to
know Christ because of what you have done.
If so, that is all well and good yet it is not where our focus should
be. It is not about what we do in this
life but who we know. Do you know the
Father? Is your name written in
Heaven? I hope so and if it is, don’t
forget that each day you need to rejoice in that and be glad not for what you
have accomplished but what Christ accomplished on that cross and from the empty
tomb in order for us to have eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Seek Him and know that He is God,
the creator of this universe, and the One and Only way to Him is through Christ
Jesus our Lord.
Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila
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