Digging Deeper Days
Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!
Today is 2-for-1 Friday!
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The Questions
1) What did Jesus mean by saying in verse 2, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”
2) What is significant about Jesus’ command in verse 3, “I’m sending you out like lambs among wolves. Don’t carry a money-bag, traveling bag, or sandals; don’t greet anyone along the road.”
3) Why did Jesus give specific instructions for entering a house and whether to stay or leave a town? (verses 5-11)
Luke 10:1-11
1 After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two others, and he sent them ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest. 3 Now go; I’m sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Don’t carry a money-bag, traveling bag, or sandals; don’t greet anyone along the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’ 6 If a person of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. 7 Remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they offer, for the worker is worthy of his wages. Don’t move from house to house. 8 When you enter any town, and they welcome you, eat the things set before you. 9 Heal the sick who are there, and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near you.’ 10 When you enter any town, and they don’t welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 11 ‘We are wiping off even the dust of your town that clings to our feet as a witness against you. Know this for certain: The kingdom of God has come near.’
Original Intent
1) What did Jesus mean by saying in verse 2, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”
For Jewish people, and the majority of the world at that time, the harvest was an integral part of culture. All those present, and within earshot of Jesus, would have been intimately familiar with agriculture. Events, celebrations and daily life were all planned around harvest. It was central to their everyday lives. Additionally, harvest was a time of focused, dedicated work (Proverbs 10:4-5), but it was also a time of celebration and rejoicing. (Exodus 23:14-16) In this passage, Jesus uses harvest language to reference unbelieving people in the world. Those who are ready to receive the Gospel message about salvation are the ones ready to be harvested for God’s kingdom. They are waiting for the hope of transformation and freedom possible for those who confess their sin nature and accept the gift of salvation. These individuals are the harvest. Every word Jesus spoke drew those with ears to hear into His Kingdom, and this exchange was no different. First, He described the problem. “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few.” Next, He provided the solution by exhorting those listening to act. He told them to “pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.” This is fascinating, because of course, Jesus himself is the Lord of all; He is the Lord of the harvest. He alone has the authority to send out workers into His field, yet He invited believers into that work!
2) What is significant about Jesus’ command in verse 3, “I’m sending you out like lambs among wolves. Don’t carry a money-bag, traveling bag, or sandals; don’t greet anyone along the road.”
Jesus likened the disciples to lambs, and stated He was sending them out among wolves. The statement may be many things, but comforting isn’t how most would describe it. Through His words, Jesus cautioned each disciple to count the cost of what is required to fulfill the command. A lamb is a baby sheep, and would be totally defenseless against a predator like a wolf. Wolves are wild, dangerous, and vicious. Jesus used this word picture to illustrate how the disciples would need to be utterly dependent on Him for everything. They were entirely incapable of doing the work He was commissioning them to do, apart from Him. His stipulation that they mustn’t carry a money-bag, traveling bag, or sandals illustrated they must draw every provision they needed from Him alone. At that time, travelers would often sew money into their belts, in addition to carrying a money-bag with additional resources. His words here were intentional: those he sent out were to take with them only the bare basics, and not get entangled by carrying “extra.” Additionally, He told them not to greet anyone along the road. Jesus wasn’t commanding His followers to be unkind to others, or ignore those who needed help. Instead, He was impressing upon them the urgency of the calling He was giving. In order for them to do what He had called them to do, they would need to move quickly, with as little encumbrance and distraction as possible.
3) Why did Jesus give specific instructions for entering a house and whether to stay or leave a town? (verses 5-11)
The instructions Jesus gave His disciples were very specific. The full outline of Scripture is above, but here’s how I paraphrase verses 5-11. “When you enter a new town, visit the home offered to you. Discern whether the blessing of peace you release to those in the house is received, or whether it is rejected. If your peace rests on them and is not rejected, stay there, and receive the hospitality they give you with grace and in a way which honors your hosts. Don’t let yourselves feel unworthy of their hospitality, for you are doing the work for which I sent you. Don’t change houses, but stay in that house and receive what they offer you. When you enter a town, and its inhabitants welcome you, love them by receiving what they give you. Serve and heal all those who need a touch from Me, giving all glory to God alone. If a town rejects you, don’t hesitate to leave. Go boldly, and speak truth even as you do so.” The instruction is clear, but it’s important to ask why Jesus went into such detail? Jesus was teaching the disciples, and us, the method of bringing in the harvest: in love. Each instruction Jesus gave was rooted in love. When the disciples received the hospitality of those who hosted them, they were showing love to them. When they ate and drank the food and drink offered by each town, they were honoring those people and showing them love. When they served and healed those who needed a touch from the Lord, and gave glory to God, they were being ambassadors for Christ and sharing his love with all. Even when they were rejected, if they followed His instruction to go into the street and shake the dust off their feet, proclaiming that the kingdom of God had come near, they were acting in love by giving warning.
Everyday Application
1) What did Jesus mean by saying in verse 2, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”
Jesus said the harvest was abundant, but the workers were few. Then, He instructed, “pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.” Who, exactly, do you think He might have been talking about? In this passage, He stated the problem, then immediately solved it, by sending out those very disciples to work in the “fields” and gather the “harvest.” Jesus wasn’t telling His disciples to pray that He would commission other people to go work in the harvest; He was telling them to pray that He would commission and send them. This is encouraging for several reasons, but the first is that even those early disciples were dependent on God to send them out and sustain them. They weren’t naturally “raring to go” or running out to evangelize. Jesus gave them the model we are to follow today when He told them to pray for Him to send them out. There is hope for us! We get to be active participants in His harvest, too! Maybe you don’t have a natural desire to be a worker in his field, or witness to other people. That’s okay! The Lord of the harvest will put that passion and desire to reach the lost and work in His fields in you if you ask Him. Here’s one way we can apply this and pray today: Jesus, you alone are the Lord of the harvest, and my life. All glory belongs to You alone. I confess I don’t have a natural desire to share the gospel with others, but I want to want to work in Your fields and reach the lost. Please change my heart and mind, and put that desire, willingness, and boldness in me. Give me opportunities to touch the lost and the boldness to speak the words you speak. My life and everything in my hands belongs to You.
2) What is significant about Jesus’ command in verse 3, “I’m sending you out like lambs among wolves. Don’t carry a money-bag, traveling bag, or sandals; don’t greet anyone along the road.”
When Jesus sent the disciples out, He gave instructions to convey the urgency of His message. He told them not to carry the customary things one would take when traveling as they went from town to town, ministering to the people there. His words to them ring just as true for us today. As citizens of the kingdom of Heaven and part of God’s family, we are not to become ensnared by the things this world holds dear, such as the accumulation of wealth, or worldly possessions. Jesus wasn’t saying that having these things is a sin, but He was reiterating that our treasure is not of the earthly variety. In Luke 18, Jesus addressed the temptation to be found in earthly possessions when He spoke to the young ruler (Luke 18:18-23), and again in the following conversation with Peter and the disciples. (Luke 18:24-29) Again, as always, Jesus used the interaction to shine the light of divine revelation on mankind’s tendency to look out for self, and how easy it is for us to elevate financial security, safety, and the trappings of this world to idol status. When Jesus commissioned His disciples, and us, to go out as lambs among wolves, He reminded all that our mission and calling are urgent. We don’t know how many days or hours we will be given; neither did His first disciples. What’s at stake is far too important for us to allow anything or anyone else to take precedence over His harvest, and it is only possible through Him. How do we respond to this truth? We can pray: Lord, search me and know me. Show me what I have allowed to take Your place in my heart and life, and enable me to turn and put You first in my life. Help me recognize when I’m allowing other things to pull me from my purpose in Your kingdom, and bring me into alignment with Your will.
3) Why did Jesus give specific instructions for entering a house and whether to stay or leave a town? (verses 5-11)
Jesus wasn’t just talking about cultural customs here. He was taking this opportunity to teach His disciples about discernment. In this context, Jesus was speaking to disciples He was dispatching to spread the gospel in other areas, and telling them how to go about doing this. Specifically, He told them that when they entered a house, to release a blessing of peace to the inhabitants there. If the blessing of peace landed or stayed with those people, they were to stay in that home. However, if their peace was rejected, they were to go elsewhere. But what does that mean, and how does it translate for us today? After Jesus ascended to Heaven, the Holy Spirit was given to every Christian. Every new believer receives the installment of the Holy Spirit at the moment they give their lives to Jesus and accept salvation. The Holy Spirit is the source of all knowledge and wisdom, and His presence in our lives is accompanied by a measure of holy discernment. In this passage, Jesus wasn’t just talking about whether or not a person would respond with peaceful words; instead, He was telling His disciples to use their God-given discernment to determine whether the inhabitants of that home had received and accepted the gospel of peace, or whether they were hostile to the truth. How can we adopt this practice in our lives? We can ask Holy Spirit to give us an increase of discernment and wisdom to respond as He desires. Holy Spirit, you are the source of all knowledge. Give me discernment to know when you have prepared the hearts of those you bring to me, and when their hearts are not soft to you. Father, help me to speak only what I hear You speaking, and to do only what I see You doing, just as Jesus did. Give me eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart that loves to obey You swiftly and completely.
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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!
1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!
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Why Dig Deeper?
Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.
In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!
Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.
Study Tools
We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.
Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!
Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))
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