Main Highlights
Jesus sends out seventy-two disciples to prepare the way for Him, emphasizing service, urgency, and dependence on God, while also highlighting the importance of loving God and one's neighbor through the parable of the Good Samaritan.
Key Verses
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.— Luke 10:1
Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.— Luke 10:3
He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”— Luke 10:26
He said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” And Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”— Luke 10:37
And He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few; therefore plead with the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”— Luke 10:2
Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”— Luke 10:16
He answered, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’— Luke 10:27
Related Scripture
And He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few; therefore plead with the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”— Matthew 9:37-38
Scholar Insight
"“The sending out of the seventy-two is meant to show how the ministry of Jesus is to spread and permeate the whole world.” - Alfred Plummer, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel According to St. Luke (5th ed.; Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1922), p. 273."
Theological Analysis
What we learn about God
God is a sending God, commissioning His followers to spread His message. He is also merciful, as demonstrated in the parable of the Good Samaritan.
Christological Connection
Jesus is the Lord who sends out His disciples. He is also the one who teaches about love and compassion, as demonstrated in the parable of the Good Samaritan.
Systematic Theology
The concept of missiology is taught through the sending out of the seventy-two. It emphasizes the importance of spreading the Gospel and making disciples.
Law & Grace
The Law is referenced when the expert in the Law asks Jesus how to inherit eternal life. Grace is shown through the actions of the Good Samaritan, who extends mercy and compassion without expecting anything in return.
Personal Application
People should respond by being willing to serve others, showing compassion to those in need, and prioritizing love for God and neighbor in their actions.