The seventy, the samaritan and service

(One Perfect Life Chapters 103-107) Jesus ministry continues to expand. His innermost circle included Peter, John and James. He allowed them to witness events others did not – e.g. His Transfiguration (Matthew 17). The next larger group was the twelve apostles. He had previously sent them out to minister exclusively to the Jewish people (Matthew 10). There is now an even larger group that will be His forerunners through the land that He will visit before going to His death in Jerusalem.

Jesus warns them that they will be like “lambs among wolves” (Luke 10:3) but He reassures them of God’s provision while they are performing His work. He lets them know that they will be welcomed by some but rejected by others. They are not to condemn those that reject them. They are to move on and pray that those people will later have their hearts changed. He does issue a stern warning of judgment on those that reject the Gospel, “it will be more tolerable in that Day (judgement day) for Sodom than for that city” (Luke 10:12). He then specifically warns three cities for rejecting Him – Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum (Luke 10:13-15). He had spent more time teaching and healing in them than anywhere else.

The seventy return with a good report of their experiences. Jesus tells them they were blessed to have witnessed the works of God done in the name of the Messiah. They witnessed things the prophets had longed to see (Luke 10:23-24).

The seventy were not restricted from ministering to gentiles as the twelve had been. To further illustrate the outreach of the Kingdom of God to all people, the parable of the Good Samaritan was shared. A lawyer came “wanting to justify himself.” He correctly identified the commandment of the law to love God and his neighbor, but stumbled at who his neighbor was. The law taught that their neighbor was both the native born Jew (Leviticus 19:18) and people of all nations that converted to Judaism (Leviticus 19:34). The Good Samaritan establishes this fact again for the Jewish people. It lays the groundwork for a church hat will incorporate Jews and gentiles as brothers.

Preparation for the work of the Kingdom comes from having a heart for service (as exemplified by Martha) and listening to Jesus to prepare us for service (an exemplified by Mary) (Luke 10:38-42). Jesus shows that listening to Him is the most important element in understanding our service.

Finally, if we are going to be effective in our service in the Kingdom of God we must continually be in prayer. Jesus restates the prayer which He had earlier shared in the Sermon on the Mount. The principles of the disciples’ prayer would prepare and support them in their service (Luke 11:1-13). Jesus reassures His followers that their Father in heaven will supply their needs when they ask for them in prayer. Paul later restated this in Philippians 4:19, “God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”