Lambs among Wolves (Luke 10:1-24)

“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. 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. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house. When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’” (Luke 10:1-11)

What shepherd does send his sheep among wolves? Jesus sent the disciples out to every town and place like lambs among wolves. What does it mean? Surely, our Lord Jesus wasn’t out of mind at all. He knew exactly what He was doing. What Jesus says is true because the prince of this world is the devil. The world is under the power of darkness and wickedness and lawlessness. Apostle John warns the saints not to love the world or anything in the world.

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” (1 John 2:15-17)

Of course, Jesus does not mean that people in the world are wolves. Nor things like gold and silver in the world are bad. What is gone wrong is the philosophy and mind of the world which is seriously polluted and adulterated by the vicious poison of the devil. What does the world values and pursues the most? Is it not the lust of flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life? What the world constantly says is to get it whatever the flesh desires and to take it now by any means. The devil says whatever your flesh feels and desires, do it now. So, how many are tempted by drugs, sexes, and alcohols which seem to give something exotic and fantastic now!

Our Lord Jesus knows that the disciples are like lambs in the world where the vicious and malevolent devil looks for prey to devour like a roaring lion. It is a warfare, not physical but spiritual. That’s why Christians are called the soldiers of Christ. Given any moment of opportunity, the devil will attack the preys without a moment of hesitation. The enemy is not people, but the devil. Apostle Paul says in the Epistle of Ephesians, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12)

To where were they sent out? Jesus sent them two by two ahead of Him to every town and place where He was about to go. This is so significant that we never miss the point. They were sent out just ahead of Lord Jesus. What does it mean? It means the disciples were never left alone but with Lord Jesus. Evangelism is not man’s business, but God’s from beginning to end. The Lord God had a divine plan to evangelize the whole world before the creation of the world. The world is God’s harvest field and we’re called workers in His field. The disciples are not sent out to advance the evangelical program of their own. They are sent out to do the work of the Lord Jesus Christ who gave an eternally glorious promise in the Gospel of Matthew.

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b)

Then why did Jesus sent them out? Jesus sent them out to bring peace unto the hearers of the good news. Jesus told them to say, “Peace to this house.” What people in the world need the most is peace. The world has been in constant and intense struggles and fights among race, classes, states, societies, and families. People are hurt, wounded, bruised, punched, and crushed by the relentless attack of the enemy, the devil. The most powerful weapon of the devil is the fear of death. The life of humanity is swallowed up by the powerful enemy of death. People are constantly uneasy and anxious in the fear of death.

Humanity in nature is indeed in the need of release from the constant fear of death. So, the gospel has been preached to village by village throughout the centuries in order to bring the peace of God back into the fallen race. If only they repented out of contrition and brokenness, God has promised to restore peace by breaking the chains of bondage to sin and death with the power of love through the blood of Jesus Christ. He is the gospel of peace to all mankind in all ages.

It’s happening even today and every day in our midst. God has put His people in schools, offices, trades, war zones, militaries, cities, factories, streets, hospitals, seas, and skies to bring forth the gospel of peace to the poor and needy. The healing and restoration have been occurring among the people who respond to the gospel of peace in the most humdrum and routine places where real people are breathing and living.  

But the warnings and woes are announced to those who refuse to respond to the gospel of peace.

“I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. ‘Woe to you, Chorazin! 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. But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. ‘Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.’” (Luke 10:12-16)

Warnings, the serious warnings for the unrepentant and unresponsive to the gospel of peace have been pronounced by the Lord who has sat down on the throne of judgment. The judgment will be coming speedily and forcefully without a word of warning first for the Jew then for the Gentiles. It’s the year of the Lord’s favor. But the day of the Lord’s vengeance will be coming when no one expects Him to come so suddenly and unexpectedly (Isaiah 61:1-3).

The workers are blessed to share the joy of the owner of the harvest field. But there is much more and deeper reward prepared for the workers in the Lord’s harvest field for their names are written in heaven.

“The seventy-two returned with joy and said, ‘Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.’ He replied, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.’” (Luke 10:17-20)

Those who were sent out came back with joy for they experienced the power that the gospel of peace had reached out to the people and saved them. Jesus confirms it by saying that He saw Satan fell like lightening from heaven. It reveals that Lord Jesus was with them in spirit even though He wasn’t physically there. It wasn’t their authority but the Lord’s to trample down the power of snakes and scorpions. They were blessed most of all to share the joy of God. That’s a kind of reward for the workers of the gospel of peace. But there will be much more reward in heaven than experiencing the power of the gospel of peace on this earth for their names are written in heaven. That’s the true cause of rejoicing. No power will prevail them simply because their names are written in the book of life and known by God.

At that time our Lord was full of joy through the Holy Spirit and He gave us the reason why.

“At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, ‘I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.’ Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, ‘Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.’” (Luke 10:21-24)

The reason our Lord Jesus was full of joy was because the Father, Lord of heaven and earth had revealed these things to little children but not to the wise and learned. The Father in heaven is pleased to do this. These things mean the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, how it works and opens door for releasing the power of God. All power in heaven and on earth has been given to the Son Jesus Christ and only little children are able to appropriate the power.

Who are little children? They are like the disciples who were sent out and made known the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. They are those who obey Jesus, experience the power of God, and know where it comes from. They are not like the wise and learned of the world who rely on their capabilities and wits. They are like those who completely and fully rely on the Lord Jesus because they know there is nothing to depend on. They are like those who have reached the end of old life, the flesh for which Jesus was crucified as the ransom sacrifice.

It was hidden to the prophets and kings in the past though they wanted to see what little children could see and hear. The kings and prophets wanted to see and hear the Messiah but were not allowed. Since Christ came into the world, the mystery of God was revealed to the eyes of little children. Apostle Paul speaks about the long awaited and hidden mystery of God which has been revealed in due time when Jesus was born of a virgin women in the Epistle of Colossians. It’s Christ in you, the hope of glory.

“…the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:26-27)

The Kingdom of Heaven Explained (Luke 9:49-62)

“Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.” “Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.” (Luke 9:49-50)

Our Lord Jesus did not prohibit for someone to drive out demons in His name although he was not among the disciples who tried to stop him. Jesus gives an answer why we shouldn’t stop anyone to do something in the name of Christ. It’s because whoever is not against us is for us. Our God is bigger than our minds and deeper and higher than our thoughts. There are many denominations in Christendom. It seems the body of Christ is divided but it is not. Every denomination is for Christ and works together for the cause of God and the advancement of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. There are many gifts in the body of Christ but one body whose head is Christ.

“As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” But Jesus turned and rebuked them. Then he and his disciples went to another village.” (Luke 9:51-56)

Our Lord Jesus was resolutely heading toward the city of Jerusalem to drink the cup of God for which He came into the world. Jesus knew that the time had come for Him to be taken up to heaven through the way of the cross. We are not told what Jesus wanted messengers to get ready for Him in a Samaritan village. Probably, Jesus wanted to stay overnight in the village, teaching the kingdom of heaven and healing the sick and driving out demons. But the villagers refused to welcome Him because He was heading for Jerusalem. There was a historically serious feud between Jews and Samaritans. It is a bit surprising because once the Samaritans welcomed Jesus, begging His stay more days when a woman at the well of Jacob witnessed the grace of Jesus Christ.

The disciples were indignant when they refused to welcome their Master. Their pride was hurt. James and John called the sons of Boanerges promptly asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” We are not sure whether they could do such a thing, bringing fire down from heaven. Its’ probably because they experienced the power to drive out demons and heal the sick and furthermore they saw the transfigured Jesus in glory on the mountaintop. No wonder Jesus named them the sons of thunder.

Jesus turned on them and rebuked them. Then He went to another village. Our God is the God of mercy and grace. Our God is reluctant and hesitant to execute the judgment. Instead, our God wants everyone to come to repentance and to be saved. “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

“God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:25-26)

Yes, God is the God of judgment as clearly stated and manifested in Noah’s time by flood. But the judgment doesn’t save people but the enduring love does. For that reason, God made His begotten Son sin for us and the eternal atoning sacrifice on the cross in Calvary. Apostle Paul when he contemplated the longsuffering mercy and grace of God he reminded of the quotation of Prophet Isaiah, “All day long I have stretched out My hands To a disobedient and contrary people.” (Romans 10:21)

As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:57-62)

Many wanted to follow Jesus but a few remained. It’s a narrow gate to follow Jesus who says, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Many misunderstood this and literally lived like vagabonds in the mountains and no man’s land. That is not what our Lord Jesus means at all. It is true that following Jesus is a very narrow way that while the disciples went back their homes our Lord Jesus had no place to lay down His head and spent many nights in the mountains.

What is it that our Lord Jesus didn’t mind losing even the basic things in our lives? It is not that Jesus couldn’t afford it but rather He chose that way in order to say something for our humanity. Housing and food are the most essential needs in our humanity. But Jesus says even those fundamentals are not worth comparing with the eternal weight of glory. What is seen is fleeting, passing, and momentary. What is unseen is eternal, real, and enduring. Food and housing will be passing and disappearing. But there is an eternal kingdom in heaven which does not spoil, fade, or perish. God whose name is “I Am What I Am” reign and rule the kingdom with righteousness and justice.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3-5)

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.” (Romans 8:1-21)

Prophet Isaiah was told to cry out that all men are like grass and the flowers of the field. That’s what we are in the sight of God. James says that we are like mist in the morning which appears a little while and vanishes (James 4:14).

A voice says, “Cry out.”

   And I said, “What shall I cry?”

“All people are like grass,

   and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.

The grass withers and the flowers fall,

   because the breath of the Lord blows on them.

Surely the people are grass.

The grass withers and the flowers fall,

but the word of our God endures forever.” (Isaiah 40:6-8)

Therefore, we are sojourners and strangers in this world. The Scripture confirms and underscores it over and over again. This is not our home but just a temporary place to learn how to live now and in the ages to come. Jesus is the truth. What He says is the ultimate reality which reveals all things hidden and unseen in the kingdom.

It Is Impossible to Please God without Faith (Luke 9:37-48)

“You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.” (Luke 9:41)

While Jesus was transfigured on the mount in the presence of three disciples, the other group of disciples were facing a trouble with a boy whom his father brought them to heal from the demonic power. Not long ago, they were sent out two by two and exercised the power and authority to drive out demons, to heal the sick, and even to raise the dead. But this time they failed powerlessly and helplessly. Why could they do one day and could not another?

Is it not our experience as well? We have both victories and failures, more failures though. What’s the problem? Jesus says, “You unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I stay with you and put up with you?” It was faith that the disciples didn’t practice but relied on their experience in the past. They used exactly the same language in the name of Jesus to the boy but nothing happened. They were puzzled and later asked Jesus why.

“Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, ‘Why couldn’t we drive it out?’ He replied, ‘Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.’” (Matthew 17:19-20)

Is it not true that we need to eat daily no matter what, even after a big meal? Our body needs to be fed daily, not weekly or monthly. Likewise, we cannot live with our experience of victories in the past but with a fresh and new faith in Christ Jesus. At times, we desire to go back to the past when we experienced a great victory in God. However, our faith doesn’t lie on the glorious experience even raising the dead but on the Person Jesus Christ. The disciples during the journey performed and witnessed the great miracles in their midst wherever they went. But it wasn’t they who did but Jesus Christ who gave them authority and power. Since they completely depended on Jesus who sent them out, they were made to drive out demons and to heal the sick.

The Scripture says, “The just shall live by faith.” What is faith? Faith is the cessation of our old life, flesh and the total submission of our new life to Lord Jesus Christ. Why must our old life cease in order practice genuine faith? It’s because our flesh has no value at all. The past glorious and victorious experiences and achievements even in God can mislead us into illusions and delusions that we have reached the point where we can rely on ourselves. It is the lie. That’s the reason the disciples failed to practice the power and authority of Jesus over the boy although they uttered in the name of Christ.

Our Lord Jesus demonstrated the perfect and complete dependence on the Father in heaven all the time. He says, “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” (John 5:19) That’s a living faith. Although our Lord Jesus received all power and authority in heaven and on earth, He did not use it to satisfy Himself but submitted everything unto the Father. Our Lord Jesus became nothing before the Holy Father even when He could bring down the multitude of angles to punish those who were against Him (Matthew 26:53).

Apostle Peter recalled the attitude of our Lord Jesus in his epistle to the saints, saying “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.” (1 Peter 2:23)

Where genuine faith is practiced, there is the greatness of God manifested. “Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the impure spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father. And they were all amazed at the greatness of God.” (Luke 9:42-43a)

Again, Jesus repeated the announcement of His suffering and death, underscoring the statement beginning with “Listen carefully what I am about to tell you.” The disciples still wasn’t grasping who Jesus was and even afraid to ask Him about it.

“While everyone was marveling at all that Jesus did, he said to his disciples, ‘Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.’ But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.” (Luke 9:43b-45)

Why our Lord Jesus repeated this unpopular and unpleasant announcement to the disciples? It’s because it was the way to the Father. He must be delivered into the hands of men, which means He must die not for Himself but for the many. Jesus drew the attention of hearers because it is so important to listen carefully. The death of Jesus forever stands for the cessation of our old life which is the first step in practicing the genuine faith. He died in our place when God made the Son sin for us.

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Even the best man ever lived on the face of earth must die when God made Him sin for us on the cross. The sin of the world must be punished for the reconciliation of humanity to the Truthful God. For that reason, our Lord Jesus Christ was condemned and punished by God the Father in our place.

Then, God exerted His power to raise Jesus from the dead on the third day. When nothing could work for the dead, the resurrection of Jesus was performed by the power of God. Nothing could hinder or block the power of resurrection from the dead. The whole new life was given to Jesus and God exalted Him above every name in heaven and on earth. In this way, Jesus Christ became the author and finisher of faith (Hebrews 12:2). Anyone who comes with the terms will be given a new life in Christ by the power of resurrection.

The disciples were afraid to ask Jesus about the announcement because they didn’t understand what it meant. Rather, they argued who was the greatest among them. Out of ignorance and misunderstandings, they engaged in the mundane issue among them.

“An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. Then he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.’” (Luke 9:46-48)

There is nothing wrong to have desire to be great. The problem lies on how to be great. The world says we can be great with power and might, more precisely with status, position, wealth, and achievements. The world is run by the philosophy of competition and dominance. But Jesus says exactly the opposite. Jesus says that the one who is least among them all is the greatest. Jesus also says those who accept little children in His name accept Him.

Little children have little value in the worldly points. But they have genuine qualities that please God. What are they? They have unique teachable quality and exceptional honesty, the opposite of pretense. They absorb the things told and heard in an unlimited fashion. In them, no pretense or disguise is found. They are direct and straight in asking questions they have. Parents experience the unending and bombarding questions from their children. The kingdom of God belongs to those who welcome little children.

Why is the one who is least among all the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? It’s because the one who is least is the one who practice genuine faith, knowing that he has nothing to depend on. The one who is least is the one who deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Lord Jesus. He is the greatest because he relies on the One who is the author and finisher of our faith. Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount who are the blessed.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,

   for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn,

   for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,

   for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

   for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful,

   for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart,

   for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,

   for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

   for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:3-11)