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)