Day 10—Luke 10—Sent Into the Harvest

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” — Luke 10:2 (ESV)

In Luke chapter 10, we see a decisive moment in the ministry of Jesus. Up to this point, He has called the three, then the twelve, and now He appoints seventy-two others and sends them out ahead of Him. This is no small detail. It tells us something essential about the heart of God and the nature of discipleship: those who follow Jesus are also sent by Jesus.

The Lord never intended His ministry to be a spectator event. From the beginning, He has chosen to work through people—ordinary men and women who are willing to go where He sends them and speak what He has given them to say. The seventy-two were not apostles in the formal sense, nor were they sent permanently into an office. Their assignment was temporary, but the principles Jesus gave them are timeless.

Before He sends them, Jesus frames the mission with a sobering reality: “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” (Matthew 9:38) The problem has never been the harvest. God is already at work in the hearts of people. The fields are ready. The shortage is not opportunity—it is obedience.

Then Jesus gives the first instruction: pray. “Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”  (Matthew 9:38) Prayer is not a substitute for going; it is the preparation for it. And often, as we pray, we discover that God’s answer to our prayer is us. The one who prays for workers may soon become one.

Jesus sends them out two by two. Ministry was never meant to be done alone. There is wisdom, accountability, encouragement, and protection in serving together. As we walk with others, we disciple one another, sharpen one another, and remind each other that the work belongs to the Lord—not to us. Partnership in ministry is both practical and spiritual.

The environment into which the seventy-two were sent was not friendly. Jesus described it plainly: lambs among wolves. That language is not comforting, but it is honest. The world of the first century was sinful, confused, and hostile to the truth—and the same can be said of our world today. The message of the Gospel confronts darkness, exposes sin, and calls people to repentance. That message will always meet resistance.

We should not be surprised when the world rejects what it does not understand. Scripture tells us that the god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers. The hostility toward Christ and His followers is ultimately spiritual, not merely cultural. As followers of Jesus, we cannot expect to be applauded by a world that rejected our Lord.

Yet Jesus does not send His disciples out in fear. He sends them with authority and assurance.

After His resurrection, Jesus declares, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matthew 28:18) On the basis of that authority, He gives the Great Commission: to go, make disciples, baptize, and teach. And then He gives the promise that steadies every obedient heart: “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Luke 17:21)

We do not go alone. We go with Christ.

Luke 10 reminds us that obedience does not require perfection—only availability. The seventy-two were sent with simple instructions, a clear message, and a dependence on God. They were not to trust in their own resources, but in the provision of the One who sent them. That same dependence marks all fruitful ministry.

So the question comes to us personally: Will you go?

Where has God gifted you? Not everyone is called to the same field, but everyone is called to the harvest. Some are sent across the world; others are sent across the street. Some speak from a pulpit; others speak across a kitchen table. The location may differ, but the mission is the same.

Who can you take with you? Discipleship is relational. Jesus always worked with people, not programs. Look around your circle—your family, your workplace, your team, your neighborhood. Who needs hope? Who is without Christ? Who needs to hear the good news of salvation?

At no point should we expect those who do not belong to Christ to live like they do. Paul reminds us in Galatians that the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—are the evidence of a life transformed by the Spirit of God. When those fruits are missing, it is not merely a moral problem; it is a spiritual one. It reveals hearts that need the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

That grace is the message we carry.

Jesus Christ was miraculously born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died a cruel and undeserved death on a cross, was buried in a borrowed tomb, raised to life by the power of the Holy Spirit, and ascended into heaven before many witnesses. He reigns at the right hand of the Father and prepares a place for all who place their faith in Him alone. This is not religious opinion—it is the Gospel, and it is the power of God unto salvation.

Someone in your life needs to hear this.

Will you pray for them? Will you care enough to build a relationship? Will you speak when the opportunity comes, even if it costs you comfort or approval? The harvest is ready. The laborers are still few.

The way forward is the way of obedience. Jesus is still sending. The only question left is whether we are willing to go.

Prayer:
Lord of the harvest, we thank You for calling us not only to believe, but to be sent. Forgive us for our hesitation, our fear, and our complacency. Open our eyes to see the harvest around us and give us hearts willing to obey Your call. Teach us to pray earnestly, to walk faithfully with others, and to speak boldly in love and truth. Fill us with Your Spirit, guide our steps, and use our lives for Your glory. Here we are, Lord—send us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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