Luke 10:1-2 1And after these things 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. 2And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray to the Lord of the harvest, that he might send out workers into his harvest.
The radical shift of priorities illustrated in the previous passage is now put to the test in the next episode as Jesus and his disciples made their way to Jerusalem. Verse 1 gives the basic background for what takes place next in the narrative. The following chapters contain a significant amount of teaching material. Luke records more details for Theophilus about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. This story is a test of those who had chosen to follow him.
The number seventy-two may be significant for several reasons. Most obviously, it indicates that many people had made the decision to follow Jesus. Another possibility is that seventy-two equals six persons for each of the twelve apostles. Were the twelve in some type of mentoring relationship, sharing what they had learned thus far? Minimally, they could recount their earlier experiences recorded in chapter 9. Luke implies with the word others that these seventy-two were different than the twelve.
Jesus’ strategy was to send out his followers in pairs, which would accomplish several things. One is that according to Deuteronomy 19:15, the witness of two people was needed to verify the truth of a matter. Having two disciples witness to the person and power of Jesus would be more convincing than a rogue preacher. A second is that having a companion can be a form of accountability and encouragement. These seventy-two witnesses would prepare the way for Jesus to come in person.
Verse 2 is significant in the call to discipleship. The need for disciples to reach the world with the gospel was beyond imagination in Jesus’ day, as it is in our day. Millions and billions of people need to hear the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ, yet there are few workers, especially in ministry, to share this message. The harvest is plentiful (polys), meaning great and abundant. It is always harvest season with so many people who have yet to hear the gospel.
Two actions can be done to bring in the harvest. On the part of God’s people, we must pray. The word for pray (deēthēte) is the general word for asking, pleading, or making a request. When petitioning God, it refers to prayer. Prayer recognizes that God has the answer. The description of God as the Lord of the harvest indicates that God is in control of the situation and has the power to answer the prayer. It is his harvest and his kingdom.
Second, the answer to the harvest is for God to send out more workers to bring it in. God sends, but people must respond to the call. Workers do not necessarily mean ministers, pastors, or missionaries. Every believer has an opportunity and responsibility to share his or her faith. God is the one who sends by showing the need, giving the burden, and equipping with ability and authority.
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