week 2
Travel Lightly
introduction
read
Jesus didn’t just say go. He also
gave His disciples instructions
for their mission trip to the
people of Israel. Jesus’ time was
limited and the purposes of God
were culminating in His suffering,
crucifixion and resurrection.
The people of Israel needed to
hear Jesus’ message of peace
and stop trying to build God’s
kingdom in their own way
through violence and revolution.
These instructions give us
valuable insight for the way we
can do mission today.
LUKE 10:1-7
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.
At first glance, this doesn’t quite sound like a very sensible or effective mission
strategy (greet no one? Really?), but if we look a little closer we see that:
›› When Jesus sends workers out into the harvest field He gives them all that
they require.
›› Being a harvester requires us to carry little and not hold onto our ‘things’ too tightly.
›› There is much to distract the disciples and us from the mission that God has given.
›› There is an urgency to this mission, and we need to keep our eye on the main game.
discuss/reflect
1. How are you trusting that Jesus has equipped you in this mission right now?
2. What might you be holding onto too tightly? What do you need to let go of in
order to walk more lightly as a pilgrim of Jesus?
3. Is there anything distracting you from being in the harvest field right now?
What can you do to change that?
4. When did you have to complete something urgently, what did you have to
do? How would your sharing of the message of Jesus through your words and
actions change if you see it as urgent?
resonate · issue 27 · page 8