Someone at My Side

Luke 10:1-7a
After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house!' And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the labourer deserves to be paid."

This passage offers a lot to discuss. However, what strikes me most is the concept of the Lord appointing persons to go ahead of him in pairs. Ministry is often seen as a Lone Ranger type of profession. The vast majority of pastors tend to be solo pastors. Some might have part time staff, but in most churches, the pastor is the chief cook and bottle washer.

What caught my attention in this passage was the choosing of 70 to help him in spreading the word and the fact that when he did send them forth he sent them in pairs—not as solo ministers. Perhaps this is something that we should take a closer look at in the church. This scene is reminiscent of the Old Testament story of Moses. He, too, was acting as a solo pastor. One day, his father in law, suggested that he was taking too much of the burden upon himself. He needed to find other men to help him settle the disputes that were continually coming up among the Israelites. Moses listened to the wise counsel of his father in law and got men to help him.

I think that pastors need men and women that are willing to come along side them and help them with the tasks involved in ministry. If anyone wants to help, just give me a call. I’ll find some way to integrate you into the ministry of the church so that you can do effective ministry and so that the church might prosper in it’s ministry.