Luke 9 and 10
Motivation
Inward focus: Let go of self, hold on to truth
To live victoriously as a Christian, you cannot have a half-hearted commitment to God. Your relationship with Him cannot be superficial.
In Luke 9 and 10, Jesus sent out His disciples to preach the kingdom of God. They were told not to take money, food, or extra clothes, but to rely on God’s provision alone – something they saw clearly in the miraculous feeding of the 5,000 in the wilderness. They were to orient their hearts on eternity, not on the temporary. He challenged their desires to have the best positions and reputation, rather than to submit to hardship, rejection, and mercy for the sake of His glory – not their own.
“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world and is himself destroyed or lost” (Luke 9:23-25).
Are you convinced of the truth of God’s existence, call, and provision? Let that motivate you to give your all for His mission to reach the lost.
Mission
Forward focus: Let go of the world, hold on to the plow
This world is not our home, but it is our mission field. No one understood that more clearly than Jesus Himself. After traveling and ministering throughout the Judean countryside with His disciples, Jesus knew when it was time to complete His mission.
“Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem…” (Luke 9:51). There, He would be crucified – suffering the penalty of our sin and then rising from the dead, so we could be set free from the power of sin and death through Him.
He had been despised and rejected along the way, but He didn’t look back. He looked forward. And that’s what He expects of each of His followers.
“No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62).
God is asking us to persevere in this mission field to save the lost. There are many still waiting to hear the Good News from you!
“The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (Luke 10:2).
Momentum
Upward focus: Let go of rejection, hold on to hope
Jesus warned the disciples that not everyone would accept their message. But their momentum was not affected by the rejection of others. They shook the dust off their feet and moved on to where the harvest was waiting.
They were strengthened by the Holy Spirit and the promises that lay ahead.
Jesus told them to “Rejoice because your names are written in Heaven” (Luke 10:20).
He said Mary chose the one thing that is needed to be in His service – to sit at His feet and hear His Word (Luke 10:42).
Staying focused on God’s truth and His mission, and keeping your heart on Heaven ahead, be encouraged to “hold on”. Keep your hand on the plow – there is still work to be done!
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23).
