God Sends Us Still
Luke 10:1–11, 16–20
In this passage from Luke, Jesus appoints seventy-two followers and sends them out ahead of Him to every place He plans to go. Their task is simple but meaningful: share peace, receive hospitality, and proclaim that “the kingdom of God has come near.” This story reminds us that the work of sharing God’s love and grace isn’t reserved for a few—it’s the calling of the whole church, grounded in the promise that Christ is already at work ahead of us.
Jesus tells them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few,” a line that may sound daunting. But in Lutheran theology, we don’t do mission to earn God’s favor—we do it as a joyful response to the grace we’ve already received. We’re sent not with pressure to succeed, but with the assurance that God’s Word does not return empty. Our role is to go, to show up, and to trust that God is present in the encounter.
The seventy-two return with joy, amazed that even demons submit to them. But Jesus gently redirects them: “Do not rejoice… that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” In other words, our worth isn’t in the results of our ministry—it’s in who we are in Christ. Lutheran faith holds this truth close: that we are justified by grace, and our calling flows from that unshakable identity.
As Lutherans, we often speak of vocation—the idea that each of us is called by God in daily life. Whether we are teachers, parents, retirees, students, or neighbors, we are sent into the world to live out our faith in love and service. Just as the seventy-two were sent in pairs, we don’t go alone. We go together, as the body of Christ, bearing witness to the kingdom breaking in through acts of mercy, justice, and compassion.
So this week, may you be reminded: you are already equipped, already loved, already sent. In every table you gather around, every conversation you enter, and every ordinary place you walk into—God’s peace goes with you. The kingdom has come near, and through you, it still does.
