Ministry cannot be done by a very small amount of people. It requires the work of many people to accomplish ministry. Even the smallest of churches with simple services requires the efforts of more than just a pastor.
It helps to have someone who will read the Scripture. Greeters are needed. The offering is collected and counted. Ushers for the offering, candle-lighters, and – in our church – volunteers who gather prayer requests and count the attendance all facilitate worship.
Even the first ministry, that of Jesus Christ, involved more than just himself. We are familiar with the twelve disciples, but Jesus had more than the twelve who worked with him.
How many did Jesus send out in this story? What warning does he give? In verses 5 through 9 Jesus gives very specific instructions. Why do you think he is so explicit?
It is common to imagine Jesus walking the countryside preaching and teaching and healing. It is easy to imagine him as a loner, wandering by himself, in charge of his own ministry.
But then we recall that he surrounded himself with twelve disciples, faithful followers who became his inner circle. They too were given authority to preach, teach and heal (Luke 9:1-2).
And now we have an often-overlooked passage of Jesus expanding his ministry even further. Seventy-two were sent out ahead of him in pairs. They were obviously meant to ready the people to receive Jesus, to prepare them for a more detailed message.
But these seventy-two were to do ministry. They were to bring peace (verse 5), heal the sick (verse 9) and ready the people for Christ’s message. That is the work of ministry.
And who were these seventy-two? No one we are familiar with. There are no names listed. They must have been average people who were willing to obey Jesus and do whatever ministry they were told to do.
DAILY CHALLENGE: What ministry do you feel called to?
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