Encounter 40 – 72 Sent Out

Luke 10:1-24

And after these things, the Lord also appointed seventy-two others and sent them out two by two before him into every town and place where he was about to go.

And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest that he send out workers into his harvest. Go! Behold, I am sending you out like lambs in the midst of wolves! Do not carry a money bag or a traveler’s bag or sandals, and greet no one along the road. And into whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace be to this household!” And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on him. But if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the worker is worthy of his pay. Do not move from house to house. And into whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat whatever is set before you, and heal the sick in it, and say to them, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.” But into whatever town you enter and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, “Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you! Nevertheless know this: that the kingdom of God has come near!” I tell you that it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town! Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes! But it will be more bearable for Tyre and for Sidon in the judgment than for you! And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No! You will be brought down to Hades! The one who listens to you listens to me, and the one who rejects you rejects me. But the one who rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”

And the seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!”

So he said to them, “I saw Satan falling like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you the authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will ever harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are inscribed in heaven.”

At that same time he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to young children. Yes, Father, for this was pleasing before you. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wants to reveal him.”

And turning to the disciples, he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see the things which you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them.”

Number of Fish: 72

Total fish: 123

This sending out of the disciples is similar to the 12 being sent out, but definitely different as verse 1 specifically says 72 others were sent out.

There is also the a textual variant between some versions saying this was 70, and others saying 72. According to the NET Bible, 72 is more likely – one possibility is that later scribes changed it to 70 to match the number of translators of the Septuagint. There’s no way to really know for sure which total is correct. Right now, 72 fits my list of 153.