Two By Two

We were never meant to do this work alone.

Last week, I took a passage and interpreted the whole thing under the auspices of one word. Grace.
I thought maybe I'd tackle this passage in similar fashion, not with a word so much, but with a phrase.
The thing that should stand out in this passage is the way in which Jesus sends his followers out.
We'll grab hold of that after we read the scripture from the Gospel of Luke.

Luke 10

New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two

10 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two^[a] others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. ² He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. ³ Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. ⁴ Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.

⁵ “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ ⁶ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. ⁷ Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.
⁸ “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. ⁹ Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ ¹⁰ But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, ¹¹ ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’ ¹² I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.
¹³ “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. ¹⁴ But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. ¹⁵ And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.^[b]
16 “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
¹⁷ The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”
¹⁸ He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. ¹⁹ I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. ²⁰ However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
²¹ At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.
²² “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
²³ Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. ²⁴ For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

Way back up in verse 1. The phrase "After this" jumps off the page. (That's not "the phrase" we are using to interpret this passage, but it begs a look into it.) What happened before we got into this passage? A quick page turn back to Chap 9 shows that the previous chapter starts off with the sending of the twelve. And, Jesus gives the twelve pretty much the same instruction he gives the seventy-two.

Luke 9

New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve

9 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, ² and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. ³ He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. ⁴ Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. ⁵ If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” ⁶ So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.

SO, he sends out the twelve. Together. All together. Not on their own. Not under their own power or authority or strength. HE calls them together. He gives them power and authority. He sends them out to proclaim the Kingdom of God. He sends them out to heal.

Lots of things happen in Chap 9. After the twelve are sent out the Feeding of the Five Thousand happens. Peter declares Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus predicts his own death. Peter, James and John join Jesus on a mountain top for the Transfiguration. Jesus predicts his death a second time. The disciples debate over who is the greatest and try to stop a man who is casting out demons in the name of Jesus.

 ⁵⁰ “Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”

 Jesus and the twelve can't enter a Samaritan town because they won't accept Him. So they move on towards Jerusalem. And, finally, Jesus explains what the cost of discipleship truly is.

The Cost of Following Jesus

⁵⁷ As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
⁵⁸ Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
⁵⁹ He said to another man, “Follow me.”
But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
⁶⁰ Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
⁶¹ Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”
⁶² Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Let everything that happened in Chap 9 just kind of simmer on the back burner of your mind as you prepare for Chap 10. 

"After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go."

I don't know for sure, but Jesus must be planning on going to alot of places if he needs 36 groups of two to go before him. This is in addition to the twelve. "seventy-two others" is what it says. Here's the catchy part. "two by two he sent them out" In Noah like fashion, Jesus sent them out, not in. The animals and Noah's family came into the ark for protection. Jesus sends his followers out into the storm of the world with seemingly no protection from the elements. The only thing they truly have is his command. ³ Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.

I'm willing to bet many of these people have either been walking around with Jesus and the twelve for awhile or at least since he fed the five thousand, recorded in Chap 9. Sending out the twelve was an experiment. Sending out seventy-two simply expands upon the spiritual test. Two by two. For all the commands that Jesus gives them here, each person is listening while knowing they have someone at their side who is taking it all in also.

I can only imagine the conversation two people might be having as the walked ahead to the next town.
"Hey, Jesus said not to pack any sandals."
"Did he really say we were to heal the sick? Like he does?"
"So, what are we going to do? Lay hands on somebody and say, 'be healed in the name of Jesus'?"
"We are supposed to say, 'the kingdom of God has come near'?"
"Man, I hope we run into a family that can cook 'cause I'm starving."

Jesus pronounces a lot of judgement in this passage in addition to sending out the seventy-two.
Maybe it has something to do with previously being rejected by the Samaritans. Maybe he knows people won't listen to the message. Maybe he knows that these groups of twos being sent out will be confronted by unfriendly faces. The last Sunday of July we covered Matthew 10 where Jesus said similar words. The Matthew 10 passage is also a sending out of the twelve, but it has all of the discourse we find here in Luke. Jesus tells his twelve to do much of the same.

⁵ .....Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. ⁶ Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. ⁷ As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ ⁸ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,^[a] drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

Hmmmm. Sending out as a group, rather than going it alone. Sending out in pairs of two, so you have someone to lean on. With what purpose? Heal. Raise. Cleanse. Drive out. Give.

How could we put those 5 things into practice in our everyday lives?

I'd like to encourage anyone reading this to share this message with someone. Share it with one special intent. The person you share it with could become your "partner". Your friend. That person who goes with you and helps you spread the message. That person and you could 'go ahead' with you. Go and share the good news of Jesus Christ with someone. Go find one thing the two of you could do together that could make a difference in God's Kingdom. Go with the intent of carrying out the 5 verbs above. Notice they all action words. Maybe a brief definition is in order on each, just to help us grab some context.

Definition of HEAL

transitive verb

1 a : to make sound or whole <heal a wound>

   b : to restore to health

2 a : to cause (an undesirable condition) to be overcome : mend <the troubles … had not been forgotten, but they had been healed — William Power>

   b : to patch up (a breach or division) <heal a breach between friends>

3: to restore to original purity or integrity <healed of sin>

Hmmmmmm. How could your pairing of two affect the world around with healing?
And, notice the transitive word up there. We can transfer healing between two parties.
As I have learned to do with Webster's, I scrolled down the page a little farther (because there is usually more) and, of course, there was more. Webster's listed definition from their "Medical Dictionary" that I'm sure will make us think spiritually. Chew on this for a bit!

Medical Definition of HEAL

1: to make sound or whole especially in bodily condition

2: to cure of disease or disorder <heal injured tissues>

The next word we usually think about in a death state, because we have read many time about Jesus raising the dead. And, that is exactly what he tells the disciples to do. But maybe there's more to the word than we think. There was a mile of definition here, so I cut out what i thought didn't apply.
Notice that word, transitive, there again.

Definition of RAISE

transitive verb

1: to cause or help to rise to a standing position

2 a : awaken, arouse

   b : to stir up : incite <raise a rebellion>

   d : to recall from or as if from death

3 a : to set upright by lifting or building <raise a monument>

   b : to lift up <raise your hand> <raise sunken treasure>

   c : to place higher in rank or dignity : elevate

   d : heighten, invigorate <raise the spirits>

4 : to get together for a purpose : collect <raise funds>

5 a : grow, cultivate <raise cotton>

   b : to bring to maturity : rear <raise a child>

6 b : to give voice to <raise a cheer>

7: to bring up for consideration or debate <raise an issue>

8 a : to increase the strength, intensity, or pitch of <don't raise your voice>

b : to increase the degree of

c : to cause to rise in level or amount <raise the rent>

11: to multiply (a quantity) by itself a specified number of times <raise two to the fourth power> 

 

 How could your pairing of two affect the world around you by raising?

The next word might take a bit more thought and imagination. We usually think of this more as the work of God. Jesus sends his followers forth telling them to cleanse those who have leprosy. This subject needs it own sermon on it's own Sunday. Webster's is, actually, very simplistic here. It's used as a verb and we get to visit the Medical Dictionary again.

Definition of CLEANSE

: clean; especially : to rid of impurities by or as if by washing

Cleanse is a verb and simply used. How could your pairing of two affect the world around you by cleansing? What could you cleanse? What is that medical definition?

Medical Definition of CLEANSE

transitive verb

: to make clean 

 

That's it??? Yep, that's it. Funny that we had to go to the medical definition to get that transitive part, though. Medically speaking, one would need to be clean and stay clean to then affect cleansing or cleanness to another. You really don't want your doctor or surgeon to be dirty or full of germs when they take care of you or operate.  It must be the same in the spiritual reference as well. How can we clean up the world around us if we are full of uncleanness ourselves. Another subject that deserves more attention I can give it at this moment. Here comes another one.

Jesus told his disciples to "drive out demons". This one is sure to stir up some trouble.

Definition of Drive out

[phrasal verb] transitive

: to force someone or something to leave a place

 

Have you ever witnessed a demon possession? I can't say that I have. How is it that our enemy affects the world around us? That might require some thought and study. Do we see evil around us that needs driving out? Would you like to handle that on your own or would you rather have somebody by your side? Maybe we should take a look at the seven sons of Sceva.

You'll find that story in Acts 19. Here, Luke the historian, records a story about seven sons who went out thinking they could just throw around the name of Jesus and make spirits obey. They found that idea to be less than worthy. They come up against a spirit who won't leave. Why?

¹⁵ And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”

 In this case, it didn't matter that someone was beside you. Especially if that someone doesn't believe in Jesus Christ as his/her Savior & Lord. Having a pairing of two ensures that you have someone else besides yourself who believes and can support the other one. The sons of Sceva didn't fair so well. The name of Jesus is not something you just throw around for personal gain and power. You have to know him. You have to walk with him. You have to believe in him. None of this make sense without that all important relationship.

Lastly and maybe most importantly....
 This word should be self-explanatory. We know how to do it, but it can be hard to do it all by yourself. Giving requires that we actually have something to give. Do you have anything to give? Can the two of you put your heads together and figure out something to give? Jesus said, Freely you have received; freely give. Freely look at the definition. There was a mile of it again. Editing needed.

Definition of GIVE

transitive verb

1: to make a present of <give a doll to a child>

2 a : to grant or bestow by formal action <the law gives citizens the right to vote>

   b : to accord or yield to another <gave him her confidence>

3 a : to put into the possession of another for his or her use <gave me his phone number>

   b (1) : to administer as a sacrament (2) : to administer as a medicine

   c : to commit to another as a trust or responsibility and usually for an expressed reason

14 a : to cause one to have or receive <mountains always gave him pleasure>

     b : to cause a person to catch by contagion, infection, or exposure

15 a : to allow one to have or take <give me time>

     b : to lead or attempt to lead —used with an infinitive <you gave me to understand you'd be late> 

 

There was actually something medical about this word, as shown in line 3. It read the same as line 14b. to cause a person to catch by contagion, infection, or exposure Now, how could someone find Jesus simply by being in close proximity to use. Infected by our joyfulness. Exposed to our worship. Given the contagion of forgiveness and love.

That's alot of information! But, Jesus' discourse wasn't short either and we really didn't dig into all of that. How do we wrap this up? Maybe, we could ask a few questions as we close.

After reading through all of this, can you see yourself and your friend following through on any of this? Can you see the Lord using you in some way to 'go ahead' of himself, working in his grace, sharing the message of the kingdom?

Better yet, and maybe we should ask this first, can you see someone else around you that you can lean on and depend upon? Is there somebody who can be your friend, the person to support you and whom you can support?

We need each other as we endeavor to share the message of Jesus Christ with a world that so desperately needs to hear about him. We aren't called to do this alone. It's scary at times. It might put a knot in your stomach or give you the butterflies. 

 

But, it's whole lot easier with someone by your side.