What Jesus Did! 'Teamwork!' — Luke 10:1

Monday, June 26, 2023

The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit.
— Luke 10:1 NLT

Key Thought

The Lord didn't send his disciples out solo. He sent them out in pairs. Pairs were — and still are — more than twice as effective as a single person in accomplishing the work of preparing people's hearts for the Kingdom of God and the Good News about Jesus. Established Jewish principles were behind Jesus' approach: [1]
  1. Testimony needed to be at the hands of two or more witnesses to be considered reliable.
  2. Two are stronger and more effective than one.
  3. To these principles, Jesus added a third one of his own: Where two or three gather, there he is present.

No matter how strong we are, we need a partner. Even the incredibly committed apostle Paul needed his co-workers and friends. [2] We need each other to do God's work and accomplish God's mission. Don't try to do it solo!

[1] See the Related Scripture Readings below.
[2] For example, Acts 13:4, 15:36-40, 20:4; 2 Timothy 1:16-18, 4:9-12.

Today's Prayer

Father, I confess that there have been times when other brothers and sisters in Christ have let me down and caused me to want to try to do too much on my own. I also confess that it is easy to give in to the cultural assumptions about self-reliance and quit depending upon you. Please help me to open up more of myself to others in your family. Please use me along with others to advance the work of your Kingdom. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

  • Deuteronomy 19:15
  • Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
  • Matthew 18:19-20

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Illustration

Illustration of Luke 10:1 NLT — The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit.

About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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