“Go!” Luke 10:3 (NIV)
This theme runs throughout the passage, for example:
Don’t waste time
“Do not greet anyone on the road” (10:4).
This is not a formula for rudeness. Jesus is telling them to get on with the job and not to waste time.
You have a limited amount of time
“The kingdom of God is near” (10:9).
There is a limited amount of time for us to engage in this work of bringing in the harvest. People are here for a limited amount of time. We are here for a limited amount of time. And Christ will come after a limited amount of time.
Take the good news to people who need to hear it
“But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you’” (10:10-11).
If you go to a place where you are not welcomed, move on. There are other places that also need to hear this good news.
Speak with authority
“He who listens to you listens to me” (10:16).
If Jesus had said this to the Twelve, we would naturally say, “Yes, of course, we all know that Christ speaks through the apostles.” But Christ tells the seventy-two that when they put the good news of Jesus into words, those who hear them actually hear Jesus. When you speak about Jesus, Jesus speaks through you.
On a scale of 1 (no urgency) to 5 (fluctuating urgency) to 10 (high sense of urgency) where are you? Ask God for a more consistent, more gracious urgency.