Luke 10:16 – “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
Authority Not Our Own
When Jesus sent out the seventy-two disciples to preach and heal, he gave them authority to carry out those ministries in his name.
Their authority came directly from him. Jesus said whoever listened to them, listened to him. And whoever rejected them, rejected him and the One who sent him – God the Father.
The authority of the seventy-two was not their own but derived from being representatives of Jesus.
Weight of His Commission
This is an immense responsibility! The disciples went out proclaiming and demonstrating the kingdom of God with authority from heaven’s throne room.
People’s reception or rejection of them meant reception or rejection of Christ himself and the Father. That’s no small commission!
The disciples represented a direct delegation from the highest possible authority. Their message and actions carried eternal weight.
Faithfulness in Small Things
At first glance, the disciples were a seemingly ragtag group to bear such a sacred charge. Yet God often chooses the small, unimpressive and ordinary to carry his authority.
It’s easy to feel our words or deeds for Christ are insignificant. But there is no greater privilege than representing the Son of God to the world, no matter how humble the assignment.
Each act of faithful service matters.
Hearing from a Holy Envoy
The flip side is that every Christian today carries this same gravity as the seventy-two. Those we interact with are, in effect, hearing from a representative of the Lord himself through us.
Our character and conduct have significance beyond ourselves.
We must consider carefully how to represent Jesus well to others through both speech and action. What an honor to serve as His envoy!
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