Jesus appointed seventy other disciples in Luke 10 to go into every city and place to share the good news that the kingdom of God has come. Jesus, however, did not hide from them the reality of the challenges with identifying with Him and setbacks in sharing the good news. Jesus told the seventy that He was sending them out into the cities as lambs amongst the wolves. If we think the lamb-wolve experience of the seventy disciples has changed for us today in our Christian journey, then we will be far from the truth and perhaps on our way to hitting the rocks. It is important to manage our expectations and prioritise our objectives so that we can obtain the ultimate prize, which is being with Jesus in heaven. 

 

I will not subscribe to being only heavenly conscious but earthly useless, and I wouldn't encourage anybody to be either. God never suggested we transient into heaven without making impacts here on earth. In Genesis 1:28, God blessed Adam and Eve and said to them, Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth. I acknowledge how much humans have subdued the earth, and of course more needs to be done. I work in the engineering space, and I have this sense of accomplishment when I help bring solutions to people's challenges through my knowledge and skill. You do have such feelings, too, in your various professions. In the family space, we feel happy when we see our children doing well and things going okay in our families in general. These are God's desires for us. In Jeremiah 29:11, God was saying to the children of Isreal who were in captivity that He knows the thoughts that He thinks toward them, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. So, let's settle in our minds that God wants our peace and prosperity not just in heaven but in this world too.

It is instructive that in verse 20 of Luke 10 that Jesus did not appreciate the accomplishments of the seventy disciples who commanded demons to obey them in His name more than the ultimate goal, which is the seventy rejoicing over their names written in heaven. Remember this was their first outing yet they were already wielding such authority and power as to command demons to obey them. Besides, the moment was for what they had just accomplished and not heaven sometime away. Isn't this worth celebrating and focusing on as a ministerial calling, hoping to get fulfilment in the kingdom work?

 

Reading Luke 10: 17 - 20, we can fully understand the story. Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name." And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. *Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.*" We hardly hear such messages that remind us of heaven. Perhaps Christians can no longer connect with the eternal reward concept, that is, staying with Jesus forever in heaven.

The kingdom-minded and earthly useful approach gave people of the same faith like us the grit to go through the challenges they went through. Apostle Paul was saying in Philippians 1:21, for to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Recall Jn 10:10 says I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. Jesus' statement mirrors Apostle Paul's approach to his faith journey.

 

To live in Christ means bringing abundance to life, blessings to those around you, subduing the earth, and being earthly useful, but that is not the ultimate goal. Paul went further to say in I Corinthians 15:19 that if we only have hope in Christ in this life, we are the most pitiable of all men. These patriarchs are the masters in the game we are into. We must heed their instructions if we truly want to gain eternal life.

 

1. Lord, help me prioritise my goals in this life so that I do not miss the ultimate prize, which is meeting you in heaven someday.

Hebrews 9:28 To those who eagerly wait for Him, He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

 

2. Let's pray for Christians who have lost their faith or are at the point of losing faith. A restoration comes to them with the help of the Holy Spirit right now, in Jesus name.

Luke 9:61-62). Another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house." But Jesus told him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

 

3. Let's pray for the body of Christ in general that we will maintain focus. That the body of Christ will prioritise preparing herself for the return of Christ over earthly rewards.

I Corinthians 2:4-5 And my speech and my preaching were not persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.