No, Thank You!
Go; behold, I am sending you out like lambs in the midst of wolves. Luke 10:3 NASB
Like lambs – It’s hard to miss his point. Sacrifice! That’s what happens to lambs among wolves. Yeshua sends out the seventy without resources and, apparently, without protection. So why would anyone go? If I came to you and said, “Now I want you to go to the Congo, right among the ADF rebels. They’re ruthless but you aren’t to take any weapons. In fact, don’t even take provisions, money, anything at all.” I’m sure you would jump for joy to have such an opportunity, right? No, probably not. You would reasonably expect some effort on my behalf to ensure your safety before venturing forth. But Yeshua offers nothing of the sort. Why?
I can think of two reasons. The first is that only those who really trusted him would volunteer. Lack of provisions and lack of safety are faithfulness filters. If you hesitate, the assignment isn’t for you. Going out among wolves is a test of trust. Only those who are willing to die for the cause will take the journey.
The second is that the commandment assumes God will watch over the journey. Of course, that doesn’t mean bad things won’t happen, but if they do, it will be within the divine plan. So, there are two filters here. The first is willingness, the second is a deep faith in the providence of God. Working together, they facilitate the process of self-selection. Only those who trust the words of the Messiah and the faithfulness of YHVH will go. The rest will have perfectly reasonable excuses. Like us. Or at least like some of us. The part of me that says, “Yeah, but . . .” You see, I want some semblance of security on a mission like this. I know I’m a lamb and I know what wolves do—and there are a lot of wolves out there. I want some certainty, some confidence that I’ll be protected from those vicious creatures. I mean I’d like to go, I’d like to feel the power of God in my encounters with this ruthless world, but I really don’t want to be sacrificed for the cause, especially on the word of another man even if he’s my rabbi. I want God to swoop down and give me the go ahead, along with a promise that I’ll survive all this. So, I wait . . . while the seventy leave.
Was I wrong? Was it my sinful ego that prevented me from volunteering? No, I don’t think so. I didn’t volunteer because I grew up believing that I should be protected, that protection is what God provides for His faithful followers. My expectation, however, demanded something more substantial than the words of His son. I wanted some proof that I would return unscathed. Unfortunately, the evidence—my personal history and the communal history—doesn’t support this desire. Those who follow are very often the ones who are hurt.
This forces me to confront a deeper question: Who’s in charge here? If I really am a follower, do my personal protection concerns make any difference? It’s God’s plan that matters, not mine. The real struggle is one of authority. Do I followor do I lead? Does He command or do I evaluate? It’s more complicated than I wanted it to be—or maybe it’s too simple for me to accept.
Topical Index: lambs, wolves, sacrifice, willingness, obedience, command, Luke 10:3
