Housegroup study on Luke 10 v 1 –11, 16 – 20

Icebreaker (to warm up)

Make a combined group list of all the things you need to take on holiday with you...

Looking at the text (for exploration and understanding)

  • Check back to chapter 9 v 51 – 62 to see what chapter 10 follows.
  • Luke is the only gospel writer who tells of us of the sending out of 72 people (although it could be 70 according to some manuscripts). However, similar instructions are given to the 12 disciples in all three synoptic gospels – you may like to look back at Luke 9 v 1 – 5 for comparison. How do you react to the fact that there are apparently all these extra people following Jesus? Does it raise questions in your mind?
  • Jesus had covered Galilee with his message and he is now doing the same in Judea. Why do you think he sent them ‘two by two’? And why lambs amongst wolves?
  • Study verses 4 – 11 and make a list of all the instructions. Which verse would you pick out as the key one?
  • [If you want to look at verses 12 – 15 which are missed out in the lectionary, try to understand the references to the different places. Consult a commentary: there is a simple online one at ]
  • v 17 How surprised are you that the 72 returned ‘with joy’? Imagine what their experience on the road was like.
  • v 19 ‘Snakes and scorpions’ possibly refer to evil spirits rather than to the animal kingdom. Does this interpretation make better sense of ‘nothing will harm you’?
  • v 20 Other parts of the Bible talk about names being written in heaven. Divide these references amongst you to look up: Psalm 69 v 28; Daniel 12 v 1; Philippians 4 v 3; Hebrews 12 v 23; Revelation 3 v 5.

Applying it to ourselves (for discussion)

  1. Discuss whether the instructions given to the 72 were just for them at their particular stage of Jesus’ mission or whether we too have something to learn from them. And are there times when we feel that we are ‘lambs amongst wolves’?
  1. If you looked at verses 12 – 15, discuss whether God looks more kindly on people who have never heard about Jesus (people brought up in other faiths, primitive tribes people, unchurched youngsters in our own country) than he does on people who have heard but who have rejected or ignored or dismissed him.
  1. How conscious are you of the ‘power of the enemy’? Do you believe that you have the authority to overcome such power and do you believe that nothing evil will harm you?

Action (for thinking about)

Take time, individually, to think of one action or thought or change in attitude that you are going to leave the group with. Then move into prayer.

© Jacqui A. Horton 2010