He appointed seventy-two others and sent them ahead of him
Jesus' instructions to the 72 disciples entail principles that are still applicable to those who are engaged in the work of spreading the kingdom of God. I have isolated seven.
1) Work as a team. Jesus sent the disciples in pairs. The first lesson people learn from God's ministers is how well they able to work together in harmony in spite of any differences among them. The first challenge if their message is to be credible is to learn to resolve their differences in a spirit of brotherhood and love.
2) Be a herald of the Messiah, not the Messiah. Jesus sent them to towns and villages which he intended to visit himself. Their mission was fairly simple: to prepare the people to meet Jesus when he would come. This is not much different from the work of evangelizers today. We are not to take the place of Christ, but to let people meet Christ. pastoral success must be measured to the extent that people are led to encounter God in their lives.
3) Pray. Jesus told the disciples: “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest." The first task of God's messengers is prayer. Prayer for the success of God's work; for he is the Lord of the harvest.
4) Trust in providence. The man or woman of God must not be too preoccupied with his or her self-sustenance, but must learn to depend on God's providence and the generosity of the people. Somehow, those who dedicate themselves totally to the service of the people discover that they don't suffer want. Jesus instructed the 72 to "Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way."
5) Attend to whatever material needs of the people it is in your power to meet. Jesus instructed the 72 to heal the sick.
6) Announce to the people that the kingdom of God has come. It is important not to shy away from teaching the people about the good news of salvation, about their eternal destiny, about heavenly things, about life after death, nor about the consequences of rejecting the invitation to salvation.
7) Have the courage to abandon those who are not disposed to the invitation, and to go on; the courage to wipe the dust off the feet.
