Luke 10:3-4
Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jesus uses the stark image of lambs among wolves not to highlight their vulnerability, but to underscore the radical trust He expects. He's sending them out as inherently defenseless, making their success or survival entirely dependent on His power, not their own cunning or preparedness.
Jesus has just commissioned seventy disciples, sending them out in pairs ahead of him to prepare towns for his arrival. He describes the mission as a vast harvest with too few workers, urging them to pray for more laborers. This verse immediately follows the charge to pray, framing their mission with a stark warning about the dangers they will face in their evangelistic work.
Jesus sends his followers out with a stark warning: they are like lambs dropped into a den of wolves. What does this vulnerability reveal about God's kingdom?
Deliberate Weakness
Jesus’s instruction to go out "as lambs in the midst of wolves" is not about the disciples’s personal character, but about the nature of the mission they are undertaking. They are not sent as conquering heroes with weapons or defenses, but as vulnerable creatures representing a kingdom that operates differently than the world's.
This imagery highlights:
Jesus doesn't just send his disciples out; he sends them with a specific purpose and a sense of urgency. What drives this haste?
A Race Against Time
The context surrounding this verse in Luke highlights an immediate need for the disciples to go ahead of Jesus into towns. This isn't a casual stroll; it's a mission with critical timing.
Understand the original words
arnēn · Greek Noun
Refers to a vulnerable creature, often used in scripture as a symbol of innocence, gentleness, or those who are subject to persecution for the sake of the gospel.
lykos · Greek Noun
Often used metaphorically for false teachers, persecutors, or those who oppose the gospel and pose a spiritual threat to the righteous.
Jesus' instruction to go as 'lambs among wolves' highlights the vulnerability and potential danger his followers would face, not just from external opposition but also from internal divisions and the sheer difficulty of their mission in a politically charged and spiritually resistant world.
c. 27-28 AD— this verse
Jesus Appoints the Seventy
Jesus commissions and sends out seventy additional disciples, in addition to the twelve apostles, to spread his message. This event specifically sets the stage for the instructions given in Luke 10:3.
c. 28 AD
Jesus' Ministry in Galilee
This commissioning takes place during Jesus' intensive ministry throughout Galilee, a region populated by people who held varying views on his teachings. Opposition from religious and political leaders was growing.
Early 1st Century AD
Jewish Society Under Roman Rule
Judea was under Roman occupation, with a complex social and political landscape. Tensions existed between Roman authorities, Jewish leaders, and various Jewish sects, creating a volatile environment for any new movement.
c. 30-33 AD
Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection
The mission of the seventy, and indeed Jesus' entire ministry, culminates in his death and resurrection, which dramatically alters the context for his followers and the future of his message.
Jesus gives similar instructions to the twelve apostles, highlighting the same stark contrast between the vulnerability of his messengers and the hostility of their environment.
Jeremiah 1:18This passage shows God's equipping of Jeremiah for a difficult prophetic task, assuring him that he is made 'a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls against the whole land,' mirroring the divine protection promised to the seventy despite their apparent weakness.
Acts 20:29Paul warns the Ephesian elders about 'grievous wolves' entering the flock, underscoring the persistent spiritual danger that believers, like these seventy, would face even after Jesus' earthly ministry.
John 15:18-20Jesus prepares his disciples by explaining that the world will hate them because it hated him first, reinforcing the 'lambs among wolves' imagery with the reality of persecution for those who follow Christ.
barnesLuke 10:3: "Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves."
See the notes at Matthew 10:16 .
clarkeLuke 10:3: "Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves."
Lambs among wolves - See on Matthew 10:16 (note).
Jesus uses the stark image of lambs among wolves not to highlight their vulnerability, but to underscore the radical trust He expects. He's sending them out as inherently defenseless, making their success or survival entirely dependent on His power, not their own cunning or preparedness.
Jesus has just commissioned seventy disciples, sending them out in pairs ahead of him to prepare towns for his arrival. He describes the mission as a vast harvest with too few workers, urging them to pray for more laborers. This verse immediately follows the charge to pray, framing their mission with a stark warning about the dangers they will face in their evangelistic work.
Jesus has just commissioned seventy disciples, sending them out in pairs ahead of him to prepare towns for his arrival. He describes the mission as a vast harvest with too few workers, urging them to pray for more laborers. This verse immediately follows the charge to pray, framing their mission with a stark warning about the dangers they will face in their evangelistic work.
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"Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road." — Jesus uses the stark image of lambs among wolves not to highlight their vulnerability, but to underscore the radical trust He expects. He's sending them out as inherently defenseless, making their su…
