Being a Disciple

     Jesus had other disciples than the 12 that are so well known.  He had other loyal people that dropped everything to to follow Him.  They just were not in His inner circle.  That does not mean that they did not do as much or were any less important.  Jesus used the 12 to show boundaries.  You can only invest into so many people before it becomes self-destructive.  Maybe these people didn't make the inner circle because they would not be required to sacrifice their lives.  We do not know anything for sure.
     These disciples may not have been in the inner circle, but Jesus still had plenty for them to do.  He sent out 72 men in pairs to enter towns and gather the people for the good news.  There is so much work and not enough workers, so He ordered them to pray for more workers.  If they did that, then their numbers would grow. 
     Another important command was before entering the home say "Peace to this House".  They would go to people's homes to find shelter and food because they traveled with nothing, but what they had on them.  It is a true act of faith.  If they people would not let them in, then the peace left with them and they would return to Jesus.  Rejection meant more than sending them off.  It meant they rejected Jesus, that they rejected God.  This rejection brings doom.
     Jesus had watched Satan fall, like lightning, from Heaven.  He knows just how deceptively powerful Satan is, but He declared that His disciples had authority over snakes (the enemy's power).  The only thing a disciple needs to rejoice about is the names written in the Book of Life in Heaven.  We are blessed if we are able to see the wisdom that Jesus provides.
     To be a good disciple, you must love God with all your mind, heart, and soul.  Next, you must love your neighbor as yourself.  Take care of strangers as if they were the person you loved most in the world to be a good disciple.  Show mercy to other people.  Take time to sit and listen to Jesus.  The works are great, but it is better to take the time to know Him better.  Let Him take care of the details, so you do not have to worry about or be preoccupied by them.

Luke 10