When you see this, you see principles bursting to come out. We must always be trying to reach new people. All the people must hear this gospel message. We mustn’t leave any out. We don’t say, ‘This is our “area”; we will stick to it and not go beyond it. It is sad that others are not doing their job, but our task is limited to this area.’ No! Our burden should be to have no part untouched. The whole world is our parish. And we are to do it in a thorough way – ‘When they persecute you …’. We do not try to reach just those who are sympathetic; we go to all, even those who persecute us (though our time spent on them is limited). Everyone gets a warning. But we are to keep on the move, till the end of time. Isn’t it a bit much to base this doctrine of restlessness on these passages about the sending out of the twelve and the seventy? Didn’t it only apply then? To be sure, miracles did not go on after their time, but the symbolic counterpart did, and we have not yet finished our task, because Christ has not yet returned.
Sunday school goes on and visitation falls off, and we are left hammering at the same children. The work reduces until we are compelled to go out for more. We must revisit even if it means going back for troublemakers. Otherwise, it is like fishing the same fish, throwing them back in and catching again. Of course, we have a long-term interest in the children also. We recognise that teaching children is a work that takes years. Some will not come to faith until they are older, but there are others out there who have not heard anything yet.
Wisdom is again called for in a similar way to verse 14. You will not run out of cities, says the Lord. We take this lesson: if the church has focused on one area of society for a long time and there has been no response, then move on. It applies to age groups, therefore we focus on the rising generation, a shoal of fish that is constantly being renewed.