Trust and Empowerment in Jesus

December 3, 2025

Trust and Empowerment in Jesus’ Sending of the 72: A Sociorhetorical Analysis of Luke 9:51-10:24

Alex Gerald Wright | 2018

Abstract

Trust and empowerment are core facets of leadership. However, there is a gap in the current scholarly research regarding both of these individual constructs as well as how they function interdependently. The purpose of this study was to research the nature of trust and empowerment as demonstrated by Jesus and his followers in Luke 9:51-10:24. Specifically, this study sought to determine the nature of Jesus’ trust in his followers, the followers’ trust in Jesus, how Jesus empowered his followers, and how trust and empowerment mutually reinforced one another. This study used Robbins’ (1996a) method of sociorhetorical analysis to perform an exegetical study of the three narratives contained in Luke 9:51-10:24. This study yielded 10 principles regarding trust and empowerment: (a) leaders must ensure that followers demonstrate commitment; (b) followers and leaders must engage in two-way communication; (c) leaders must demonstrate credibility and followers must carefully judge the leader’s credibility; (d) the leader must provide an inspiring vision that both he or she and the followers buy into; (e) leaders should demonstrate and encourage positive deviance; (f) leaders must demonstrate how followers can gain honor and be successful in their tasks; (g) leaders must encourage positive relationships between followers, and followers must demonstrate the ability to have positive relationships with other followers; (h) both followers and leaders must demonstrate a heart-level focus on the vision of the organization; (i) leaders must be careful not to overtrain and must, at times, de-equip followers to ensure that they can complete their task most effectively; and (j) leaders must be aware of the interdependent nature of trust and empowerment. A leader who trusts, and is trusted by followers, should seek to empower; successful empowerment will lead to increased trust in the other by both parties.

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