LUKE 10:38-42 PRIORITIES

PRIORITIES

Luke 10:38-42

Luke 10:38 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.

Susie: According to the Gospel of John, Martha and Mary were the sisters of Lazarus, whom the Lord raised from the dead. They resided in the village of Bethany not far from Jerusalem.

John 11:11 Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.

Susan: Martha invited Jesus to be a guest in their home. As we will see, Martha was as busy as the characters in Beauty and the Beast as they were singing “Be our guest,” but definitely without their joy-filled attitude.

Luke 10:39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.

Susie: While Martha was running around like a chicken with its head cut off, trying to prepare an extravagant meal, Mary was sitting on the floor listening to Jesus.

The IVP New Testament Commentary Series as found at www.BibleGateway.com

This is reminiscent of the Jewish saying in m. `Abot 1:4: "Let your house be a meeting house for the Sages and sit amidst the dust of their feet and drink in their words with thirst."

Susan: Mary was hanging on His every word. She was dining on the Bread of His Presence and being refreshed by the Living Water.

Luke 10:40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.

Susie: Martha was doing nothing wrong per se. She was preparing a great meal for her guests. However, her attitude needed an adjustment. She fully expected that Jesus would rebuke Mary and have her get up to wait on the guests alongside her sister. I imagine Martha stomping through the chores and setting items down with more force than necessary because she feels Mary is not doing her share.

Luke 10:41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:

Susan: Jesus tells Martha that she has let herself become overwhelmed about a multitude of things.

Susie: He does point out that she takes care to do them in an excellent manner, but she also allows the preparation and service of the meal to take priority over everything else.

Luke 10:42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

Susan: Martha was placing more importance on doing things for Jesus rather than being in His presence. Mary was soaking everything in by listening and observing in a posture of humility, sitting at His feet.

Susie: Jesus is not so much criticizing Martha as He is commending Mary for choosing to prioritize her time with Him.

Susan: Therefore, Jesus chose not to make Mary comply with societal expectations that she serve the guests alongside her sister. What Jesus desires is markedly different than what society dictates.

Susie: The Bible does not give us Martha’s response to Jesus’s mild rebuke. I hope she simplified her plans to make time to listen to Jesus with her sister.

Susan: I hope she didn’t return to the kitchen to pout and stew.

Ponder this and Apply it: Jesus was not using this to say that women get too caught up in housework. He was pointing out that we often have to choose between what is good and what is best. There are many obligations we have each day. However, we need to make time spent in God’s word and in prayer a priority. We may have to set aside something that is good to make time for God’s best for us. Evaluate your own priorities in light of what is best vs. what is good and make time to sit at the feet of the Savior.

Deuteronomy 8:3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.

LUKE 10:30-37 BE THE GOOD NEIGHBOR

BE THE GOOD NEIGHBOR

Luke 10:30-37

Susie: Jesus used the following story to answer the lawyer’s question, “Who is my neighbor?”

Susan: The expert in Jewish law had the arrogance to think his question would have Jesus scratching his head. Of course, it did not.

Luke 10:30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

Susie: The road from Jerusalem to Jericho was a steep descent and known to be a favorite hiding place of thieves.

Susan: The thieves would lie in wait and ambush their unsuspecting victim. The man was mugged. The thieves took everything he had—provisions for the journey, money, and even his clothes—and almost his very life.

Susie: They beat the man mercilessly and left him for dead on the side of the road.

Luke 10:31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

Susan: The Jewish priest did not even stop. He even moved to the other side of the road to avoid the man completely.

Susie: Why would this supposed “man of God” do that?

Susan: He could have been motivated by fear that the assailants were lying in wait nearby. Or he could have been “devoted” to his duty, knowing that he could not perform his priestly role if he were unclean due to touching the man’s blood.

Susie: We are not told whether the injured man was a Jew or not, but the assumption seems to be that he was. This priest put his outward duties of performing rituals ahead of his duty to love others in the name of the Lord.

Susan: The priest was putting his responsibilities ahead of the life of this man.

Luke 10:32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

Susie: A Levite was a man descended from Levi but not from Aaron. Those descended from Aaron served as priests, and the other Levites served as assistants to the priests.

Susan: The Levite had the same response to the man as had the priest, avoiding touching or even approaching him, probably for the same reasons.

Susie: The point is that neither the priest nor the Levite did anything to help the wounded traveler who was most likely a fellow Jew.

Luke 10:33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,

Susie: Next, a despised Samaritan enters the scene. Samaritans were descendants of Jews who intermarried with their Gentile captors. They also mixed Judaism with pagan worship. They were viewed as half-breeds and thought of and treated like Gentiles.

Susan: The Samaritan saw the man’s situation and put his needs above his own. He had empathy for the man, asking himself what he would want someone to do for him if the situation were reversed. He put aside any cultural angst between Jews and Samaritans and viewed the injured man as a fellow human being.

Luke 10:34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

Susan: The Samaritan went into immediate triage mode.

Susie: The Samaritan took out his traveler’s first aid kit containing antiseptic wine and soothing oil and took care of the man’s injuries.

Susan: He put him on his own animal (probably a donkey) and cared for him all night at the nearest inn.

Luke 10:35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

Susan: He arranged for the injured man’s lodging and care until he was well enough to continue his journey under his own power.

Susie: He paid the inn keeper two days’ wages and promised to recompense anything else he spent on the man’s care when he returned that way.

Luke 10:36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?

Susan: Jesus the confronted the expert in the law by asking him which of these three—the priest, the Levite, or the Samaritan—was neighborly toward the wounded traveler.

Luke 10:37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

Susie: The expert in the Law rightly responded that the one who showed mercy, the Samaritan behaved like a neighbor.

Susan: Jesus told him to go and imitate or emulate the Samaritan.

Susie: That had to sting. Jesus was using a Samaritan as the example of how to be a good neighbor. The expert in the Law was looking for a definition of whom he had to love. Jesus gave him an example of how to demonstrate love to all people as your neighbors.

Ponder this and Apply it: Rather than being concerned about who is a neighbor that deserves our love, we are to focus on being the neighbor who demonstrates God’s love. Mr. Rogers had it right. We need to be good neighbors. 

LUKE 10:25-29 LAWYER SEEKS LOOPHOLE

LAWYER SEEKS LOOPHOLE

Luke 10:25-29

Luke 10:25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

Susie: This man was a scribe who was an expert in Jewish law. He was looking for a way to trip Jesus up, asking him a “trick” question.

Susan: He acted like he wanted to know the requirements or prerequisites to being sure to have life forever with God.

Susie: He is not the only person in the New Testament to ask this question:

Matthew 19:16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

Luke 18:18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

John 3:1-4 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

Susie: It is a question many ask. People want to know how to live in Heaven forever.

Luke 10:26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?

Susan: Jesus answered the lawyer’s inquiry with a question of His own.

Susie: The Jews believed that keeping the Law was the key to eternal life, so Jesus asked the lawyer what the Law said and how he interpreted it.

Luke 10:27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

Susie: When asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus had answered with the same Scriptures this lawyer quoted:

Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Susie: They were both citing from the Law:

Deuteronomy 6:5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

Leviticus 19:18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.

Susan: These two verses encompass the priority and the whole of the Law. If you love God and your neighbor with complete abandon, you uphold fulfill the Law. But of course, no human except the God-Man Jesus can perfectly love God completely and his neighbor as himself. No one can obey the Law 100% of the time.

Luke 10:28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

Susie: We know that no person can love God and others perfectly, so why would Jesus say doing this would bring life? He was expressing what was written in the Old Testament:

Leviticus 18:5 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the Lord.

Ezekiel 20:11 And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them.

Susan: The Law was to teach us that we could never measure up to the standards of a holy God, and we must throw ourselves on the altar of His tender mercy.

Galatians 3:24-25 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

Luke 10:29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?

Susie: The expert in the Law, instead of humbly admitting he could not perfectly love God and his neighbor, tried to pin Jesus down on exactly who that neighbor was. Some Jewish leaders taught that the neighbor was only fellow pious Jews, therefore excluding Gentiles and even people they saw as blatant sinners. The man was looking for an “out.”

Luke 10:29 (MSG)   Looking for a loophole, he asked, “And just how would you define ‘neighbor’?”

Susan: The expert in the law seemed to be approaching Jesus with a haughty demeanor from the start. After all, he was looking to entrap him in a legal debate.

Ponder this and Apply it: We know we do not receive eternal life because of our works because no person can fully meet God’s standards:

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

However, even though we are saved by grace through faith the Lord has given us, we are saved unto good works.

Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

The question we must ask ourselves is, “Am I wholeheartedly loving God and loving my neighbor as myself, or am I seeking a loophole to avoid demonstrating love to a difficult, seemingly unlovable person in my path?” Seek the Lord honestly about this question and ask Him for the grace to show His love to those He places around you.

LUKE 10:21-24 BLESSED EYES

BLESSED EYES

Luke 10:21-24

See also Matthew 11:25-27, 13:16-17

Luke 10:21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.

Susie: In our last lesson, Jesus had just explained to the seventy disciples returning from preaching the Kingdom that they should rejoice more in the fact that their names were written in Heaven than being excited about being able to cast out demons and heal the sick.

Susan: Jesus then broke into His own jubilant celebration over the fact that God’s Messenger and God’s message was hidden from the religious elite but was revealed to ordinary people such as fishermen, tax collectors, and extraordinarily even women.

Susie: God chose to reveal Himself to those who were childlike and humble:

Matthew 18:3-4 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Susan: Most children have complete trust in their parents’ ability to care for them.

Susie: I would jump (sometimes without any warning other than yelling “Daddy”) off the edge of the pool with complete confidence that my father would catch me. The disciples were exhibiting this kind of faith by following Jesus wherever He led them.

Susan: It was God’s sovereign choice to reveal Himself to simple people rather than the sophisticated religious professionals (Pharisees, Sadducees, priests, and scribes).

Susie: Those religious elite who did follow Jesus, such as Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, humbled themselves in order to trust in a carpenter from Nazareth as their Messiah, their King.

Luke 10:22 All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.

Luke 10:22 (CJB) My Father has handed over everything to me. Indeed, no one fully knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.

Susie: I like the Complete Jewish Bible translation of this verse because only God the Father can completely understand how Jesus can be One with Him, yet distinctly functioning as His Son. Only God can comprehend how Jesus could be fully man and fully divine at the same time. I believe it because God’s word says it, but my mind is unable to process it.

Susan: In other words, thinking about it make’s Susie’s brain go tilt.

Susie: The main purpose of the incarnation, of Jesus becoming a man, was that He would live in perfect obedience to God in order to be our perfect Passover Lamb. He literally was born to die. But another aspect of His time on earth was to enable man to better understand God. We can only trust in Jesus when He chooses to reveal Himself and the Father to us.

John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Susan: Jesus posed a question to the Twelve Apostles asking who they understood Him to be. Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” The following verse is Jesus’s response to Peter’s declaration:

Matthew 16:17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

Susie: The Apostle Paul had been “an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee” (Philippians 3:5b). Yet He realized that his intellectual prowess and intense knowledge of the Scripture was not what enabled him to know Jesus as Savior. He acknowledged the fact that God was pleased to reveal Jesus in him.

Galatians 1:15-16 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood

Luke 10:23 And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see:

Susie: Two questions. 1) Is this to see with the eyes or to understand? 2) What “things” had they seen?

Susan: It is both to see physically and to understand intellectually, spiritually, layer by layer.

Susie: True. The disciples often understood Jesus’s teachings on a surface level until further direct instruction from the Lord. Jesus gradually peeled back layers enabling them to digest truths. Many things they would not fully understand until after His resurrection.

Susan: The disciples who followed Jesus during His earthly ministry saw Him with their own eyes and even traveled with Him for over three years. They witnessed His miracles and were taught personally by Jesus in depth.

Susie: God opened the eyes of their hearts to see that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, the Son of God.

Susan: And as the Apostle John wrote in His gospel they “beheld his glory:”

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth

Susie: When many people saw only a scruffy, homeless man traveling the countryside teaching about a coming Kingdom of God, His disciples saw through spiritual eyes that Jesus was the Son of God.

Luke 10:24 For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Susie: The Old Testament prophets foretold the coming of the Messiah, but they did not know when He would come or exactly who He would be. By faith, they trusted that what the Holy Spirit had revealed to them would eventually come to pass. However, they never had the opportunity to see and hear Christ on this earth. They were never given the full revelation of Him.

Susan: The disciples, the students who walked with Him, were privileged to encounter and experience face to face Him whom the Old Testament patriarchs, prophets, and princes had longed for.

Ponder this and Apply it:

Jesus told his disciples that those who were able to walk and talk with Him during His first coming to earth, were blessed to have seen. He rejoiced that God chose to reveal Himself to ordinary people. Later, He would say these words to Thomas who had doubted His resurrection:

John 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

If you have surrendered your life to Jesus, you are in that category of never having seen Him with your physical eyes and yet believing Him through the spiritual sight the Lord has given you. Take a moment to praise the Lord for opening your spiritual eyes that you would see the truth of the Gospel message. If you do not yet know Jesus as Lord and Savior, pray that the Father would open your eyes to understand and respond to him.

Psalm 119:18 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

Luke 10:17-20 JOY WORTH JUMPING FOR

JOY WORTH JUMPING FOR

Luke 10:17-20

Luke 10:17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.

Susan: The seventy disciples returned extremely joyful and reported back to the Lord Jesus. They were amazed that when they invoked the name of Jesus, even the demons had to obey them.

Luke 10:18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

Susie: Of course, Jesus was not surprised by this at all. After all, He had been there when the Father cast Satan out of Heaven (Is. 14:12–14; Ezek. 28:12–15). Since He had witnessed the downfall of Satan, it should come as no surprise that Satan’s demons were subject to being cast out on the earth.

Luke 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Susan: Jesus imparted to the seventy disciples power over Satan, his demons, and venomous varmints that could be used to harm or even kill them. Later, the Apostle Paul could testify to this power:

Acts 28:3-6 And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. And he shook off the beast into the fire and felt no harm. Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.

Susie: Jesus told them that nothing would harm them. Truly, nothing can harm the believer unless God allows it, and nothing, not even death, can separate us from His love:

Romans 8:38-39 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Luke 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

Susie: These disciples were ecstatic over the power they had been given over demons. However, Jesus told them this should not be their main reason for joy.

Susan: Our irrevocable reservation for a home in heaven purchased for us by Jesus on the cross is the privilege for which we should be most overwhelmed, elated, and thankful. The knowledge that our names are written in the Lamb’s book of Life should evoke joy unspeakable.

Revelation 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Ponder this and Apply it: We rejoice when our prayers are answered in a mighty way. We rejoice when a friend hears words like, “The cancer has disappeared completely from your body.” Those displays of God’s power are cause for excitement and happiness. However, we should be jumping for joy that our sins are forgiven and Jesus has promised to prepare a home for us in Heaven. When was the last time you thanked the Lord for your salvation? Have you sung any joyful songs about Heaven recently? Is there a loved one or friend with whom you need to share your greatest joy?

Luke 10:13-16 WOE-IMPENDING WRATH OF GOD

WOE-IMPENDING WRATH OF GOD

Luke 10:13-16

Luke 10:13-14 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you.

Susan: Chorazin and Bethsaida were near neighbors to Capernaum, Jesus’s base of operations. They had been given the privilege and honor of witnessing miracles performed by Jesus, but apparently had rejected or in the least been indifferent to His message. That was a dangerous place to be as Jesus pronounced “woe” upon them. To be indifferent is to be “lukewarm” causing Jesus vomit:

Revelation 3:14-16 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth  

Susie: Jesus said it would be worse for the people of Chorazin and Bethsaida than for Tyre and Sidon on Judgment Day. The people of Tyre and Sidon had rejoiced over the destruction and captivity of Judah and Israel, and Ezekiel prophesied their utter destruction in Ezekiel 26-28. However, Jesus said that if they had seen His miracles, they would have repented immediately.

Luke 10:15 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.

Susie: Capernaum in Jesus’s day was a beautiful, prosperous city situation high on a hill, perhaps even described as “heavenly.”

Susan: It was a city that may have viewed themselves as more highly esteemed by any other due to the fact that Jesus utilized it as His main base of operations.

Susie: Jesus had performed numerous healings, exorcisms, and other miracles in Capernaum.

Matthew 11:23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.

Susan: There is no record of the people of Capernaum rejecting Jesus, they did not demonstrate proper reverence for the blessings that God had bestowed upon them. Instead they were indifferent and possibly arrogant, thinking more highly of themselves than they should. Therefore, Jesus declared that they would be catapulted down to hell.

Susie: Capernaum was laid completely to waste by the Romans and does not exist today. Jesus may have been referring to this or to the fact that the non-repentant people in Capernaum who did not place their trust in Him as Messiah and Savior would be sent to hell in the final judgment.

Luke 10:16 He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.

Susie: Jesus gave the examples of cities in which He had ministered to drive home to the seventy disciples that their message was serious, and there were serious consequences for those cities who rejected them.

Susan: Those who rejected or refused to welcome the seventy disciples were in effect rejecting Jesus Himself and the Father who sent Him. Anyone who refuses to believe the Gospel preached by Jesus’s ministers is refusing to believe Jesus and ultimately refusing to believe God the Father.

Ponder this and Apply it: There are serious consequences to rejecting Jesus. Heaven is real, but Hell is equally real. Those who never turn to Jesus, never trust Him for deliverance from sin into relationship with God, will not enter Heaven and eternal joy in Jesus’s presence. Is there someone to whom you need to witness today? We do not know who the Holy Spirit is drawing, but we are clearly told to share the Good News with everyone. The results are left to God, but the commandment is to go and tell others.

LUKE 10:1-12 SEVENTY SENT

SEVENTY SENT

LUKE 10:1-12

Luke 10:1 After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.

Susie: Earlier, Jesus had sent the twelve apostles out in pairs to the villages and towns of Galilee. In this passage, we see Him sending seventy other disciples to the towns in Judea and possibly Perea that He was about to travel through on His way to Jerusalem. Luke is the only one of the gospel writers that includes this event.

Susan: The twelve apostles correspond to the twelve tribes of Israel. Seventy is also a significant number. Moses appointed seventy elders to help him judge the Israelites on the journey from Egypt to Canaan (Numbers 11:16, 24-26). There were seventy members of the Sanhedrin (Jewish religious supreme court) in Jerusalem. Jesus sent them in pairs so they could strengthen each other, to encourage one another, and hold each other accountable to accurately represent Jesus and His teaching.

Susie: Going out in twos may have been a safety measure as well. If one were injured along the way, the other could minister to him. Jesus planned to visit these same cities. The seventy were serving as His “front men,” preparing the people to welcome and hear Jesus. There are other instances of going two by two:

Ecclesiastes 4:9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

Acts 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

Revelation 11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

Luke 10:2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.

Susie: Jesus said almost these exact words to the twelve when He sent them out (Matthew 9:37).

Susan: Seventy disciples sounds like a large amount, but they were few in comparison with the number of people who needed to hear the Gospel. We still need to pray for more dedicated laborers which Gill expressed far better than I could in the commentary below:

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible as found at http://biblehub.com/matthew/9-37.htm

But the labourers are few: Gospel ministers; whose calling is a laborious one; whose business is to labour in the word and doctrine; to be constant in prayer; to give up themselves to meditation and reading; to study to show themselves workmen; to preach the word in season, and out of season; and diligently discharge the several duties of their office, to the glory of Christ, and the good of souls: but such painful and laborious ministers, who are willing to spend, and be spent for Christ and immortal souls, have been but few in all ages; generally speaking, there are more loiterers than labourers.

Susie: Full-time, vocational ministers are not the only laborers. We need to pray that the Lord will use us effectively to share the Good News as well.

Luke 10:3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.

Susie: Wolves eat sheep. Jesus was telling them they would not necessarily be well received everywhere they went. They would face persecution and spiritual dangers.

John 15:20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

Matthew 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Susan: Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and it sounds like He is sending them out to be a “Happy Meal” for their enemies. I do not understand the reasoning behind Jesus’s statement. But, we all know I am finite in wisdom, and He is infinite wisdom.

John 10:11-12 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

Susie: Since we are confident that Jesus is the Good Shepherd, we know that even though He wanted these men to be prepared to face danger, His Spirit would be with them at all times.

Luke 10:4 Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.

Susan: Jesus instructed them to go with just the clothes on their backs and sandals on their feet, taking no money or duffle bag with extra clothing. If Jesus sent them, if they were in His service, they would need no extras because He would take care of them.

Susie: Of course, Jesus used people to take care of our needs as we will see in the next verse. I always thought the command not to salute or greet anyone along the way was strange. However, He was not saying “don’t even say hello.” A greeting in those days was sometimes and all-day affair even involving a meal. Their message was too urgent to take time for the usual pleasantries.

Luke 10:5-6 And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.

Luke 10:5-6 (VOICE) When you enter a house seeking lodging, say, “Peace on this house!”  If a child of peace—one who welcomes God’s message of peace—is there, your peace will rest on him. If not, don’t worry; nothing is wasted.

Susan: Jesus instructed them to pronounce peace (nothing missing, nothing broken) for the people in the house, and the Lord would grant it for those who were seeking Him. If the members of the household were not seeking His peace, it would return back to the disciples. Peace was Paul’s greeting in all of his letters:

Romans 1:7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Galatians 1:3 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ . . .

Luke 10:7 And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.

Susie: Once the disciples were welcomed into a home, they were to stay there rather than hop from home to home looking for the best food and accommodations. However, they were not to feel guilty for accepting the hospitality shown them because their labor to bring the Lord’s message to the people deserved to be recompensed.

Luke 10:8 And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:

Susan: This is a hard verse for me. I’ve been told I’m a picky eater. They were not to be finicky or hard to please. OUCH! That stepped on the toes that I don’t even have! They were to eat without considering Jewish dietary restrictions of clean or unclean. Jesus wanted them to understand that it was their relationship with Him that made them clean, not what went into their mouths.

Mark 7:18 And He said to them, “Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him . . .

Susie: They were to avoid appearing as if the provisions were not good enough for them, that they deserved something more lavish. This may foreshadow Paul’s teaching about concerning eating food offered to idols and considering the weaker brother (1 Corinthians 8).

Luke 10:9 And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.

Susan: They were to heal the sick by the authority of Jesus’s name, including casting out demons. They were to make it clear that God was using them as instruments to prove He was near to them to bring deliverance. Wholeness—freedom from physical, emotional, or spiritual sickness—comes from God.

Susie: Since they were Jesus’s disciples, they were presenting Jesus as the Messiah whose kingdom was drawing near.

Luke 10:10-11 But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say, Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.

Susan: Wiping the dust off their feet was a way of saying they were no better than Gentiles, that they were behaving as if raised by pagans who did not know the One true Covenant God of Israel.

Susie: Paul and Barnabas employed this gesture of contempt when leaving Antioch where the message of Jesus was not well received.

Acts 13:51 But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium.

Susie: However, they were still supposed to give them the message that the Kingdom of God had come near to them.

Luke 10:12 But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.

Susie: God judged Sodom and sent fire to consume that city because of their blatant sinfulness (Genesis 19:1-29).

Susan: Jesus said that in the day of judgment, it would be worse for those cities who refused to welcome His disciples, thereby rejecting His message and Himself, than it was for Sodom when it was consumed by fire. Those who reject Jesus’s messengers are not only rejecting them and Jesus but are also rejecting the Father. How insolent and haughty must they be to reject God the Father?!

Ponder this and Apply it: Jesus does not always send out His ministers with only the clothes on their backs. However, we can learn a lesson from this passage of being content with what He provides. Sometimes it is easy to say to ourselves that we deserve more or better than what we are given. Remember, Jesus was homeless and depended on what was provided by friends and supporters. We should give graciously to others and receive graciously from others. There is no room for thinking ourselves better than others in the family of God.

Philippians 2:3-4 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

Romans 12:16 (CJB) Be sensitive to each other’s needs — don’t think yourselves better than others, but make humble people your friends. Don’t be conceited.