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.