CHAPTER 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.
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.
3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.
4 Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.
5 And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.
6 And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.
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.
8 And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:
9 And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
10 But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say,
11 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.
12 But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.

One might say Jesus went "on tour." He traveled around to different cities and villages. While in each one, He would visit the synagogue and teach. He was also preaching salvation by repentance, and healing people as He went.

Matthew 9:36 notes that Jesus' compassion led Him to say that MORE LABOURERS were needed in the work of gathering the "harvest" of lost people into the Kingdom of God. Therefore, His FIRST instruction to His disciples was to PRAY - pray for MORE LABOURERS!

We STILL NEED to pray for MORE LABOURERS today!

The disciples of Christ are sent as "lambs among wolves."
They are innocent, gentle; and their only protection is the Lord Himself!
They must carry the message of salvation as docile creatures to a crude world.
The message was, and is, SALVATION HAS COME; YOU CAN BE CHANGED; SURRENDER TO JESUS!
A wolf cannot change his own nature and become gentle as a lamb.
But Jesus CAN CHANGE that nature!

These first missionaries were given special power. They were personally commissioned by the Lord Himself. They who are sent are equipped!

These were not sent according to their station in life nor their education. They were fishermen, tax-collectors and zealots. They were sent according to their personal relationship with Jesus. He was the Commissioner and Ordainer, and He qualified them solely upon their relationship with Him!

They were to express their faith (verse 4). Jesus would be sure that ALL things necessary would be provided for them. There would be no need for money, clothes or protective gear. Jesus Himself would be their Providor.

They would KNOW whether someone was receiving them in truth by the fact that "peace" would remain while they were with them. If a person became antagonistic, they were to leave, and peace would "return" to be used elsewhere. It was to these who received them that the disciples would preach. And it was WITH them that the disciples would remain while in that town.

To "shake off the dust of your feet" means to hasten along the journey. It was not a sign of disgust, but rather a sign that speed was important to spread the gospel. And no time should be wasted on argumentative people.

So then, why is the statement made in verse 12?
Judgment comes. It will eventually come to EVERYONE! Those who are antagonistic toward the gospel are not to be despised, for we are not to waste even THAT amount of time upon them! They will ordinarily receive their judgment. And it will be a harsh one simply because they would not RECEIVE the gospel!

13 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.
14 But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you.
15 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.

Jesus was not only "upbraiding" the cities surrounding Capernaum and Capernaum itself. He was also "upbraiding" all those who refuse to recognize the true signs of God in Him.

Jesus performed many miracles: healing the blind, lame, lepers, deaf, dumb, casting out demons, and even raising the dead. If those same miracles had been performed in the Name of the Lord in Tyre and Sidon, or even in Sodom and Gomorrha, the people of those cities would have repented and been saved!!

The preponderance of evidence concerning Jesus as Messiah has been recorded faithfully through history. To refuse belief that God has come in Jesus is to refuse absolute Truth and absolute Wisdom. Therefore it will be "more tolerable" on judgment day for those who lived in the days of Tyre, Sidon, Sodom and Gomorrha than for those who have had the privilege of KNOWING Jesus personally and refused!

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

When a person receives the "message" of Christ, from you the messenger, then that person actually receives Christ! The message of Truth leads to Truth Himself!

When a person rejects the "message" of Christ, he doesn't necessarily reject the person who brought the message, but the One Who sent the message! (See 1Samuel 8:7)

17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
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.
20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

Jesus had sent 35 teams into specified cities (see verse 1), and now they "returned" with great joy. They told Jesus that even "devils" fled at the mention of Jesus' Name!

Our Lord reminded them that He had given them that power.
And, He cautioned them not to let the focus of their rejoicing be in the victory over demons.
The focus of our rejoicing should be in the joy of knowing our names are "written" eternally in God's "book of life" (See Revelation 20:15).

In our Christian pilgrimmage, we may have many temporary defeats and many temporary victories.
But our FOCUS is on the joy of KNOWING that Christ has given us ETERNAL LIFE!

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.
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.

Did you ever stop to think that Jesus REJOICES in you KNOWING you are saved?
Salvation is revealed to and received by those who submit themselves humbly as "babes," or children to Jesus.

Aside from knowing Jesus as Lord, one cannot know God!

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

These disciples were truly "blessed!" The Greek word from which "blessed" is derived is makarios, meaning blissfully happy! It is the same word used in Matthew 5:3-11.

Many "prophets and kings" yearned for, and longed to see MESSIAH come!
But NOW was the appropriate time under God's omniscient and omnipotent design.

25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
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.
28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
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.
31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
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.
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.
36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

Hebrew law had become very complicated. Those schooled and skilled in the law became called: "Lawyers," "scribes," and or "doctors." Primarily they instructed new lawyers. But they also provided advice to court judgment.

This lawyer faced Jesus with a question that was intended to shame Him, or dispute His ability to interpret the law.

Jesus turned the tables on the lawyer!

The manner in which the lawyer answered Jesus' question in verse 26 indicates, to me, that he had heard Jesus' teaching before. Jesus had once been asked, which is the GREATEST commandment. He had answered (See Matthew 22:36-40).

In connection with the lawyer's answer, Jesus taught the parable of "The Good Samaritan."
The reason for this parable, as with all parables, is to utilize an earthly incident to teach a heavenly lesson.

The road to Jericho, from Jerusalem, was known to be filled with treacherous robbers, or highwaymen. The man making the journey was obviously a Jew. The robbers jumped on him, beat him severely, and stole his money and clothes. The severity of this incident is indicated by the fact that Jesus said the man was left "half dead!"

The "priest" and the "Levite", however, "passed by on the the other side."
Both these men would be thought to be close "neighbors" with the Jewish traveler, because they were of the same nationality. However, they both ignored the poor man's plight, and refused to help him!

Now, Samaritans were despised by the Jewish people of that day. They were actually a "mixed breed" of Jewish and other nationalities. Though the majority of them claimed allegiance to Jehovah God, many of them also worshipped other gods. The rift between those of Jewish origin and the Samaritans had been going on since Nehemiah's time (See Nehemiah 13:23-39).

But THIS Samaritan stopped and helped the poor man who had been robbed!
He treated the Samaritan's wounds.
Then he paid a motel bill for two days, so the man could rest.
He also agreed to pay MORE, if the man needed more rest than two days!

After telling the parable, Jesus turned back to the Jewish "lawyer" who had "tempted" Him. And Jesus asked, "Which of these three...was neighbour..."?

The man had to admit, shamedly, the Samaritan was the best neighbor!

The heavenly meaning taught from this earthly incident is that we ALL should be good neighbors to ANYone!
Notice that Jesus admonished the "lawyer": "Go, and do THOU likewise!"

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.
39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.
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.
41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

The "certain village" was Bethany (See John 12:1).

Martha was "cumbered," or overly concerned with making sure Jesus was comfortable and had food. Mary had "chose that good part" of simply sitting at Jesus' feet and providing company to Him.

The lesson Luke sends us through this incident is:
It is important for us to know Jesus' presence in our lives.

As you go about this day, resolve in yourself to:
First, know Christ's presence in your life,
And, Second, to do His will in your life.

PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US IN BIBLE STUDY TOMORROW.