Luke chapter 10

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Jesus sends out seventy missionaries. They are successful. The most important commandment. The parable of the Good Samaritan. Jesus visits Martha and Mary.

 


 

JESUS SENDS OUT SEVENTY MISSIONARIES

 

VERSE 1. Now after these things, the Lord also appointed seventy others, and sent them two by two ahead of him into every city and place where he was about to come.

seventy. Some manuscripts say seventy-two.

sent. The Greek word is “apostellein.”

Some people have the Gift of Apostle. The Holy Spirit has gifted them to be sent as a missionary to a new cultural milieu to proclaim Jesus Christ.

 

VERSE 2. Then he said to them, “The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore to the Lord of the harvest, that he may send out laborers into his harvest.

send out labourers. The need is for more evangelizers. The project of evangelizing the world needs more laborers.

In those days, the number of laborers did grow. On one of the missionary journeys that Christ sent them on, there were only Twelve. On a later journey, there were 72. That represents exponential growth.

In our day, the need continues for more laborers. Perhaps you will be among the pool of laborers that Christ sends out to evangelize the world!

The Lord Jesus calls us to take his Gospel to the whole world. Here are the key Bible verses about this »

 

VERSE 3. Go your ways. Behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.

The Lord Jesus calls us to take his Gospel to the whole world. Here are the key Bible verses about this »

lambs among wolves. They are to be as innocent as lambs.

 

VERSE 4. Carry no purse, nor wallet, nor sandals. Greet no one on the way.

no purse … wallet … sandals. The Lord Jesus Christ sent the Twelve on a short-term mission. And later the Seventy. He required radical minimalism. Read more »

 

VERSE 5. Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’

Peace be to this house. A Christian missionary must have the most noble of intentions. They must desire the very best for their intended hearers.

 

VERSE 6. If a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you.

 

VERSE 7. Remain in that same house, eating and drinking the things they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Don’t go from house to house.

the laborer is worthy of his wages. The Christian messenger deserves payment.

1 Corinthians 9:7. What soldier ever serves at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard, and doesn’t eat of its fruit? Or who feeds a flock, and doesn’t drink from the flock’s milk?

 

VERSE 8. Into whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat the things that are set before you.

A homeless man, or an Angel of God? [Japan; the late 1980s] While traveling to a Pentecostal church in Osaka, I met a homeless man. He offered me food and drink. He may have been an angel of God. Read more »

Sweet Victory at a Remote Village in India. [India; 1991] My friends and I went on an overnight outreach journey. We brought no money and no supplies. We helped the people we met. Ministry went well, but we all got sick. Read more »

 

VERSE 9. Heal the sick who are there, and tell them, ‘God’s Kingdom has come near to you.’

 

VERSE 10. But into whatever city you enter, and they don’t receive you, go out into its streets and say,

 

VERSE 11. ‘Even the dust from your city that clings to us, we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that God’s Kingdom has come near to you.’

 

VERSE 12. I tell you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that city.

 

VERSE 13. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

 

VERSE 14. But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment than for you.

 

VERSE 15. You, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades.

Hades. The Lord Jesus Christ talks about Hades, Gehēnna, fire, and darkness. Christians often call those things Hell. Is Hell a location where people are sent? Or a state of being? Read more »

 

VERSE 16. Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me. Whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

Whoever listens to you listens to me. When the apostles spoke, they used their power and authority to speak the message of the Lord Jesus Christ. Read more »

 

VERSE 17. The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!”

the demons are subject to us. Jesus did not command them to cast out demons. However, this verse suggests that they were able to do so.

 

VERSE 18. He said to them, “I saw Satan having fallen like lightning from heaven.

I saw Satan … fallen … from heaven. Jesus might be saying their ministry was powerful. Or he might be alluding to the fall of Lucifer from heaven.

Michael the Archangel leads the God-fearing angels into combat against Satan and his minions. They throw Satan and his minions out of heaven and to the earth. Read more »

 

VERSE 19. Behold, I give you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will in any way hurt you.

Behold, I give you authority. The Lord Jesus gave his disciples great power and authority.

Does he give such authority to us, his believers of today?

 

VERSE 20. Nevertheless, don’t rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Luke and from the entire Bible.

rejoice that your names are written in heaven. The only real joy is eternal life. Compared with knowing God, driving out demons and doing miracles is trivial.

Some church leaders make it seem that becoming a church leader is the most wonderful thing in the world. However, it is trivial compared to eternal salvation.

 

JESUS IS THANKFUL FOR THE SUCCESSES OF HIS MISSIONARIES

 

VERSE 21. In that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in your sight.”

 

VERSE 22. Turning to the disciples, he said, “All things have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is, except the Father, and who the Father is, except the Son, and he to whomever the Son desires to reveal him.”

 

VERSE 23. Turning to the disciples, he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things that you see,

 

VERSE 24. for I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see the things which you see, and didn’t see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and didn’t hear them.”

prophets and kings desired to see. We are the most privileged of people. On a daily basis, we can be in a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. And we can easily read the Bible.

The mighty prophets of the Old Testament era could not do those things.

 

THE MOST IMPORTANT COMMANDMENT

 

VERSE 25. Behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

 

VERSE 26. He said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?”

read. The Greek word is ἀναγινώσκεις (“anaginōskeis”). It could be translated as “recite.”

How do you read it? That is, “How do you recite it?”

That alludes to the twice-daily reciting of the Shema:

Deuteronomy 6:4-5. Hear, Israel: the LORD is our God. The LORD is one. 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.

 

VERSE 27. He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”

 

VERSE 28. He said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live.”

 

VERSE 29. But he, desiring to justify himself, asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”

 

THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN

 

VERSE 30. Jesus answered, “A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

 

VERSE 31. By chance a certain priest was going down that way. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

a certain priest. Two prominent community leaders (a priest and a Levite) avoid helping this dying man. Only a despised Samaritan is willing to save his life.

 

VERSE 32. In the same way a Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side.

 

VERSE 33. But a certain Samaritan, as he traveled, came where he was. When he saw him, he was moved with compassion,

 

VERSE 34. came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. He set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

 

VERSE 35. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the host, and said to him, ‘Take care of him. Whatever you spend beyond that, I will repay you when I return.’

 

VERSE 36. Now which of these three do you think seemed to be a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers?”

 

VERSE 37. He said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Luke and from the entire Bible.

Go and do likewise. Jesus calls us to treat people with mercy.

 

JESUS VISITS MARTHA AND MARY

 

VERSE 38. As they went on their way, he entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.

 

VERSE 39. She had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.

sat at Jesus’ feet. In those days, that was the posture of a disciple before a teacher. Jesus Christ freely admitted women into the ranks of his disciples.

 

VERSE 40. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she came up to him, and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister left me to serve alone? Ask her therefore to help me.”

 

VERSE 41. Jesus answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things,

 

VERSE 42. but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Luke and from the entire Bible.

Mary has chosen the good part. Her choice was to sit at the feet of Jesus and absorb what he had for her.

This can be seen as an affirmation of Contemplative Prayer. In contemplative prayer, we sit at the feet of Jesus and absorb what he has for us.

 


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LUKE

CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24

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Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.