Luke 10:1-9
After giving an accounting of the true cost of discipleship at the end of chapter 9, Jesus summed it up with the analogy of putting your hand to the plow. If you left a crooked furrow, making another one wasn't going to fix it. The follower of Jesus keeps plowing and leaves the results to the Lord. After these things were said, the Lord made appointment of 70 (Septuagint says 72) other disciples to send out. In the seventy, we see a link to the 70 elders who helped Moses. We see the 70 nations represented in Genesis 10 table of nations.
These disciples went out two by two 'before His face'. To be 'before His face' was to be in front of Him or to go before. It's a picture of the gospel going out to the world. They would bring the message ahead of His coming when they would see Him face to face. This still holds true today. We care called as those disciples who go 'before His face'. We come the Lord, sit at His feet, learn of His ways, then we go as a representative to the nations. We deliver His message before He comes again.
The harvest is great, there were few workers to bring it in. This seems even more so today. As such, our prayers are to be for the harvest and its workers. They were to Go; it would be as lambs among wolves. This wasn't much of a motivational speech for those where who were probably feeling inadequate. Lambs didn't stand much of a chance among wolves. They would have to rely on Him, going by faith. They were to trust the Lord for their care. He would move others to provide for their needs. They were to receive these as if the Lord had set it all up for them. Whatever home they entered, they were to remain so as not to give appearance of seeking better or differing accommodations. They were offer peace and a blessing to the home; but that blessing would return it they were not believers. Healing the sick was linked to telling them about God's kingdom. The miracle of healing authenticated the message.
Luke 10:10-15
If they entered a city and were not received, as in no one welcomed them and offered hospitality, they were to testify against this city. They would shake the dust off so as not to carry the dirt of an unbelieving city anywhere else. Even in shaking the dust off, they testified that the Kingdom of God had come near. The city that rejected Jesus and His message would realize their poor standing on the day of Judgment. Even Sodom, the epitome of wickedness in the Old Testament would be in better standing than those who rejected Jesus. Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum were examples of those who would be judged harshly because of their failure to believe with the Ministry of Jesus in their back yard. Even the gentiles in the cities of Tyre and Sidon would fare better than Jews in Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum. Ouch! How was Capernaum 'exalted to the heaven?' Among other things, they were the home base of the ministry of the savior of the world. This was quite an honor many would have loved to experience. But it seems Capernaum could not have cared less.
Luke 10:16
To hear these folks was to hear from Jesus. Being a disciple had a tremendous responsibility. Many today have absolved themselves from that responsibility, many out of fear that they'll say or do something wrong and look stupid. In reality, it is pride that keeps us from being like these 70. Whoever rejected the message they brought was rejecting Jesus. Whoever rejected Jesus was rejecting God. So, they went. They became the face of Jesus to the people of these villages and cities. The delivered the message and healed.
It's important to know you can't go 'before His face' until you've been before Him. Then they were to 'go'. These folks went ahead of Him into every city along the way. When Jesus arrived, they'd heard of His kingdom, they may have received healing, some may have become disciples. Healthy sheep make baby sheep; healthy disciples go out as 70 and come back as 80, 90, 100 or more!
Luke 10:17-20
We don't know how much time had passed when the 70 returned. They were amazed that even the demons were brought into submission with His name. Jesus saw Satan fall; this may be his rebellion or some other defeat that brought him down. The works of Satan and the wickedness of the world seem so powerful and pervasive. Yet here Jesus has given them power over all these threats. Nothing can interfere with the mission He has given them. They were like sheep among wolves, but these were like armored, ninja sheep. Even though this was awesome and comforting, they weren't to rejoice in this power and authority, their celebration was the fact that their name was written in heaven. There's an entry in the 'Lamb's book of life'.
Luke 10:21-22
Jesus blessed His disciples. He is revealed to those whom the son wills. The wise and prudent are those relying on their worldly wisdom and understanding. They can't see the kingdom of God, it makes no sense. Human logic veils this reality to them. Instead it had been reveled to those who came as the least, as children; humble, needy and trusting.
Luke 10:23-24
Jesus let them know this wasn't something everyone god firsthand knowledge and experience at. They walked with Jesus and were the first to go out and be 'before His face' to the needy world. Prophets and kings longed to do what they'd done, to hear as they had and serve Him.
Did they fully appreciate it? Did they fully engage in the calling?
As we are called, do we fully appreciate the age and opportunities it brings to disciples in our day? Are we fully engaged in it? It's certainly something to consider. There's never been a time like this.
Luke 10:25-29
Notice the word 'behold'. It says, 'Hey, you need to look at this!' This is third use of the word in this chapter; it is used 211 times in the New Testament, mostly in the gospels.
The lawyer was one trained in the law of Moses, probably a pharisee. Jesus had just spoke to His disciples about the blessing of seeing things the prophets and kings longed to see. This reference to the days we call the Old Testament must have emboldened this lawyer. This was his area of expertise and he decided to test Jesus. It doesn't matter how much this man knew or studied, he couldn't possibly test the original author and think he could stump him. He asked Jesus what he must do to be saved.
Jesus turned the question back to him, as he was the supposed expert, He gave law to this proud man. He answers by quoting the Shema, Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:8. The Shema is a command to love the Lord with all your being. Leviticus is a command to love your neighbor as yourself. This parallels the accounts of Matthew and Mark where Jesus gives the greatest commandment. This was the heart of Jesus ministry and kingdom, love of God and love of neighbor.
However, it turns out the lawyer had a different motive. His test wasn't in regard to Jesus knowledge of the law and scriptures. His desire was to justify himself. I've found that when people are given a command or direction and they want to nail down every detail, ever nuance of the wording and define the defining, then they are looking for the loophole not thorough understanding. They end up working extra so as not to enter His rest. After all, he was already righteous by his understanding of the things of God. Who is my neighbor? The man was a expert in the law but didn't know who his neighbor was.
Luke 10:30-37
Jesus saw it coming, apparently anticipating it. To go from Jerusalem to Jericho was a 12 mile as the crow flies, closer to 17 mile of travel and a 3500-foot descent. It was literally down the side of the mountain to 800 feet below sea level. The road was known to be dangerous because it ran through deserted areas and caves where robbers and thieves hid out. In this parable, a man was going along that road when the thieves got the best of him and left him for dead. This man would have no hope of surviving on his own in this area.
It just so happened; a priest came down the road. If the man saw the priest coming, he might have thanked God for sending help. However, the priest saw the man and crossed to the other side. At first, you might think the priest was trying to maintain his ritual purity. If the man was dead, he would be defiled tending to him. However, the man was leaving Jerusalem and the temple, so that would not have been on his mind.
A Levite happened along and saw the man and also went to the other side. The Levites served in the temple alongside the priests. Both of these 'religious' men were found to have no compassion on this man. This was literally to assume he was dead or would die and their was no reason for them to get involved. To walk by was likely a death sentence.
However, a third man came along. A Samaritan came along and had compassion on him. The lawyer would not like this idea, in his mind and nearly all other Jews of Judea, there was no such thing as a good Samaritan. Or, the only good Samaritan was a dead one. The Pharisee would have been shocked at this story. Jesus was applying a universal definition to the term neighbor. This man would not consider any gentile, Samaritan or tax collector a neighbor of his. Jesus expected an unlimited mercy extended to anyone. The Samaritan went to extreme amounts of inconvenience and cost to help this traveler. In fact, it seemed he was willing to do anything that needed done. It was the next day this Samaritan resumed his journey. But before leaving, he paid the innkeeper. These two denarii would allow him to stay at the inn for two months. This might indicate the extent of the man's wounds, but it certainly hints at the extent of the Samarian's mercy. In addition, he made provision to pay any further expenses should there be any.
What a moment this must have been when Jesus finished His story and looked at the lawyer and asked which of the three he would consider a neighbor. The Pharisee wouldn't admit that it was the Samaritan. He would not say it. He simply called him the 'one who showed mercy'. Then Jesus answer his original question with a command, go and do likewise. He was to be more like the Samaritan. He was to show mercy and compassion on all people.
8He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)
Luke 10:38-42
Bethany was the home of Mary and Martha, about a half mile east of Jerusalem. John tells us more about Mary, Martha and their brother Lazarus who were disciples of Jesus. Martha received Jesus into their home. Mary also sat at the feet of Jesus, the place of a disciple, learning from the master. There was a Jewish saying, "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." Notice the word 'also'. Martha sat at the feet of Jesus also. This day though, Marth was distracted with serving; probably making provisions for Jesus and His followers. Mary was getting all of Jesus attention and she was working her tail off with no help. She was looking for Jesus support or at least affirming her hard work.
What Martha was doing was important, but it wasn't all important. Sometimes our own understanding of the important is skewed by our understanding of the situation. Jesus wasn't scolding her. Mary chose to sit and learn and be in the presence of Jesus. A time would come when Martha would wish she spend more time with Him while he was there.
©2020 Doug Ford
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