LUKE 10
    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."
    The seventy Jesus chose from among His followers were like missionaries. They were to go into all the villages and
get them ready to receive Jesus. Jesus' time is now very precious, because this is the last part of the last year of His
ministry. Every moment must count. By doing this, 35 cities could be prepared at once.
    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."
    The people are open to receiving the Lord Jesus. There are thousands of souls out there who would come to Jesus if
they could just hear the gospel message. Jesus is saying, get busy and get the people into God's kingdom. This message
was also given to the twelve when they went forth. It was true for the seventy and is also true today.
    Luke 10:3 "Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves."
    The world is an angry cruel place. Those who will not receive the gospel will try to tear you to shreds. If they are not
physically attacking you, they will try to tear you apart with a most vicious weapon, the tongue. A Christian is not
supposed to repay a wound for wound. We are told to love our enemies, to pray for those who despitefully use us. If
they want what we have, we are to give it to them, no questions asked. We are to be wise as a serpent, but harmless as a
dove. We are vulnerable to their attacks. We really are as helpless as a lamb, and they are like the wolf.
    Luke 10:4 "Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way."
    These disciples were not to weigh themselves down with extras. They are in a rush to get the message out. Their
only concern is to preach the gospel. This "salute no man"  means that they were not to stop and visit along the way.
Their purpose was to preach and only preach. They were to prepare the people to receive Jesus.
     Luke 10:5 "And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house."
     In almost all of these little towns, they were setting up churches in the homes. These disciples are to go into an area
and find who seems to be worthy and go to that one house and stay, not move around. As they entered the house, they
were to speak a blessing of peace on the house.
     Luke 10:6 "And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again."
     This is speaking of whether this is a Christian home or not. If not, the blessing shall return to the disciple.
    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."
    A labourer for the Lord should be able to live off the ministry. That is what is intended here and bears true even today.
This house would be the center of the work in this town. It would be of little value to jump from house to house.
    Luke 10:8 "And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:" 
    Luke 10:9 "And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto
you."
    There is a double message in eating whatever is set before you. One of the meanings, possibly, is don't check to see if
it has been offered to idols. The other meaning would be to be satisfied with whatever the family has that is feeding you.
Don't ask for special dishes. When they were dealing with someone who had not known the Lord before, it would be
easy to win them over by healing their sick. After they believe you are from God, preach the gospel and get them into
the kingdom.
    Luke 10:10 "But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of
the same, and say,"
    Luke 10:11 "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." 
    Luke 10:12 "But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city."
    These people were not refusing these disciples, but were in all reality refusing the Saviour of the world, Jesus Christ.
This "shaking of the dust off their feet" shows that they will not have anything more to do with this city. It will be left for
God to punish. Just as Sodom deserved the punishment inflicted upon it, the city or even person that rejects the Lord
Jesus Christ deserves the punishment it will receive from God. He tells them here: You have been offered the kingdom
of God and you refused. It is your own fault.
    Luke 10:13 "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."
    Chorazin and Bethsaida were near the sea of Galilee and were visited by Jesus often. They had every opportunity to
turn from their wicked ways to Jesus and they did not, even though He did many miracles there. There were no miracles
in Sodom and Gomorrah. Chorazin and Bethsaida had their opportunity and failed to receive it so their punishment
would be great. These woes are great to those who will not repent.
    Luke 10:14 "But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you."
    Luke 10:15 "And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell."
    Jesus called Capernaum home during His ministry even though He was raised in Nazareth. Many miracles were done
in this city by Jesus. The people still did not accept Jesus as Messiah. Jesus said a prophet is not without honor but in His
own country and this was true of Capernaum.  Just as these woes have been spoken on these cities, they have been
destroyed.
    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."
    This is just saying that the rejection is not of the disciple but of Jesus and the Father.
    Luke 10:17  "And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us
through thy name."
    The seventy, were pleased to report to Jesus, that the power over devils that He had given them to use in His name
worked. It is not really their power but Jesus' power used through them.
    Luke 10:18 "And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven."
    Jesus was there when Satan fell.
     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."
    This power that these disciples have (and that we have, as well) is Jesus' power. We do these things in the name of
Jesus Christ. We can ask anything in His name, and He will do it. If we belong to Jesus, He protects us.
    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."
    The most important thing to any of us is whether we are saved or not.  We should rejoice because we have accepted
the Lord Jesus as our Saviour and had our names written in the Lamb's book of life. We must not get too caught up in
the gifts God has given us and forget the giver. Being able to cast out demons in the name of Jesus is a gift from God.
    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."
    Jesus usually is pretty sad at the state of affairs of the people, but here, He is rejoicing over the victory that His first
missionaries had. Doctors and lawyers were not the ones the secrets of God were revealed to, but those who came to
Jesus Christ as little children. God reveals to His spiritual children His truths, not to the worldly scholars.
    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."
    Jesus has all power of things in earth, above the earth, and beneath the earth. The Father has given this power to
Jesus. The Lord Jesus reveals Himself and the Father to the believers in Christ.
    Luke 10:23  "And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the
things that ye see:"
    He turned to His own and said these things. This was not for the multitude to hear. Jesus has opened their spiritual
eyes so that they can see, especially Peter, James, and John who saw Him at the transfiguration as no other human eyes
had seen Him.
    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."
    They, also, had heard the voice from heaven saying, "This is my beloved Son: hear ye him". Prophets and kings had
not seen things these disciples saw and heard. Jesus makes them aware of how blessed they were.
    Luke 10:25  "And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to
inherit eternal life?"
    This man was a teacher of the Mosaic law, so he is very familiar with what it says. "Tempted" shows that he was
checking Jesus out as to what He knew, and was trying to trick Him into saying something they could use as evidence
against Him. Calling Jesus "Master" is just being disrespectful. He did not consider Jesus his Master.
    Luke 10:26 "He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?"
    Jesus always answers questions, when the person is trying to trap Him, by asking a question in return.
     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."
    This lawyer knows the letter of the law but He does not truly understand what it means. He is like so many who
profess to be Christians. He looks at the Scriptures with physical eyes and not with his spirit.
     Luke 10:28 "And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live."
    Jesus agrees with him and there is no way he can charge Jesus with being a false prophet.
    Luke 10:29 "But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?"
    This man really is not interested in who his neighbour is. He is still trying to trap Jesus into saying something that he
can accuse Him of.
    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."
    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." 
    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." 
    Luke 10:33 "But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had
compassion on him,"
     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." 
    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."
    Jesus has used this story to trap this lawyer. Jesus is showing in this story, how following the letter of the law (as the
priest and the Levite do) does not fulfill the Scripture in loving thy neighbor. However, the hated Samaritan in the story
is a friend and more to this injured man. Jesus has not publicly denounced the priest and Levite till this time, (He lets the
lawyer condemn them), because as shallow as they were, they were still keepers of the temple of God. Since this story
was told by Jesus, anyone who does a good deed is called a good Samaritan.
    Luke 10:36 "Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?"
    Jesus allows this lawyer to judge. He again asks a question to get the lawyer to answer his own question.
    Luke 10:37 "And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou
likewise."
    This lawyer's trap backfired on him.
    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."
    Martha and Mary were the sisters of Lazarus. Jesus was very good friends with them, and whenever He was near, He
stayed in their home.
    Luke 10:39 "And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word."
    When Jesus was teaching in the homes, He usually sat in a chair and the people He was teaching sat at His feet.
    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."
    Martha was feeling sorry for herself and was probably jealous because Mary sat at Jesus' feet to hear His Words.
    Luke 10:41 "And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about
many things:"
    Jesus is telling Martha that she is too interested in  things of this world and not interested enough in the spiritual.
    Luke 10:42 "But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away
from her."
    The Lord was just explaining that food and clean houses are not nearly as important as the spiritual food that Mary,
her sister, was interested in. The Lord had said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth
out of the mouth of God" Matthew 4:4