Luke 10 - The Simple Gospel. Do You Believe It?

Luke 10 - NIV

Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two

10 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two[a] others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.

Jesus goes from doing the ministry and the disciples watching him, to sending them out in two's to do the ministry themselves. Though we normally think of 12 disciples, in this case Jesus sent 72 disciples out together. They went ahead of him to every town to prepare the way for his message. He was sending them out into the harvest field, which he described as plentiful. At this point most of the people were not Christian, so the mission field was wide open. When you compared the 72 with how many people were in the harvest field, you can see why Jesus asked them to pray for more workers. 

Jesus forewarned them that the harvest field was not for the faint of heart. There would be many who were unsympathetic to their message, and others who would be downright hostile to them. They were travel lightly because the Lord might call them anywhere at anytime. 

5 “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will reghgst on them; if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.

They were to look for "people of peace". God would provide for them but different people would offer different things based on their willingness to help out. They shouldn't feel bad about people providing for them, because like any other worker, they deserved to eat, drink, and have a place to lay their head. If possible they could stay at one location as for a long time if the host was willing. I imagine they would be doing ministry for and with the people in the house. 

 

8 “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.

Not only would the receive hospitality, but they would also minister to those they visited. ln some cases they even healed those who welcomed them. The person's receptivity to providing for them would show the the kingdom of God had come to their house. For those who did not welcome them, Jesus told them shake the dust off of their feet as a statement they would not carry any of their bad behavior or attitude with them.  There would be stern consequences for those who refused to show them kindness to them. How they treated them would be an indication of how they treated Jesus. 

Do you offer hospitality to other Christians who are local and also those who travel from far away places?

13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. 16 “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

Jesus teaches a principle here that the more of God's kingdom power you are shown, in this case miracles, the more you will be accountable to God. The miracles you have seen are compelling evidence of the power of God. Again Jesus predicts harsh consequences for those who have been shown so much, but believe so little. In rejecting the disciples and their message, they were rejecting Jesus, and the Father who sent him. 

This helps us to realize that when people reject us and/or the gospel we share with them, they are not rejecting us but the Jesus. We cannot take it personally.

17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” 18 He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Apparently the disciples also delivered people from demons just like Jesus did. Jesus was familiar with demons and their leader, Satan. Jesus saw Satan's initial fall from heaven. as he rejected worshipping God wanting to be worshipped instead. As exciting as this may be to exercise this kind of spiritual power, Jesus reminds us of the fact that being granted entrance to heaven is an even greater reason to rejoice. 

Do you realize to that the Spirit of Jesus in you gives you power over demons? 

Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

Jesus message was always simple enough for anyone to hear and comprehend, even children. Maybe because it was so basic was why children were more apt to accept than the wise and learned. Sometimes we "overthink: things, or "intellectualize" when we don't need to. It really is a simple gospel. 

God sent His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins. If you believe in Him and what He has done for you, you will not perish but inherit eternal life.  

22 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

Sometimes we wonder why some people believe and others don't? Jesus' main purpose for coming to earth was to reveal what the Father is like. Everything Jesus did and said revealed what the Father would do and say. It seems as though Jesus played a role in choosing those who He would reveal the Father to or not. Perhaps he knew some would never believe. This always leads to the question, "Did God choose us, or did we choose God?" 

Jesus answers this in John 15, when he is speaking to the disciple. He said, "You did not choose me, but I choose you and appointed you to bear fruit, fruit that will last."

23 Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

The disciples were the first to see what the Messiah could do. Many people longed to see the Messiah and the signs and wonders he would perform. The disciples were in "rarified air". 

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

 27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[c]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” 29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

The Pharisees and teachers of the Law were always testing Jesus. They were looking for ways to discredit his ministry and especially his teaching. One day they asked him what they must do to "inherit eternal life". Again a simple answer. Love God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind. And love your neighbors yourself. 

Jesus knew the religious leaders hated the Gentiles, who were their neighbors. So Jesus told them a parable to show them what true love of neighbor looked like and why they lacked it.

 30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii[e] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

The road from Jerusalem was apparently a very dangerous one, as thieves hid behind the rocks next to the twisting and winding road to Jericho. They could easily prey on innocent people, as they went by. This was the case with the man in the story. Jesus gave an example of three people, and how they responded to one who was left to die at the side of the road. 

The priest and Levite (Jewish religious leaders) didn't go near the person. Perhaps they considered the man "unclean" or "deserving" of his fate. They even passed by on the other side to protect themselves from being tempted to help. We do this today as well, avoiding people for fear we might have to help them. 

But the person who did help them was a "Samaritan". The Jews hated the Samaritans and considered them far from God. But it was the Samaritan who showed the man the kind of love that characterizes someone who will inherit eternal life. This was Jesus' kind of love and the love he exemplified.  We know that there is nothing we can do to inherit eternal life, but the love we exhibit as believers will look a lot like they type the Good Samaritan exhibited in this parable. 

36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Jesus asked a rhetorical question in case the missed the point. The expert in the law got it, so Jesus told him to go and do likewise. I wonder if he did?

How do you treat your "neighbors"? Are you kind to everyone, or only those you are comfortable with? Does their race, lifestyle, or reputation affect who you treat as your neighbor?

At the Home of Martha and Mary

38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one.[f] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Mary and Mother are examples of those who provided hospitality for Jesus and his disciples. They were the sisters of Lazarus, who Jesus would later raise from the dead. Mary and Martha had quite different personalities. Martha was really caught up in all of the things that needed to be done to give Jesus and his disciples the type of welcome she thought they deserved. But the reality was that Martha got so caught up in the busywork, she completely forgot about the guest of honor, Jesus. 

Meanwhile her sister Mary sat at Jesus' feet completely absorbing every word Jesus said. At some point Martha complained to Jesus about having to do all the work. The Lord  mildly rebuked her by saying that she was so caught in all the details, she had missed the One who was in her midst. Martha got caught up in doing something for Jesus rather being in His presence. 

I have always felt kind of bad for Martha. I mean someone has to do the work and it didn't seem like Mary was lifting a finger. But I know at times I have get so worked up about putting on an event at church that I forget to the whole purpose of the event, which is to point to Jesus. We can be good at "doing church", but are we really worshipping and listening to what Jesus has to say. 

We love to work for Jesus but do we like to listen to Him? Do you look more like Mary or Martha in your relationship with Jesus?