Luke 10
Jesus sends 70 people offering peace to surrounding cities
Afterwards the Master appointed 70 others and sent them in pairs to go to each place he was going to visit. He told them,
“There’s a big harvest but not many workers. So beg the harvest master to send more workers into his field. Go ahead. I send you like lambs among wolves. Don’t bring a wallet, bag, or shoes, and don’t greet anyone on the road. Whenever you enter someone’s house the first thing you you should do is say, “Peace be on this house.” If a peaceful person lives there then your peace will refresh him, but if not then it will come back to you. Eat and drink whatever they give you during your stay, because workers deserve their wages. Don’t keep moving from house to house. If you are welcomed by that city, then you should eat their food, heal their sick, and tell them that God’s domain has come close to them. But if a place doesn’t welcome you, then go out into its streets and announce that you wipe off that city’s dust from your feet but you guarantee them that God’s domain has come close. I assure you that when the day comes, it will be more tolerable for Sodom than that city.
Yikes to Chorazin and yikes to Bethsaida. If Tyre and Sidon would have seen the power that you saw, then they would have changed their minds a long time ago and they would be mourning. It will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than it will be for you during the separating. And Capernaum, you won’t be lifted to heaven; you will descend to the underworld.
Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever disregards you disregards me and the One who sent me.”
The 70 return excited because demons submit to them
The 70 came back delighted saying
“Master, even the supernaturals submit to us because of your reputation.”
He replied
”I could see the Adversary falling from heaven like lightning. See, I’ve given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions. I’ve given you authority over all of the enemy’s power, and nothing will injure you. But don’t rejoice about the spirits submitting to you; rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”
God gives revelation to the insignificant
Then he celebrated in God’s Wind and said,
“I acknowledge you, Father. You are the master of both heaven and the world. You’ve hidden these things from the sophisticated and intelligent, and have revealed them to children. Yes, Dad, it pleased you to do it that way. My Dad has given me everything, and no one knows who the Father and Son are except for each other and whoever the Son wishes to give revelation.
He turned to his students and whispered,
“Whoever’s eyes get to see what you’re seeing should be happy, because I guarantee you that many prophets and kings longed to see the things that you’ve been seeing but never got to see them. They also wanted to hear the things you’ve been hearing but never got to hear them.”
Loving God and my neighbor allows me to obtain unending life
Then an expert of the law stood up and put him to the test asking,
“Teacher, what do I need to do in order to obtain unending life?”
Jesus replied,
“What is written in the law? How do you interpret it?”
The man answered,
You need to delight in your God, the Master, with your entire being: all your breath, all your strength, and all your intellect. And you need to delight in your neighbor the same way you delight in yourself.”
Jesus replied,
“That’s right. Do this and you will live.”
We must have compassion for others
Trying to make himself feel better, the man asked,
“And who qualifies as my neighbor?”
Jesus replied,
There was a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho who ran into some robbers. They beat him up, took his things, and left him there half dead. It just so happened that a priest was traveling on that road, but when he saw the man, he moved to the other side of the road and passed him. A Levite did the same thing: when he saw the man, he moved to the other side of the road and went right by him. But there was also a Samaratin who was traveling, and when he saw the man, he was moved, he approached him, and he put ointment on his wounds and bandaged them. He put the man on his own horse, brought him to a hotel, and took care of him. The next morning he took 2 days worth of income and gave it to the clerk saying, ‘Take care of him, and if it costs more than that, I’ll reimburse you when I come back.’ Which of these three do you think became a neighbor to the man who was robbed?”
The man said, “The one who had compassion on him.” Then Jesus told the man to go ahead and do the same.
Martha prioritizes the temporary over the eternal
As they were traveling, he came to a village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary who sat by the Master’s feet, listening to his philosophy while Martha was being pulled away with her domestic duties. She approached him and said, “Master, don’t you care that my sister left me to serve everyone by myself?” But the Master answered her and said,
“Oh Martha, you are worried and fussing about so many things when there’s only one thing that matters. Mary has chosen the best option which won’t be taken away from her.”