Sending Out the Seventy
Study note
Jesus appoints seventy additional disciples and sends them ahead of Him in pairs to every city He plans to visit. He warns that they go as lambs among wolves and gives instructions for their mission. He pronounces woes on Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum for their unrepentance despite witnessing mighty works. The sending of seventy (recalling the seventy nations of Genesis 10) symbolizes the gospel's reach beyond Israel to all peoples.
1 After this, the Lord picked seventy other followers and sent them out in pairs. They went ahead of him to every city and place he planned to visit. 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.
2 He told them, "There is an enormous amount of work to do, but very few people to do it. So ask the Lord who is in charge of the harvest to send more workers out into his fields." 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.
3 "Now get going. Know that I am sending you out like lambs walking into a pack of wolves." Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.
4 "Do not bring a wallet, a bag, or extra sandals. And do not stop to chat with people along the way." Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.
5 "Whenever you walk into a house, the very first thing you should say is, 'Peace to everyone in this home.'" And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.
6 "If someone there is open to peace, your blessing of peace will stay with them. If not, it will come back to you." And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.
7 "Stay in whatever house welcomes you. Eat and drink whatever they offer you, because workers earn their pay. Do not jump around from house to house." 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.
8 "When you visit a town and the people there welcome you, go ahead and eat whatever food they put in front of you." And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:
9 "Heal the sick people you find there, and let everyone know, 'God's kingdom has come right to your doorstep.'" And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
10 "But if you enter a town where people refuse to welcome you, walk out into the main street and say," But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say,
11 "'We are wiping off even the dust from your town that is stuck to our feet, and we are leaving it here as evidence against you. But you should know this: God's kingdom has come right to your doorstep.'" 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.
12 "I promise you, when judgment day comes, the ancient city of Sodom will be treated better than that town." But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.
13 "What a disaster is coming for you, Chorazin! What a disaster for you, Bethsaida! If the powerful miracles done among you had been done in Tyre and Sidon instead, those people would have changed their ways long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes." 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.
14 "But Tyre and Sidon will have it easier than you on judgment day." But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you.
15 "And you, Capernaum -- do you truly think you will be raised up to heaven? No, you are going straight down to Hades." And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.
16 "Anyone who pays attention to you is truly paying attention to me. Anyone who turns away from you is truly turning away from me. And anyone who turns away from me is turning away from the One who sent me." He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.
The Return of the Seventy
Study note
The seventy return with joy, reporting that even demons submit to them in Jesus' name. Jesus shares their joy but redirects it: they should rejoice not in spiritual power but that their names are written in heaven. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus thanks the Father for revealing truth to the humble rather than the self-proclaimed wise, and privately tells His disciples how privileged they are to see what prophets and kings longed to see.
17 The seventy came back overjoyed, saying, "Lord, even the demons did what we told them when we used your name!" And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
18 Jesus said, "I watched Satan crash down from heaven like a bolt of lightning." And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
19 "I have given you the power to step on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the strength of the enemy. Nothing will be able to hurt you." 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.
20 "But do not get excited because spirits do what you say. Instead, be glad that your names have been recorded in heaven." Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
21 In that very moment, Jesus was overflowing with joy from the Holy Spirit. He prayed, "Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you! You kept these things hidden from people who consider themselves smart and educated, and you showed them to those who are like little children. Yes, Father, this is exactly the way you wanted it." 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.
22 "My Father has put everything in my hands. Nobody truly knows the Son except the Father, and nobody truly knows the Father except the Son and whoever the Son decides to reveal him to." 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.
23 He turned to his disciples privately and said, "How blessed you are to see what you are seeing." And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see:
24 "Believe me, many prophets and kings wished they could see what you are seeing. They wished they could hear what you are hearing. But they never got the chance." 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.
The Good Samaritan
Study note
A lawyer tests Jesus by asking what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus draws out the two great commandments: love God and love your neighbor. When the lawyer seeks to justify himself by asking 'Who is my neighbor?', Jesus tells the Parable of the Good Samaritan. A priest and Levite pass by a beaten man, but a despised Samaritan shows compassion and provides care. Jesus reverses the question -- the issue is not who qualifies as my neighbor but whether I am being a neighbor to those in need.
25 One day a legal expert stood up and tried to trip Jesus with a question. He asked, "Teacher, what do I need to do to live forever?" And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
26 Jesus turned it back on him: "What does the law say? How do you read it?" He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
27 He answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." 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.
28 Jesus told him, "You nailed it. Do that, and you will live." And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
29 But the man wanted to make himself look good, so he asked, "And exactly who counts as my neighbor?" But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
30 Jesus responded with a story: "A man was traveling the road from Jerusalem down to Jericho when a gang of robbers jumped him. They stripped him of everything, beat him badly, and left him lying half dead on the road." 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.
31 "A priest happened to come along the same road. When he saw the man, he crossed to the far side and kept walking." And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 "Then a Levite came by. He walked over and took a look at the man, but he also went past on the other side." And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
33 "But then a Samaritan came traveling along and found the man. When he saw him lying there, his heart went out to him." But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
34 "He rushed over, cleaned the man's wounds with oil and wine, and wrapped bandages around them. Then he lifted the man onto his own donkey, took him to an inn, and stayed to look after him." 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.
35 "The next morning before leaving, he gave the innkeeper two silver coins and said, 'Please take care of this man. If you end up spending more than this, I will pay you back the next time I come through.'" 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.
36 "Now let me ask you: out of those three travelers, which one acted like a true neighbor to the man who got robbed?" Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
37 The legal expert replied, "The one who showed him kindness." Jesus told him, "Then go and live the same way." And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.
Mary and Martha
Study note
Jesus visits the home of Martha and Mary. While Martha is distracted with serving, Mary sits at Jesus' feet listening to His teaching. When Martha complains, Jesus gently tells her she is worried about many things, but only one thing is needed -- and Mary has chosen the better part. This brief episode teaches that sitting at Jesus' feet in attentive listening takes priority over even well-intentioned activity.
38 As they kept traveling, Jesus stopped at a village. A woman named Martha invited him into her home. 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.
39 Martha had a sister named Mary, who sat right down at Jesus's feet and soaked in everything he was teaching. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.
40 Meanwhile, Martha was running around trying to get everything done. She came over to Jesus and said, "Lord, does it not bother you that my sister just left me to do all this work by myself? Tell her to come help me!" 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.
41 Jesus gently replied, "Martha, Martha, you are so stressed and worked up about so many things." And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
42 "But truly only one thing matters. Mary picked the better option, and nobody is going to take it away from her." But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.