The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on ActsLuke 10

Lu 10:1 LXXXIII. MISSION AND RETURN OF THE SEVENTY. (Probably in Judaea, October, A.D. 29.) Lu 10:1-24 Now after these things the Lord appointed seventy others. That is, other messengers in addition to the twelve apostles. And sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself was about to come. Luke has told us of the journey through Samaria to Jerusalem (Lu 9:52), and John has told us what occurred at the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem (Joh 7:2). We learn from John also that Jesus was at the Feast of Dedication (Joh 10:22). The first feast was in October and the latter in December. Jesus evidently spent the time between these feast in Judaea, making a tour of that province and sending the seventy before him, thus thoroughly evangelizing it as he had Galilee, by sending out the twelve. (TFG 472)

Lu 10:2 The harvest indeed is plenteous, but the laborers are few. See TFG "Mt 9:37".

Lu 10:4 Carry no purse, no wallet, no shoes; and salute no man on the way. This last was probably a common direction in cases of haste (2Ki 4:29). Eastern salutations were tedious and overburdened with ceremony. Those in haste were excused from them. (TFG 472)

Lu 10:5 And into whatsoever house ye shall enter, first say, Peace be to this house. See TFG "Mt 10:13".

Lu 10:6 And if a son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon him: but if not, it shall turn to you again. See TFG "Mt 10:13".

Lu 10:7 And in that same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give. They were not to give trouble and waste time by asking for better food. For the laborer is worthy of his hire. See 1Ti 5:18. (TFG 472)

Lu 10:11 Even the dust from your city, that cleaveth to our feet, we wipe off against you. See TFG "Mr 6:11".

Lu 10:12 It shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city. For comment, see TFG "Mt 11:24".

Lu 10:13-15 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! etc. For comment on a similar passage, see TFG "Mt 11:21", etc.

Lu 10:14 But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment, than for you. See TFG "Mt 11:21".

Lu 10:15 And thou, Capernaum, shalt thou be exalted unto heaven? thou shalt be brought down unto Hades. See TFG "Mt 11:23".

Lu 10:16 He that heareth you heareth me; and he that rejecteth you rejecteth me; and he that rejecteth me rejecteth him that sent me. For comment, see TFG "Mt 10:40".

Lu 10:17 And the seventy returned with joy. The report of the seventy is more joyous than that of the twelve, for the sayings of the latter on their return were overshadowed by the news of John the Baptist's death (Lu 9:10). (TFG 473)

Lu 10:18 I beheld Satan fallen as lightning from heaven. This may be translated "I was beholding Satan fallen as lightning falls from heaven." The sense indicates that the words refer to the victories over the unclean spirits just reported by the seventy. In their successes Jesus saw Satan falling from the lofty heights with the swiftness of lightning. The overthrow of Satan was then in progress (Joh 16:11 12:31). (TFG 473)

Lu 10:19 I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions. While the messengers of Christ were, no doubt, literally protected from the poisons of reptiles, etc. (Ac 28:3-6), serpents and scorpions are here to be taken an emblematic of the powers of evil. (TFG 474)

Lu 10:20 Nevertheless in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. Your joy in visible and temporal success, and in the subjection to you of the powers of evil, is not to be compared to the joy that you have the prospect of heaven. (TFG 474)

Lu 10:21 That thou didst hide these things from the wise and understanding, and didst reveal them unto babes. See TFG "Mt 11:25".

Lu 10:22 All things have been delivered unto me of my Father, etc. See TFG "Mt 11:27".

Lu 10:23 And turning to the disciples, he said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see. See TFG "Mt 13:16".

Lu 10:24 Many prophets and kings desired to see the things which ye see, etc. See TFG "Mt 13:17".

Lu 10:25 LXXXIV. PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN. (Probably Judaea.) Lu 10:25-37 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and made trial of him, saying, Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? For the term "lawyer" see TFG "Mr 1:22" and see TFG "Lu 11:45". The lawyer wished to make trial of the skill of Jesus in solving the intricate and difficult question as to how to obtain salvation. Jesus was probably teaching in some house or courtyard, and his habit of giving local color to his parables suggests that he was probably in or near Bethany, through which the road from Jerusalem to Jericho passes. The lawyer stood up to attract attention to himself, and thus give emphasis to his question and its answer. (TFG 475)

Lu 10:26 What is written in the law? how readest thou? Looking upon Jesus as a sabbath-breaker and a despiser of tradition, the lawyer no doubt expected that Jesus would lay down some new rule for obtaining salvation. If so, he was surprised to be thus referred to the law of Moses for his answer. (TFG 475)

Lu 10:27 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. De 6:4,5 Le 19:18. Having made himself conspicuous by standing up, the lawyer had to give the best answer he knew or sully his own reputation for knowledge. He therefore gives the two great laws which comprise all other laws. (TFG 475)

Lu 10:28 Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. The lawyer had asked his question simply as a test. With him the law was simply matter for speculation and theory, and the word "do" was very startling. It showed the difference between his and the Master's views of the law. He had hoped by a question to expose Jesus as one who set aside the law, but Jesus had exposed the lawyer as one who merely theorized about the law, and himself as one who advocated the doing of the law. (TFG 476)

Lu 10:29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor? He could justify his conduct if permitted to define the word "neighbor." He asked his question, therefore, in the expectation of securing such a definition of the word as would enable him to maintain his public standing and quiet his conscience. (TFG 476)

Lu 10:30 A certain man. Evidently a Jew, for otherwise the nationality would have been specified. Was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho; and he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. The road from Jerusalem to Jericho is eighteen miles long, and descends about thirty-five hundred feet. About two miles from Jerusalem it passes through the village of Bethany, and for the rest of the eighteen miles it passes through desolate mountain ravines without any habitation save the inn, the ruins of which are still seen about half way to Jericho. This district from that time till the present has been noted for robberies, and Jerome tells that the road was called the "bloody way." (TFG 476)

Lu 10:31 And by chance a certain priest was going down that way. A very natural thing for a priest to do, for there was a very large priestly settlement at Jericho. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. He did this although the law commanded mercy and help to a neighbor (Ex 23:4 De 22:1-4). (TFG 476)

Lu 10:32 And in like manner a Levite also. A temple minister. The tribe of Levi had been set apart by God for his service. When he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side. In the priest and Levite the lawyer saw the picture of his own life, for he saw in them those who knew the law, but did not practice it. There may have been many excuses for this neglect of the wounded man: danger, hate, dread of defilement, expense, but Jesus does not consider any of them worth mentioning. (TFG 476)

Lu 10:33 A certain Samaritan. The hereditary enemy of the Jew (Joh 4:9). (TFG 476)

Lu 10:34 And bound up his wounds, pouring on them oil and wine. The ordinary remedies for wounds (Isa 1:6). (TFG 477)

Lu 10:35 He took out two shillings. The shilling or denarius was worth about seventeen cents, but it represented the price of a day's labor. And gave them to the host. The inn-keeper. Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, I, when I come back again, will repay thee. The compassion of the Samaritan bore full fruitage. However heterodox he was, he was after all a worshiper of Jehovah and more orthodox at heart than either the priest or the Levite. Though it was not customary for an inn- keeper to furnish food either for man or beast, he could do so if he chose out of his own stores. The scant cash left by the Samaritan indicates a poverty which made his charity the more praiseworthy. His eye and heart and hand and foot and purse were all subservient to the law of God. (TFG 477)

Lu 10:36 Which of these three, thinkest thou, proved neighbor unto him that fell among the robbers? Instead of answering didactically, "Everybody is your neighbor," Jesus had incarnated the law of neighborliness in the good Samaritan, and had made it so beautiful that the lawyer could not but commend it even when found in a representative of this apostate race. He showed, too, that the law was not for causistry but for practice. (TFG 477)

Lu 10:37 He that showed mercy on him. The lawyer avoided the name Samaritan so distasteful to his lips. Jesus gave countenance to no such racial prejudice, even though the Samaritans had rejected him but a few weeks before this (Lu 9:53). Go, and do thou likewise. All the laws and teachings of God are to be generously interpreted (Mt 5:43,44) and are to be embodied in the life (Mt 7:24-27). (TFG 477)

Lu 10:38 LXXXV. JESUS THE GUEST OF MARTHA AND MARY. (Bethany, near Jerusalem.) Lu 10:38-42 Now as they went on their way. He was journeying through Judaea, attended by the twelve. He entered into a certain village. It was the village of Bethany (Joh 11:1), which was on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, less than two miles from Jerusalem. (TFG 478)

Lu 10:39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at the Lord's feet, and heard his word. Sitting at the feet was the ancient posture of pupils (Ac 22:3). Martha honored Christ as a Guest, but Mary honored him as a Teacher. (TFG 478)

Lu 10:40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving. She was evidently preparing an elaborate repast, and was experiencing the worry and distraction which usually accompanies such effort. Lord, dost thou not care that my sister did leave me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. Martha so forms her appeal to Christ as to make it a covert insinuation that Mary would not listen to her requests. (TFG 478)

Lu 10:41 Martha, Martha, thou art anxious and troubled about many things. By thus repeating the name, Jesus tempered the rebuke. See also Lu 22:31 Ac 9:4. (TFG 478)

Lu 10:42 But one thing is needful. That is, one duty or privilege is pre-eminent. Bread for the body may be important, but food for the soul is, after all, the one thing needful. For Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. The expression "good part" is an allusion to the portion of honor sent to the principal guest at a banquet. Its use shows that Jesus had food in mind when he used the expression "one thing is needful," and that he was contrasting spiritual nourishment with physical. The description of the two sisters here tallies with that given at Joh 12:2,3, for there Martha serves and Mary expresses personal devotion. Our Lord's rebuke is not aimed at hospitality, nor at a life full of energy and business. It is intended to reprove that fussy fretfulness which attempts many unneeded things, and ends in worry and fault-finding. It does not set a life of religious contemplation above a life of true religious activity, for contemplation is here contrasted with activity put forth with a faulty spirit. The trend of the New Testament teaching shows that a man must be a doer as well as a hearer of the Word (Lu 8:21 Jas 1:22,23). (TFG 478-479)