Luke 10:1–24
10 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two1 others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. 2 And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that 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.
13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades.
16 “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
17 The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” 18 And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
21 In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.2 22 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
23 Then turning to the disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”
1 Some manuscripts seventy; also verse 17 2 Or for so it pleased you well
Section Overview
The mission of the seventy-two is quite similar to the mission of the Twelve described earlier (9:1–6). They are commissioned to bring the message of the kingdom to every town and village in Israel. The instructions are rather similar to what was said to the Twelve, but the instructions are expanded here (10:1–12). Verses 13–16 anticipate the response, as judgment is called down upon the cities in Galilee that reject the message, upon those who turn away from those sent by Jesus. The seventy-two return with great joy over the effectiveness of their ministry, particularly because of their authority over demons (v. 17). Still, they are to find even greater joy over having their names inscribed in heaven (v. 20). The inclusion of the seventy-two in the heavenly books leads Jesus to give thanks and praise that the Father has revealed himself to children instead of to the wise (v. 21). The revelation to children is not the Father’s decision alone, because the Father and the Son have an exclusive and mutual relationship (v. 22). Finally, the seventy-two should count themselves as blessed and privileged children since they are seeing what prophets and kings wished they could have seen (vv. 23–24).
Section Outline
IV. Galilee to Jerusalem: Discipleship (9:51–19:27)
A. The Journey Begins (9:51–13:21)
1. The Call of Disciples (9:51–10:24) . . .
c. Sending of Seventy-Two (10:1–24)
Response
Jesus reminds us to pray for laborers for the harvest, for more to go out and proclaim the good news of forgiveness of sins for those who repent and believe. The need for more workers is ever-present, and we should make the prayer for more workers a regular part of our prayer lives. We also see that life on the mission field is not easy: we will face false teachers, and many will reject our message. Still, we have authority in Jesus’ name: we proclaim his message, his will, and his ways. We also see the sovereignty of God and Jesus; those who grasp the message do so because of the Father’s good pleasure and the Son’s will. If we believe in the good news, we cannot take any credit for our faith. Instead we are to give thanks to God for the amazing blessing that has been granted to us.
We cannot answer every question about God’s sovereignty, but we should give thanks and praise for God’s wondrous grace to us. Jesus reminds us to rejoice primarily that our names are inscribed in the heavenly books. As believers, we can become entranced with power, with authority, and even with authority over demonic powers. We must never forget that the greatest gift is the new life we enjoy in Christ.
Finally, we see that Jesus shares the same identity and nature as God. He is sovereign as God is sovereign, and just as the Father knows him so also he knows the Father. This mutual knowledge between the Father and Son is exclusive! Jesus is fully God and fully man. Worship him along with the Father and the Spirit, our great triune God!
Some manuscripts seventy; also verse 17
Or for so it pleased you well
10:1–2 As Jesus sent the Twelve to proclaim the kingdom (9:1–6), now he sends the seventy-two. The textual evidence is divided over whether seventy or seventy-two are sent out, and deciding between the two is remarkably difficult. Fortunately, the difference is insignificant exegetically, for in either case the number is symbolic. Genesis 10:2–31 lists a table of nations; the MT contains seventy nations and the LXX seventy-two. We also see seventy elders representing Israel on Mount Sinai (Ex. 24:1) and seventy men receiving the Spirit alongside Moses, helping him to shoulder the burden of leading the people (Num. 11:16). Seventy-two (six times twelve) would represent leaders in Israel going to all Israel. Jesus sends them out in twos, perhaps so that there are two witnesses in every place the message is proclaimed (Num. 35:30; Deut. 17:6; 19:15).
Jesus sends the seventy-two out into his harvest, but he looks beyond the current circumstances, calling upon them to pray that the Lord would send more workers into the harvest, more people proclaiming the kingdom. “There is no parallel in Jewish history for one to send out others on a mission to proclaim news about the reign of God, and the authority for this action is located in Jesus’ own person.” The notion that people are like a crop needing to be harvested appears elsewhere in Jesus’ teaching (John 4:35; cf. Isa. 27:12), and we see also it in Revelation (Rev. 14:14–16, though some think this passage points to judgment instead of salvation). The reason for the admonition—the reason that believers should entreat the Lord—is that there are many people who need to be harvested as believers but few doing the work of reaping. It is urgent, therefore, to pray for more to be sent out.
10:3–4 The seventy-two are warned before they go so that they are prepared for opposition. One might think that people would eagerly receive the message of the kingdom, the good news of salvation and deliverance. Some will receive the message, but the disciples are like lambs among wolves. We are reminded of the beatitude that pronounces a blessing on those who are persecuted and hated (Luke 6:22). Elsewhere Jesus predicts that some of his disciples will be put to death (11:49; 12:4). Wolves in Acts represent false teachers who will depart from the truth and inflict great damage on the flock (Acts 20:29–30; cf. Ezek. 22:27; Zeph. 3:3). In Matthew Jesus states that “false prophets” are like “ravenous wolves” (Matt. 7:15).
Upon setting out, the pairs are not to stock up provisions, and in this regard the instructions are similar to those in Luke 9:3 (cf. 22:35). They are not to bring a bag for money, nor a knapsack for further provisions, nor an extra pair of sandals. This last instruction could be read as forbidding any sandals at all, but it is unlikely that Jesus demands his disciples to travel barefooted. Given the context, he probably has in mind taking more than one pair of sandals. They are not to greet anyone—not because they are unfriendly but because the work is urgent (cf. 2 Kings 4:29).
10:5–6 As the disciples travel, they should not be selective about what house they enter. And whenever they enter a house, they should ask for peace to be upon it. Peace is a typical greeting in the Middle East (cf. 1 Sam. 25:5–6). The peace here, however, is not merely a human greeting; the messengers represent Jesus and bring God’s peace, his shalom, to those with whom they stay. A “son of peace” is a person of peace, one characterized by peace. The peace brought by the disciples will rest upon those who are men and women of peace, those rightly related to God. But Jesus’ peace does not rest on those who are not people of peace since they reject the message of peace they hear. In saying that the peace will return, Jesus does not mean that the peace ever left them, as if peace is something transferred from one person to another. The point is that the seventy-two should not let the rejection of others distress them unduly.
10:7–8 The instructions here are again quite similar to those in Luke 9:4. The seventy-two are to stay in the same house, being satisfied with the food and drink provided. We see here why they are not to bring provisions for the journey: as preachers of the gospel they are worthy of wages, of the provisions supplied for them as they stay in a particular house (cf. 1 Cor. 9:4, 14). If they move from house to house, it could appear or even be a fact that they are moving to stay in a house that will provide more lavishly for them. The same rule articulated for houses applies to cities. The disciples, when they go to another city, should be content with their wages and eat without complaint whatever is given to them.
10:9 The ministry prescribed for the seventy-two matches what the Twelve were called to do (Luke 9:2, 6): heal the sick and proclaim the coming of the kingdom. There are indications that the reference to healing is shorthand for the entire ministry conducted by the seventy-two. For instance, when they return they are struck by their authority over demons (10:17), showing that their ministry was not limited to healing. Healing and exorcisms are manifestations of the kingdom, instantiations of the new creation, and thus healing and the kingdom are not two different realities. To say that the kingdom “has come near” means that it has arrived. We see this in other instances in which the same verb is used. For instance, Matthew 26:46 (cf. Mark 14:42) refers to Judas’s drawing near to betray Jesus, and Judas is immediately present. The kingdom does not come in its fullness in the preaching, healing, and exorcisms of the seventy-two, but it is present in their ministry.
10:10–12 Some towns and cities, Jesus predicts, will reject their message. The message of the kingdom, despite the benefits it brings, is controversial. If a city turns away from the proclamation, the seventy-two should go out into the streets as they exit the city, warning that the kingdom has come near to the city, and should wipe the dust off their feet against its inhabitants (Luke 9:5; Acts 13:51). The gravity of this rejection is evident, as it will be better for Sodom (Gen. 19:4–9) on the day of judgment than it will be for the towns in Israel that repudiate the preaching of the seventy-two. We see from this that, apparently, there are varying degrees of judgment in hell. The cities in Israel will face a severer judgment since they do not accept the message of the kingdom, which is accompanied by healing and exorcisms.
10:13–14 The general condemnation of towns that reject the message of the kingdom turns to judgment on specific cities: Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, which are all on the Sea of Galilee. Woes are pronounced against Chorazin and Bethsaida. Such woe oracles are common in the OT prophets, threatening Israel with judgment (e.g., Isa. 3:9, 11; 5:8, 11; Jer. 6:4; 22:13; 23:1; Ezek. 13:3; 16:23). Woes should not be understood as inevitable curses; they forecast what will happen if one does not repent and turn to God, though in this case Jesus predicts that these cities will not repent and return. Even though they see many mighty works, their hearts are not softened but are hardened to the things of God. The cities are contrasted with Tyre and Sidon, two infamous cities condemned by the OT prophets for their materialism, arrogance, and wickedness (Isa. 23:1–18; Jer. 25:22; 47:4; Ezek. 26:1–28:23; Joel 3:4; Amos 1:9–10; Zech. 9:2–4). Still, we learn that Tyre and Sidon would have repented if they had seen the miracles performed in Chorazin and Bethsaida. This verse shows, incidentally, that the Lord knows what would happen if circumstances were different; he knows what Tyre and Sidon would have done if they had seen the miracles done in Jesus’ day. Still, Jesus does not argue from this fact that these cities are free from guilt. But their judgment will be less severe than the judgment inflicted on such cities as Chorazin and Bethsaida, since the latter have greater revelation.
10:15–16 Capernaum, as seen in the rest of the Gospel, is a place of specially intense ministry for Jesus (cf. Luke 4:23, 31; 7:1; Matt. 4:13; 17:24; Mark 1:21; 2:1; 9:33; John 2:12; 4:46; 6:17, 24, 59). Apparently the residents of the city believe they are especially blessed and spiritually mature. Jesus alludes to the taunt of the king of Babylon in Isaiah 14:13–15. This king thought he would ascend to heaven, above the stars, and would be like the Most High. But in fact he would be brought down to Sheol. So too, those in Capernaum think they will be “exalted to heaven,” but like Babylon they will “be brought down to Hades,” to the realm of the dead. The reason for the judgment on all of these cites is explained in Luke 10:16. To listen to the seventy-two, to the messengers Jesus has sent out, is to listen to Jesus himself. But in repudiating the messengers’ words and in refusing to heed them, the hearers are turning against Jesus himself. And in rejecting Jesus they reject the Father who sent him. Their judgment comes because of their refusal to repent, believe, and follow Jesus.
10:17–18 After the mission of the seventy-two is completed, they return joyfully because they have been able to expel demons in the name of Jesus (cf. 9:1, 10). This expulsion of demons in Jesus’ name indicates the inauguration of the kingdom (11:20). Jesus responds by indicating the relationship between authority over demons and the defeat of Satan, showing that the demons are allied with Satan (Matt. 25:41; Rev. 12:7, 9). Jesus “projects the limited defeat of demons onto the broader screen of the cosmic conflict between God and the forces of evil. What is happening is not simply the expulsion of random demons that they might come across in their travels but the beginning of the complete overthrow of Satan’s rule.”
It seems that Jesus has a vision of some sort in which he sees Satan falling from heaven (cf. Isa. 14:12). Interpreters have understood the verse in various ways. It could be traced to Satan’s original fall, but seeing a primeval fall does not fit with the context, since this fall is associated with the ministry of the seventy-two. Another possibility is a reference to the cross of Christ, where Satan is expelled from heaven (John 12:31; Rev. 12:7–12); this is certainly a possibility. Still, in the context it seems best to see Satan as falling from heaven in the ministry of the seventy-two, and it is clear from Luke 10:17 that the triumph over demons is in Jesus’ name. The fundamental defeat of Satan takes place, of course, at the cross, but this is an anticipation of what will be accomplished at the cross. Just as the kingdom is inaugurated in Jesus’ ministry but comes decisively at Jesus’ cross and resurrection, so too Satan’s defeat is inaugurated prior to its decisive arrival.
10:19–20 Jesus does not reject the joy of the disciples but reminds them that the authority they exercise over demons is a gift granted to them. We see here an anticipation of Jesus’ victory over Satan and demons at the cross. The treading on “serpents and scorpions” reflects the victory over the Serpent promised in Genesis 3:15, which promises that the offspring of the woman will crush the Serpent and its offspring. Jesus is speaking to the seventy-two here, but the promise extends to all believers. This does not mean that all believers have the same power as the seventy-two to expel demons, since this is a special authority given during Jesus’ ministry. But there is no reason to fear Satan and demons, for Jesus has conquered them (cf. Ps. 91:13) and Satan’s final doom is sure (Rom. 16:20). Since Christ is ruler over all (Eph. 1:21), demons cannot injure believers, since they belong to Christ. Still, more important than authority and power over evil spirits is that the names of Jesus’ people are inscribed in heaven. This is a picture of the heavenly books in which the names of the of those who belong to God are written (Ex. 32:32–33; Isa. 4:3; Dan. 12:1; Phil. 4:3; Heb. 12:23; Rev. 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15).
10:21 The return of the seventy-two and the good news of their ministry spurs Jesus to a prayer of thanksgiving and to joy inspired by the Holy Spirit (cf. 4:1). Jesus rejoices in the goodness and rightness and beauty of God’s plan. God is addressed as “Father” and “Lord of heaven and earth.” The title “Father” signifies God’s love and authority, for “Father” in the ancient world indicated not only love but also rule and authority. Lordship over heaven and earth points to God’s sovereignty over all of created reality (cf. Acts 17:24). Jesus gives thanks upon the return of the seventy-two in a context in which some have received the message but many have rejected it. He rejoices that God as Father and Lord has in his wisdom hid the message of the kingdom, the message that proclaims the fulfillment of God’s covenant promises, from those who are “wise and understanding.”
God’s hiding the truth from the wise does not absolve them of responsibility (cf. Luke 19:42; Isa. 29:14; 44:25); Jesus’ woes are not removed or canceled (Luke 10:13–16). God’s sovereign authority to conceal does not mean that human beings are puppets, as if our choices were inauthentic. God is sovereign, and human beings are responsible—this is a compatibilistic reality. God in his gracious wisdom has also revealed the truth of the message to “children” (cf. 1 Cor. 2:7) First Corinthians 1:26–28 is an apt parallel. God has not typically chosen the wise, the strong, or the elite but the foolish, the weak, the nobodies of this world. Why has God concealed himself to some but revealed himself from others? He is the Lord of the heaven and earth, the all-wise and infinite Creator, and we are told that it is his desire and will to do so (cf. Luke 2:14). God in his wisdom has done what brings him pleasure and delight, and everything that God does is right.
10:22 This is one of the most astonishing verses in Luke (cf. Matt. 11:27). Many scholars have pointed out that the verse sounds like something we might we read in John’s Gospel, and it is one piece of evidence that the Jesus of Luke and the Jesus of John are the same man. Thus far (Luke 10:21) Jesus has emphasized God’s fatherhood, sovereignty, and lordship. Suddenly, in verse 22 he claims that everything has been handed over to him by the Father—everything! This is probably an allusion to Daniel 7:14, in which the Ancient of Days gives dominion, authority, and a kingdom to the Son of Man (cf. Matt. 28:18; John 3:35). The lordship of the Father is shared by Jesus; Jesus is also sovereign over all of reality. We see here the mutual and exclusive relationship between the Father and the Son. The only person who truly knows the identity of the Son is the Father, and as the infinitely wise and all-knowing God he knows the Son comprehensively and exhaustively.
Remarkably, Jesus does not stop with this insight. It is also the case that the only person who truly knows the Father is the Son. The Son and the Father know each other mutually and exclusively and exhaustively (cf. John 10:15). No one knows the Father like this except the Son. The mutuality of this relationship clarifies that the Son has the same infinite and all-knowing wisdom as the Father. He is not subordinate to the Father, like some sort of lesser deity. The Father knows him and he knows the Father. We have seen that God has revealed himself to children and hidden himself from the wise and the arrogant. But there is more to say. Knowledge of the Father, the reception of salvation, not only is the decision of the Father but also reflects the will of the Son. Those who come to know the Father are limited to those “to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” The Son, in other words, shares complete sovereignty with the Father. Both the Father and the Son are sovereign, and they both choose who will be saved. This is clearly one of the most impressive texts regarding the deity of Jesus Christ in all of the NT.
10:23–24 After emphasizing the sovereignty of both the Father and the Son, as well as their mutual and exclusive knowledge of one another, Jesus addresses his disciples. They belong to the category of “children” (Luke 10:21), those who have, by the Father’s good pleasure, come to know him, who because of the Son’s will know the Father. Thus they are amazingly blessed, fortunate, and happy. By grace they are seeing and understanding the truth (cf. 8:10). Indeed, the great events they are experiencing—the fulfillment of the covenant promises—is something that prophets and kings longed to see (1 Pet. 1:10; cf. John 8:56). But such a privilege was not granted to them. God in his wisdom, sovereignty, and love has bestowed these gifts on Jesus’ disciples and by extension to all the elect who live on the other side of the cross. And we know from Luke 10:22 that the reason the disciples are seeing these things cannot be assigned to the Father alone; their privilege also comes from the will of the Son (cf. Eph. 3:5; Col. 1:26).