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Luke 10

42 verses

TL;DR

Jesus sends 70 disciples on a mission, instructs them in humility and hospitality, reports their mixed reception, then teaches about mercy through the Good Samaritan and the importance of spiritual priorities in the story of Martha and Mary.

Summary

Jesus appoints seventy followers and sends them in pairs to every place He intends to go, instructing them to act like lambs among wolves, carry no purse or shoe, greet houses with peace, and stay in hospitality. He encourages prayer for more laborers and warns that the harvest is great but few are ready. The disciples report that in some homes they are welcomed and healed, but in others they are rejected, to which Jesus replies with a metaphor of dust and a judgment comparison to Sodom and other cities, warning of greater tolerance for the sinful. He then reveals that Satan has fallen from heaven, grants the disciples power over demonic forces, and advises them not to rejoice over the submission of spirits but over their names being written in heaven. The chapter continues with a private lesson to His disciples, praising their spiritual sight, followed by a lawyer’s question about inheriting eternal life, which Jesus answers with the law of love. He then asks which person is the neighbor in the parable of the Good Samaritan, leading to a call to mercy. Finally, He visits Martha’s house; Martha is busy serving, but Mary sits at His feet, and Jesus teaches that choosing to listen is more important than serving.

Outline
  1. Jesus sends the seventy with instructions and warnings about mission and hospitality.
  2. The disciples encounter mixed reception, and Jesus discusses judgment and power over demonic forces.
  3. Jesus teaches with parables and personal interactions, emphasizing mercy, love, and spiritual priorities.
Themes
Mercy and CompassionHospitality and HospitalityJudgment and Divine Authority
Keywords
sendinglambswolvespeacehospitalityhealkingdomSatanserpentsscorpionsGood SamaritanMarthaMarylovejudgmentdisciples
People
Jesusthe seventySatanSamaritanpriestLevitethiefMarthaMarydiscipleslawyer
Places
JerusalemJerichoSamariaSodomChorazinBethsaidaTyreSidonCapernauminn
Things
lambswolvespeacehealingkingdom of GodSatanserpentsscorpionsoil and winepenniesinn
Key Verses
  • Luke 10:1: Jesus appoints and sends the seventy disciples.
  • Luke 10:25-37: Parable of the Good Samaritan illustrating true neighborliness.
  • Luke 10:39-42: Contrast of Martha’s busyness and Mary’s listening, emphasizing spiritual priorities.
Questions
  • What does Jesus mean when he says the harvest is great but the laborers are few?
  • How do the instructions given to the seventy reflect Jesus’ view of ministry?
  • What can we learn from the contrast between Martha’s service and Mary’s listening?
  • In what ways does the parable of the Good Samaritan challenge our definition of neighbor?
  • How does Jesus’ statement about Satan’s fall relate to the authority given to the disciples?
Sentiment

mixed
The chapter contains warnings of judgment, but also positive teachings on mercy and spiritual priorities.