Luke 10

CHAPTER 10THEME: Jesus sends forth the seventy; Jesus pronounces judgment on Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum; Jesus gives parable of the good Samaritan; Jesus enters the home of Mary and Martha

Luke 10:1

JESUS SENDS FORTH THE SEVENTYThe Lord sent out seventy disciples who were to prepare the way for the ministry of Jesus. Only Luke tells us of this. The work was for a limited time, and their office was temporary because Jesus was journeying toward Jerusalem. We hear a great deal today about “praying the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into the harvest"that the Lord looks out upon the world which is ripe unto harvest, and our business today is to gather in the harvest. This may sound strange to you, but I do not consider it my business to harvest. My business is sowing. If you have ever been a farmer, you know there is a vast difference between sowing seed and harvesting the crop after the seed has matured. Someone counters, “But the Lord said that the harvest is great and the laborers few.” We must remember where Jesus was when He made that statement. He was on the other side of the cross at the time, and an age was coming to an end.

At the end of every age is judgment. The judgment that ends an age is a harvest, and the age itself is for the sowing of seed. I believe that we are sowing seed today, and that at the end of this age there will be a harvest. In the parable of the tares and wheat the Lord said, “Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn” (Mat_13:30). My business is to sow the seed which is the Word of God. That is the business of every Christian.

Luke 10:3

Jesus warns them that they can expect hardship and dangerthey will be “lambs among wolves.” They are to travel light and waste no time in idle conversations. They are to be men impelled by one supreme motiveto prepare hearts for the coming of Christ personally.

Luke 10:10

JESUS PRONOUNCES JUDGMENT ON CHORAZIN, BETHSAIDA, AND CAPERNAUMOur Lord solemnly speaks of the seriousness of rejecting His messengersto reject them was to reject Him.

Luke 10:17

In order to complete the story of the seventy, Luke describes their return. They came back thrilled and excited. This is the same experience we have when we give out the Word of God, and someone comes to Christ. How glorious we feel! What a lesson for us to remember the words of Jesus, “rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.” When there is success in our ministry, it is His work, not ours.

Luke 10:25

JESUS GIVES PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITANNow we come to one of the things that characterizes the Gospel of Lukeparables. Dr. Luke majors in parables just as Mark majors in miracles. Dr. Luke records certain parables that are among some of the most familiar parts of the Bible. The parable of the Good Samaritan is probably the best-known story. Some literary critics consider it the greatest story ever told. The parable of the Good Samaritan came about as an answer to a question about eternal life. It was not an honest question, but it was a good question and a stock question. A “certain lawyer” asked the questionbut he was not a lawyer in the sense we think of it. I heard a little story about lawyers in our judicial system. Two lawyers were in court. It was a difficult case, and there was a great deal of controversy. The court opened and lawyer number one jumped up and called the other lawyer a liar. The second lawyer jumped up to retaliate and called the first lawyer a thief. The judge rapped for silence, and said, “Now that the lawyers have identified themselves, we will begin the case.” However, the lawyer in this parable was not part of a judicial system; but rather, he was an interpreter of the Mosaic Law, and in that sense he was a lawyer. Now our Lord had a very wonderful way of dealing with questions. He answered a question by asking a question. It is known, by the way, as the Socratic method because Socrates used it: answer a question with a question. It lets a man answer his own question. So the lawyer tries to put Jesus on the witness stand, and He turns around and put him on the witness stand.

Luke 10:26

Jesus knew that he was an expert in the Mosaic Law.

Luke 10:27

I wonder if you notice the barb that is in this.

Luke 10:29

Notice that our Lord said, “You have answered right.” Remember that this took place before Christ died on the cross. Does it mean a man can be saved by keeping the Law? Yes, but let’s follow through on this. It is not the hearer’s of the Law, but the doers of the Law that are justified. If you say you can keep it, I’ll have to remind you that God contradicts you. He says it is impossible to be justified by the Law because no one can keep the Law”…by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified" (Gal_2:16). “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Rom_8:3-4). Now if the lawyer had been honest, which he was not, he would have said, “Master, I’ve sincerely tried to love God with all my heart, soul, strength, and mind, and my neighbor as myself. But I can’t do it. I’ve miserably failed. So how can I inherit eternal life?” But instead of being honest, he adopted this evasive method and said, “And who is my neighbour?” Now Christ gave him an answer to this question, and it is the parable of the Good Samaritan. It is a simple story but a marvelous one.

Luke 10:30

It is possible that this lawyer was a Levite and that he squirmed at this point because it touched him in a personal way.

Luke 10:33

Dean Brown of Yale University has said that three classes of men that represent three philosophies of life are brought before us in this parable.

1. The Thief: His philosophy of life says, “What you have is mine.” This is socialism or communism.
2. The Priest and Levite: His philosophy of life says, “What I have is mine.” This is rugged individualism that has gone to seed. His cry is, “Let the world be damned, I will get mine.” This is godless capitalism.
3. The Good Samaritan: His philosophy says, “What I have belongs to you.” This is a Christian philosophy of life. “What I have is yours if I can help you.” Folk who talk about “Christian socialism” don’t recognize that they are two distinct philosophies. Now our Lord intended that we bring this parable right down to where we live. We are told that a certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among thieves. That is a picture of humanity. That is the race that has come from Adam. Mankind came from Jerusalem, the place where they approached God, to Jericho, the accursed city. Humanity, you see, fell.

Humanity found itself helpless, hopeless, and unable to save itself. Mankind was dead in trespasses and sinthis man who had fallen among thieves was half dead. The thieves are a picture of the Devil who, Joh_8:44 tells us, was a murderer from the beginning. Concerning this subject our Lord said, “All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers …” (Joh_10:8). When the multitude came to arrest Christ, He said to them, “…Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me” (Mat_26:55).

The Devil is a thief, and our Lord was crucified between two thievesthis is quite interesting, is it not? Then we are told that a certain priest passed by on the other side. He represents ritualism and ceremonialism which cannot save a person. Someone has said that the reason the priest passed by on the other side was because he saw that the man had already been robbed! Next a Levite came by, and he too passed by on the other side. He represents legalism. Neither ritualism, ceremonialism, nor legalism can save. Then a “certain” Samaritan passed by. Whom did the “certain Samaritan” represent? He is the One who told the parable. When ritualism, ceremonialism, legalism, and religion could not do anything to help man, Christ came. He is able to bind up the broken-hearted. He is able to take the lost sinner, half-dead, lost in trespasses and sins, and help him. This parable has a practical application for you and me today. Any person you can help is your neighbor. It does not mean that only the person living next to you is your neighbor. People need Christ, the Good Samaritan. There is a great deal of talk about getting the gospel out to the world, but not much of an effort is made to see that people know about Christ. It is like the young fellow who was courting a girl. He wrote her a letter and said to her, “I would climb the highest mountain for you, swim the deepest river for you, cross the widest sea for you, and cross the burning desert for you!” Then he added a P.S.: “If it does not rain next Wednesday, I will come to see you.” That sounds like the average Christian’s commitment to Christ! The world today is like the man that fell among thieves and needs our help. The world needs Christ. Christ can not only rescue us from drowning, but He can teach us to swim. Ritualism and formalism see mankind drowning and say, “Swim, brother, swim.” But man cannot swim. Legalism and liberalism push across toward man and say, “Hang on, brother, hang on.” But man cannot hang on. There is a song which says, “I was sinking deep in sin far from the peaceful shore, very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more; but the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry, from the waters lifted me, now safe am I.” Christ lifted me, my friend, and He can lift you too. That is the message of the Good Samaritan.

Luke 10:38

JESUS ENTERS THE HOME OF MARY AND MARTHAWithout going into a lot of detail, suffice it to say that Mary had done her part; then she went to sit at the feet of Jesus. Martha, her sister, was a dear soul and if it had not been for her they would not have had that lovely dinner. She got busy, however, and became frustrated. Possibly she reached for a pan, thought is was not big enough, then reached for another, and a pan fell off the top shelf. It was too much for her, and she came walking out of the kitchen, and said something which she would not have said under normal conditions. Our Lord was very gentle with her, but said, “Mary has chosen the best part.” My frustrated, confused friend, are you at that corner of life where you do not know which way to turn? Then, for goodness sake, sit down. Sit at Jesus’ feet. Look in His Word and see what He has to say. It will help you with your housework. It will make you a better dishwasher. It will help you sweep the floors cleaner. You will dig a better ditch, mow a better lawn, and study your lesson better. Your work at the office will be easier, and you will be able to drive your car better. Just take time to sit at the feet of Jesus. Mary chose the best part.