Lucas 10
Steven Cole · Citado em PreceptAustin
Lucas 10
Cole - When you think about the Lord’s words in verse 2, you have to ask yourself, “Do I pray for the harvest? Did I pray for the harvest this past week? Do I regularly pray for the Lord’s work around the world?....Do I ask Him to raise up and send out workers into His harvest?” Let’s be honest: We all pray for the things that matter the most to us. I pray often for my children, because they matter greatly to me. I pray for my wife, because she matters greatly to me. If I get sick, I pray for my health, because that matters to me. If we’re in financial difficulty or need a job, we pray earnestly for those needs, because those things matter to us. But the important question is, “Does the Lord’s harvest matter enough to me to motivate me to pray often for it?” So to be obedient, we pray, “Lord, send out workers into Your harvest.” We’re thinking, of course, of young people who will dedicate themselves to world missions and of young men who will feel called to the pastorate. It is true that there is always a need for more godly missionaries and pastors. It is also true that a person should not go into those areas of service without a distinct call from God, and that not everyone has such a calling. Only some should devote themselves full-time to the work of the ministry. But there is another sense in which every believer is to be a worker in God’s harvest field. Every believer is given a spiritual gift from God and is told to use it for His kingdom. Every believer is to be a witness of Jesus Christ to others in his or her sphere of influence. Every believer is to be a good steward of the material resources God has entrusted to him, so that we use our money and possessions to further His cause. So, you can’t pray for workers very long before the Lord taps you on the shoulder and asks, “What about you? I want you to work in My harvest.” (The Crucial Message) Rod Mattoon- Harvesting is hard work, even when there are many people helping you, but these men were sent into a vast field with very few workers to help them reap a great harvest. Instead of praying for an easier job, they were to pray for more laborers to join them, and we today, need to pray that same prayer. Please note that we are to be laborers, not spectators, who pray for more laborers! Too many Christians are praying for somebody else to do a job they are unwilling to do themselves. We all are to be trying to reach people for Christ. We will give an account for the opportunities we wasted or we used to reach others for God. The prophet Ezekiel shared an important principle about responsibility and accountability for our opportunities in the book that bears his name. Ezekiel 3:18-19... When I say to the wicked, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. 19 “Yet if you have warned the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered yourself. ILLUSTRATION - In Phuket, Thailand, Tilly Smith, a determined 10-year-old girl, saved her parents and dozens of fellow vacationers from a deadly tsunami because she had studied a school geography lesson, and then courageously spoke what she knew to be true. As Tilly's family enjoyed a day at Maikhao Beach, the sea began to bubble and rush away from the shore. While the adults were merely curious, Tilly was petrified with fear. "Mummy, we must get off the beach now!" she said. "I think there's going to be a tsunami." The adults didn't even understand her warning until Tilly referred to it as a tidal wave. Once they understood, they all believed the youngster and evacuated the area. Minutes later, the water surged right over the beach and demolished everything in its path. The resort was destroyed, but that section of beach was one of the few places along the shores of Phuket where no one was killed or even seriously hurt. Tilly was praised for raising the alarm. "I think it's phenomenal that Tilly's parents and the others on the beach are alive because she studied hard at school," said the hotel's manager. "She's a hero." Tilly gave the credit to her geography teacher for his lesson on how earthquakes cause tsunamis. She explained, "I was on the beach, and the water started to go funny. I recognized what was happening and had a feeling there was going to be a tsunami." As those who know that judgment is coming, but also know that God has provided a way to escape (cf 1 Th 1:9-10), are we ready, willing, and courageous enough to warn others, and give them a chance to escape the fires of Hell? Will you use your opportunities to tell others about Christ? (Or will you squander them? See Redeem the Time) Afraid To Fail?. —Luke 10:2 Things haven’t changed much in 2,000 years. Jesus observed in His day what a thoughtful Christian observes in ours. “The harvest truly is great” (Lk. 10:2). Stroll through a bookstore and you can see shelves of books on “new age” and “spirituality.” But what is called “new age” is merely the age-old desire to make some sense out of life. Citizens of our age try to satisfy their thirst for significance by drinking too much, eating too much, watching too much television. What they are longing for is Jesus Christ. The great theologian Augustine took the pulse of his time and ours when he wrote, “O Lord, You have made us for Yourself, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in You.” The harvest has never been greater. But Jesus noted, “The laborers are few.” Why? How come there aren’t enough workers to gather in the crop? There are certainly enough professing Christians to make a dent in the harvest, but we don’t seem to want to go. Is it a fear that we may fail? Are we afraid that people will reject us and our message? If faith in Christ is worth having, it's worth sharing. Luke 10:3 "Go; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. I send you out as lambs: Ps 22:12-16,21 Eze 2:3-6 Mt 10:16,22 John 15:20 John 16:2 Ac 9:2,16 in the midst of wolves: Zep 3:3 Mt 7:15 Joh 10:12 Ac 20:29 Multiple Resources on Luke 10 (includes the sermons below) Luke 10:1-4 Attitudes of Effective Evangelism - John MacArthur Luke 10:1-16 The Crucial Message - Steven Cole Related Passages: Mt 10:16-20+ “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so (TERM OF CONCLUSION) be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. “But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues; and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. “But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. “For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. Gilbrant on shrewd and innocent - The craftiness and shrewdness of the serpent were also well-known images in the ancient world (cf. Genesis 3:1; 2 Corinthians 11:3). Akeraios (INNOCENT) literally means "unmixed, pure"; figuratively it means "pure motive," "sincere," and "harmless." It occurs two other times in the New Testament (Romans 16:19 and Philippians 2:15). Jesus advised His disciples to be both wise and harmless. These two characteristics are to be evidenced at the same time. The disciple needs crafty intelligence to avoid being ensnared by the enemy, but he is not to be so in an evil manner. Thus "craftiness" is qualified with "harmlessness, purity, sincerity." (Complete Biblical Library) Matthew 7:15+ “Beware (present imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. John 15:20 “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. John 16:1-4 “These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling. “They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. “These things they will do because they have not known the Father or Me. But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them. These things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you. Acts 9:16+ for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.” Acts 20:29+ “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; IMMINENT DANGER INCLUDING PERSECUTION! Go (This a verb calling for motion) - present imperative - calls for this to be a disciple's lifestyle. The only way for us to fulfill this today is by continual (present tense) filling (Eph 5:18+) and dependence on the Holy Spirit (cp Acts 1:8+). THOUGHT - All of us are now part of that "greater seventy" for in some of His last words to His disciples Jesus Who had been given "all authority...in heaven and on earth" issued our marching orders to "Go therefore and make disciples (matheteuo) of all the nations (Jew and Gentile), baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always (the Spirit of Christ is in us), even to the end of the age (which will abruptly terminate at His Second Coming).” (Mt 28:18-20+) Behold (idou) I send (apostello) you out as lambs (aren) in the midst of wolves - Behold (idou) draws attention to what follows and is in the middle voice meaning "you yourself look, see, perceive!" Behold is aorist imperative a command emphasizing "Listen up now and pay attention to what I am going to say!" DO NOT BE NAIVE! DON'T BE SURPRISED at the fiery ordeal which comes upon you (1Pe 4:12), but expect it! The first thing Jesus does is warn them that the job is dangerous! It comes "pre-packaged" with persecution guaranteed! So be like a lamb but do not be naive. Jesus is the Sender. Three things are true of the person sent from God. (1) He belongs to the Lord of the harvest, Who has sent him out. (2) He is commissioned to be sent out. (3) He possesses all the authority and power of God's Spirit, Who has sent him out. Picture Jesus' metaphor of a lamb. That is what Jesus calls His followers to be like. Praise God that in the coming Millennial Reign of righteousness of the Righteous One, the Messiah, the image of the lamb and the wolf will be inverted ("right side up" because of righteousness reigning!) Read Isaiah 11:6; 65:25. But now the sent ones would (will still today) face fierce opposition to the message of the Kingdom of Christ shining into the kingdom of darkness. Some of the opposition might be violent which is the picture of a lamb not just facing one solitary wolf but wolfs plural! In the midst means the wolves like a hungry wolf-pack are surrounding the sent ones! This calls for continual trust in and dependence on the protection of the Sender, the Lord of the harvest! THOUGHT - If Jesus says go, yes there will be danger, but know for certain He is ever our covenant Defender, the Protector of those He sends out. "If Christ sends us, we may trust Him to take care of us as long as we are on His errands." (MacLaren)
Lucas 10
Cole - A pastor began his Sunday sermon by saying, “I’d like to make three points today. First, there are millions of people around the world who are going to go to hell. Second, most of us sitting here today don’t give a d_ _ _ about that.” After a lengthy pause, he continued, “My third point is that you are more concerned that I, your pastor, said the word ‘d_ _ _’ than you are about the millions going to hell” (Reader’s Digest [5/79]). It’s easy to get our priorities all mixed up, where we treat as major that which is minor and we treat as minor that which is crucial. ILLUSTRATION - One day Hudson Taylor was traveling on a Chinese junk from Shanghai to Ningpo. He had been witnessing to a man named Peter who rejected the gospel but was under deep conviction. In the course of events, Peter fell overboard, but no one made any effort to save him. Taylor sprang to the mast, let down the sail, and jumped overboard in hopes of finding his friend. But no one on board joined Taylor in his frantic search. Taylor saw a fishing boat nearby and yelled to them to help, but they wouldn’t do it without money. Finally, after bartering for every penny that Taylor had, the fishermen stopped their fishing and began to look for Peter. In less than a minute of dragging their net, they found him, but it was too late. They were too busy fishing to care about saving a drowning man. We can easily condemn the selfish indifference of those fishermen, but by indicting them, we may condemn ourselves. Are we too busy with our jobs and other activities to take the time to rescue those who are perishing without Christ? I realize that the analogy breaks down. We must be tactful and wait for the right opening before we talk to a person about spiritual things. But if a person’s response to the gospel is the deciding factor in where he or she will spend eternity, should we not do all that we can to get this crucial message to them? Do we have the proper sense of urgency about spiritual matters that we ought to have? Or, could it be that we really don’t give a ... (darn)? Our text records something not found in any of the other gospel accounts, that Jesus appointed 72 (or 70) others (besides the 12) and sent them ahead of Him to proclaim the gospel in the cities and villages where He was going to come. The question of whether it was 72 or 70 is one of the most difficult textual questions in the New Testament to resolve, since the evidence is quite evenly distributed. Commentators also debate whether there was any symbolic meaning behind the number. But since we cannot be certain about the number, it is tentative at best to speculate on any symbolic meaning. I think that the weight is slightly on the side of 72, but either way it’s not a major point to spend more time on. Jesus sends these workers out with instructions and warnings that are similar to those He gave to the 12 before their preaching mission (9:1-6). Some of these instructions were unique to these men and to this mission (Jesus later changed the orders; Luke 22:35-36) and thus do not apply directly to us. But many of the principles and the overall thrust of the passage do apply to us. The overall thrust is that ... The gospel is crucial because people will be judged eternally on the basis of their response to it. (The Crucial Message) Luke 10:2 And He was saying to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. He was saying to them, "The harvest is plentiful: Mt 9:37-38 Joh 4:35-38 1Co 3:6-9 but the laborers: Mt 20:1 Mk 13:34 1Co 15:10 2Co 6:1 Php 2:25,30 Col 1:29 4:12 1Th 2:9 5:12 1Ti 4:10,15,16 5:17,18 2Ti 2:3-6 4:5 Philemon 1:1 are few: 1Ki 18:22 22:6-8 Isa 56:9-12 Eze 34:2-6 Zec 11:5,17 Mt 9:36 Ac 16:9,10 Php 2:21 Rev 11:2,3 therefore beseech: 2Th 3:1 the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. : Lu 9:1 Nu 11:17,29 Ps 68:11 Jer 3:15 Mk 16:15,20 Ac 8:4 11:19 Ac 13:2,4 20:28 22:21 26:15-18 1Co 12:28 Eph 4:7-12 1Ti 1:12-14 Heb 3:6 Rev 2:1 Multiple Resources on Luke 10 (includes the sermons below) Luke 10:1-4 Attitudes of Effective Evangelism - John MacArthur Luke 10:5-11 Responses to the Kingdom: Peace or Punishment - John MacArthur Luke 10:1-16 The Crucial Message - Steven Cole Related passages Matthew 9:35-36+ - Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. 36 Seeing the people, He felt compassion (splanchnizomai) for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Matthew 9:37-38+ Then He *said to His disciples, “The harvest (therismos) is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 “Therefore beseech (aorist imperative) the Lord of the harvest (therismos) to send out workers into His harvest (therismos).” (THIS IMMEDIATELY PRECEDES THE SENDING OUT OF THE 12 - Mt 10:1+) John 4:35-36+ “Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest (therismos) ’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest (therismos) . Already he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. Galatians 6:9+ Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. Psalm 126:5-6 Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting. He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him. A PLENTIFUL HARVEST OF SOULS FIRST THINGS FIRST: PRAY FOR FIELD HANDS! He was saying to them, "The harvest (therismos) is plentiful (polus = a large number) and the workers (ergates) are few - He had given the same instruction to the 12 (Mt 9:37,38+) before He sent them out. There are not enough people (disciples) to go into the harvest and harvest the souls! The driving force for Jesus sending the 12 and then the 70 is His overwhelming compassion (splanchnizomai) for the lost, shepherdless souls (Mt 9:36+, cf Jesus' heart of compassion Mt 14:14, Mt 15:32, Mt 18:27, Mt 20:34 - all these passages use splanchnizomai) Brian Bell sums up Jesus' instructions to the 70 (and to us) - Pray before going; travel fast & light; heal the sick; & preach the gospel! Morrison - “Can you picture the distress of a farmer when he sees his fields golden with harvest, and there are no servants to gather that harvest in? It was such an agony that filled the heart of Jesus as He looked out on His harvest field.”
Lucas 10
Cole - These men went out with a sense of mission. Granted, it was a special mission, and not everyone is commissioned by God to do what they did. But, if we are all commanded to seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness (Matt. 6:33), it’s hard to escape the fact that we all should have a sense of mission from God. We may fulfill that mission in different ways, according to our various gifts and situations. But whatever we do for the Lord, we ought to have the seriousness of purpose that comes from realizing that we have a job to do and we will give an account to the Lord of the harvest for what we did about what He told us to do.While the Lord’s instructions to these men were unique for their mission, the overall impression you get is that they were to be focused on their task and not let anything get in the way of their mission. Jesus warns them right off that He is sending them out as sheep in the midst of wolves (Lk 10:3). There will be opposition and danger, and they will be helpless by themselves to stand against it; thus, they must depend on God for protection (Ed: And God's Spirit for power!). (The Crucial Message) Paul gave a similar warning to the elders at the church at Ephesus in his last face to face meeting Acts 20:28-31+ “Be on guard (present imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. “Therefore be on the alert (present imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey), remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears." Paul also warned the saints at Thessalonica 1 Thessalonians 3:3+ so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this. And in some of his last words of warning as he "passed off the baton" to his disciple Timothy, he gave him a promise from God (usually we like God's promises, but read on)... 2 Timothy 3:12+ Indeed, all (HOW MANY?) who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus (HOW CAN WE LIVE GODLY?) will be persecuted. (SO THE PROMISE IS PERSECUTION!)
Lucas 10
Cole - They were to travel light and trust God for the provisions they needed. They shouldn’t get distracted by the belongings that they were carrying with them, but should stay focused on their mission. They were to “greet no one on the way.” This did not mean that they were to be rude or unfriendly, but rather that they were not to get distracted with lengthy chitchat that did not contribute to their mission. (The Crucial Message) Rod Mattoon on greet no one - What does this mean? In Bible times, if two Arabs of equal rank met each other, they extended to each other the right hand, and having clasped, they elevated the hands as if to kiss them. Each one would draw back his own hand, kiss it, instead of his friend's hand, and then place it upon his forehead. The parties then continued their oriental etiquette and salutation by kissing each other's beard. They gave thanks to God that they were once more permitted to see their friend and they prayed to the Almighty in his behalf. They would inquire of the person's health and the health of their family. The greeting was also accompanied by a large amount of bowing and posturing of the body. Many times they repeated not less than ten times the ceremony of grasping hands, kissing, inquiries, and bowing. These salutations consumed a lot of time. Unfortunately, these greetings would become characterized by insincerity, flattery, and falsehood. Jesus instructed His men to not get bogged down with these salutations. They could give the customary greeting of "Peace," but were not to get bogged down in this oriental custom.
Lucas 10
Cole - The disciples are not to be distracted from their mission by moving from house to house in search of the best food and lodging (Lk 10:5-8). Rather, if someone is willing to house and feed them and the person is sympathetic to the mission, they should stay there and get on with the work. While the specific instructions do not apply to us, the main point does: We are not just to dabble in the things of God. We must stay focused on our mission. Jesus commands every believer to “seek first His kingdom and righteousness.” ILLUSTRATION A man was fishing without success when he noticed a woman nearby who was reeling in one after another. Frustrated, he finally asked the woman her secret. “Are you fishing for supper or for sport?” she asked. “I’m fishing for sport,” he answered. “Well, there’s your problem,” the woman stated. “I’m fishing for supper.” (Reader’s Digest [11/96].) We aren’t to ask the Lord to send out hobbyists into His harvest. We’re supposed to pray for workers. Workers are intent on the job, because they’re working for their supper. If we care about the things God cares about, we will entreat Him to send out workers into His harvest field. We can’t sincerely pray for workers if we aren’t one of them. So we should begin to pray, “Lord, what is my mission? What do You want me to do to further Your cause?” Once you figure that out, these verses give at least two warnings: • Don’t give up because of opposition or rejection. Rather, expect it. Sheep wandering in the midst of a wolf pack should not expect to have a jolly good time. Most of the opposition that Jesus and His workers encountered came from the religious establishment. When I went into pastoral ministry, for some reason I expected that most of my opposition would come from outside the church. The fact is, unless you try to shut down an abortion clinic or a pornographic bookstore, outsiders don’t really care what you’re doing. The main opposition you face comes from those in the church. Be prepared: If you get involved in serving the Lord, you will be criticized, mostly by those in the church. • Don’t get distracted by social contacts or material possessions. Rather, stay focused on your mission. Just as these workers could easily have been distracted by engaging in meaningless chitchat with those they met along the way, we can be distracted by social contacts that are extraneous to our mission. We need to stay focused on our purpose. Jesus was known as the friend of sinners because He went to their social gatherings. But He never went just to socialize. He always went with a purpose, to seek and to save the lost. If you go to social gatherings without a sense of purpose, you’ll get sucked into the world’s meaningless ways and you’ll cease to be a worker in the harvest. The harvest worker’s focus is always, “Where is this person at spiritually and how can I be a part of bringing him or her to the Lord?” Also, we need to be careful not to get distracted by material possessions. While God graciously supplies us with all things to enjoy, we are not to fix our hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God. We are to be rich in good works, storing up the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that we may take hold of that which is life indeed (1 Tim. 6:17-19). (The Crucial Message) Peace (1515)(eirene from verb eiro = to join or bind together that which has been separated) literally pictures the binding or joining together again of that which had been separated or divided and thus setting at one again, a meaning convey by the common expression of one “having it all together”. It follows that peace is the opposite of division or dissension. Peace as a state of concord and harmony is the opposite of war. Peace was used as a greeting or farewell corresponding to the Hebrew word shalom- "peace to you". Eirene can convey the sense of an inner rest, well being and harmony. The ultimate peace is the state of reconciliation with God, effected by placing one's faith in the gospel. In eschatology, peace is prophesied to be an essential characteristic of the Messianic kingdom (Acts 10:36). Peace is a condition of freedom from disturbance, whether outwardly, as of a nation from war or enemies or inwardly, as in the current context, within the soul. Peace implies health, well-being, and prosperity. A REAL LIFE ILLUSTRATION OF "PEACE" - Jim Walton was translating the NT for the Muinane people of La Sabana in the jungles of Colombia. But he was having trouble with the word peace. During this time, Fernando, the village chief, was promised a 20-minute plane ride to a location that would have taken him 3 days to travel by walking. The plane was delayed in arriving at La Sabana, so Fernando departed on foot. When the plane finally came, a runner took off to bring Fernando back. But by the time he had returned, the plane had left. Fernando was livid because of the mix-up. He went to Jim and launched into an angry tirade. Fortunately, Walton had taped the chief's diatribe. When he later translated it, he discovered that the chief kept repeating the phrase, "I don't have one heart." Jim asked other villagers what having "one heart" meant, and he found that it was like saying, "There is nothing between you and the other person." That, Walton realized, was just what he needed to translate the word peace. To have peace with God means that there is nothing--no sin, no guilt, no condemnation--that separates us. And that peace with God is possible only through Christ (Ro 5:1-note). Do you have "one heart" with God today? Eirene in Luke and Acts - Lk. 1:79; Lk. 2:14; Lk. 2:29; Lk. 7:50; Lk. 8:48; Lk. 10:5; Lk. 10:6; Lk. 11:21; Lk. 12:51; Lk. 14:32; Lk. 19:38; Lk. 19:42; Lk. 24:36;Acts 7:26; Acts 9:31; Acts 10:36; Acts 12:20; Acts 15:33; Acts 16:36; Acts 24:2; Luke 10:6 "If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. If a man of peace is there: 1Sa 25:17 Isa 9:6 Eph 2:2,3 5:6 2Th 3:16 1Pe 1:14 *Gr: Jas 3:18 your peace will rest on him: Ps 35:13 2Co 2:15,16 Multiple Resources on Luke 10 (includes the sermons below) Luke 10:5-11 Responses to the Kingdom: Peace or Punishment - John MacArthur Luke 10:1-16 The Crucial Message - Steven Cole LET THEIR PEACE DICTATE WHETHER YOU GO OR STAY If a man of peace (eirene) is there, your peace (eirene) will rest on (epanapaúō) him; but if not, it will return to you - Note the term of contrast "but" which presents a striking contrast between those receptive to the Gospel of peace and those who reject it, preferring to remain at enmity with God (Eph 2:16+)! Your peace refers not to what they possessed as men, but the message they possessed from God announcing peace with Him (Ro 5:1+). Man of peace - The Greek is more literally "son of peace," which is more accurate because the "Son of" something ("Sons of Thunder" - Mk 3:17+, Sons of Belial [Satan] - Jdg 19:22KJV, 1Sa 2:12KJV,2Sa 23:6KJV, 1Ki 21:10, Sons of this age - Lk 20:34, Sons of disobedience - Eph 2:2, Eph 5:6, sons of light and sons of day - 1Th 5:5) reflected the well-known Hebrew idiom meaning a person characterized by whatever they were the "son of" - thunder, belial, disobedience, light/day or in this case peace. Peace characterized this person who thus was "a peaceful man." This describes a man whose character reveals that peace which he receives from God. Such a man would have been responsive to Christ's messengers, open to the Gospel which alone brings about the miracle of peace with a Holy God through the Cross of Christ. Cleon Rogers on man of peace - In the Semitic sense of “one characterized by wholeness,” that is, “one who has been born of peace and is also destined for the peace of others” (Borrow The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament - interesting word study resource) Robertson on return to you - Common verb anakamptō, to bend back, return. The peace in that case will bend back with blessing upon the one who spoke it.
Lucas 10
Cole - Do you proclaim the kingdom of God by your life and lips? These harvest workers were to heal the sick and to say to them, “The kingdom of God has come near to you” (Lk 10:9). If their message was rejected, they were still to proclaim as they left town, “Be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near” (Lk 10:11). Thus by their lives (healing) and by their lips, they were to proclaim the message of God’s kingdom. Clearly, that kingdom had come upon these people whether they accepted it or rejected it. I argue that the healing ministry here was unique, in that these men were given power to heal everyone indiscriminately as a sign of the coming of the kingdom age in Jesus. No one in our day is given that kind of gift, since its purpose was unique. But, even so, we are to care for the total person and while we cannot promise God’s miraculous healing on every person, we can and should pray that God would be merciful in healing those who need it. But their greatest need is to come into submission to God as Lord and King. The kingdom of God is that realm in which He rules. By saying that the kingdom had come near, or come upon these people, Jesus was not saying that there was no further fulfillment in the future. The day is still coming when Jesus will return and reign over Israel and the nations in accordance with all that the Old Testament prophets predicted (Acts 1:6; 3:18-24). But the kingdom in its initial phase had arrived in the person of Jesus and the message was that people must submit their lives to the King. The message of the kingdom of God draws a definite line in the sand by announcing peace to those who submit to Jesus as King, but terrible judgment to those who refuse to submit. When the workers entered a home, they were first to announce peace to it. These were not just nice words, but were an actual announcement of God’s blessing if the people accepted and submitted to the message of God’s kingdom. If the people would not accept the message, the pronouncement of peace would return to the worker and it was to be replaced with a terrible warning of certain judgment to come (10:10-15). Darrell Bock comments, “The passage assumes God’s universal sovereign authority and the cruciality of the kingdom message for humankind” (Luke [Baker], 2:1002). Just three years ago, Moody magazine (Jan./Feb., 1996) reported that 49 percent of professing Christians agree that, “All good people, whether they consider Jesus Christ to be Savior or not, will live in heaven after they die.” If that shocking statistic is true, then almost half of professing Christians do not believe what Jesus plainly taught about the judgment to come and hell! (The Crucial Message) Heal (2323)(therapeuo from therapon = an attendant, servant) means primarily to care for, to wait upon, minister to. It has two main senses in the NT, one speaking of rendering service (Acts 17:25) and the more common use describing medical aspects such as to take care of the sick, to heal, to cure (Matt. 4:24; 12:10; Mark 1:34; Luke 6:7; 10:9), to recover health, to restore. Therapeúō means to heal miraculously in Matt. 4:23, 24; 10:1, 8; Acts 4:14. Providing care to improve a situation. TDNT on Therapeuo in the NT - a. In the NT therapeuo never means “to serve” in a secular sense, and only once in Acts 17:25 does it denote worship. Paul's point here is that the true God has no cultic dwelling and does not need a cultic ministry, so that the therapeuÃein that is suitable for idols is inappropriate to him. b. A much more common use is for “healing,” not merely in the sense of medical treatment, but in the sense of the real healing that the Messiah brings. Jesus has power to heal the sick (Lk. 7:21ff.). This is no less a part of his ministry than preaching (Mk. 4:23). No sickness can resist him. He heals many (Mk. 3:10) or all (Mt. 12:15), whether they be ill, lame, blind, maimed, or deaf and dumb, and whenever the need arises even though it be on the sabbath (Mt. 12:10 etc.). Driving out demons is one form of healing. This is done by the word in what is sometimes a violent struggle (cf. Lk. 4:40-41; Mk. 3:10-11). The word also cures ailments or defects, though Jesus will often touch the sick (Mk. 1:41), take their hand (1:31), lay on hands (5:23), or perform acts like those of doctors (7:33; cf. Jms. 5:14). The sick may simply touch him or his garment (Mk. 3:10; 5:28; cf. Peter's shadow in Acts 5:15 and Paul's clothing in Acts 19:12). The healing is total as Jesus, initiating the age of salvation, takes away the sicknesses of the people (Mt. 8:17; cf. Is. 53:4). The actual processes may have parallels in Greek and Jewish records, but the important point is the demonstration that with Jesus God's kingdom has already broken into our suffering world. The real miracle, then, is not the breaking of natural law but victory in the conflict for world mastery. Following up this victory, Jesus commands his disciples to heal the sick. The command itself, received in faith, grants them the power (Mt. 10:1 etc.). The risen Lord repeats the commission, and in Jesus' name the apostles heal the sick and demon-possessed (Acts 5:16; cf. Peter in Acts 3:1ff., Philip in Acts 8:7, Paul in Acts 28:8-9). Healing may be blocked, however, by a false attitude: skepticism in Nazareth (Lk. 4:23; Mk. 6:5), and the weak faith of the disciples in the case of the epileptic boy (Mt. 17:14ff.). (Borrow Kittel's Theological Dictionary of the New Testament : abridged in one volume) Gilbrant on Classical use of therapeuo - At first glance one might be led to believe that therapeuō always means “I heal,” but such is not the case. In fact, therapeuō ordinarily and originally meant “I serve” in secular Greek. Gradually the term suggested “to care” for someone, and finally it acquired the definition of “to heal” or “to render medical treatment” (cf. Beyer, “therapeuō,” Kittel, 3:128f.). The sense of “to serve” could include serving a deity (e.g., Josephus Wars of the Jews 7.10.2; Antiquities 4.4.3). Use in the Septuagint - Therapeuō translates six Hebrew expressions in the Septuagint in the seven texts which have a Hebrew original. The secular sense of “to care for” or “to serve” is evident (e.g., 2 Samuel 19:24 [LXX 2 Kings 19:24]; cf. Proverbs 19:6; 29:26 [these texts are figurative and almost mean “to do obeisance”]). The “exercise of religious service” is intended in other texts (Isaiah 54:17); a medical usage is attested in Tobit 2:10; 12:3). (Complete Biblical Library) Therapeuo - 43x in 42v - Usage: cure(1), cured(4), get healed(1), getting cured(1), heal(9), healed(21), healing(5), served(1). - Matt. 4:23; Matt. 4:24; Matt. 8:7; Matt. 8:16; Matt. 9:35; Matt. 10:1; Matt. 10:8; Matt. 12:10; Matt. 12:15; Matt. 12:22; Matt. 14:14; Matt. 15:30; Matt. 17:16; Matt. 17:18; Matt. 19:2; Matt. 21:14; Mk. 1:34; Mk. 3:2; Mk. 3:10; Mk. 6:5; Mk. 6:13; Lk. 4:23; Lk. 4:40; Lk. 5:15; Lk. 6:7; Lk. 6:18; Lk. 7:21; Lk. 8:2; Lk. 8:43; Lk. 9:1; Lk. 9:6; Lk. 10:9; Lk. 13:14; Lk. 14:3; Jn. 5:10; Acts 4:14; Acts 5:16; Acts 8:7; Acts 17:25; Acts 28:9; Rev. 13:3; Rev. 13:12 Therapeuo - 28x in 25v in the Septuagint - 2 Sam. 19:24; 2 Ki. 9:16; Est. 1:1; Est. 2:19; Est. 6:10; Prov. 14:19; Prov. 19:6; Prov. 29:26; Isa. 54:17; Dan. 7:10; Kingdom (932) basileia from basileus = a sovereign, king, monarch) denotes sovereignty, royal power, dominion. Basileia can also refer to the territory or people over whom a king rules Kingdom of God - 66x in 66v - Matt. 12:28; Matt. 19:24; Matt. 21:31; Matt. 21:43; Mk. 1:15; Mk. 4:11; Mk. 4:26; Mk. 4:30; Mk. 9:1; Mk. 9:47; Mk. 10:14; Mk. 10:15; Mk. 10:23; Mk. 10:24; Mk. 10:25; Mk. 12:34; Mk. 14:25; Mk. 15:43; Lk. 4:43; Lk. 6:20; Lk. 7:28; Lk. 8:1; Lk. 8:10; Lk. 9:2; Lk. 9:11; Lk. 9:27; Lk. 9:60; Lk. 9:62; Lk. 10:9; Lk. 10:11; Lk. 11:20; Lk. 13:18; Lk. 13:20; Lk. 13:28; Lk. 13:29; Lk. 14:15; Lk. 16:16; Lk. 17:20; Lk. 17:21; Lk. 18:16; Lk. 18:17; Lk. 18:24; Lk. 18:25; Lk. 18:29; Lk. 19:11; Lk. 21:31; Lk. 22:16; Lk. 22:18; Lk. 23:51; Jn. 3:3; Jn. 3:5; Acts 1:3; Acts 8:12; Acts 14:22; Acts 19:8; Acts 28:23; Acts 28:31; Rom. 14:17; 1 Co. 4:20; 1 Co. 6:9; 1 Co. 6:10; 1 Co. 15:50; Gal. 5:21; Col. 4:11; 2 Thess. 1:5 Compare to Kingdom of Heaven - 32x in 31v - Matt. 3:2; Matt. 4:17; Matt. 5:3; Matt. 5:10; Matt. 5:19; Matt. 5:20; Matt. 7:21; Matt. 8:11; Matt. 10:7; Matt. 11:11; Matt. 11:12; Matt. 13:11; Matt. 13:24; Matt. 13:31; Matt. 13:33; Matt. 13:44; Matt. 13:45; Matt. 13:47; Matt. 13:52; Matt. 16:19; Matt. 18:1; Matt. 18:3; Matt. 18:4; Matt. 18:23; Matt. 19:12; Matt. 19:14; Matt. 19:23; Matt. 20:1; Matt. 22:2; Matt. 23:13; Matt. 25:1 Has come near (at hand, approach) (1448) eggizo means to approach, draw closer to, draw near, be near, come near. So drawing near in space and drawing closer to some point. In short, to draw near in space. (Mt 21:1, Lk 7:12, 15:1, 25, 18:35. 19:29, 37, 41). Also used of drawing near in regard to time (Lk 22:1). Friberg's summary of eggizo - intransitively in the NT approach, draw near, be near; (1) with the dative of person or place draw near to, approach (Acts 9.3); (2) with eis draw near, approach a place (Mk 11.1); (3) absolutely, of approaching in space be near (Mt 26.46); of approaching in time draw near, be at hand (Lk 22.1); perfect have come (Ro 13.12) Eggizo is used in a temporal sense in several NT passages... Mt 3:2+ (John the Baptist) "Repent (present imperative = make this your continual practice!), for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (perfect tense = to have drawn near and as a result to be present or at hand)." Comment: At hand is in the perfect tense which means in essence that the kingdom (King) has come and is still present. How so since John is on earth not heaven? He is surely referring to the King of the Kingdom Who had arrived. In fact John been prepared to herald the King's coming [Isa 40:3]. The kingdom has a spiritual aspect, a present physical aspect, and a future eternal aspect, depending on context, but always refers to God's reign over His created and redeemed world and its believing inhabitants. Unbelievers are rebels fighting against His Kingdom. Mt 4:17+ From that time Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent (present imperative), for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (perfect tense)" James 5:8+ You too be patient (aorist imperative = command for decisive action); strengthen (firmly fix, be resolute, even in face of trials and persecution!) (aorist imperative = command calling for decisive action) your hearts, for the coming (parousia) of the Lord is at hand (= speaks of the Imminency [see notes] of the Messiah's Return). Comment: The imminent return (parousia) of the Bridegroom should stimulate every member of His Church (the Bride) to patience and persistence. See related discussion regarding the Second Coming. MacArthur rightly remarks that "Any view of eschatology which eliminates Imminency (believers in every age living with the hope that Christ could come at any moment) is in conflict with all those passages which provide hope for suffering believers by anticipating the Lord’s coming." (See James Commentary) 1 Peter 4:7+ The end (telos = consummation, an achieved goal) of all things is at hand (perfect tense = to have drawn near and as a result to be present or at hand. The Return of Christ = Imminent = it could occur at any moment); therefore (If you are looking expectantly for Christ at any moment, your daily conduct will [or should] be a clear reflection of such a belief), be of sound judgment (aorist imperative = command for decisive action) and sober spirit (aorist imperative = command for decisive action) for the purpose of prayer. Luke 10:10 "But whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, go out: Lu 9:5 Mt 10:14 Ac 13:51 18:6 Multiple Resources on Luke 10 (includes the sermons below) Luke 10:5-11 Responses to the Kingdom: Peace or Punishment - John MacArthur Luke 10:1-16 The Crucial Message - Steven Cole Related Passages: Luke 9:5+ - “And as for those who do not receive you, as you go out from that city, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 Departing, they began going throughout the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere. Matthew 10:14+ “Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. PUBLIC PROCLAMATION WHEN GOSPEL REJECTED But whatever city you enter and they do not receive (dechomai) you - But (term of contrast) introduces a sad reality, that they would not always be received or welcomed. This describes the townspeople not "putting out the welcome mat" for the disciples, refusing to receive their message that the Kingdom had come near. In other words they did not accept with a deliberate and ready reception either the message or the messengers. And we should not expect any different reception today. They are not rejecting us but the Good News and ultimately Jesus! Receive is the verb dechomai which means something akin to putting out the welcome mat for someone. Here the Jewish hearers are in effect pulling out the "welcome mat" from beneath the feet of the evangelists, feet which have been shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace" (Eph 6:15+)! John records of Jesus that "He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him." (Jn 1:11+) Like Master, like students! As they ministered from place to place, they would encounter both hospitality and hostility, both friends and enemies. --Warren Wiersbe Go out into its streets (plateia) and say - Streets refers to the "main street" of the town, where everyone in the city would be able to hear the horrible words of Lk 10:11! So leave the rejecting homes, go into the broad open streets. The rejectors would have no excuse. Jesus commands them to say (aorist imperative) the condemning words which follow in Luke 10:11. The short answer for what to do when they reject the message is to walk away! Woe! This might serve in some way to warn those who reject the message and give them pause to ponder its significance. We don't have any record however that some heard the warning and repented. We will have to wait until we come to heaven to find out. To sum it up Revelation refused receives retribution! But in a sense this last clear warning, has inherent within it one last chance that some might hear and receive in light of the stern warning. Streets (4116)(plateia) is the feminine form of a related adjective platus that means “broad.” In classical literature it implies the broad places of the city, which in Jewish society was the entrance of the city (Proverbs 1:20). In each New Testament occurrence (e.g., Matthew 6:5; 12:19; Luke 10:10) the context denotes a “street” or “wide road.” It was the “broad street” which would be the main road in the city which would allow the greatest number of people to hear the judgment pronounced in Lk 10:11. It is ironic that the related adjective platus meaning wide is used in the command by Jesus in Mt 7:13+ to “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide (platus) and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it." Plateia - 10v - street(4), streets(5), wide(1). Matt. 6:5; Matt. 7:13; Matt. 12:19; Lk. 10:10; Lk. 13:26; Lk. 14:21; Acts 5:15; Rev. 11:8; Rev. 21:21; Rev. 22:2 Plateia in Septuagint - Gen. 19:2; Gen. 34:10; Gen. 34:21; Jdg. 18:10; Jdg. 19:15; Jdg. 19:17; Jdg. 19:20; 2 Sam. 21:12; 1 Ki. 7:6; 1 Chr. 4:40; 2 Chr. 32:6; Ezr. 10:9; Neh. 3:8; Neh. 4:19; Neh. 7:4; Neh. 8:16; Neh. 9:35; Neh. 12:38; Est. 4:1; Job 29:7; Ps. 18:42; Ps. 55:11; Ps. 119:96; Ps. 144:14; Prov. 1:20; Prov. 5:16; Prov. 7:6; Prov. 7:12; Prov. 9:14; Prov. 22:13; Cant. 3:2; Isa. 15:3; Isa. 33:21; Jer. 5:1; Jer. 9:21; Jer. 48:38; Jer. 49:26; Jer. 50:30; Lam. 2:11; Lam. 2:12; Lam. 4:18; Ezek. 7:19; Ezek. 16:24; Ezek. 16:31; Ezek. 23:32; Ezek. 26:11; Ezek. 28:23; Ezek. 48:15; Dan. 12:2; Amos 5:16; Nah. 2:4; Zech. 8:4; Zech. 8:5; Luke 10:11 'Even the dust of your city which clings to our feet we wipe off in protest against you; yet be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near.' Yet be sure - Lu 10:9 De 30:11-14 Ac 13:26,40,46 Ro 10:8,21 Heb 1:3 Multiple Resources on Luke 10 (includes the sermons below) Luke 10:5-11 Responses to the Kingdom: Peace or Punishment - John MacArthur Luke 10:1-16 The Crucial Message - Steven Cole Related Passage: Mark 6:11+ “Any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake the dust off the soles of your feet for a testimony against them.” COMMENT - Luke does not record "listen" but clearly that is implied in receive or not receive the Gospel. The idea inherent in listen is not just to hear to to hear so as to respond or obey. In this case the good news of the traveling evangelists in effect goes "in one ear and out the other!", a modern idiom that means what was heard was immediately dismissed, ignored or forgotten after being heard. Matthew 10:14+ “Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. Luke 9:5+ - “And as for those who do not receive you, as you go out from that city, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 Departing, they began going throughout the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere. Acts 13:46+ Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you (JEWS) first; since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. Romans 10:21 But as for Israel He says, “ALL THE DAY LONG I HAVE STRETCHED OUT MY HANDS TO A DISOBEDIENT AND OBSTINATE PEOPLE.” Shake Off Your Dusty Sandals! REJECTION OF THE MESSAGE BRINGS REJECTION FROM THE KING Even the dust of your city which clings to our feet we wipe off in protest against you - The NLT has a good paraphrase "shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate." These were their words but apparently they also spoke with the dusty soles of heir sandals! Their town was no better than a gentile town (from which a Jew would shake off the dusts)! Woe to those cities that heard the precious live giving message of the Gospel and rejected it, for now they would receive only the worthless, lifeless dust of the evangelist's sandals! The shaking of dust from one's sandals symbolized God's rejection of those who rejected the message from His messengers! In short, the declaration and the action (shaking off the dust) was giving them what they wanted which was to walk the way they wanted to walk and not in step with God's gospel! Woe to them! Remember that the kingdom of God had come near to them but they had slammed the door shut in God's face (so to speak). This is why their sin was greater than that of Sodom (Lk 10:12) who had not received gospel light (apparently Lot instead of being a light for Jehovah, blended in with the Sodomite society and had no desire to confront them with the truth.) Obviously they were not to carry out this action with glee but with sadness for these rejecting souls. Similarly when others reject the Gospel we speak to them, we are not to be offended but saddened. THOUGHT - I fear many of us in America are a lot like Lot - afraid to speak God's good news of salvation in Jesus Christ for fear of rejection and even retaliation! We need to pray like the saints in Acts 4:31+ for "when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness." While the room will not shake, the Spirit will still give us boldness to speak supernaturally, why we are afraid to speak naturally. The striking symbolic act of shaking dust off one's sandals was like saying "You have had an opportunity to hear the Gospel of salvation, but you have rejected it and you will receive a just retribution for your rejection." In short if they (their Gospel message) was not received, they had Jesus' permission to declare God’s judgment on those people! Woe! J I Packer on preaching damnation (which is what the shaking of dust emblemized) - To announce the reality of hell is a testing and grueling task. The compassion and fellow-feeling that should mark all Christian communicators require us to do it, not with gloating and contempt, but with tears, if not in our eyes, then in our hearts. Any appearance of off-handness in our manner will surely discredit our matter, just because it discredits us as human beings. It is hard to take seriously a message from a messenger who does not appear to take it seriously himself, or at any rate not to feel about it as a good man should. R. W. Dale once said that D. L. Moody had a right to preach about hell because he so clearly did so from a weeping heart. Rod Mattoon - The Lord presents procedures on what to do if they should enter a town and be rejected. Rejection was a reality. There would be folks that would not embrace the opportunity to put their faith in the Lord. Nothing has changed. The rejection of Jesus continues today, even though His resurrection is confirmed in history. The rejection of their message would not change the message. Even if the people refused it, the Kingdom of God was still near, but those who refused it would miss it. Jesus repeated the instruction of wiping the dust of that town from their feet as a public announcement of their doom. Spurgeon on our feet wipe off - We are not to stop and argue; that is no business of ours. We have to tell our message. If men will receive it, we are glad; if they will not hear it, with a heavy heart we turn aside, and go elsewhere. Our work is to proclaim the glorious message of mercy through a dying Saviour, salvation through the great atonement; it is our business to proclaim it and leave it, the responsibility of receiving or rejecting it rests with our hearers. Robertson on dust of your city - Dust is a plague in the east. Shake off even that. Robertson on wipe off - [apomassometha]. Middle voice of an old verb [apomassō], to rub off with the hands. Nowhere else in the N. T. But [ekmassō], occurs in Luke 7:38, 44. Leon
Lucas 10
Cole - Jesus didn’t speculate about the future judgment; He spoke about it with authority (Lk 10:12)! He makes it clear that people will be judged according to the degree of light that they rejected. There will be degrees of punishment in hell. It will be worse for those who heard plainly of Christ and rejected it than for those, such as Sodom, Tyre, and Sidon, that lacked clear witness. (The Crucial Message)
Lucas 10
Cole - Verse 13 is mind-boggling: Jesus declares that He knows how those who never heard would have responded if they had heard! Yet even though they would have repented if they had heard, they did not hear and they will be judged for their wickedness and unbelief! But the real warning that we must take to heart is this: These cities that Jesus warns of terrible judgment to come were religious cities that were familiar with Jesus’ message and miracles. Sodom, Tyre, and Sidon were pagan Gentile cities. The warning is that those who sit in church and yet remain unmoved by the offer of peace with God through Christ, those who are familiar with spiritual truths, but who refuse to submit to Christ as Lord-these religious people will be judged far more harshly than raw pagans who are ignorant of the gospel. (The Crucial Message) J. C.
Lucas 10
Cole - We often hear people say that if they saw a miracle or actually heard Jesus in person, they would believe. Not so! These towns heard Jesus and saw His miracles, but they hardened themselves against Him. They would not submit to Him as King. To hear Jesus’ messengers is to hear Him, and to reject them is to reject Him (10:16). Jesus predicts Capernaum’s demise. They thought highly of themselves (exalted to heaven), but Jesus thought otherwise, and His word stands. The city of Capernaum is now an uninhabited heap of ruins. The same that happened there could easily happen to America. Our nation has had great light, but even many of those who profess Christ show by their disobedient and self-centered lives that they are not subject to His lordship. It is a terrible thing for those with such knowledge to reject the gospel! So our text shouts at us the words: Prayer (do you pray for the harvest?); Mission (do you labor in the harvest field?); Message (do you proclaim by life and lips the kingdom of God?). (The Crucial Message) George Wood - On the morning of December seventh, 1941, 353 Japanese airplanes droned through the skies, heading toward Pearl Harbor. Within a couple of hours, America would lose eight battleships, six major airfields, almost all of its planes and two thousand four hundred of its servicemen. The attack happened at 7:50 in the morning. Fifteen minutes before the attack, while the planes were still 137 miles away, two soldiers were on a small radar station in the Hawaiians, scanning a screen. As they scanned the radar screen, they saw dots beginning to emerge on the screen and more dots, until it seemed like their whole radar screen was filled with dots. These two young radar men summoned their commanding officer, a youthful supervisor, a lieutenant. No other officer was around, since it was Sunday morning. The lieutenant looked at the radar scan for a while, and then came to the conclusion that these planes were probably from California. And he dismissed the planes, without another thought, saying these crucial words: "Don't worry about it."That's what Jesus is saying that Korazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum have done in respect to Him, "Don't worry about it." The ruins of the area today are an eloquent testimony to the truthfulness of what Jesus says. To reject His word is to bring ruin. And, might I add, that their ruin is not only eschatological. We think of it as being end-time—you're going to be ruined in the end. To reject Jesus' Word is existential. It is now. It is to deprive your life of the tremendous vitality that Jesus brings in life, the vigor, the glory, the reason for being, the purity, the wholeness, the healing. To lose that is to lose everything. (Ibid) Exalted (5312) (hupsoo from hupsos = height, elevation) means to lift up spatially, to raise high. Figuratively, it describes lifting one up to a place of honor, fame, power, or position (to exalt). Hupsoo is used as a reference to the crucifixion in Jn 3:14, 8:28, 12:32, 34. Hupsoo is used as a reference to the crucifixion in Jn 3:14, 8:28, 12:32, 34 (cp use in Lxx of Ps 9:13 where "affliction" in the Lxx = tapeinosis = low estate, humiliation, which again links "exaltation" [lift me up] with "humiliation".). Hupsoo in other contexts clearly alludes to Jesus' ascension to the right hand of His Father's throne (Acts 2:33, 5:31). It is possible to interpret Jn 12:32 with a "double meaning" as referring not only to His crucifixion but also His exaltation to heaven. Hupsoo - 16v - exalt(2), exalted(9), exalts(3), lift(1), lifted(4), made...great(1). Matt. 11:23; Matt. 23:12; Lk. 1:52; Lk. 10:15; Lk. 14:11; Lk. 18:14; Jn. 3:14; Jn. 8:28; Jn. 12:32; Jn. 12:34; Acts 2:33; Acts 5:31; Acts 13:17; 2 Co. 11:7; Jas. 4:10; 1 Pet. 5:6 Hades (86) hades is the transliteration of the Greek word Hades (from a = negative + eido = to see) literally means "not seen" or "unseen". As noted the understanding of Hades is somewhat confusing, as it changes meaning somewhat from as one moves from the uses in the Old Testament into the uses in the New Testament. That said, in the OT Hades was used most often to describe the region of ALL departed souls. Everyone who die, whether righteous or unrighteous, is described as departing to Hades. But as we move into the NT, we see the progressive revelation of the term, so that Hades gains a more restricted sense and refers not to the place of ALL who die (believers and unbelievers as in the OT) but only to the abode of unbelievers. In other words, in the NT Hades comes to be synonymous with what we refer to as Hell. But to confuse the picture a little, you must realize that even in this sense of meaning "Hell" Hades is only a "temporary holding tank" so to speak, because as shown in Rev 20:14 (see below) Hades ceases to exist for it is thrown into the Lake of fire. Don't be confused. Hell is permanent and in Scripture is clearly described as such. The unrighteous dead will be resurrected in their bodies (The "Second Resurrection" - see Births, Deaths, and Resurrections; See Order of Resurrection.) at the Great White Throne judgment in Revelation 20:11-15+ and after being judged for their deeds in the body (to determine the degree of punishment in Hell), they are thrown into the Lake of fire which is synonymous with Gehenna. And as discussed below, Hades is also thrown into the Lake of fire (thus the reason it is referred to as temporary) and is never again described in Scripture. Other thoughts on Hades - In Homer hades is spelled Haides and means obscure, dark, invisible (Homer Iliad 23.244 [“house of Hades”]). Hades is used in the Septuagint where it translates the Hebrew words for Sheol (See study of Sheol 07585 she'ol) and for death, once for silence (Ps 94:17, 115:17). Hades was the name of Greek god of underworld and then the term for the underworld itself. Hades is pictured as a prison for which Jesus holds the keys (Rev 1:18+). Friberg's simple summary of Hades (literally unseen place) the place of the dead underworld (Acts 2.27, 32); usually in the NT as the temporary underworld prison where the souls of the ungodly await the judgment (Matt. 11:23; 16:18; Lk. 10:15; Lk. 16:23); personified as following along after Death (Rev 6.8, 20:13,14) (See Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament) The reader is strongly advised to do his or her own study of the word Hades as it is used in Scripture and let that study guide the use of the definition in the various lexicons. For example, Vines is a respected conservative lexicon widely used by laymen to aid Greek word study and it has the following entry which I have added a few notes to to explain the lack of consensus among the lexicons and dictionaries on the meaning of hades… Hades, the region of departed spirits of the lost (but including the blessed dead in periods preceding the Ascension of Christ) (Ed note: Not all conservative commentators would agree with that statement)… It corresponds to “Sheol” in the OT. In the AV of the OT and NT, it has been unhappily rendered “Hell,” e.g., Ps 16:10; or “the grave,” e.g., Ge 37:35; or “the pit,” Nu 16:30, 33; in the N.T. the Revisers have always used the rendering “Hades;” in the OT they have not been uniform in the translation, e.g., in Isa. 14:15, “hell” (marg., “Sheol”); usually they have “Sheol” in the text and “the grave” in the margin. It never denotes the grave (Ed note: many would disagree with this statement, e.g., the NIV translates it as "grave" in Acts 2:27, 31 and respected commentators like John MacArthur state that in these verses it is "the NT equivalent of the OT grave or Sheol… here it refers to the general place of the dead" [Ref]), nor is it the permanent region of the lost; in point of time it is, for such, intermediate between decease and the doom of Gehenna. (Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words) Related Resources: Girdleston's Synonyms of the OT Sheol, hades Baker Evangelical Dictionary Hades CARM Theological Dictionary Hades Easton's Bible Dictionary Hades Holman Bible Dictionary Descent to Hades Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible Descent into Hades Hades Hastings' Dictionary of the NT Hades (2) Hades Descent into Hades Vines' Expository Dictionary Hades International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Hades Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia Hades McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia Hades The Jewish Encyclopedia Hades Holman Bible Dictionary Sheol Baker Evangelical Dictionary Sheol Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible Sheol Morrish Bible Dictionary Sheol International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Sheol The Jewish Encyclopedia Sheol QUESTION - What is the significance of Capernaum in the Bible? ANSWER - Capernaum is featured in the New Testament but never mentioned in the Old. Capernaum was a city located on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee. It is significant in Scripture because Capernaum was the chosen home city of Jesus after He was driven from Nazareth by the religious officials (Luke 4:16, 28–30). Capernaum was also the home of Peter and Andrew and where Jesus called them to follow Him (Matthew 4:18–20). Jesus also found Matthew, a tax collector in Capernaum, and called him to follow (Matthew 9:9). Jesus referred to Capernaum often and did many of His miracles there (Matthew 8:5; John 6:17–21). He also taught in the synagogue (John 6:59; Mark 1:21). Although Capernaum had been the site of so many proofs of Jesus’ identity, the people there refused to believe, and He included it in a denunciation of several cities: “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades” (Luke 10:13–15). It was in Capernaum that Jesus healed the centurion’s son (Matthew 8:5–13), the nobleman’s son (John 4:46–53), Simon Peter’s mother-in-law (Mark 1:30–31), and the paralytic (Matthew 9:1–2). In Capernaum, Jesus cast out an unclean spirit (Mark 1:21–25), raised Jairus’s daughter to life, and healed the woman with the bleeding issue (Mark 5:21–42). The city of Capernaum represents many who have been exposed to the gospel, may enjoy going to church, and consider themselves Christians by association. The familiarity with Jesus and His Word gives them a false sense of assurance that they are right with God when in reality Jesus will one day say to them, “Away from me, you evildoers! I never knew you” (Matthew 7:21–23). The people of Capernaum heard and saw what Jesus did and said, yet they refused to believe (John 1:12; 12:42). We can speculate as to why: would believing would cost them too much? Would it disrupt their comfortable religious life? Would it challenge them to repent of sin and pride, love the unlovely, and give up all to follow (Luke 9:57–62; 4:25–33; John 6:59–66)? Capernaum had a greater opportunity than most cities to hear and believe in Christ, and the residents would be held to a higher standard of judgment (Luke 10:12; Matthew 11:24). Likewise, we will be judged according to the light we’ve been given (Matthew 5:29; 18:6; Luke 12:42–48). If God did not spare Capernaum due to their lack of faith, He will not spare those today who have heard the message, seen the evidence, and rejected His Son (2 Peter 2:4–10; Hebrews 6:4–6). GotQuestions.org QUESTION - What is the difference between Sheol, Hades, Hell, the lake of fire, Paradise, and Abraham’s bosom? ANSWER - The different terms used in the Bible for heaven and hell—sheol, hades, gehenna, the lake of fire, paradise, and Abraham’s bosom—are the subject of much debate and can be confusing. The word paradise is used as a synonym for heaven (2 Corinthians 12:3–4; Revelation 2:7). When Jesus was dying on the cross and one of the thieves being crucified with Him asked Him for mercy, Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Jesus knew that His death was imminent and that He would soon be in heaven with His Father. Therefore, Jesus used paradise as a synonym for heaven, and the word has come to be associated with any place of ideal loveliness and delight. Abraham’s bosom is referred to only once in the Bible—in the story of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:19–31). Abraham’s bosom was used in the Talmud as a synonym for heaven. The image in the story is of Lazarus reclining at a table leaning on Abraham’s breast—as John leaned on Jesus’ breast at the Last Supper—at the heavenly banquet. The point of the story is that wicked men will see the righteous in a happy state, while they themselves are in torment, and that a “great gulf” that can never be spanned exists between them (Luke 16:26). Abraham’s bosom is obviously a place of peace, rest, and joy—in other words, paradise. In the Hebrew Scriptures, the word used to describe the realm of the dead is sheol. It simply means “the place of the dead” or “the place of departed souls/spirits.” The New Testament Greek equivalent to sheol is hades, which is also a general reference to “the place of the dead.” The Greek word gehenna is used in the New Testament for “hell” and is derived from the Hebrew word hinnom. Other Scriptures in the New Testament indicated that sheol/hades is a temporary place where souls are kept as they await the final resurrection. The souls of the righteous, at death, go directly into the presence of God—the part of sheol called “heaven,” “paradise,” or “Abraham’s bosom” (Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23). The lake of fire, mentioned only in Revelation 19:20 and 20:10, 14-15, is the final hell, the place of eternal punishment for all unrepentant rebels, both angelic and human (Matthew 25:41). It is described as a place of burning sulfur, and those in it experience eternal, unspeakable agony of an unrelenting nature (Luke 16:24; Mark 9:45-46). Those who have rejected Christ and are in the temporary abode of the dead in hades/sheol have the lake of fire as their final destination. But those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life (SEE ALSO BOOKS OF LIFE) should have no fear of this terrible fate. By faith in Christ and His blood shed on the cross for our sins, we are destined to live eternally in the presence of God. GotQuestions.org Luke 10:16 "The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me." CSB Whoever listens to you listens to Me. Whoever rejects you rejects Me. And whoever rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me." ESV "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." KJV He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me. GWN "The person who hears you hears me, and the person who rejects you rejects me. The person who rejects me rejects the one who sent me." NET "The one who listens to you listens to me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects the one who sent me." NAB Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me." NIV "He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me." NLT Then he said to the disciples, "Anyone who accepts your message is also accepting me. And anyone who rejects you is rejecting me. And anyone who rejects me is rejecting God, who sent me." YLT 'He who is hearing you, doth hear me; and he who is putting you away, doth put me away; and he who is putting me away, doth put away Him who sent me.' listens : Lu 9:48 Mt 10:40 18:5 Mk 9:37 Joh 12:44,48 13:20 1Th 4:8 rejects you: Ex 16:7 Nu 14:2,11 16:11 Ac 5:4 rejects him : Mal 1:6 Joh 5:22,23 1Th 4:8 Multiple Resources on Luke 10 (includes the sermons below) Luke 10:12-16 A Warning to the Indifferent - John MacArthur Luke 10:1-16 The Crucial Message - Steven Cole Related Passages: Mark 7:9-11+ He was also saying to them (PHARISEES AND SCRIBES), "You nicely set aside (atheteo) the commandment of God (the Fifth Commandment - Honor your father and your mother) in order to keep your tradition. 10“For Moses said, ‘HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER’; and, ‘HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER, IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH’; 11 but you say, ‘If a man says to his father or his mother, whatever I have that would help you is Corban (What does Corban) (that is to say, given to God),’ Luke 7:30+ the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected (atheteo) God's purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by John. Comment: Refers to the refusal of John’s baptism by the scribes and Pharisees, who thus rejected, not the counsel of John but ultimately the counsel of God even as those who reject Paul's teaching on God's will regarding sexual purity are not rejecting Paul but God, here specifically God the Holy Spirit. John 12:48 He who rejects (atheteo) Me, and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. THE GOSPEL IS EITHER LISTENED TO OR REJECTED The one who listens (present tense) to you listens (present tense) to Me, and the one who rejects (atheteo in present tense) you rejects (atheteo in present tense) Me; and he who rejects (atheteo in present tense) Me rejects (atheteo in present tense) the One (GOD THE FATHER) Who sent (apostello) Me - When Christ charged His apostles and sent them forth, He told them that as He represented the Father so they represented Him, and, consequently, that anyone who refused to listen to them in effect refused to listen to Him (they were sent out in His Name) and thus rejected Him and the Father. Listens means more than just hear a sound but to hear with attention, to hear with the ear of the mind, to hear effectually as to perform or grant what is spoken and finally to believe something and to respond to it on basis of having heard. As support of this interpretation note that the antithesis of listens in context is rejects! To not listen is to reject the Gospel! Recall that at the Transfiguration, the Father spoke to Peter, James and John commanding them to "Listen to Him (Jesus)!" (Lk 9:35+ - one imagines this especially directed to Peter!) Rejection of Jesus is tantamount to rejection of God the Father because God is One (cp Jn 10:30) and you cannot say you believe in One member and reject the Other (Beware of the deadly and very deceptive heresy of Oneness Pentecostalism). Those who say something to the effect that "I believe in God but I don't believe in Jesus" are deceived and are believing a lie and will wake up in the place of eternal punishment! THOUGHT- If you present a faithful and accurate Gospel message and are rejected, do not take it personally (I know that is easy to write but not easy to practice!) for they are not so much rejecting you as they are rejecting Jesus which is what Jesus is teaching in this passage. To despise the Gospel message from the messenger of the Lord is to despise Him that sent Him. And remember Jesus' encouraging words in Mt 5:11-12+ “Blessed are you when (NOT "IF" BUT "WHEN" = IT WILL HAPPEN!) people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
Lucas 10
Cole - Urgency: Do you live and bear witness in light of eternity? Again, I realize that we must be sensitive to people; we can’t grab them by the lapel and shout warnings about hell. But even so, do we have a sense of the urgency of our mission? “That day” (10:12), the day of judgment, is coming soon. Our message is not, “Try Jesus and you’ll feel better and have a happier life.” We must sensitively but plainly warn people that they are sinners who face God’s certain judgment, but they can know peace with God if they will trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Time is short; we must keep eternity constantly in view. During the 1981 Byron Nelson Golf Tournament in Dallas, a massive tree limb broke off and fell on a spectator who was killed instantly. It happened near the third hole where Charles Coody was playing at the time. Shortly after the accident, he was interviewed on the radio and he said, “After running over and seeing the accident, I tried to play golf, yet I had no desire to play after that. All of a sudden those three foot putts didn’t seem all that important.” The suddenness and certainty of death should instill a sense of urgency in us who know what Jesus taught about the judgment to come. We should pray for openings with lost people. We should pray that God’s people would be working in the harvest with a sense of mission. We should clearly proclaim the message, that Jesus is Lord and King, and that people must accept His offer of peace now or face the terrible consequences later. A few years ago the newspapers ran a story about a guy who jumped from a plane and his parachute didn’t open properly. It took him more than a minute to fall 3,000 feet to the ground. In those circumstances, a minute is a long time! What do you suppose he thought about as he sped toward the ground? I don’t know the answer to that question, although somehow the man survived. If that experience didn’t make him think soberly about eternity, nothing will! People all around us are plummeting toward eternity without a parachute. Jesus Christ is that chute. If you know that fact, pray for the harvest and for more workers. Go with a sense of mission to labor in the harvest field. Live and speak the message in a way that honors Jesus Christ as Lord and King and that shows lost people His offer of peace. But don’t compromise the urgent warning, that to refuse the offer means certain judgment. In light of eternity, the gospel is the crucial message. We are the messengers. (The Crucial Message) Rejects (sets aside, nullifies)(114)(atheteo from áthetos = not placed from a = without + thetós = placed) means to do away with what has been laid down, to set aside and thus to regard as nothing, to declare invalid, to not recognize, to annul (make ineffective, inoperative or nonexistent), to spurn or to despise. In the papyri atheteo was used of loans which were repaid and cancelled and for the rejection of certain officials who were described as inefficient and incapable of doing their duty. Atheteo was also used of grain rejected by the inspector as unfit for food. This word describes a deliberate choice of one's will (active voice) to reject the Living Word, Christ Jesus and the present tense indicates this was not a momentary lapse of loyalty but a habitual rejection of Jesus which in Jesus' day and today is manifest by the person who rejects Jesus' ambassador of reconciliation. Have you ever been rejected for proclaiming Jesus as the only way to the Father (Jn 14:6), the only Name by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12)? If you have not, then perhaps you need to examine your faith as to whether you are truly His disciple. At the very least you are being disobedient to His great commission (Mt 28:18-20). But at the worst, you are not really a believer in Jesus. As Paul said "Test (present imperative) yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you–unless indeed you fail the test?" (2 Cor 13:5-note) Thayer writes that atheteo means "to act toward anything as though it were annulled; hence, to deprive a law of force by opinions or acts opposed to it, to transgress... to thwart the efficacy of anything, nullify, make void, frustrate...to render prudent plans of no effect (1Cor 1:19)...to reject, refuse, slight (eg, "the grace of God" Gal 2:21) In Classic Greek atheteo is used to describe setting aside of a treaty or promise. Atheteo - 16x/12v - nullify(1), refuse(1), reject(1), rejected(1), rejects(6), rejecting(1), set aside(3), sets...aside(1), setting aside(1). Mk. 6:26; Mk. 7:9; Lk. 7:30; Lk. 10:16; Jn. 12:48; 1 Co. 1:19; Gal. 2:21; Gal. 3:15; 1 Thess. 4:8; 1 Tim. 5:12; Heb. 10:28; Jude 1:8 Rod Mattoon ists - Reasons for Rejecting Opportunities 1. Pessimism, Doubt or Unbelief One reason why people reject the Lord Jesus Christ is because of their pessimism and doubt toward Christ. They do not believe He was the Son of God and that He arose from the grave. They do not believe that eternal life is found only in Him. Their doubt, however, will lead to their doom. John 3:36—He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” Doubt and pessimism will rob you of great blessings and achievements. It is easy to sit around and say, "It can't be done or it can't be true," when in reality it is true and it can be done. When Alexander Graham Bell was developing the telephone, people doubted it would work. When Orville and Wilbur Wright were developing an airplane, people snickered saying it would never work. When runners set their sights on running the four-minute mile, the medical world said it was humanly impossible and dangerous to attempt, yet, in 1954, Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile, as did Eamonn Coghlan at the age of forty-one, and Kip Keino at the age fifty-five. Doubt disappears in the face of faith and determination. Let me ask, "Is pessimism and doubt robbing you of eternal life? Is it causing you to squander opportunities that could lead to great blessing?" Matthew 13:57-58.... And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” 58 And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief. 2. A Perverse Lifestyle Perversity or a love for sinful living, will cause people to reject their opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. People mistakenly conclude that their sin will satisfy them and make them happy, when in reality, it will destroy their lives now and in eternity. Their sinfulness makes them apathetic and indifferent toward God. Matthew 24:12—And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. Hebrews 3:13—But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 3. Pride Two Texans were trying to impress each other with the size of their ranches. One asked the other, "What's the name of your ranch?" He replied, "The Rocking R, ABC, Flying W, Circle C, Bar U, Staple Four, Box D, Rolling M, Rainbow's End, Silver Spur Ranch." The questioner was much impressed and exclaimed, "Whew! That is quite a name! How many head of cattle do you run?" The rancher answered, "Not many. Very few survive the branding." Beloved, pride has a way of ruining our lives. Proverbs 16:18—Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Some folks will waste their opportunities to accept Christ as their Savior because of their pride. They are too proud to admit they are sinners. They are too proud to admit their need for a Savior. They are too proud to acknowledge God's authority over their lives. Daniel 5:20—But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: Nehemiah 9:16—But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments, 4. Prejudice against Christ People also reject Christ because of their bitterness and prejudice toward Him. They have conjured up in their minds all sorts of reasons why they should reject Him. They won't take the time of day to even listen to the Gospel and what Christ has done for them because of their bigotry toward Christians. A closed mind is like a locked, shuttered house. It is secure and quiet, but also dark and gloomy. That is the situation of the hearts of those without the Lord. Someone put it this way about prejudice, "Prejudice is being down on something you are not up on. Prejudice is the child of ignorance. Prejudice is having the answers without knowing all the facts." Let me ask, "Are you rejecting Christ because you THINK you have all the answers without knowing all the facts?" The Samaritans made this mistake in Luke 9. They rejected the opportunity to offer hospitality to Christ because of their prejudice. Luke 9:51-53... And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, [52] And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. [53] And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. 5. Preoccupied with Self and other Matters According to the Chicago Tribune, on March 3, 1995, a thirty-eight-year-old man who was walking to his temporary job at a warehouse in Rosemont, Illinois, tried to get there by cutting across eight lanes of the Tri-State Tollway. After he crossed the four northbound lanes, however, the wind blew off his hat. The hat flew back across the northbound lanes, and he chased it. There, a semi-trailer truck struck and killed him. He was a man that lost everything by chasing after nothing. People make the same exact mistake today. They waste their opportunity to trust in the Lord because they are distracted and41 preoccupied with other matters in their life that are not important at all. They don't have time for the Lord because of their selfish pursuits. Mark 4:18-19... And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, [19] And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. 6. The Power of God is Forgotten Another reason why people shirk their opportunity to trust in the Lord is because they have forgotten what He has done. This was the problem in Jesus' day. The towns that witnessed His miracles forgot all about what He did. Mark 6:52— for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened. In our time, people have forgotten what Christ did on the cross for them and that He arose from the grave. 7. A Perspective of Ungratefulness Beloved, an ungrateful attitude will cause your heart to harden and crust-over like a dried-out lake bed. The opposite of ingratitude is gratefulness. Gratefulness is expressing or communicating to other people and God the specific ways in which they have blessed and benefitted your life. It looks for ways to bring honor to them. When we are genuinely grateful, we will have an attitude of indebtedness and be motivated to sufficiently express that attitude. A grateful spirit recognizes that in ourselves we have nothing, we are nothing without the Lord, and whatever we have or do we owe to God, our parents, family, and those who have invested their lives into us. The beginning step of gratefulness to God is responding to the opportunity to put your faith in Christ. In so doing, you will be expressing gratefulness for what He did for you on the cross. I like what Jim Elliot said. He said we are a bunch of nobodies who are serving somebody... Jesus Christ. If you ever get to a point in your life where you have nothing left but the Lord, then for the first time you will become aware that the Lord is ENOUGH! He is the One that satisfies and without Him we really have nothing! Some folks are not grateful because they think they DESERVE every good thing they have and more. It was the rich farmer in Luke 12, that wanted to eat, drink, and be merry. He gave God no credit for his blessings and as a result he expressed no gratitude to the Lord. Unthankful people tend to gripe a lot. Griping is an outward indication many times of an ungrateful heart. Don't go around grumbling because you don't get what you WANT. Be grateful that you don't get what you do DESERVE. If you can't be thankful for what you receive, be thankful for what you escape. Learn to be grateful and think about all the wonderful things that God has done for you. When we forget what He has done, we tend to get hardhearted. 8. Personal Independence People will waste their opportunity to trust in Christ because they have an independent spirit. They feel they don't need God or anyone else. Some believe they can get to Heaven on their own. Others don't believe in any kind of God, Heaven, or Hell. The nation of Israel in Isaiah's day adopted this kind of attitude and Isaiah cried out against it. Isaiah 47:8-11... Therefore hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children: [9] But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments. [10] For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me. [11] Therefore shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know from whence it riseth: and mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put if off: and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know. Independence of God also leads to incarceration and enslavement to sinful habits and to the consequences of our poor choices and decisions. Those consequences can affect us for a life time. Proclaiming freedom from God means imprisonment to Satan and being shackled by sinful habits. You may think you are free because you are doing what you want to do, but you are enslaved because you have deceived yourself or have been deceived by others. You may think you are strong, but you are really weak. Such was the train of thought and condition at the church of Laodicea. They felt they had no need of anything, when in reality, they needed many things. Their independent attitude robbed them of God's blessings and shackled them. This is what happens when you trust in your own way. Revelation 3:15-17... I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. [16] So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. [17] Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: Proverbs 14:12—There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. 9. Procrastination Another reason why individuals waste their opportunity to trust in Christ is they procrastinate. They put off the matter until another time because they believe they will have time later to give their life to the Lord when they are ready. They are not hostile to the Lord or the Gospel, they just don't want to make any commitments to Christ right now. King Solomon and James issued a warning about procrastination and making assumptions about the future. James 4:14—Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Proverbs 27:1—Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth. Have you been given the opportunity to trust in Christ, but you squandered it? Don't delay any longer. You will be accountable for your opportunity Luke 10:17 The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name." Greek Hupestrepsan (3PAAI) de hoi ebdomekonta (duo) meta charas legontes(PAPMPN): kurie, kai ta daimonia hupotassetai (3SPPI) hemin en to onomati sou. NET Luke 10:17 Then the seventy-two returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name!" CSB Luke 10:17 The Seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your name." ERV Luke 10:17 And the seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us in thy name. ESV Luke 10:17 The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!" NIV Luke 10:17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." NLT Luke 10:17 When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, "Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!" Lu 10:1,9 9:1 Ro 16:20 Multiple Resources on Luke 10 (includes the sermons below) Luke 10:17-20 The Joys of a True Disciple - John MacArthur Luke 10:17-24 What Makes Jesus Rejoice - Steven Cole Related Passages: Mark 6:30-31 The apostles *gathered together with Jesus; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught. 31 And He *said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.” (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.) Luke 9:1+ And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases Luke 10:9 and heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ Romans 16:20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. JOYFUL REPORT OF THE SEVENTY The seventy returned with joy (chara) saying, "Lord (kurios) even the demons (daimonion) are subject (hupotasso) to us in Your name - With (meta) implies companionship and/or fellowship. Picture the 35 pairs on their way back to base camp, each pair accompanied by joy. Saying is in the present tense picturing them as continually expressing their joy as they returned. Notice Lk 10:9 did not mention power over the demonic world (as had been promised to the 12 in Lk 9:1-2), but clearly the 70 experienced this power. They had experienced the promised power in Lk 10:9, but they had also experienced more that what He had promised as conveyed by the words "even the demons..." meaning in addition to that which He had promised. To their delight, the demons were brought under firm control, made subordinate to the 70 in Jesus' Name. And keep in mind the most recent demon encounter by the disciples had proved ineffective (Lk 9:37-40+), but not so for the 70 on this occasion. Clearly the 70 are quick to point to Jesus, stating it was in Jesus' Name, in the full authority of the Person of Jesus, for His Name stands for His Person.
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Cole - They were excited about how God had used them in defeating Satan’s forces through their ministry. Jesus is not telling them not to rejoice at all in such victories. Rather, He is putting it in perspective. Our greatest joy should not be in seeing how God uses us to serve Him, but rather in the simple fact that our names are recorded in heaven. Service has its ups and downs; but salvation through God’s grace and the assurance that whom He saves, He keeps, should fill us with steady joy. God’s sovereign grace in saving us should bring greater joy to us than all other joys, because it is eternal. Every joy that the person outside of Christ enjoys is temporal. Did he just win a million dollars in the lottery? Did he just get a promotion in his career? Did he just marry a beautiful young woman? Did he just get elected to a high public office? Don’t envy him for a second. Why envy a man who in a short time will be cast into the lake of fire? If he could only see as God sees, that successful man would gladly and quickly trade places with the person whose name is written in the book of life, even if that saint were suffering from terminal cancer! Our joy is eternal and will only grow greater when we pass into the presence of our Savior! (What Makes Jesus Rejoice) Rejoice (5463)(chairo) means to be "cheer" full, calmly happy or well-off. Chairo implies and imparts joy. Chairo is used in a whole range of situations in which the emotion of joy is evoked. To be in a state of happiness and well being independent of what is happening when the Source is the Spirit! Henry
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Cole - Jesus mentions His own joy on at least two other occasions (John 15:11; 17:13), but here alone it says that He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit. What He rejoiced greatly about was the news of how God’s sovereign grace had resulted in the salvation of souls through the ministry of the 72 (or 70, depending on the textual variant). If thinking on these matters of sovereign grace caused Jesus to exult, then the same should be true for us as we grow to be more like Jesus. (What Makes Jesus Rejoice) And said, "I praise (exomologeo - present tense) You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden (apokrupto) these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed (apokalupto) them to infants (nepios). Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing (eudokía) in Your sight (emprosthen) - Lord of heaven and earth speaks of God's sovereign rule and reign over all His creation (two other uses Mt 11:25, Acts 17:24). Take a moment to worship Him by playing and singing the song "Lord of Heaven and Earth."
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Cole - Philosophy begins with man and tries to reason toward God, but the finite human mind cannot, in and of itself, grasp the infinite Triune God (note the reference to each person of the Trinity in our text). Jesus’ statement here is a strong assertion of both His deity and His humanity. The fact that all things were handed over to Him by the Father shows Jesus’ humanity; the fact that only Jesus can reveal the Father to us shows His deity, because no mere man nor any created being could reveal the eternal God to us. “As the Son he was equal to the Father, but as man he was beneath the Father and received ‘all things’ from him” (Concordia Triglotta, in R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. Luke’s Gospel [Augsburg Publishing House], p. 591). As God in human flesh, Jesus said to Philip, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).But our problem is bigger than just the fact of our finiteness: • We are dependent on God to reveal His salvation to us because we are spiritually blind by nature. As Paul explains, the “natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised” (1 Cor. 2:14, emphasis added). Just as a blind man cannot see a beautiful sunset because he lacks the necessary organs to do so, even so a sinner who does not have the Holy Spirit cannot grasp the things of God. When Jesus gives eternal life to those whom the Father has given Him (John 17:2), He imparts to them the capacity both to understand spiritual things and also to know God personally in Christ. As Jesus prayed, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3). Without such spiritual life in Christ, we are no more capable of knowing God than a corpse is capable of seeing and knowing a living person. But being spiritually dead and blind is not our only problem. • We are dependent on God to reveal His salvation to us because we are under the domain and power of Satan. When the 72 returned, they reported to Jesus how even the demons were subject to them in His name (10:17). Jesus concurs by saying how He was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. He further underscores this by saying that He has given them authority to tread on serpents and scorpions without harm (10:19). In the context (10:18, 20), it is clear that Jesus was referring to the power He gave them over Satan and the demons, not to some literal ability to handle snakes or scorpions. The disciples’ success in ministry was “a symbol and earnest of the complete and final overthrow of Satan” (Alfred Plummer, The Gospel According to St. Luke [Scribner’s], p. 278). The fact is, it takes the defeat of Satan to save a soul, because he has “blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Cor. 4:4). When God saves us, He delivers us from the domain of darkness and transfers us to the kingdom of His beloved Son (Col. 1:13). We cannot free ourselves from this bondage to Satan. God must do it for us (2 Tim. 2:25-26). • We are dependent on God to reveal His salvation to us because there is nothing in us that obligates God to reveal Himself to us. Jesus states that He reveals the Father to whomever He (the Son) wills (10:22). Also, God was well-pleased to reveal His salvation to babes rather than to the intelligent. The phrase “well-pleased” points to God’s sovereign pleasure according to His secret counsel. Clearly, Jesus’ words would make no sense if He revealed the Father to everyone equally. As revealed throughout all of Scripture, God chooses certain individuals and reveals Himself to them, but He lets others continue on in their spiritual darkness. He chose Abraham, but He did not choose Abraham’s father, brothers, or neighbors. He chose Isaac, but He did not choose Ishmael. He loved Jacob, but He hated Esau. As Paul points out, God did this while they were still in the womb, before they had done anything good or bad, so that His purpose according to election might stand (Rom. 9:11). In case we missed the point, Paul strongly asserts, “So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy” (Rom. 9:16). In other words, salvation does not depend on human will or human effort. It depends totally on God’s mercy, not at all on us. Martin Luther comments, “Here the bottom falls out of all merit, all powers and abilities of reason, or the free will men dream of, and it all counts as nothing before God; Christ must do and must give everything” (cited by Lenski, p. 593). If you fight against this doctrine (and most of us do, at some point), I would suggest that it is because you have too high a view of man and you don’t have a high enough view of God in His absolute holiness. You have too high a view of man in that you think that God is somehow obligated to show mercy to everyone equally. But Scripture is clear that God is not obligated to show mercy to anyone. He could have treated us as He treated the fallen angels, and left us in our condemnation with no Savior. Is God unfair because He condemned all the fallen angels to the abyss without any chance of salvation? Of course not! They rebelled and they have no claim on God’s mercy. The same is true of rebellious, fallen man. In His holiness, God would be perfectly just to condemn the entire human race to hell. But He chose to show mercy to some, which is His prerogative. (What Makes Jesus Rejoice) Luke 10:23 Turning to the disciples, He said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see Wuest And having turned around to the disciples, in private He said, Spiritually prosperous are the eyes that are seeing the things which you are seeing, Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see: Mt 13:16,17 Multiple Resources on Luke 10 (includes the sermons below) Luke 10:21 What Makes Jesus Rejoice? Part 1 - John MacArthur Luke 10:22 What Makes Jesus Rejoice? Part 2 - John MacArthur Luke 10:25-29 What Makes Jesus Rejoice, Part 3 - John MacArthur Luke 10:17-24 What Makes Jesus Rejoice - Steven Cole Related Passages: Ephesians 3:4-5+ By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; BLESSED WITH SUPERNATURAL VISION Turning to the disciples (mathetes) He said privately - One gets the sense that Jesus had been turned away from them and may have been looking upward as He praised His Father, with arms uplifted (Lk 10:21-22). His focus was on His Father, but now He turns His attention to (Greek = pros) the seventy. Privately is a Greek idiom kat idian which means something like "according to that which is private." If there were others around, this discourse for not for their ears but for the seventy. And throughout the subsequent ages only those who have ears to hear [disciples, followers of Jesus] can hear and understand these words Jesus spoke specifically to the disciples.
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Cole - God’s sovereign grace in saving us should bring greater joy to us than any Old Testament saint had. Certainly, all the saints before Christ were saved and looked forward to being with God throughout eternity. But, as the writer to the Hebrews states, “apart from us they should not be made perfect” (Heb. 11:40). Or, as Peter puts it, “the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful search and inquiry.” But, “it was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven-things into which angels long to look” (1 Pet. 1:10, 12). Because of this great salvation, we who believe should “greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory” (1 Pet. 1:8). (What Makes Jesus Rejoice) Wished (2309)(thelo) primarily refers to exercising of one's will with the underlying sense of to be willing, to desire, to want or to wish. Thelo "expresses not simply a desire, but a determined and constant exercise of the will." (W E Vine) To see (1492) (eido) which means to perceive, to become aware of through the senses, to become conscious of. Includes the sense that one comes to understand something. Luke 10:25 And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" ESV Luke 10:25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" KJV Luke 10:25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test: Lu 7:30 11:45,46 Mt 22:35 Teacher: Lu 18:18 Mt 19:16 Ac 16:30,31 what shall I do to inherit eternal life: Ga 3:18 Multiple Resources on Luke 10 (includes the sermons below) Luke 10:25-29 What Makes Jesus Rejoice, Part 3 - John MacArthur Luke 10:25-37 Salvation and Good Works - Steven Cole Luke 10:25-37 The Good Samaritan - C H Spurgeon Related Passages: Luke 18:18+ A ruler questioned Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I DO to inherit eternal life?” Matthew 19:16-22 And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I DO that I may obtain eternal life?” Mark 10:17+ As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I DO to inherit eternal life?” Matthew 22:35 One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing (peirazo) Him, TESTING JESUS TO TRAP HIM IN ARGUMENTATION Brooks - The parable of the Good Samaritan introduces the difference between living religiously and living righteously, living under judgment or living in Jesus. And (literally "kai idou" - "and Behold") a lawyer (nomikos) stood up and put Him to the test (ekpeirazo), saying - Note the NAS does not translate the Greek demonstrative particle idou (behold) (ESV does) which is usually given to arouse the reader's attention. Lawyer (nomikos) is a Jewish expect in the Mosaic law and the Jewish rituals and traditions or as we might say today a man with letters after his name (MDiv, Phd, MD, etc) and he was seeking to see Jesus fail his test question. Contrary to what some commentators say, this is clearly not a friendly encounter, but is a question meant to trip up Jesus. The same word for test (ekpeirazo) was used to refer to the devil's attempt in Lk 4:12+, so in a sense, this Jewish lawyer was serving as a pawn for Satan his father (Jn 8:44). Like his father, the lawyer was a liar for He was not really seeking truth but laying a trap. He thought he had eternal life by virtue of his self-righteous works. It was a good question asked with a bad motive. -- Warren Wiersbe Warren
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Cole - The One Thing Necessary - In their book, First Things First [Simon & Schuster, p. 32], Stephen Covey and Roger and Rebecca Merrill ask this penetrating question: “What is the one activity that you know if you did superbly well and consistently would have significant positive results in your personal life?” They repeat the question with regard to your professional or work life and then ask, “If you knowthese things would make such a significant difference, why are you not doing them now?” They go on to discuss how we often wrongly let the urgent take priority over that which is truly important. Let’s direct those questions toward our walk with God: “What is the one activity that you know if you did superbly well and consistently would have significant positive results in your walk with God?” Then, “If you know this would make such a significant difference, why did you not do it this past week?” I believe that that one significant activity is spending time alone with the Lord in His Word and in prayer. In the language of our text: Sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening to His Word is the one thing necessary in life. That is the main message of this little story that gives us a glimpse into an incident in the life of Jesus and two sisters who hosted Him for dinner. The story is amazingly concise and yet packed with punch. Luke seems to put it here both to contrast it with the preceding incident and to elaborate upon part of it. In that story, a lawyer challenged Jesus by putting a test question to Him. In this story, Martha welcomed Jesus into her home. There’s a big difference between challenging someone and welcoming Him. Luke wants us to ask ourselves, “Do I put Jesus to the test or do I welcome Him into my life?”In the first story, the lawyer cites the two great commandments, to love God and to love our neighbor, but the emphasis, through the parable of the Good Samaritan, is on love for our neighbor. In this story, we see an example of what it means to love God, as Mary sits at Jesus’ feet. If we only had the story of the Good Samaritan, we might allow service for God to take precedence over devotion to God. But the story of Mary shows us that devotion to God must be the basis of all our service for Him. Worship must undergird our work. It’s significant that every time we encounter Mary of Bethany in the gospels, she is at Jesus’ feet: here; when her brother, Lazarus dies (John 11:32); and, when she anointed Jesus before His death (John 12:3). It’s also significant that Jesus visited these women and was willing to teach them about spiritual matters. In that culture, many rabbis thought that teaching women was a waste of time. But Jesus took the time to evangelize and teach women, thus showing the value that God puts on every person. And through these women, especially Mary, the Lord teaches us a vital lesson about the main priority that we need to hold on to in the midst of our busy schedules, namely, that of sitting at His feet, which Jesus calls the one necessary thing, the good part. Probably most of you agree with me, at least theoretically, that consistently spending time sitting at Jesus’ feet ought to be our main priority. But I would guess, based on my own struggles and on my years of pastoral experience, that most of you struggle with doing it consistently. I hope to motivate you by showing you why sitting at Jesus’ feet is the one necessary thing. Then I want to analyze some of the common hindrances we have to overcome if we want to do it consistently. And, I want to show you how to get started. (Luke 10:38-42 The One Thing Necessary) James Smith - "MARTHA, MARTHA." Luke 10:38-42. "Nor can the vain toil cease, Till in the shadowy maze of life we meet One who can guide our aching, wayward feet, To find Himself our Way, our Life, our Peace; In Him the long unrest is soothed and stilled; Our hearts are filled."—F. R. Havergal. The heart that is only half-conquered by Christ's peace will be easily tossed about when assaulted with the "cares of this world." Martha comes before us here as one cumbered and troubled about her work. A weary, burdened servant, just at the point of breaking down. What to her was duty has become drudgery. There is wholesome food for thought here for every servant of Christ. Martha— I. Received Jesus. "Martha received Him into her house." Being perhaps the oldest in the home the right of receiving guests into the house would be hers. Her receiving Him was the proof of her faith in Him. It is vain and presumptuous for us to talk about our faith in Christ if we have not actually received Him into the house of the heart (see John 1:12). II. Sat at His Feet. "She had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His words." This word also surely proves that Martha had sat and listened to His words as well as Mary. The faith that received Christ will certainly desire to know His will. This is the second step in the Christian life—learning. "Come unto Me, and I will give you rest. Learn of Me, and ye shall find rest" (Matt. 11:28, 29). III. Was an Active Worker. She busied herself with "much serving." She was none of those spongy Christians who can do nothing but drink in. There are many whose sole conception of the Christian life is to hear. Martha was not only a hearer, but a doer. She had listened to His words, and she would minister to Him. Her service, too, was no ordinary service. She had planned to do much. The honest, earnest design of her generous heart was to accomplish much for the honour of Jesus. IV. Became Worried over her Work. "Martha was cumbered about much serving." Tersteegen has said: "We are not always to be seeking, we must sometimes have found Him. The seeker works actively; the finder enjoys quietly." Whenever work for the Lord brings upon us the worry of "carefulness and trouble," we may be assured that we have somehow got out of Christ's yoke, for He says, "My yoke is easy, and My burden is light. Take My yoke upon you, and ye shall find rest unto your souls." V. Began to Complain. "Lord, dost Thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me." The worried and cumbered worker will soon be found in the ranks of the grumblers. Martha's big task of "much serving" was self-imposed, and she, like all those in similar circumstances, soon got burdened and wearied. God-given work will never be cumbersome when done in His strength. But let it be noted to Martha's credit that she made her complaint, not to her sister, but to her Lord. Those cumbered and grumbling workers who are continually pouring their grievances into the ears of their fellow-servants ought to be shamed out of their cowardliness by the straightforward heroism of Martha. Dare to be honest, and say as she did, "Lord, dost Thou not care?" Have the question of worry settled with your Master. Find out in His presence whether your harassing anxiety about His service is pleasing to Him, or whether there is not some one that He might bid come and help you, or whether you are not "careful and troubled" about things which the Lord has no interest in. VI. Was Rebuked by the Lord. "Jesus said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things, but one thing is needful." It is no honour to the Prince of Peace that His servants' hearts should be filled with restless solicitude about His business. "My peace I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27). "I would have you without carefulness" (1 Cor. 7:32). "Take no thought (anxious concern) for your life." Your Father knoweth (Matt. 6:25; see also v. 8). If the Lord had bidden Mary go and help Martha He would have partly justified her in her complaint, but, no, He said in substance, "You take too much upon you. The one thing you need is not a helping hand, but a restful heart." Mary had chosen that good part, and He will not take it from her. There are many Matthews as well as Marthas, whose countenances bear the traces of a worried and troubled heart, even while they are seeking to serve Jesus. "Cumbered about much serving." Cast all your care upon Him, for He careth for you. Rest in the Lord. First Things First: Luke 10:38-42 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. —Proverbs 4:7 During World War II, I served as an orthopedic technician in a hospital in England. One day we were cleaning up after putting casts on fractured limbs when I noticed some co-workers goofing off instead of helping. I didn’t hesitate to show my displeasure. Such incidents are why I usually find myself saying a few words in defense of Martha whenever I preach on Luke 10:38-42. You’ll recall that she was “distracted with much serving” (v.40), while her sister Mary did nothing but listen to Jesus. It’s easy for me to see Martha’s point of view. In Proverbs, more than a dozen verses rebuke the slothful. And when some first-century Christians quit working and started to freeload off others, Paul laid down the rule: “If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat” (2 Thess. 3:10). Our approach to work must be balanced. Proverbs 4:7 says, “Wisdom is the principal thing.” Martha could have said, “Mary, dinner can wait. I’ll join you in listening to Jesus before getting started in the kitchen.” Work is vital. But we should not be so obsessed with it that it crowds out worship and spiritual instruction. For Further Study For more on this topic, read the online booklet Mary & Martha: Balancing Life’s Priorities Don’t be so busy doing good that you neglect to do what’s right. Brilliant Thoughts: Luke 10:38-42 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me. —Matthew 11:29 A kind friend who knows my tastes and reading interests gave me a fascinating book for my birthday. It’s called The Most Brilliant Thoughts Of All Time. There’s no question about the wit and wisdom of the short sayings it contains. But are they the most brilliant thoughts of all time? The book doesn’t contain a single quote from the Lord Jesus. Yet when He lived on earth, even His critics were amazed at His wisdom. They asked in dumbfounded wonder how He knew so much (John 7:15). Jesus did not have any formal education. He wasn’t the student of a prominent rabbi, like many of the teachers of His day. Yet even the soldiers who were sent to arrest Him reported, “No man ever spoke like this Man!” (v.46). So if we are in search of brilliant thoughts, there are none better than the words of Jesus Christ. Like Mary the sister of Lazarus, we ought to sit at the feet of our Lord and learn from Him (Luke 10:39). Jesus said that choosing to hear His words is “that good part, which will not be taken away” (v.42). In the garden of my heart There is a sure retreat, Where I may enter, close the door, And learn at Jesus' feet. —Moore In the light of Christ's brilliance, the world's wisdom is but a shadow. Luke 10:39 She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word. Amplified - And she had a sister named Mary, who seated herself at the Lord’s feet and was listening to His teaching. BBE And she had a sister, by name Mary, who took her seat at the Lord's feet and gave attention to his words. CSB Luke 10:39 She had a sister named Mary, who also sat at the Lord's feet and was listening to what He said. NLT Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord's feet, listening to what he taught.