Luke 10
The Message
Lambs in a Wolf Pack
10 1-2 Later the Master selected seventy and sent them ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he intended to go. He gave them this charge:
“What a huge harvest! And how few the harvest hands. So on your knees; ask the God of the Harvest to send harvest hands.
3 “On your way! But be careful—this is hazardous work. You’re like lambs in a wolf pack.
4 “Travel light. Comb and toothbrush and no extra luggage.
“Don’t loiter and make small talk with everyone you meet along the way.
5-6 “When you enter a home, greet the family, ‘Peace.’ If your greeting is received, then it’s a good place to stay. But if it’s not received, take it back and get out. Don’t impose yourself.
7 “Stay at one home, taking your meals there, for a worker deserves three square meals. Don’t move from house to house, looking for the best cook in town.
8-9 “When you enter a town and are received, eat what they set before you, heal anyone who is sick, and tell them, ‘God’s kingdom is right on your doorstep!’
10-12 “When you enter a town and are not received, go out in the street and say, ‘The only thing we got from you is the dirt on our feet, and we’re giving it back. Did you have any idea that God’s kingdom was right on your doorstep?’ Sodom will have it better on Judgment Day than the town that rejects you.
13-14 “Doom, Chorazin! Doom, Bethsaida! If Tyre and Sidon had been given half the chances given you, they’d have been on their knees long ago, repenting and crying for mercy. Tyre and Sidon will have it easy on Judgment Day compared to you.
15 “And you, Capernaum! Do you think you’re about to be promoted to heaven? Think again. You’re on a fast track to hell.
16 “The one who listens to you, listens to me. The one who rejects you, rejects me. And rejecting me is the same as rejecting God, who sent me.”
17 The seventy came back triumphant. “Master, even the demons danced to your tune!”
18-20 Jesus said, “I know. I saw Satan fall, a bolt of lightning out of the sky. See what I’ve given you? Safe passage as you walk on snakes and scorpions, and protection from every assault of the Enemy. No one can put a hand on you. All the same, the great triumph is not in your authority over evil, but in God’s authority over you and presence with you. Not what you do for God but what God does for you—that’s the agenda for rejoicing.”
21 At that, Jesus rejoiced, exuberant in the Holy Spirit. “I thank you, Father, Master of heaven and earth, that you hid these things from the know-it-alls and showed them to these innocent newcomers. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.
22 “I’ve been given it all by my Father! Only the Father knows who the Son is and only the Son knows who the Father is. The Son can introduce the Father to anyone he wants to.”
23-24 He then turned in a private aside to his disciples. “Fortunate the eyes that see what you’re seeing! There are plenty of prophets and kings who would have given their right arm to see what you are seeing but never got so much as a glimpse, to hear what you are hearing but never got so much as a whisper.”
Defining “Neighbor”
25 Just then a religion scholar stood up with a question to test Jesus. “Teacher, what do I need to do to get eternal life?”
26 He answered, “What’s written in God’s Law? How do you interpret it?”
27 He said, “That you love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence—and that you love your neighbor as well as you do yourself.”
28 “Good answer!” said Jesus. “Do it and you’ll live.”
29 Looking for a loophole, he asked, “And just how would you define ‘neighbor’?”
30-32 Jesus answered by telling a story. “There was once a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way he was attacked by robbers. They took his clothes, beat him up, and went off leaving him half-dead. Luckily, a priest was on his way down the same road, but when he saw him he angled across to the other side. Then a Levite religious man showed up; he also avoided the injured man.
33-35 “A Samaritan traveling the road came on him. When he saw the man’s condition, his heart went out to him. He gave him first aid, disinfecting and bandaging his wounds. Then he lifted him onto his donkey, led him to an inn, and made him comfortable. In the morning he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take good care of him. If it costs any more, put it on my bill—I’ll pay you on my way back.’
36 “What do you think? Which of the three became a neighbor to the man attacked by robbers?”
37 “The one who treated him kindly,” the religion scholar responded.
Jesus said, “Go and do the same.”
Mary and Martha
38-40 As they continued their travel, Jesus entered a village. A woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him feel quite at home. She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said. But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen. Later, she stepped in, interrupting them. “Master, don’t you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand.”
41-42 The Master said, “Martha, dear Martha, you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it’s the main course, and won’t be taken from her.”
Luke 10
Revised Geneva Translation
10 After these things, the Lord also appointed seventy others and sent them, two by two, before Him into every city and place where He Himself would come.
2 And He said to them, “The harvest is great, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray the Lord of the Harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.
3 “Go your ways. Behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.
4 “Carry no money bag, nor sack, nor shoes, and greet no one on the way.
5 “And into whatever house you enter, say first, ‘Peace to this house.’
6 “And if a son of peace is there, your peace shall rest upon him. If not, it shall return to you again.
7 “And remain in that same house, eating and drinking what they give. For the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house.
8 “But into whatever city you shall enter, if they receive you, eat what is set before you,
9 “and heal the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The Kingdom of God has come near to you.’
10 “But in whatever city you enter, if they will not receive you, go out into the streets of that city, and say,
11 “‘Even the very dust of your city, which clings to us, we wipe off against you. Nevertheless, know this: that the Kingdom of God has come near to you.’
12 “For I say to you that it shall be easier on that Day for those of Sodom, than for that city.
13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles which have been done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
14 “Therefore it shall be easier for Tyre and Sidon at the Judgment than for you.
15 “And you, Capernaum, who is exalted to Heaven, shall be thrust down to Hades.
16 “The one who hears you, hears Me. And the one who despises you, despises Me. And the one who despises Me, despises Him Who sent Me.”
17 And the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us through Your Name!”
18 And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall down, like lightning, from Heaven.
19 “Behold, I give you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. And nothing shall hurt you.
20 “Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this: that the spirits obey you. But rather, rejoice because your names are written in Heaven.”
21 That same hour, Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit, and said, “I confess to You, Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, because it so pleased You.
22 “All things are given to Me by My Father. And no one knows Who the Son is, except the Father; nor Who the Father is, except the Son and him to whom the Son wishes to reveal Him.”
23 And He turned to His disciples, and said secretly, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.
24 “For I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which you see and have not seen them; and to hear those things which you hear, and have not heard them.”
25 Then behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tempted Him, saying, “Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”
27 And he answered and said, “You shall love your Lord God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your thought, and your neighbor as yourself.”
28 Then He said to him, “You have answered right. Do this, and you shall live.”
29 But he, wishing to justify himself, said to Jesus, “Who, then, is my neighbor?”
30 And Jesus answered, and said, “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among thieves. And they robbed him of his clothes and wounded him and departed, leaving him half-dead.
31 “Now by chance, a certain priest came down that same way. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 “And likewise, a Levite, when he had come near the place, went and looked, and passed by on the other side.
33 “Then a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came near him. And when he saw him, he had compassion on him.
34 “And he went to him and bound up his wounds and poured in oil and wine. And he put him on his own beast and brought him to an Inn and made provision for him.
35 “And the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, and gave them to the host, and said to him, ‘Take care of him. And whatever more you spend I will repay when I return.’
36 “Now, which of these three do you think was a neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”
37 And he said, “The one who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go, and do likewise.”
38 Now it happened that as they went, He entered into a certain town. And a certain woman named Martha received Him into her house.
39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard His preaching.
40 But Martha was distracted by much serving. And she came to Him, and said, “Master, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore, command her to help me.”
41 And Jesus answered, and said to her, “Martha, Martha. You are anxious and troubled about many things.
42 “But one thing is needed, Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
© 2019, 2024 by Five Talents Audio. All rights reserved.