Luke 10

1. After this, the Lord chose 72 others. He sent them out two by two. He sent them ahead of him into every town and place where He planned to go.

One prays while the other shares God’s message. We go by twos because there are no super Christians who do not need someone to go with them!

2. He said to them, “There are a great many people to harvest. But there are only a few workers to harvest them. God owns the harvest. Pray to God that He will send more workers to help gather His harvest.

As the world goes down into more evil men are seeing that they are trapped and are ready to listen more than ever before. This is why we need to be full of God’s Word and ready to share it. God is the One who changes them, He sends us to prepare the way! What is the reason there are not more workers?

3. You can go now. But listen! I am sending you, and you will be like sheep among wolves.

The devil attacks us all day with anything that will get our minds off of the Lord. If we listen to demonic thoughts it will kill everything good. Sheep cannot fight against wolves. Wolves sometimes hurt sheep just for fun. Our best way to fight is to listen to what Jesus says. This makes our enemy wonder what is going on.
 For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are being killed like sheep. Romans 8:36

4 – 7

Do not carry a purse, a bag, or sandals. Do not stop to talk with people on the road. Before you go into a house, say, ‘Peace be with this house.’ If a peaceful man lives there, your blessing of peace will stay with him. If the man is not peaceful, then your blessing of peace will come back to you. Stay in the same house. Eat and drink what the people there give you. A worker should be given his pay. Do not move from house to house.

We trust God for everything we need. He would not send us and then forget to make sure we have what we need! The Lord will send people to you! You never know when they are coming so stay fresh in the Word! There is such a thing as the spirit of a home!

8 – 11

If you go into a town and the people welcome you, eat what they give you. Heal the sick who live there. Tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is soon coming to you!’ But if you go into a town, and the people do not welcome you, then go out into the streets of that town. Say to them, ‘Even the dirt from your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. But remember that the kingdom of God has come near to you.’

People do not want to come close to God but He has come to them. We bring healing and after that it is their decision what to do with Jesus. We do not want the dirty things that the world has to stick to us.

12 – 15

I tell you, on the Judgment Day it will be worse for the people of that town than for the people of Sodom.
“How terrible for you, Korazin! How terrible for you, Bethsaida! I did many miracles in you. If those same miracles had happened in Tyre and Sidon, those people would have changed their lives and stopped sinning long ago.

They would have worn rough cloth and put ashes on themselves to show that they had changed. But on the Judgment Day it will be worse for you than for Tyre and Sidon. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? No! You will be thrown down to the depths!

Men will not be in trouble for things they did not know about. They will be judged for the things that they knew but did not do anything about. These towns were destroyed long ago and have not been rebuilt.

But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been trusted with much, even more will be required. Luke 12:48

16. “He who listens to you is really listening to Me. He who refuses to accept you is really refusing to accept Me. And he who refuses to accept Me is refusing to accept the One who sent Me.”

God’s Spirit lives in us and the world cannot stand to be near Him. We should not take this as against us but we understand that just being close to some people makes them uncomfortable because the spirit that is in them is against Jesus.

17. When the 72 men came back from their trip, they were very happy. They said, “Lord, even the demons obeyed us when we used your name!”

We see that Judas was with them and also had faith for sending demons away. This shows us that God’s power can be used in the wrong way.
18 – 20

Jesus said to the men, “I saw Satan falling like lightning from the sky. Listen! I gave you power to walk on snakes and scorpions. I gave you more power than the enemy has. Nothing will hurt you. You should be happy, but not because the spirits obey you. You should be happy because your names are written in heaven.”

Demons will put on a big show of strange things that they do. Do not allow this and do not be amazed by it. Demons pretend that we do not have power over them. The amazing thing is that we could be living in so much evil but we have been covered by the blood of Jesus into a changed life!

We cannot die until we are done doing the job God gave us to do. Is being saved enough for you or do you feel that you cannot be happy without something more?

21. Then the Holy Spirit made Jesus rejoice in the Spirit. He said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the people who are wise and smart. But you have shown them to those who are like little children. Yes, Father, you did this because this is what you really wanted.

We see that there is such a thing as having joy in our Spirit. Nobody else knows about this joy but it is a secret place between you and God.
From the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have perfect praise! Psalm 8:2

22. “My Father has given Me all things. No one knows the Son, only the Father knows. And only the Son knows the Father. The only people who will know about the Father are those whom the Son chooses to tell.”

The Lord will bring people to know the truth by His Spirit. Men can push away His Spirit and decide they want their own way but God knocks on the door!

23 – 24
Then Jesus turned to his followers and said privately, “You are blessed to see what you now see! I tell you, many prophets and kings wanted to see what you now see. But they did not see these things. And many prophets and kings wanted to hear what you now hear. But they did not hear these things.”

This Gospel was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you. 1 Peter 1:10

25. Then a teacher of the law stood up. He was trying to test Jesus. He said, “Teacher, what must I do to get life forever?”

This man was not looking for a real answer. Do not waste your time with people who are testing you. Give them an answer to think about and leave it at that.

Answer a fool as his folly deserves, that he not be wise in his own eyes. Proverbs 26:5

26 – 27

Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” The man answered, “Love the Lord your God. Love him with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.” Also, “You must love your neighbor as you love yourself.”

People like to argue about religion and what are the most important things men should do. If we just treat people the same way that we like to be treated then we would see what this means!
Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the main idea of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. Matthew 7:12

28. Jesus said to him, “Your answer is right. Do this and you will live in this way.

Jesus shows this man that his answer is correct but he is not living this way.

29. But the man wanted to show that the way he was living was right. So he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

The question is not, “Who is my neighbor” but who can I be a true neighbor to? Anyone who needs help is my neighbor.

30 – 32

To answer this question, Jesus said, “A man was going down the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. Some robbers attacked him. They tore off his clothes and beat him. Then they left him lying there, almost dead.

It happened that a Jewish priest was going down that road. When the priest saw the man, he walked by on the other side of the road. Next, a Levite came there. He went over and looked at the man. Then he walked by on the other side of the road.

This road was known to be a bad place where evil men were waiting to rob people. When did the Old Testament ever say not to help people? How could a person who works in God’s service ever think that they can turn their back on somebody just because they do not believe the same way?

33. Then a Samaritan traveling down the road came to where the hurt man was lying. He saw the man and felt very sorry for him.

The Pharisees called Jesus a hated Samaritan so He allowed Himself to be called this and showed that even Samaritans can do the right thing when others do not. John 8:48 The followers had just said that they would like to call down fire on the Samaritans.

34 – 35

The Samaritan went to him and poured olive oil and wine on his wounds and bandaged them. He put the hurt man on his own donkey and took him to an inn. At the inn, the Samaritan took care of him.

The next day, the Samaritan brought out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. The Samaritan said, ‘Take care of this man. If you spend more money on him, I will pay it back to you when I come again.’”

This man was willing to help even if it cost him something. He was doing what he hoped people would do for him if he was found lying in the road and robbed.

36 – 37

Then Jesus said, “Which one of these three men do you think was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by the robbers?” The teacher of the law answered, “The one who helped him.” Jesus said to him, “Then go and do the same thing he did!”

The Jews would not even say the word “Samaritan.”

38. While Jesus and his followers were traveling, Jesus went into a town. A woman named Martha let Jesus stay at her house.

Are you ready for a surprise visit from Jesus and His helpers?

39 – 40

Martha had a sister named Mary. Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening to him teach. Martha became angry because she had so much work to do. She went in and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me alone to do all the work? Tell her to help me!”

Martha was looking at Mary instead of looking at Jesus. If you are so busy in the ministry so that you are having bad thoughts about others than you are too busy!

41 – 42

But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are getting worried and upset about too many things. Only one thing is important. Mary has chosen the right thing, and it will never be taken away from her.”

What we do with Christ is more important than what we do for Christ.