Luk 10 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Luke 10:1-20: 10:1-20 The Lord now chose seventy-two: The mission of the Twelve (9:1-6 ) represented Jesus’ ministry to Israel; this mission represented his outreach to the Gentiles. The number 72 represents the nations of the world. Genesis 10 lists 70 nations in the Hebrew text, but the Septuagint—the Greek Old Testament—lists 72. Luke, who used the Septuagint, probably wrote 72, and then a later scribe “corrected” the text to agree with the Hebrew. The point is that the Good News is for both Jews and Gentiles.

Summary for Luke 10:1-20: 10:1-20 ^a The Lord now chose seventy-two: The mission of the Twelve (9:1-6 ^b) represented Jesus’ ministry to Israel; this mission represented his outreach to the Gentiles. The number 72 represents the nations of the world. Genesis 10 ^c lists 70 nations in the Hebrew text, but the Septuagint—the Greek Old Testament—lists 72. Luke, who used the Septuagint, probably wrote 72, and then a later scribe “corrected” the text to agree with the Hebrew. The point is that the Good News is for both Jews and Gentiles.
10:2 ^d The harvest refers to people who need to hear the Good News and be gathered to God’s presence (cp. Isa 27:12 ^e). There was urgency to the task, just as crops have to be brought in at the exact time when they are ripe. More workers were needed.
10:3 ^f lambs among wolves: Jesus’ followers are not to dominate others, but to sacrifice themselves for the benefit of others. This makes them vulnerable (see Jer 5:6 ^g; Ezek 22:27 ^h; Hab 1:8 ⁱ; Zeph 3:3 ^j), but the Good Shepherd (Ps 23:1 ^k) protects them from the wolves.
10:4 ^l Don’t take any money with you: Cp. 9:3 ^m. Jesus’ disciples were to depend on God and on the help of those whom they served.

• don’t stop to greet anyone on the road: This did not mean being antisocial, but staying focused on the task Jesus had given them.
10:5 ⁿ God’s peace means spiritual blessings and wholeness, the shalom of God (see study note on 8:48).
10:7 ^o Don’t move around from home to home: See study note on 9:4.

• because those who work deserve their pay: Those who minister for Jesus should receive compensation from those they serve (see also 1 Cor 9:14 ^p; 1 Tim 5:18 ^q).
10:9 ^r The same mission was given to the Twelve (see 9:1 ^s).

• Heal the sick: Healing was a sign of salvation (Isa 29:18-19 ^t; 35:5 ^u); it was physical evidence that the Kingdom of God was present (see study note on Luke 7:22).
10:11 ^v See study note on 9:5.
10:12 ^w God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of their wickedness (Gen 18:16–19:29 ^x).
10:13 ^y Korazin and Bethsaida, two of the towns in which Jesus ministered, were located on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee.

• Tyre and Sidon were Gentile cities in Phoenicia, on the Mediterranean coast north of Galilee. The prophets had pronounced messages of judgment against their wickedness (Isa 23 ^z; Ezek 28 ^aa).
10:15 ^ab Capernaum was Jesus’ base of operations during his Galilean ministry; this town saw many of his miracles (see 4:31-41 ^ac).

• to the place of the dead: Though Capernaum was blessed by the Messiah’s presence, it would be judged for its pride and rejection of Jesus.
10:18 ^ad I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning! See Rev 12:7-12 ^ae.
10:19 ^af Snakes and scorpions were symbols of danger and evil (see Num 21:6-9 ^ag; Deut 8:15 ^ah; 1 Kgs 12:14 ^ai; Isa 11:8 ^aj; Ezek 2:6 ^ak). Satan is the ancient serpent who tempted Eve (Gen 3:15 ^al; Rom 16:20 ^am; Rev 12:9 ^an; 20:2 ^ao), and demonic forces are described as scorpions (Rev 9:3-4 ^ap).

• Nothing will injure you: This didn’t mean that Jesus’ followers should take dangerous chances. The point is that God protects his servants (e.g., Acts 28:3-6 ^aq).
10:20 ^ar Disciples should not rejoice in their spiritual power, but in the greatness of God who freely gives them salvation.

• your names are registered in heaven: For the record of salvation in heaven’s books, see Exod 32:32-33 ^as; Ps 69:28 ^at; Isa 4:3 ^au; Dan 12:1 ^av; Mal 3:16-17 ^aw; Phil 4:3 ^ax; Heb 12:23 ^ay; Rev 3:5 ^az; 13:8 ^ba; 17:8 ^bb; 20:12 ^bc, 15 ^bd; 21:27 ^be.
10:21 ^bf hiding these things: God uses simple things that a child can understand to shame those who think themselves wise but are foolish in God’s eyes (see Isa 29:14 ^bg; 1 Cor 1:18-31 ^bh).
10:22 ^bi The Father and the Son share an intimate relationship. Jesus came to earth to reveal the Father to a lost world (see John 1:1-18 ^bj).
10:23 ^bk that see what you have seen: The disciples witnessed the arrival of God’s promised salvation, the inauguration of the Kingdom of God.
10:25 ^bl an expert in religious law: See study note on 5:17.
10:27 ^bm You must love the Lord your God: Jesus identified Deut 6:5 ^bn and Lev 19:18 ^bo as the two greatest commandments (Mark 12:28-34 ^bp). Deuteronomy 6:5 ^bq is part of the prayer known as the Shema, which every Jew was to repeat daily.
10:28 ^br Do this and you will live! Jesus was not suggesting that people would be saved by their works; rather, such love expresses genuine faith and devotion to the Lord.
10:29 ^bs who is my neighbor? A neighbor, in this context, was normally identified as a fellow Israelite.
Summary for Luke 10:30-37: 10:30-37 ^bt Jesus’ parable shows that true neighbors love even their enemies (10:29 ^bu). Authentic spirituality is not based on ethnic identity or religious associations, but on love for God and for others. 10:30 ^bv The road from Jerusalem down to Jericho dropped 3,300 feet (1,000 meters) through rugged terrain where robbers often lay in wait for travelers.
10:31 ^bw a priest: Priests were descendants of Aaron from the tribe of Levi (Exod 28:1-3 ^bx). They served in the Temple and offered sacrifices to God.

• passed him by: A priest or a Levite became unclean and unable to serve in the Temple if he touched a dead body. This priest was unwilling to risk ritual impurity by helping a person in desperate trouble.
10:32 ^by A Temple assistant (literally a Levite): Levites were members of the tribe of Levi. They were not given a tribal homeland in Israel but were dedicated to God (Num 3:41 ^bz, 45 ^ca; 8:18 ^cb; 35:2-3 ^cc; Deut 18:1 ^cd; Josh 14:3 ^ce) as assistants to the priests in the service of the Temple.
10:33 ^cf a despised Samaritan: This reversal in the story must have left the listeners aghast. Jews and Samaritans hated each other (see 9:52-53 ^cg; 17:16 ^ch; John 4:4-42 ^ci). After the Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom of Israel, Assyrian colonists intermarried with Israelites left in Samaria; these inhabitants became known as Samaritans. After the Judeans returned from Babylon, conflict arose between the Jews and the Samaritans (Ezra 4:1-24 ^cj), who built a rival temple on Mount Gerizim and used their own version of the Pentateuch (Genesis—Deuteronomy) as their Scripture. Hatred between the two increased dramatically when the Jewish king John Hyrcanus attacked the Samaritans and destroyed the temple on Mount Gerizim (about 128 BC). In this context of mutual animosity, no first-century Jew would expect a despised Samaritan to help a wounded Jew. But in God’s Kingdom, a despised foreigner becomes a helping neighbor!
10:34 ^ck Oil soothed the wound; wine was a disinfectant.
Summary for Luke 10:38-42: 10:38-42 ^cl Martha ... Mary and their brother Lazarus were good friends of Jesus who lived in Bethany, east of Jerusalem (see John 11:1 ^cm).
10:39 ^cn Mary ... sat at the Lord’s feet in the position of a disciple (cp. Acts 22:3 ^co). Rabbis did not usually have female disciples.
10:40 ^cp Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing: Hospitality was valued highly, and Martha was fulfilling the expected role of a woman. She was frustrated that Mary was not.
10:42 ^cq There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it: Jesus’ words were shocking. Women were expected to serve domestically and were forbidden to learn as disciples from a rabbi. Jesus validated Mary’s desire to be his disciple.