Chapter 10

The topic of discipleship continues in this chapter

The Seventy

In chapter 9 we began with the sending of the 12 into the ministry of witness and proclamation that the kingdom of God had come near. In this chapter, Jesus sends out 70 disciples. They are sent out with the same instructions. They were to preceded Jesus in the various locations. For those in the church who bemoan the fact that everything is done by a small group of people, Jesus acknowledges the presence of that same dilemma. He says, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

They are given the same instruction to stay with those who are people of peace and who will have you, eating and drinking anything that they put in front of them. This is a big point, given the fact that these were Jews being sent out. The question of kosher had to enter their thinking. What if the house isn’t kosher? Jesus said, “eat and drink what is set before you.” They are given the same instruction to cure the sick and to say that they Kingdom of God has come near. Likewise they are instructed to shake the dust of that town off of their feet if they are rejected. Whether acceptance or rejection, however, the message is the same, “the kingdom of God has come near you.”

On rejection

Jesus turns to the “woes”. In many instances the “woes” are opposed to the “blessed are. . .” statements. The first is Chorazin and Bethsaida, and Capernaum. These are Jewish cities. One can conjecture from the placement of this text that these are cities that rejected the message and had the dust of their towns shaken off though these no account of the incidents. It appears that these are examples of Jewish towns that were given the message and said, “No thanks.” Jesus turns to the examples of Tyre and Sidon, which are clearly gentile communities. Jesus makes the example that if these deeds and message of Jesus had been given there, they would have repented and been turned to the right way. The judgment of rejection will be easier for those places that didn’t know than for those who should have known better and turned it away.

Rejection is a difficult matter, one that often causes people to stop before they begin bearing witness. Jesus lends a word of encouragement. He expresses complete solidarity with the disciples. Whoever listens to you listens to me, whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.” Jesus becomes one with his disciples and his disciples therefore become one with God. What happens to them does not go unnoticed or unattended. Disciples are sent out disarmed as “sheep among wolves,” with God as their defense and their provider.

The Seventy Return

Like the return of the 12 these 70 have found out the power of being sent out in Jesus’ name. They have found that they have power over the powers of darkness, “even the demons submit to us.”

The reference in verse 18 to the fall of Satan from heaven is a reference to one of the books of the Bible that did not get picked up when the canon of scriptures was being set. The book is called Enoch. In this book, common in Jesus day, was the account of the fall of Satan and the other angels that rebelled against God’s authority. The citation in this account records God’s power over all the forces that rebel against divine authority. Jesus, as God in human flesh had authority over the powers of darkness, and Jesus gave that authority to his disciples also. Yet, that power is not the central focus. Power is not the point. Entrance into the kingdom of God is the point. The important element in discipleship is not the power or authority but the connection to Jesus.

The Hidden Things

Jesus prays a thanksgiving prayer for the revelation of the secrets of God (Christ incarnate) to the little ones of the world and not to the wise or the great. This is related to that element of Mary’s Song, the Magnificat that we saw at the beginning of the Gospel of Luke. This is related to God bringing down the mighty from their thrones and lifting up the lowly. It takes special eyes to see and ears to hear the secret of God in human flesh and blood. It takes a special revelation to see God present in the dying Messiah, not in power or glory, but in taking the cross on behalf of the world. That which is hidden will be revealed and to all, the weak and the powerful, but it will be revealed in God’s time and in God’s way. The secret will be let out of the bag as the world sees Jesus crucified and raised from the dead. Then everything will be in the open in the way that God wants it. Jesus will then be fully revealed. Revelation, however, is God’s to give to whom he will give it. Those who have eyes to see it and ears to hear it will be blessed. Jesus turns the disciples in the right direction when he says, “blessed are the eyes that see what you see!” They have the secret living and revealing right in front of their own eyes. This is the revelation that the prophets would have given anything to see.

What Must I do?

A lawyer, one who knows the law completely approaches Jesus. What must I do to inherit eternal life. Jesus directs him to the Torah, however, not the plethora of laws governing the host of daily tasks. Jesus directs him to the heart of the law, the great central focus, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all you mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” Love of God first, and then neighbor is the core. Immediately the lawyers attention is drawn to self justification, “who is my neighbor?” This is, in fact, the sticking point of the controversy that circulates around Jesus and the Pharisees. Who is my neighbor? The burning question finds its difficult answer in Jesus story. Neighbors have no boundaries. There are no limits. This is spoken in the context of those that the Torah seemingly separated out as unclean and unfit for the kingdom, that entire category of “sinners.”

The focus of the parable of the Good Samaritan opens these distinctions.

1. First, the Priest: This is an official of the faith. This man looks at the bleeding and dying man and walks across the street. It would be easy to write this off as callous, however, the law would forbid this priest to go back to his duties if he came in contact with the wounded man. Contact with blood is forbidden. By the law, he would have to go through the ritual cleansing before he could return to his duties.

2. Second, the Levite: This is a man in the same position. As a worker in the temple he would have to go through the rituals of cleansing before he could return to his duties.

These two were following the precepts of the law. They saw their roles as central and would not damage their ability to full them.

3. The Samaritan: This is one of those considered to the “unclean,” an enemy of Judaism for centuries. The Jewish/Samaritan conflict goes back to the generation of kings following Solomon when the kingdom divided. Yet, this man reached out in compassion. This man cleaned and dressed the wounds. This man gave shelter from his own pocket and guaranteed payment if anything else was necessary.

The question remains, who is the good neighbor? Who is the one who truly fulfilled God’s calling? Who really understands God’s expectations for the world? Jesus reveals that mercy lay at the basis of the law, not mere obedience. The Torah is about love of God, and love of neighbor. Real obedience to the law focuses love, not elsewhere.

Focus in the Right Place

The story of Mary and Martha exemplifies this further. Martha is not just involved in busy work. Martha is fulfilling the law of hospitality and truly doesn’t understand why Mary isn’t doing what is expected by the law. Jesus redirects Martha away from the law to bring her into relationship with him instead. Mary’s place at the feet of Jesus, learning from him is the place of the disciple. Discipleship is not governed by the law, but by relationship with Jesus.