Jesus Speaking With His Disciples, Luke 9:57-10:24

Ch. 9:57-58
"And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto Him, Lord, I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head."

     In verse 38, Jesus is showing the man the reality of a commitment to Himself, probably because the man's heart was not totally ready for a full commitment. Jesus sees through our promises, no matter how sincere we think they are, and sees right down into our hearts. Thus He deals with the heart of the issue, not necessarily with what we say or do.

Ch. 9:59-60
"And He said unto another, Follow Me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God."

     This sounds cruel and harsh, but in fact nothing is to come before our commitment to Christ, not even burying our dead relatives. Jesus said this to call the man to the stark reality of the urgency of commitment to Him. "Let the dead bury their dead" refers to the spiritually dead burying the physically dead. It is analagous to those who do not have a calling on their lives performing the menial tasks, and believers having their hearts and lives focused on God's plans.

Ch. 9:61-62
"And another also said, Lord, I will follow Thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

     Again, Jesus is drawing the man's focus to the urgency of a full commitment to Himself. Also, the man's wanting to go back shows that he had a longing for and sadness at having to leave his past life. He was not fully surrendered. Such a man would be sure to stumble; his life would not be a straight path down that road to which God would call him.

Ch. 9:62
"And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

     This verse typically is thought of as referring to a longing for and love for your past life (a positive thinking of), that life lived without Christ. But it can also refer to looking back at what you were without Christ and condemning yourself (a negative dwelling upon), thus not being able to move forward in the new life that you have been granted in Christ.

Ch. 10:1-2
"After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before His face into every city and place, whither He Himself would come. Therefore said He unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth labourers into His harvest."

     The laborers must be sent of God. To pray that God would send forth laborers is to be in agreement with His will (as it is stated in His word), and this such a prayer will definitely be answered affirmatively. God is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to everlasting life in Him, Christ Jesus.

Ch. 10:3-6
"Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves. Carry neither purse, nor scrip [bag], no shoes: and salute no man by the way. And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again."

     The urgency of the mission to which Christ was leading them did not allow for the usual eloborate greetings that they might perform upon encountering someone by the way. The term "son of peace" was a Hebrew idiom meaning "a peaceful man". I suppose that this verse might imply that if the house you were entering was not one of peace, but of strife and such, that you would not have a peace about staying in such a house.

Ch. 10:7-8
"And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house. And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you."

     We are not to feel guilty or embarrassed or ashamed when people give to us, for the work we are doing for the kingdom of God has "earned" in a sense our wages, the provision of God through others. And they themselves will be blessed in giving, so not to receive what they give would hinder their own blessings. Too, we ought not to be picky about what people share with us. Accept the gifts they give thankfully.

Ch. 10:10-15
"But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say, Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city. Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell."

     Those who are rejecting the witnesses of Christ are foolishly rejecting the very kingdom of God, which was brought to them through the witnesses of Christ. Those who reject Christ, especially those Jewish cities to which Jesus refers, will experience a great judgement, seeing as how they had the law the the prophets to point them to Christ and yet they did not believe. Jesus said that in the day of judgement it will be more tolerable for the wicked Gentile cities, those peoples whom the Jews reviled, as even they would have repented at the coming of the kingdom of God.
     This saying no doubt infuriated the Jews, yet they did not see and apply the message in it: Repent and turn back to God. Thus cities such as Capernaum, which exalted themselves in pride, thinking themselves righteous because of their superficial keeping of the law, would in actuality be thrust down to hell. Their pride and arrogance blinded them from seeing their need for their Messiah, and thus they would perish ultimately.

Ch. 10:16
"He that heareth you heareth Me; and he that despiseth you despiseth Me; and he that despiseth Me despiseth Him that sent Me."

     As Christians, we are simply representatives of Christ; we are not out to promote our own agendas or change people into our own image or likeness. Rather, our main goal in life is to call people to Christ, and to point people toward Him that they may be saved. And as such representatives, when we happen upon persecution and ridicule for our witness, it is not we ourselves who are being reviled, but Christ, for the message we preach is not our own but is of Him. Not only so, but they are indeed reviling God Himself, for the message which Christ preached is the message of God: Turn from sin and believe in Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who came to take away the sin of the world.

Ch. 10:17-20
"And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through Thy name. And He said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven."

     The disciples that had been sent out earlier in chapter 10 now returned and gave their report to Jesus. They were absolutely thrilled that they had power over demons, to cast them out of people. But Jesus didn't seem too excited about the matter. Instead He seems to drift off in a memory, thinking back to when He saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. The power of Satan had been broken already-- the power over the enemy that the 70 disciples possessed was proof of this. Jesus goes on to encourage them not to rejoice over their power over the enemy, but that their names are written in heaven. God wants us not to rejoice over the earthly benefits of being His children so much as He wants us to glory in Jesus for making available to us so great a salvation.

Ch. 10:21
"In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in Thy sight."

     God overlooks those who think themselves worthy, who consider themselves righteous, and who hold themselves in high esteem. Rather, He reveals Himself to those who are lowly and humble, who call upon Him, trusting in His mercy and grace. Those who are pridefuly and lofty are reminiscent of Lucifer, who decided he would be like the Most High, and thus committed the first sin in all creation: Pride.

Ch. 10:22
"All things are delivered to Me of My Father: and so no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal Him."

     It is through Jesus Christ alone that man may come to know God. Jesus said, "I Am the way, the truth, and the life; no man comes to the Father but by Me." (John 14:6)

Ch. 10:23-24
"And He turned Him unto His disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them."

     There truly is no time as this in all of history where God has abundantly poured out His Spirit upon all flesh. He is willing to fill any and all who call on His name with His Spirit, and to bestow upon us grace upon grace and mercy unfathomable as He washes the stain of sin from our lives in the pure and holy blood of Jesus Christ. There have been may who looked forward to the coming of the Messiah, but all passed on without seeing the fulfillment of that which they prophecied about. But we, His church, His bride, are the fulfillment of the promises given long ago. How blessed are we to live in such a time and to experience the love that God has promised to lavish upon His people from the beginning of time in paying for their sins and setting them free from the sentence of eternal destruction!