After
these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two
before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. 2 Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are
few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His
harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. 4 Carry neither money bag,
knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road. 5 But whatever house you enter,
first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not,
it will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as
they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to
house.
8 Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as
are set before you. 9 And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has
come near to you.’ 10 But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out
into its streets and say, 11 ‘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
you.’ 12 But I say to you that it will be
more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city. 13 “Woe to you,
Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you
had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in
sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it
will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, who are
exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades. 16 He who
hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me
rejects Him who sent Me.”
Commentary
Vs. 1 “After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.”
Now the Lord Jesus Christ makes His finial appeal to Israel while He Himself is journeying to fulfill His destiny with His own Crucifixion death at Jerusalem. Now to do this He sends out seventy messengers, sending them out, two by two to go before His face in every city and every place where He Himself was about to go. And so, they were sent to announce Jesus’ coming to them. Those people and places then that received them would be availing themselves to His salvation, and later likely receive His Holy Spirit Baptism, after His Resurrection from the Dead and Ascension back to God in heaven, when they believed in Him having done all these things. However, those people or locations that did not now receive Him now through His messengers would have no other recourse, for when God sends His messengers to offer peace in and through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ and He is rejected there is no other recourse for that person or that location.
Vs. 2 Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.
Now in sending the seventy out the Lord Jesus Christ first tells them that the harvest of souls is greater than them and all their efforts to reach them, therefore they (and we) are to always pray to the Lord of the harvest that He send out laborers into His harvest. For truly the harvest is great and ongoing and no one then should ever think that their person, or their ministry, or their church has the exclusive right or privilege or enablement and blessing of God for the work. For the work is always ongoing, and as the population steadily increases, so does the need for more and more workers in it.
Vs. 3 “Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.”
Jesus in sending them (and us) out He warns that He is sending us out as lambs among wolves. We should not then presume upon anyone, or anyplace, either receiving us, or treating us well.
Vs. 4 “Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.”
Because of the urgency of their mission, Jesus told them to carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and too greet no one along the road.” For if they were well provided for, they would’ve lost their sense of urgency, and very likely settled into fixed and comfortable routines wherever they went. And so, having no money bag meant that they could not afford to take up their own residence in whatever places they went. Same with not carrying a knapsack or having extra sandals, they were not given any sort of means of “self-reliance” by which they could extend (and thus lesson the urgency) of their mission. For they were to be provided for by those who received them, and thus were going to supply them with their food and temporary lodgings and such things as they needed as they went. For again, they were to be singularly focused on their declaration of the Lord Jesus Christ coming to that person, house, or location, and thus once done they were to move onto the next person or place. Because they were all doing so in preparation for the Lord Jesus Christ’s unveiling at Jerusalem. That Jesus told them to greet no one along the road means that while they traveled, they were not to get caught up in the long-winded greetings common then, nor were they to engage themselves in meaningless chatter with those along the way who only wanted to chatter. And so yes, they were to be courteous and polite to all they met, however they were not to become distracted from their mission by those who only wanted to socialize with them (consider 1 Kings 13).
Vs. 5-6 5 But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.
Jesus now tells them that upon entering a house they were to announce “Peace to this house” meaning peace to those of it, because they (and we) are coming in the Name of the Prince of Peace Jesus Christ who offers peace to one and to all who receive Him. Now if a son of peace is there Jesus tell us that our peace will rest on it. But if not, it will return to us. For it is a Spiritual reality that those who are truly sons and daughters of peace will find peace with our being around them, and those who are not, will not. For we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other we are the fragrance of life leading to life (2 Cor. 2:14-16). And so, either our offer of peace with God through Jesus Christ we will be either received or it will be rejected, for there is no “neutrality” with God.
Vs. 7 “And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house.”
Jesus says here that if a household receives them, they are to stay with it, until they depart from that region, eating and drinking whatever things are set before them, “for the laborer is worthy of his wages.” And thus they are to make no demands upon their hosts. Now Jesus also says that they are not to go from house to house; and thus, go looking for better accommodations, or more generous hosts.
Vs. 8-9 8 Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. 9 And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
Again, the same principal applies to their entering a city and they find that they are received there, they are to eat such things that are set before them. Thus, if they are served meat, eat meat, or if they are served vegetable, eat vegetables (vs. 8). The point is to be gracious and not turn ones nose up at what is offered them by their hosts, for their hosts are receiving them in Christ’s Name. And thus, in receiving them, they are showing themselves as willing to receive Him. Now when a city receives them Jesus tells them to heal the sick there, (like the Apostle Paul did when He was received on the island of Malta, see Acts 28:1-10). And thus, when a city receives them, and they heal the sick there, they are to say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ So that they know that what has been done, was done by God for them, to reveal His Son to them.
Vs. 10-11 10 But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 11 ‘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 you.’
However Jesus tells them if they are not received by a city or town where they enter they are not to try to stay there, but rather they are to go out into its streets and say, “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 you.” Thus, they are to openly declare to them by their unwillingness to receive them they have missed their opportunity to receive the Kingdom of God for themselves! And thus, when that becomes evident neither they, nor we, should waste time and resources trying to reach those who have already rejected God, and or hardened themselves (or been hardened) towards Him (consider Psalm 119:118; John 12:40-50; Acts 19:9; Heb. 3:13 etc.).
Vs. 12-16 12 But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city. 13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades. 16 He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.”
The Lord Jesus Christ now pronounces woes on Chorazin and Bethsaida, the two cities where most of His mighty works and deeds were done, saying that if such things had been done in ancient Tyre and Sidon; two utterly Godless cities; they would’ve repented long ago sitting in sackcloth and ashes. Jesus Words than also must resonate with us today because we have many cities filled with churches which bear true witness to His Person and Name, and yet for the most part the people there, like those of Chorazin and Bethsaida, are basically living indifferent to their own eternal destinies! Therefore, Jesus warns them that it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you! Because Tyre and Sidon never had the chance to hear and see Jesus Christ, and thus see and hear all of God’s Words and deeds, nor were they given such an extended period of grace as we are now given in this era of the “time of the Gentiles.” The time of repentance then towards God and faith towards the Lord Jesus Christ is not “tomorrow” when it might be more “convenient”, or needful, it is right now while one can be reconciled to God! For even the great bustling city of Capernaum which was then exalted to heaven in its stature, will be by its own indifference to Him, be brought down to Hades, i.e. hell. Which is an ongoing theme running throughout the Word of God on the destinies of all people and places which were highly exalted in their own times and generations, but only lived and died indifferent to God and His Son and their need for Him, Therefore don’t delay be reconciled to God today (John 1:12-14, 16-17; 3:16; Cor. 5:21; Col. 1:19-23).
Vs. 16 “He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.”
Here the Lord Jesus Christ makes it plain and clear that those who hear us; who speak His Word in His Name; hear Him. But those who reject us who believe in Him and thus belong to Him, are rejecting Him. And those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ are rejecting God who sent Him! For you cannot separate God the Father and God the Son (1 John 2:22-23) just as you cannot separate God’s Redeemed people from Him or His Son (Matt. 28:18-20; John 10:27-30; Rom. 8:37-39; 2 Cor. 6:16; Eph. 1:3-22; 2:19-22; Heb. 13:5-6 etc.). Therefore, to reject one, is to reject the sum.
Commentary
Vs. 1 “After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.”
Now the Lord Jesus Christ makes His finial appeal to Israel while He Himself is journeying to fulfill His destiny with His own Crucifixion death at Jerusalem. Now to do this He sends out seventy messengers, sending them out, two by two to go before His face in every city and every place where He Himself was about to go. And so, they were sent to announce Jesus’ coming to them. Those people and places then that received them would be availing themselves to His salvation, and later likely receive His Holy Spirit Baptism, after His Resurrection from the Dead and Ascension back to God in heaven, when they believed in Him having done all these things. However, those people or locations that did not now receive Him now through His messengers would have no other recourse, for when God sends His messengers to offer peace in and through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ and He is rejected there is no other recourse for that person or that location.
Vs. 2 Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.
Now in sending the seventy out the Lord Jesus Christ first tells them that the harvest of souls is greater than them and all their efforts to reach them, therefore they (and we) are to always pray to the Lord of the harvest that He send out laborers into His harvest. For truly the harvest is great and ongoing and no one then should ever think that their person, or their ministry, or their church has the exclusive right or privilege or enablement and blessing of God for the work. For the work is always ongoing, and as the population steadily increases, so does the need for more and more workers in it.
Vs. 3 “Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.”
Jesus in sending them (and us) out He warns that He is sending us out as lambs among wolves. We should not then presume upon anyone, or anyplace, either receiving us, or treating us well.
Vs. 4 “Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.”
Because of the urgency of their mission, Jesus told them to carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and too greet no one along the road.” For if they were well provided for, they would’ve lost their sense of urgency, and very likely settled into fixed and comfortable routines wherever they went. And so, having no money bag meant that they could not afford to take up their own residence in whatever places they went. Same with not carrying a knapsack or having extra sandals, they were not given any sort of means of “self-reliance” by which they could extend (and thus lesson the urgency) of their mission. For they were to be provided for by those who received them, and thus were going to supply them with their food and temporary lodgings and such things as they needed as they went. For again, they were to be singularly focused on their declaration of the Lord Jesus Christ coming to that person, house, or location, and thus once done they were to move onto the next person or place. Because they were all doing so in preparation for the Lord Jesus Christ’s unveiling at Jerusalem. That Jesus told them to greet no one along the road means that while they traveled, they were not to get caught up in the long-winded greetings common then, nor were they to engage themselves in meaningless chatter with those along the way who only wanted to chatter. And so yes, they were to be courteous and polite to all they met, however they were not to become distracted from their mission by those who only wanted to socialize with them (consider 1 Kings 13).
Vs. 5-6 5 But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.
Jesus now tells them that upon entering a house they were to announce “Peace to this house” meaning peace to those of it, because they (and we) are coming in the Name of the Prince of Peace Jesus Christ who offers peace to one and to all who receive Him. Now if a son of peace is there Jesus tell us that our peace will rest on it. But if not, it will return to us. For it is a Spiritual reality that those who are truly sons and daughters of peace will find peace with our being around them, and those who are not, will not. For we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other we are the fragrance of life leading to life (2 Cor. 2:14-16). And so, either our offer of peace with God through Jesus Christ we will be either received or it will be rejected, for there is no “neutrality” with God.
Vs. 7 “And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house.”
Jesus says here that if a household receives them, they are to stay with it, until they depart from that region, eating and drinking whatever things are set before them, “for the laborer is worthy of his wages.” And thus they are to make no demands upon their hosts. Now Jesus also says that they are not to go from house to house; and thus, go looking for better accommodations, or more generous hosts.
Vs. 8-9 8 Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. 9 And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
Again, the same principal applies to their entering a city and they find that they are received there, they are to eat such things that are set before them. Thus, if they are served meat, eat meat, or if they are served vegetable, eat vegetables (vs. 8). The point is to be gracious and not turn ones nose up at what is offered them by their hosts, for their hosts are receiving them in Christ’s Name. And thus, in receiving them, they are showing themselves as willing to receive Him. Now when a city receives them Jesus tells them to heal the sick there, (like the Apostle Paul did when He was received on the island of Malta, see Acts 28:1-10). And thus, when a city receives them, and they heal the sick there, they are to say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ So that they know that what has been done, was done by God for them, to reveal His Son to them.
Vs. 10-11 10 But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 11 ‘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 you.’
However Jesus tells them if they are not received by a city or town where they enter they are not to try to stay there, but rather they are to go out into its streets and say, “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 you.” Thus, they are to openly declare to them by their unwillingness to receive them they have missed their opportunity to receive the Kingdom of God for themselves! And thus, when that becomes evident neither they, nor we, should waste time and resources trying to reach those who have already rejected God, and or hardened themselves (or been hardened) towards Him (consider Psalm 119:118; John 12:40-50; Acts 19:9; Heb. 3:13 etc.).
Vs. 12-16 12 But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city. 13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades. 16 He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.”
The Lord Jesus Christ now pronounces woes on Chorazin and Bethsaida, the two cities where most of His mighty works and deeds were done, saying that if such things had been done in ancient Tyre and Sidon; two utterly Godless cities; they would’ve repented long ago sitting in sackcloth and ashes. Jesus Words than also must resonate with us today because we have many cities filled with churches which bear true witness to His Person and Name, and yet for the most part the people there, like those of Chorazin and Bethsaida, are basically living indifferent to their own eternal destinies! Therefore, Jesus warns them that it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you! Because Tyre and Sidon never had the chance to hear and see Jesus Christ, and thus see and hear all of God’s Words and deeds, nor were they given such an extended period of grace as we are now given in this era of the “time of the Gentiles.” The time of repentance then towards God and faith towards the Lord Jesus Christ is not “tomorrow” when it might be more “convenient”, or needful, it is right now while one can be reconciled to God! For even the great bustling city of Capernaum which was then exalted to heaven in its stature, will be by its own indifference to Him, be brought down to Hades, i.e. hell. Which is an ongoing theme running throughout the Word of God on the destinies of all people and places which were highly exalted in their own times and generations, but only lived and died indifferent to God and His Son and their need for Him, Therefore don’t delay be reconciled to God today (John 1:12-14, 16-17; 3:16; Cor. 5:21; Col. 1:19-23).
Vs. 16 “He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.”
Here the Lord Jesus Christ makes it plain and clear that those who hear us; who speak His Word in His Name; hear Him. But those who reject us who believe in Him and thus belong to Him, are rejecting Him. And those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ are rejecting God who sent Him! For you cannot separate God the Father and God the Son (1 John 2:22-23) just as you cannot separate God’s Redeemed people from Him or His Son (Matt. 28:18-20; John 10:27-30; Rom. 8:37-39; 2 Cor. 6:16; Eph. 1:3-22; 2:19-22; Heb. 13:5-6 etc.). Therefore, to reject one, is to reject the sum.
Scripture Quotations
New King James Version (1982): Thomas Nelson
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