Chapter 10
ESV says Jesus appointed 72. Other manuscripts say seventy. Either way, this is about 70 or so people besides the 12. The 12 had been sent out previously, and only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. In Lk 9:51-56 Jesus had sent people ahead of him to a Samaritan village that would not receive him, since he was on his way to Jerusalem. It seems this "sending out" was more similar to those sent to the Samaritan village than to the 12 who were sent out. This is many more, sent out generally. Jesus sent them ahead of him, to towns he was planning to visit very soon. They were to go two by two. Many of the instructions to these sound just like those to the 12. They were to go out empty handed, depending entirely on God for support. They were lambs going out amongst wolves, as in these verses:
3 Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. [Luk 10:3-4 ESV] 2021 - Jesus makes a point here that he is sending them out defenseless into a dangerous environment. Jesus had reasons for this. Surely one of those reasons was to show the extent to which God can and will protect those called for his purpose. They needed to worry about nothing at all. No extra clothing, no money, not even extra shoes. I don't understand about greeting no one on the road - they were sent to the towns along Jesus' path to Jerusalem. Not wide dispersal. Laser dispersal.
They were to stay in one place, not move from house to house. In vs 9 he tells these 72 to heal the sick, and then to say that the kingdom of God has come near. Only healing is mentioned here. Not raising the dead and casting out demons. For the towns so visited, rejection has terrible consequences. Sodom will come off better than the towns that reject the 72. Then Jesus speaks of specific towns that have already rejected. Among them Chorazin, Bethsaida, and even Capernaum. This verse:
15 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades. [Luk 10:15 ESV] Capernaum where Jesus lived much of his life during his ministry. Where tourist still go to see where Jesus lived. And yet that town was scorned by Jesus because they had him right there, and yet they did not believe.
When these get back from their journey (we're not told how long they were gone) they are excited and joyful, saying even the demons obeyed them in Jesus name. So it was more than just healing. These must have been given power very much like the 12. Jesus says he saw Satan fall from heaven. Well in the past? Or just then?
(2021 - MSB says the meaning here "might" be that since Jesus had seen Satan thrown out of heaven, it is no surprise that his minions are thrown out of earth. Or could also have been a reminder, per MSB, that Satan's pride got him thrown out of heaven, and the pride they are feeling in themselves about throwing out demons is the same sort of dangerous pride if allowed to run free. Jesus is the one with the authority. It is coming from him, and him alone. So if these interpretations are correct, Jesus is referring to Satan's getting thrown out of heaven in the remote past, before the creation of the world. I say this because he was already at "war" with God in the Garden of Eden.)
((11/5/21 - Rummage's sermon on 10/31/21 included this passage. Here is how he explained it: "I saw Satan..." is better translated "I was watching...". He says that as the 72 were out doing what they were doing, that is when Satan's dominion over the earth cracked and began to fall apart. Christ began to win, to defeat Satan at this point. Christ was overcoming, even at this time. I want to compare this passage in Luke with the passage in Isaiah where Satan falls. Is the passage in Isaiah a prophesy of this statement by Christ? Here is the passage:
12 "How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! 13 You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.' 15 But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit. 16 Those who see you will stare at you and ponder over you: 'Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, 17 who made the world like a desert and overthrew its cities, who did not let his prisoners go home?' 18 All the kings of the nations lie in glory, each in his own tomb; 19 but you are cast out, away from your grave, like a loathed branch, clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword, who go down to the stones of the pit, like a dead body trampled underfoot. 20 You will not be joined with them in burial, because you have destroyed your land, you have slain your people. "May the offspring of evildoers nevermore be named! [Isa 14:12-20 ESV]
It is pretty long and involved. Not going to be a short study.))
2023 - This year though, the two passages seem to fit together. This would explain all the questions I've had about where the demons went after Jesus' time. I think the best interpretation is that at this time, when Jesus sends out the 70, they had delegated power that would oust Satan's demons from their positions, and Satan was helpless to do anything about it. Perhaps there are a few of them still in the world - the kind that can only be evicted by prayer and fasting - but mostly, they've been run off, banished to the pit until the time of the end.
Jesus tells them he has given them authority over ALL the power of the enemy. I think this power was to those 72 only, not to all believers. And he tells them that having their names written in heaven, as are all the saved, is a bigger deal than this power they've been given.
2020 - Vss 17-20 are quite interesting. This is part of it:
19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. [Luk 10:19 ESV] First point is that here, and with the 12, it looks like the power they were given was more or less permanent. Second, this reads like those last few verses in Mark about snake bite not being a problem. Not sure why Mark would have put it where he put it, but this is the same sort of thing quoted from Luke in a different place, and thereby corroborating that those who were given this power directly from Jesus were immune to snakes and scorpions, could heal, and could cast out demons. I don't think this is a "general" power that the saved get. The saved get gifts, but not really like this. But I am glad to see a section of those so-called "tagged on" verses verified in other scripture. Mark - or whoever added those verses - was not in error about this. We just need to read it as something those called and chosen were given - truly supernatural immunity to natural dangers - whether we are reading in Mark or in Luke. These verses in Luke, in my opinion, amplify and clarify what we see in those last verses of Mark. These powers are not universal.
2021 - I note also that this power was given to the 12, and then to the 72. These were called for a special mission, a task set by God for them to do, and they were given power and divine protection from normal natural mortal hazards because of their calling.
2020 - This verse, part of Jesus rejoicing that same hour:
21 In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. [Luk 10:21 ESV]
This seems to say that God chooses the ignorant, the unlearned. But I don't think this verse is about education. It is about mindset. God chooses those with receptive hearts not those with high IQ's. That is the right phrase! God doesn't care about IQ, He cares whether we love Him or not, believe what He says as revealed in scripture, by faith. He chooses those who take His word over the world's version. He does NOT take those who are just too intelligent to allow the supernatural into their thinking. No creation by a Word, that is supernatural. Creation by Big Bang is more tolerable. Same with evolution, Noah's flood, languages at the Tower of Babel....The "intelligent" don't believe these things. They make them stories and fables and archetypes. But those like little children believe these things are real because the Bible says they are real. Wow. I finally understand this passage.
Then this verse, which Luke tells us was in the same hour as the talk with the returned 70:
22 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." [Luk 10:22 ESV] MSB note here refers to the note in Mt 11:25, 26. But it is Mt 11:27 that corresponds directly to this verse, and it is only mentioned in passing. I would like more understanding of how only the Father knows the Son? Didn't those who recognized Jesus as Messiah know who he was? How can we believe on one we do not know? Isn't it clear that we are to believe in Jesus? We are to believe in the only Son, not the Father - and I'm not saying you can believe in one and not the other - but belief in and confession of Jesus is the way of salvation. How can it say that only the Father knows him? And why does MSB not even address this statement? 2020 - Matt 11:27 corresponds to Luke 10:22. The MSB notes in both Luke and Matthew say nothing of this "Only the Father knows the Son" passage. MSB ignores it both places. So I will have to figure it out from elsewhere. The way 22 starts, you know this is about authority. Does it mean that the Pharisees didn't have a clue that though Jesus would die in this appearance, he still had already been given all authority - and that since the foundation of the world - to exercise, to enforce, to carry out - the very will of Almighty God? One thing that is in the notes is that only God can perfectly carry out the will of God, and so these statements may be a convoluted way for Jesus to say that he is man, but He is also God?
2023 - This also fits with the interpretation that Satan's dominion has been taken from him and handed over the Jesus by this time. It says specifically that in vs 22. It is at this point that Christ's Kingship over the spiritual kingdom of earth comes about. It is a spiritual kingdom, and that is why it is spiritual beings that are being evicted - those who do not follow the King. The power is spiritual power, from Christ, applied to spiritual evil in the world. THIS is the power we have as Christians. It doesn't mean we have power to win physical wars against earthly tyrants. The power we pray for is the power to defeat Satan's angels.
In the next few verses, Jesus tells his disciples privately that they are very lucky to see and hear what they are seeing and hearing, because Kings and Prophets longed for it, but it wasn't revealed to them. Maybe this is what the part about only the Father knowing the son refers to. At this time in history, the true meaning of the prophecies about a suffering servant coming in the first advent, and the conquering king in the second advent, was not recognized and appreciated. The people in Jesus time looked only for the conquering king. But the Father knew that Jesus must first suffer and die as a lowly servant. In that sense, even the 12 did not yet fully recognize who Jesus was. This makes sense. This answers my question.
A lawyer questions Jesus, trying to trap him. Instead, Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan. The man is traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho, so away from any temple goings on. It says the priest was going "down" the road, implying that he too was leaving Jerusalem. This sort of refutes the idea that the priest and the Levite avoided the injured man because to get his blood on them would have made them ceremonially unclean for the duties they were going into Jerusalem to perform. I don't think we can really tell for positive which way they were headed. BUT, it seems to me to make the best sense that they were all going toward Jericho. That would mean the priest and the Levite were coming from the temple, from worshiping, and yet they felt no obligation to help this injured person. Perhaps that is part of the lesson - that going to "church" wasn't helping these two at all.
Mary and Martha, at Martha's house. We find in other places that these are Lazarus' sisters. Martha embarrasses herself by trying to get Jesus to send Mary away from him to help Martha with the food. Jesus says food can wait.