Chapter Ten

1–16. The mission of the seventy apostles to preach. – 17–24. Their return from the journey. – 25–37. The lawyer and the merciful Samaritan. – 38–42. Mary and Martha.

Luke 10:1. 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, Regarding the mission of the 70 apostles to preach, only one evangelist, Luke, reports. But the teachings with which Christ addresses these apostles in his account represent a repetition of what the Lord says in the Gospel of Matthew to the 12 apostles, or else are borrowings from passages in the Gospel of Matthew placed in other locations. “After these things.” Apparently the appointment of the 70 (according to some ancient manuscripts – 72) apostles took place shortly after the mission of the 12 (see Luke 9:1 and following). Indeed, here it says that the Lord sent “other” – but who did He send before? Obviously, not the two messengers (who are not even called apostles, see Luke 9:52), but specifically the 12 apostles: there it says simply “twelve,” and here the corresponding word is “seventy.” “Appointed” – more precisely: “designated them as appointed” (ἀνέδειξεν). “Seventy.” The Lord may have had in mind the appointment of 70 elders by Moses as his assistants (Num 11:16 and following). The relation of this number to the 70 pagan nations (Gen 10) cannot be considered, because the Lord sent them before Him “to the places where He Himself was about to go,” and He was sent only “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt 15:24). “Two by two” (see Mark 6:7). “Into every place where He Himself was about to go.” The seventy, evidently, were only to prepare people for the reception of Christ, and, soon after completing this mission, they returned to the level of ordinary disciples of Christ. Nevertheless, the Church has preserved this honorable rank in its memory, establishing a special commemoration of the 70 apostles, among whom, however, there are persons who at that time had not yet been disciples of Christ at all (for example, James and Jude, the brothers of the Lord according to the flesh).

Luke 10:2. And He said to them, “The harvest indeed is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray to the Lord of the harvest, that He send forth laborers into His harvest. (See Matt 9:37-38). In Luke this saying has a somewhat unique meaning. The twelve apostles, already sent forth to preach, are few for such a great work as the preaching of the approaching Kingdom of the Messiah. Therefore, addressing His 70 disciples, the Lord commands them also, just as the 12 before them, to focus their thoughts in prayer on this great need of the time. Having prayed, they will understand the full magnitude of their task and will welcome with joy the calling which Christ wishes to bestow upon them. After these words the evangelist has a certain pause. The disciples pray – and become capable of receiving the commission which Christ gives them further on (verse 3 and following).

Luke 10:3. Go! I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. (See Matt 10:16). Since at the present time these apostles could scarcely be threatened with persecution, in the evangelist Luke this address of Christ to them has its own meaning. It is quite possible that Christ compares them not to meek lambs, but to strong rams (ἄρνας), which usually go in front of the flock, showing it the way. Such leaders of the Jews to Christ should be these 70, in contrast to wolves (λύκων) or false leaders of the people, who lead the people only to destruction and even themselves, like wolves, plunder the flock (cf. John 10:12).

Luke 10:4. Do not take a purse, nor a bag, nor sandals; and greet no one on the road. (See Matt 10:10). “Greet no one on the road.” This remark of the evangelist Luke does not indicate the haste with which the 70 should do their work and which is hindered by long Eastern greetings (see the commentary of Bishop Michael), but only that the offering of peace or salvation should be carried out not on the way, casually, as it were in passing, but seriously and thoughtfully, after the two apostles have entered into a house and there entered into close relations with the master of the house.

Luke 10:5. And into whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace be to this house; Luke 10:6. and if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him; but if not, it will return to you. (See Matt 10:12-13). “A son of peace,” that is, a person worthy of receiving salvation, capable of receiving it.

Luke 10:7. And in that same house remain, eating and drinking what they provide, for the worker is worthy of his wages; do not go from house to house. Luke 10:8. And whenever you enter a city and they receive you, eat what is set before you, Luke 10:9. and heal the sick in it, and say to them, “The kingdom of God has come near to you. (See Matt 10:11). “In that same house,” that is, in the house which receives you. “Worthy of his wages” (see Matt 10:10).

Luke 10:10. But whenever you enter a city and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, Luke 10:11. “Even the dust of your city that clings to us we wipe off against you; nevertheless know that the kingdom of God has come near. Luke 10:12. I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that city. (See Matt 10:14-15). “Do not receive you,” that is, despite requests for lodging, they will receive you nowhere. “Going out into the street,” that is, before the face of all the inhabitants of that city. “We shake off.” The inhospitality of the townspeople – sufficient testimony of their resistance to the preaching of salvation: there is therefore no reason for the apostles to make strong efforts to convince these people of the necessity of turning to Christ (cf. Matt 7:6). “Nevertheless know...” The apostles must still indicate the responsibility which threatens these stubborn people in view of the approach of the Kingdom of God, which will bring retribution for their stubbornness.

Luke 10:13. “Woe to you, Chorazin! woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes; Luke 10:14. but it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment than for you. Luke 10:15. And you, Capernaum, exalted to heaven, you shall be brought down to Hades. Here the evangelist Luke brings in the threats against the cities, spoken, according to the Gospel of Matthew, at a different occasion (Matt 11:21-23). Here these threats are more appropriate than in the Gospel of Matthew. The Lord, sending out the 70 disciples, recalls those cities which did not receive Him Himself, and thereby explains to the disciples the importance of their mission: those who do not listen to them will be punished as severely as those who did not listen to Christ Himself.

Luke 10:16. “Whoever listens to you listens to Me, and whoever rejects you rejects Me; and whoever rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me. This is, as it were, a conclusion to the preceding threats. See Matt 10:40 13

Luke 10:17. And the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord! even the demons are subject to us in Your name. Surely the disciples did not all return from their travels at once, but the evangelist Luke, depicting only the substance of the matter, presents them as gathered at one and the same time around Christ and recounting the results of their journey. However, the evangelist does not tell how the disciples were received in the cities; he considers it more important to relate the conversation of Christ with the 70 regarding the miracles which they performed during their travels. “Even the demons are subject to us.” The Lord did not give the 70 a direct command to cast out demons, as He did the 12 (Luke 9:1). Therefore the 70 were so rejoiced when their attempts to cast out demons from the demon-possessed met with success. “In Your name,” that is, as soon as we proclaimed Your name (cf. Luke 9:49).

Luke 10:18. And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like a lightning flash; “I saw” (ἐθεώρουν). When did the Lord see the falling of Satan from heaven? Gregory the Theologian and some other Church Fathers and teachers explain this vision or falling of Satan as occurring at the moment of the incarnation of the Son of God, through which Satan was deprived of his power. Other Fathers and teachers (for example, Jerome) explain this falling as Satan’s original departure from God, as a result of which he lost his position in heaven, which Christ as the incarnate Word of God saw. But these interpretations are not applicable in the present case, since neither the fall of Satan nor the incarnation of the Son of God brought about a loss of Satan’s power over the world – Satan became, on the contrary, all the more dangerous to the world since his fall, and likewise the incarnation of the Son of God only gave him occasion to intensify his activity (the increase of demon-possessed persons during Christ’s time). Meanwhile Christ has in mind the destruction of Satan’s power. Therefore it is more correct to relate this fall of Satan to the time of the preaching and miraculous work of the 70 apostles. When these latter performed miraculous exorcisms of demons, the Lord so clearly saw and so vividly felt the fall of Satan’s power, as though he had seen a brilliant lightning flash hurling down from heaven. Another interpretation, presented by the learned Spitta in “Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft” (1908, no. 2), is noteworthy. In his view the Lord was not speaking of the falling or casting down of Satan, because He uses here not the verb ἐκβάλλειν, which indeed means casting down (see John 12:31), but the verb πίπτειν – to fall. Therefore one may think that the reference here is to the rush of Satan to the earth, to his hastiness in which he rushed to defend his power over people, which was being threatened by the apostles who went through the cities with the message about Christ (πεσόντα – rushing). Thus the Lord in response to His disciples’ excessively joyful announcement says that they have a very difficult struggle with Satan awaiting them, hastening to defend his Kingdom, but that in this struggle they will nevertheless achieve victory thanks to the power which He gives them (verse 16). A “vision” here cannot be understood as an ecstatic state in which the prophets sometimes found themselves: the Lord was never in such a state, somewhat beyond the bounds of natural healthy mental condition, and the mysteries of heaven were always open to Him. The expression “I saw” therefore is equivalent to “I know well.” “Fallen from heaven.” This expression does not presume that Satan was previously in heaven, but only indicates his high position (cf. verse 15; Isa 14:12). “Like a lightning flash,” that is, the fall of Satan is as visible to Christ as the lightning in the sky is visible (cf. Matt 24:27).

Luke 10:19. “Behold! I give you the authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will harm you; “I give.” According to the best manuscripts – “I have given” (δέδωκα). By these words the Lord not only explains why the disciples were successful in casting out demons, but also makes them understand how great in general is the power given them by Christ over all the hostile forces of the Kingdom of God. Although this is not mentioned when the 70 were sent out to preach (verses 2 and following), nevertheless the apostles, apparently from their own experience, became convinced that this power was indeed given to them; they do not object to such a declaration of Christ, and they should have objected if they did not possess such power. “To tread upon serpents and scorpions” (scorpions – reptiles whose bite often causes death). This is a figurative designation (see Ps 90:13) of dangerous demonic forces, upon which the 70, like a victor treading on the neck of his defeated enemy, should with full force tread with their feet (Rom 16:20). The seventy apostles are thus instruments of God in the defeat of all evil forces hostile to the Kingdom of God. “And nothing will harm you” – more precisely: and by nothing, or in no way will this force of the enemy harm you (cf. the expression οὐδέν in Acts 25:10 and Gal 4:1-2, where it is translated as “by nothing”).

Luke 10:20. “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice rather that your names are written in the heavens. However, you should rejoice not so much in the fact that you have such power, but rather in the fact that you are destined to eventually receive the highest bliss in the Kingdom of Heaven. Already in the Old Testament there are poetic passages in which God is depicted as keeping a book of life, in which He enters the names of people worthy of being citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven (Exod 32:32 and following; Ps 68:29; Isa 4:3). In this book the names of the 70 are recorded.

Luke 10:21. “At that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to infants. Yes, Father! For such was Your gracious will. Luke 10:22. “All things have been delivered to Me by My Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal Him. Luke 10:23. And turning to the disciples, He said to them privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things that you see! Luke 10:24. “For I say to you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear. These words, according to the evangelist Matthew, were spoken under different circumstances (Matt 11:25-27). It may be thought that the present location suits these sayings of Christ as given by the evangelist Luke, as they fully correspond to the context of the discourse. “At that same hour,” that is, at the hour of the return of the 70. “Rejoiced,” like a father rejoicing at the success of his children (Theophylact). “In the Holy Spirit” – according to the best reading: “in the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit filled Christ (Luke 4:1) and was, so to speak, the constant impeller of Him toward Messianic activity. And in this case Christ comes forth precisely as the Messiah, the King of His Kingdom, bestowing rewards upon His faithful servants. “These things,” that is, what the disciples of Christ proclaimed. “Who the Son is,” that is, who He is in His essence. “Privately” (verse 23). It is clear that in this conversation of Christ with the 70 there were also other listeners present. “And kings” (verse 24). This expression is found only in Luke.

Luke 10:25. And behold, a certain lawyer stood up to test Him, saying, “Teacher! what shall I do to inherit eternal life? When Christ was conversing with the 70, other persons were present (verse 23). Among such persons was a certain lawyer (see Matt 5:20). It displeased him that Christ attributed so much significance to Himself (verse 24), and he stood up, showing that he wished to speak: evidently he had previously been sitting among the other listeners of Christ. He wished to test Christ, to provoke Him to say something directly condemning the Law of Moses, and then of course come against Him with an accusation (Euthymius Zigabenus). Cf. Matt 22:35 14 “What shall I do” (see Mark 10:17).

Luke 10:26. “And He said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read? Luke 10:27. And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself. Luke 10:28. And Jesus said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live. “What is written in the law?” That is, you surely know the law well yourself, and there it is written what you should do (cf. Rom 2:17-20). “How do you read?” This is the customary rabbinic formula for beginning to prove something from Scripture. How (how), that is, in what words (not “what”). “And he answered...” (see Mark 12:29-32; Matt 22:37-39). The lawyer, in this manner, repeats the same thing which the Lord Himself said on other occasions in explanation of the substance of the Law of Moses. “And you will live,” that is, you will inherit eternal life (cf. verse 25).

Luke 10:29. But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor? “Desiring to justify himself.” The lawyer found himself in a rather awkward position: he appeared to know what needed to be done, and yet he was asking! Therefore he wishes to show that his question had meaning, that even in the answer he gives to this question, agreeing with Christ, there is still something left unsaid. Namely, it is unclear who is the neighbor whom one must love. In the law, to be sure, by “neighbor” was generally understood a fellow Israelite (Lev 19:16 and following), but also in relation to “the foreigner” or “the sojourner” the requirement was to love him as oneself (Lev 19:34 and following). The lawyer expected that Christ would emphasize in His answer love for the foreigner rather than for one’s own, the Jews, and this might diminish Him in the eyes of his countrymen, since most Jews understood the commandment of love for one’s neighbor in a narrow sense, limited to their nationality.

Luke 10:30. And Jesus said, “A certain man was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among robbers, who stripped him, and having beaten him, went away leaving him half dead. In response to the lawyer’s question, the Lord tells him of a certain man who, traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho, fell into the hands of robbers, who robbed and wounded him, leaving him on the road. From the context of the discourse it can be concluded that the Lord meant a Jew under the wounded person. “Jericho” (see Matt 20:29) was separated from Jerusalem by a wilderness, which was very dangerous for travelers, as robbers lurked there.

Luke 10:31. By chance a priest was traveling on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by. The priest who happened to be passing there went by: probably he himself was afraid of meeting the fate of the robbery victim. In the narrative, the Lord places the priest first because priests were meant to serve as an example of fulfilling the law in general and the law of mercy in particular.

Luke 10:32. Likewise also a Levite, being in that place, came and looked and passed by. The Levites also belonged to the teachers of the people (for this reason they were scattered by Moses throughout different cities of Palestine), and yet the Levite, having looked at the wounded man, also went on his way, doing nothing for the unfortunate one.

Luke 10:33. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came upon him and, seeing him, was moved with compassion. Luke 10:34. And approaching, he bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and having placed him on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and cared for him. Luke 10:35. And on the next day, as he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him: Take care of him; and if you spend anything more, I, when I return, will repay you. Only the Samaritan (see Matt 10:5), a man who, it seemed, ought not to be concerned about a Jew at all, even a wounded one, was moved with compassion for the unfortunate one when, as he journeyed, he saw him. He bandaged his wounds, poured wine and oil on them, as medicine of that time advised, and, placing him on his own donkey, brought him to an inn (a caravanserai, where there was also an innkeeper who received travelers). On the next day, departing, he entrusted the wounded man to the care of the innkeeper, giving him some money—two denarii (about forty kopecks), in hope of returning soon and then completely settling with the innkeeper.

Luke 10:36. Which of these three, do you think, was neighbor to the one who fell among robbers? Luke 10:37. He said: The one who showed him mercy. Then Jesus said to him: Go, and you do likewise. Now Christ seems as if He should say to the lawyer: “Do you see from the example of the Samaritan, who is your neighbor? It is every person, to whatever nation he may belong.” But the Lord does not pose the matter that way. The question of who is neighbor to each of us, the Lord leaves aside as completely clear from the narrative given above. He gives the lawyer another question—not a theoretical one, but a practical one: which of the three who passed by the wounded man proved to be “neighbor” to him, that is, who fulfilled in relation to him the requirement of love which the law teaches to everyone and each? To this question the lawyer had to answer: “The one who showed him mercy” (he did not want to say outright, “the Samaritan”). The Lord then dismisses him, advising him to act similarly to the Samaritan. Thus the Lord moves away from the ground of theoretical arguments and disputes, which of course would have no end, and reduces the whole question to how the natural feeling of a person decides the question posed by the lawyer. The Fathers and teachers of the Church attributed a special mystical meaning to individual points of this narrative about the merciful Samaritan. So, “a certain man,” according to their interpretation, is Adam; Jerusalem is paradise; Jericho is the world; the robbers are demons; the priests are the law; the Levite is the prophets; the Samaritan is Christ; the donkey is the body of Christ; the inn is the Church; the innkeeper is the bishop; the two denarii are the Old and New Testaments; the return is the Second Coming (see, for example, in Theophylact). Thus, according to the interpretation of the Church Fathers, here is depicted the deed of the Incarnate Son of God undertaken by Him for the salvation of the human race. (For a detailed exposition of this thought see in Trench. Parables of Our Lord Jesus Christ, 2nd ed., pp. 268–272.) In the narrative about the merciful Samaritan, the Lord intended to show the lawyer “the great abyss separating knowledge and action, how little his very life corresponded to his moral understanding of love for neighbor” (Trench, p. 274). The one who asked, “Who is my neighbor?” who desired beforehand for himself a complete exposition of duties toward a neighbor, thereby revealed how little he understood love, whose essence consists in the fact that it knows no limits other than its own impossibility to go further (ibid., p. 261). It is customary to call this narrative about the merciful Samaritan a parable. But properly speaking, this narrative does not fit into the category of parables. A parable still needs to be explained and applied—the circumstance contained in it must be referred to the question at hand. Such, for example, is the parable of the sower, about the mustard seed, etc. Here no explanation is needed. The Lord simply takes a circumstance that is quite possible, whose instructiveness is clear to everyone, and makes this circumstance a lesson in true compassion. This is, so to speak, an exemplary narrative about what true love for neighbor consists of. Another question. Is the conversation with the lawyer in the Gospel of Luke the same as in Matthew (Matt 22:35 and following; compare Mark 12:28 and following)? No, these are completely different events. They differ in time, place, occasion, and in the very person bringing forth the Scripture passage, as well as in some other details of the description.

Luke 10:38. And as they traveled on, He came to a certain village; and a woman named Martha received Him into her house. “Along the way.” Whether this was during the Lord’s journey to Jerusalem for the Passover of His sufferings or before that, one cannot say with certainty. Also, Luke does not say what village this was, where Martha and Mary lived. If indeed this was on the way to Jerusalem, one can see here an indication of Bethany, where Lazarus lived (compare John 11:1 and following). Evidently, in the source which the evangelist Luke used here, neither the name of the village nor the name of the master of the house—Lazarus—was indicated. Apparently, Christ was received by the sisters even not in Lazarus’s house, but in Martha’s house, which she might have owned in that same Bethany.

Luke 10:39. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the feet of Jesus and listened to His word. Martha’s sister, Mary, who was in her house, sat at the feet of Christ as His disciple (Acts 22:3) and listened to Him attentively.

Luke 10:40. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she came up to Him and said: Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me. It displeased Martha, who was busily preparing entertainment for Christ and His apostles, who probably were with Him, that Mary only listened calmly to Christ’s words, leaving her without help in the household tasks, and she appealed to Christ with a request—to tell Mary to help her.

Luke 10:41. And Jesus answered and said to her: Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. The Lord in response, in a tone of friendly reproof, said to Martha that she was seeking in vain to make such great entertainment.

Luke 10:42. But one thing is necessary; and Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. According to the Lord’s word, “one thing” is necessary, that is, the same devotion to the Gospel which Mary showed, forgetting about all household affairs when the opportunity opened before her to listen freely to Christ’s teaching. Some of the ancient interpreters (for example, Theophylact) understood by “one” (ἑνός) one kind of dish, in contrast to the many dishes which Martha was preparing, but such an understanding is too superficial. However, in most ancient manuscripts, the beginning of this verse reads as follows: “In few things there is need or in one” (ὀλίγων δὲ χρεία ἐστιν, ἢ ἑνός). In such a reading, one can indeed see an indication that “few” (ὀλίγων) are needed for satiation, and not “many” (πολλὰ—verse 41). “Mary has chosen that good part....” Better reading: “For Mary....” The Lord bases His statement that “one thing is necessary” on the fact that Mary indeed chose what was to be chosen: her part is good (ἀγαθή), though this does not mean that Martha’s diligence deserved condemnation, but only shows that Mary’s deed is the preferable good deed and that she will be given the opportunity to hear Christ afterward. Or else—and it is possible to interpret it this way—what Mary will acquire through this listening will remain in her as her eternal possession, which shall not be taken from her under any circumstances. * * * Many interpreters do not ascribe a historical character to the evangelist Luke’s account of the sending of seventy apostles on the grounds that this is not mentioned in the other Gospels. This account—says, for example, Ewald—is of later origin: with the gradual disappearance of the 12 apostles, other companions of Christ gained authority, and they were attributed with the same powers regarding preaching and miracles which the 12 apostles received much earlier. But the silence of the other evangelists and later writers about this institution of the seventy is explained by the fact that it was not a permanent institution: the seventy were only to prepare the people to receive Christ, who was traveling then through various cities and villages to Jerusalem. Some interpreters (for example, Trench) insist in every way that the lawyer did not have such hidden, evil intention. To tempt, according to Trench, simply means to test. So God tempts a person, so that through testing He might reveal to him the secrets of his own heart, so that He might show forth the good qualities of a person and strengthen them. The lawyer simply wanted to test Christ’s knowledge, to measure its depth (Trench. “Parables of Jesus Christ,” 2nd ed., pp. 259–260). These considerations are entirely unfounded. How can one attribute to a person what is proper only to God? And why would the evangelist Luke without cause use such an ambiguous expression about the lawyer? That is, approximately eight grams of silver. —Editor’s note.