Pentecost 7 ::: Luke 10: 1-11, 16-20

After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. ²He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. ³Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. ⁴Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. ⁵Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’ ⁶And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. ⁷Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. ⁸Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; ⁹cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ ¹⁰But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ¹¹‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.’ ¹²I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town. ¹³“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. ¹⁴But at the judgment it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. ¹⁵And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades. ¹⁶“Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”

¹⁷The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!” ¹⁸He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. ¹⁹See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. ²⁰Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Translation:  After this, the Lord lifted up seventy-two others and sent them two by two before his face into every city and place where he was about to go.  And he said to them, "The harvest is indeed great, but the workers few.  Therefore, pray the Lord of the harvest that he might send workers into his harvest.  Go.  Behold, I am sending you as lambs in the midst of wolves.  Carry no purse, no wallet, no shoes, and greet no one by the way.  Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'  And if a child of peace is there, your peace will be resting upon him.  If not, it will return upon you.  Remain in that house, eating and drinking alongside them, for the worker (is) worthy of his pay.  Do not go from house to house.  And into whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat what is set before you, and heal those who are weak in it, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has approached upon you.'  But into whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets, (and) say, 'And the dust of the city, that clinging to us into the feet, we wipe off to you.  But know this, that the kingdom of God has drawn near.'"

"The one hearing you, hears me, and the one who rejects you, rejects me.  And the one who rejects me rejects the one who sent me."  The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, "Lord, the demons are subject to us in your name."  But he said to them, "I was seeing Satan fall like lightning out of heaven.  Behold, I have given you power to tread over snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will hurt you, no nothing.  But do not rejoice in this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

Background and situation:  The passage is mainly Markan in source, with some Q material, and a dash of Special Luke.  See Mark 6: 7-13 and compare to Luke 10: 4-11.  (Note that, in Mark, the mission involves "the twelve."  Luke changes this to the "seventy-(two).")  Q material would include the saying concerning the harvest (10:2), which is identical in Matthew (9:37).  Verses 17-20 are unique to Luke.

Within Luke, note connections with 7:27, 9:1-6, and 9:51-56.  Verse 7:27 refers to the sending of John the Baptist.  John subsequently was killed.  In 9:1-6, the disciples are "sent"--as was John--and are given power over demonic forces.  Their instructions are similar to those in this week's text.  In 9:51-56, Jesus again "sends" messengers--in that case, the disciples.  With these texts in mind, the stage is set for the mission of the 70/72.

Advance work:  As the scene opens, Jesus, identified as "Lord," is clearly in charge.  The opening sentence sounds regal:  "...the Lord lifted up seventy-two others and sent them two by two before his face..."  (Most translations render anadeiknumi as "appointed."  I have translated it as "lifted up" because the word includes a sense of public declaration, which is not necessarily the case with an appointment.)

The manuscript evidence is not clear on whether the number should be 70 or 72.  Most scholars appear to opt for 72 on the grounds that early copyists would have been more likely to change 72 to 70, a more common number, than to change 70 to 72.

What is the significance of 70/72?  Genesis 10 numbers the nations of the world at 70 or 72, depending on whether you read the Hebrew or Greek version.  Moses appointed 70 elders (Num 11), to which were added Eldad and Medad, making 72.  In Numbers, the Lord God had also given some of Moses' "spirit" to these 70/72.  This is mentioned three times (Num 11:17, 25, 29). 

By drawing on these associations, Luke may be comparing these messengers in Luke 10 to those of Moses.  As then, they are "spirit-filled."  In light of the number 70/72, this spirit-filled mission will be universal and world-wide.  The saying in regard to the harvest (10:2)--along with the exhortation to "go!"--adds a sense of urgency. 

The 70/72 go "before his face."  They will go forth as closely identified with Jesus.  These messengers go forth with his message.  The phrase also recalls the same unswerving resolve which Jesus showed in 9:51 when he "set his face" to go to Jerusalem.

These 70/72 will be his "advance team."  In terms of the history of the period, it seems likely that Jesus was leading a movement, largely of poor people, who were to transform society through living differently than the dominant culture.  The "way" of following Jesus included treating all people with respect, healing social divisions, with open tables for all. 

One presumes the "advance team" did more than simply announce "Jesus is coming."  They also identified those they thought might be open to Jesus' message, taught others its benefits, and, in so doing, helped generate interest--and crowd-size--for Jesus' future visit.

Jesus sends these missionaries as "lambs in the midst of wolves," then heightens their vulnerability by taking away food, money, and shoes.  As Tannehill notes, they will be "completely dependent on whatever hospitality local people may offer" (p. 174).

Peace to this house:

Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'  And if a child of peace is there, your peace will be resting upon him.  If not, it will return upon you.  Remain in that house, eating and drinking alongside them, for the worker (is) worthy of his pay.  Do not go from house to house.  And into whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat what is set before you, and heal those who are weak in it, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has approached upon you.'  But into whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets, (and) say, 'And the dust of the city, that clinging to us into the feet, we wipe off to you.  But know this, that the kingdom of God has drawn near.'"

The greeting--"peace to this house"--was a common one, but Luke intends some meaning or he wouldn't have mentioned it.  It should be understood, however, that this "peace" is the Hebrew "shalom," not the mere absence of conflict or the presence of warm fuzzies.  "Shalom" casts its net broadly, over the whole community, and includes abundance, security, and spirit.

The lection suggests that "shalom" can be manifested in daily life.  Peace is something that can be conveyed and received.  It has a palpable reality when met in a "child of peace."  This "child of peace" may be one who is receptive to the message of Jesus, or even perhaps one who already lives out the "way of Jesus" in his or her own circumstance.

The extensive description of missionary life presumes more than a meal here and there.  The missioners are reliant upon a high level of hospitality to sustain them.  They are to "remain in that house" that receives them.  They are not itinerant beggars, but rather laborers in the harvest.  Their "pay" is to be members of a household.

In verse 8, the focus shifts from a home to cities.  A similar attitude is encouraged.  If they are welcomed, they are to be low-maintenance--"eat what is set before you."  In cities, it would appear that the missioners are to ratchet down their expectations of hospitality.  They go from "eating and drinking," which suggests a certain festivity, to eating whatever there is to eat.

In cities, they are to heal "those who are weak" (astheneis).  The word is usually translated as "sick," but astheneis is more "loss of strength" or "weakness," and is so used as a medical and psychiatric term even today.  This type of healing may indicate actual curing of disease.  It may also mean other methods of restoring strength to the weak, such as re-arrangement of those social forces that brought on the debility in the first place.  Either way, this healing is a sign of the kingdom.

If, however, a city does not welcome them, a public rebuke is in order.  "Go out into the streets" and make a public testimony against that city.  "Wiping dust" is a formalized style of separation.  Even your dust, we reject.  Even then--perhaps especially then--they are to announce publicly that God's kingdom has "drawn near."  In both cases, the kingdom has been present and is manifested either in healing or judgment.

"The one hearing you, hears me, and the one who rejects you, rejects me.  And the one who rejects me rejects the one who sent me."  The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, "Lord, the demons are subject to us in your name."  But he said to them, "I was seeing Satan fall like lightning out of heaven.  Behold, I have given you power to tread over snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will hurt you, no nothing.  But do not rejoice in this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

The latter part of the lection (17-20) begins with a saying that emphasizes the closeness of Jesus to his mission and asserts that rejection of the mission is, therefore, a rejection of him, and, in turn, a rejection of God.  God had sent Jesus, and Jesus had sent them.  Reject the missionaries and you reject Jesus and God himself.

When the missionaries return, we are told nothing of their actual mission.  They are described as joyful, however, and properly address Jesus as "Lord" before exulting that "demons are subject to us in your name."  These missionaries had not been told that such would be the case in this instance, though in 9:1 he had given the disciples "authority over all demons".  Presumably, that power had been given the 72 as well.

Jesus, too, seems exultant.  "I was seeing Satan fall like lightning out of heaven," he says.  This does not refer to a specific event, either primordial or in the future.  Note the imperfect tense of the verb.  In the advancement of the kingdom, Jesus "was seeing" Satan fall.  As the kingdom progresses--as the way of human dignity and social healing and open table fellowship becomes manifest in the world--Satan falls.  The way of the kingdom of God advances and ultimately wins against all demonic forces.

The ultimate enemy is Satan.  Therefore, the Jesus mission is, at its heart, a spiritual and cosmological struggle.  But Satan also has minions in this world--"snakes and scorpions"--who do his bidding.  (Rome?)  Nevertheless, Jesus again asserts victory.  Nothing any of them can do can ultimately harm--"no nothing."

Jesus issues a mild corrective to the missionaries.  They had earlier rejoiced that "demons are subject to us in your name."  Jesus slightly amends this phrase.  "Do not rejoice that spirits submit to you," he says.  (One wonders if the more generic "spirits" includes the good ones as well as the bad.)  In any case, that kind of rejoicing is rejected.  Instead, rejoice that your salvation is assured.  When it comes to the power of names, it is through Jesus' name that demons are subjected, and it is his power which assures that "your names" are written in heaven.

Image:  Christ sends out the 72, artist and date unknown. 

After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. ²He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. ³Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. ⁴Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. ⁵Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’ ⁶And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. ⁷Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. ⁸Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; ⁹cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ ¹⁰But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ¹¹‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.’ ¹²I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town. ¹³“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. ¹⁴But at the judgment it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. ¹⁵And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades. ¹⁶“Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”

¹⁷The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!” ¹⁸He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. ¹⁹See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. ²⁰Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Translation:  After this, the Lord lifted up seventy-two others and sent them two by two before his face into every city and place where he was about to go.  And he said to them, "The harvest is indeed great, but the workers few.  Therefore, pray the Lord of the harvest that he might send workers into his harvest.  Go.  Behold, I am sending you as lambs in the midst of wolves.  Carry no purse, no wallet, no shoes, and greet no one by the way.  Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'  And if a child of peace is there, your peace will be resting upon him.  If not, it will return upon you.  Remain in that house, eating and drinking alongside them, for the worker (is) worthy of his pay.  Do not go from house to house.  And into whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat what is set before you, and heal those who are weak in it, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has approached upon you.'  But into whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets, (and) say, 'And the dust of the city, that clinging to us into the feet, we wipe off to you.  But know this, that the kingdom of God has drawn near.'"

"The one hearing you, hears me, and the one who rejects you, rejects me.  And the one who rejects me rejects the one who sent me."  The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, "Lord, the demons are subject to us in your name."  But he said to them, "I was seeing Satan fall like lightning out of heaven.  Behold, I have given you power to tread over snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will hurt you, no nothing.  But do not rejoice in this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

Background and situation:  The passage is mainly Markan in source, with some Q material, and a dash of Special Luke.  See Mark 6: 7-13 and compare to Luke 10: 4-11.  (Note that, in Mark, the mission involves "the twelve."  Luke changes this to the "seventy-(two).")  Q material would include the saying concerning the harvest (10:2), which is identical in Matthew (9:37).  Verses 17-20 are unique to Luke.

Within Luke, note connections with 7:27, 9:1-6, and 9:51-56.  Verse 7:27 refers to the sending of John the Baptist.  John subsequently was killed.  In 9:1-6, the disciples are "sent"--as was John--and are given power over demonic forces.  Their instructions are similar to those in this week's text.  In 9:51-56, Jesus again "sends" messengers--in that case, the disciples.  With these texts in mind, the stage is set for the mission of the 70/72.

Advance work:  As the scene opens, Jesus, identified as "Lord," is clearly in charge.  The opening sentence sounds regal:  "...the Lord lifted up seventy-two others and sent them two by two before his face..."  (Most translations render anadeiknumi as "appointed."  I have translated it as "lifted up" because the word includes a sense of public declaration, which is not necessarily the case with an appointment.)

The manuscript evidence is not clear on whether the number should be 70 or 72.  Most scholars appear to opt for 72 on the grounds that early copyists would have been more likely to change 72 to 70, a more common number, than to change 70 to 72.

What is the significance of 70/72?  Genesis 10 numbers the nations of the world at 70 or 72, depending on whether you read the Hebrew or Greek version.  Moses appointed 70 elders (Num 11), to which were added Eldad and Medad, making 72.  In Numbers, the Lord God had also given some of Moses' "spirit" to these 70/72.  This is mentioned three times (Num 11:17, 25, 29). 

By drawing on these associations, Luke may be comparing these messengers in Luke 10 to those of Moses.  As then, they are "spirit-filled."  In light of the number 70/72, this spirit-filled mission will be universal and world-wide.  The saying in regard to the harvest (10:2)--along with the exhortation to "go!"--adds a sense of urgency. 

The 70/72 go "before his face."  They will go forth as closely identified with Jesus.  These messengers go forth with his message.  The phrase also recalls the same unswerving resolve which Jesus showed in 9:51 when he "set his face" to go to Jerusalem.

These 70/72 will be his "advance team."  In terms of the history of the period, it seems likely that Jesus was leading a movement, largely of poor people, who were to transform society through living differently than the dominant culture.  The "way" of following Jesus included treating all people with respect, healing social divisions, with open tables for all. 

One presumes the "advance team" did more than simply announce "Jesus is coming."  They also identified those they thought might be open to Jesus' message, taught others its benefits, and, in so doing, helped generate interest--and crowd-size--for Jesus' future visit.

Jesus sends these missionaries as "lambs in the midst of wolves," then heightens their vulnerability by taking away food, money, and shoes.  As Tannehill notes, they will be "completely dependent on whatever hospitality local people may offer" (p. 174).

Peace to this house:

Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'  And if a child of peace is there, your peace will be resting upon him.  If not, it will return upon you.  Remain in that house, eating and drinking alongside them, for the worker (is) worthy of his pay.  Do not go from house to house.  And into whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat what is set before you, and heal those who are weak in it, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has approached upon you.'  But into whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets, (and) say, 'And the dust of the city, that clinging to us into the feet, we wipe off to you.  But know this, that the kingdom of God has drawn near.'"

The greeting--"peace to this house"--was a common one, but Luke intends some meaning or he wouldn't have mentioned it.  It should be understood, however, that this "peace" is the Hebrew "shalom," not the mere absence of conflict or the presence of warm fuzzies.  "Shalom" casts its net broadly, over the whole community, and includes abundance, security, and spirit.

The lection suggests that "shalom" can be manifested in daily life.  Peace is something that can be conveyed and received.  It has a palpable reality when met in a "child of peace."  This "child of peace" may be one who is receptive to the message of Jesus, or even perhaps one who already lives out the "way of Jesus" in his or her own circumstance.

The extensive description of missionary life presumes more than a meal here and there.  The missioners are reliant upon a high level of hospitality to sustain them.  They are to "remain in that house" that receives them.  They are not itinerant beggars, but rather laborers in the harvest.  Their "pay" is to be members of a household.

In verse 8, the focus shifts from a home to cities.  A similar attitude is encouraged.  If they are welcomed, they are to be low-maintenance--"eat what is set before you."  In cities, it would appear that the missioners are to ratchet down their expectations of hospitality.  They go from "eating and drinking," which suggests a certain festivity, to eating whatever there is to eat.

In cities, they are to heal "those who are weak" (astheneis).  The word is usually translated as "sick," but astheneis is more "loss of strength" or "weakness," and is so used as a medical and psychiatric term even today.  This type of healing may indicate actual curing of disease.  It may also mean other methods of restoring strength to the weak, such as re-arrangement of those social forces that brought on the debility in the first place.  Either way, this healing is a sign of the kingdom.

If, however, a city does not welcome them, a public rebuke is in order.  "Go out into the streets" and make a public testimony against that city.  "Wiping dust" is a formalized style of separation.  Even your dust, we reject.  Even then--perhaps especially then--they are to announce publicly that God's kingdom has "drawn near."  In both cases, the kingdom has been present and is manifested either in healing or judgment.

"The one hearing you, hears me, and the one who rejects you, rejects me.  And the one who rejects me rejects the one who sent me."  The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, "Lord, the demons are subject to us in your name."  But he said to them, "I was seeing Satan fall like lightning out of heaven.  Behold, I have given you power to tread over snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will hurt you, no nothing.  But do not rejoice in this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

The latter part of the lection (17-20) begins with a saying that emphasizes the closeness of Jesus to his mission and asserts that rejection of the mission is, therefore, a rejection of him, and, in turn, a rejection of God.  God had sent Jesus, and Jesus had sent them.  Reject the missionaries and you reject Jesus and God himself.

When the missionaries return, we are told nothing of their actual mission.  They are described as joyful, however, and properly address Jesus as "Lord" before exulting that "demons are subject to us in your name."  These missionaries had not been told that such would be the case in this instance, though in 9:1 he had given the disciples "authority over all demons".  Presumably, that power had been given the 72 as well.

Jesus, too, seems exultant.  "I was seeing Satan fall like lightning out of heaven," he says.  This does not refer to a specific event, either primordial or in the future.  Note the imperfect tense of the verb.  In the advancement of the kingdom, Jesus "was seeing" Satan fall.  As the kingdom progresses--as the way of human dignity and social healing and open table fellowship becomes manifest in the world--Satan falls.  The way of the kingdom of God advances and ultimately wins against all demonic forces.

The ultimate enemy is Satan.  Therefore, the Jesus mission is, at its heart, a spiritual and cosmological struggle.  But Satan also has minions in this world--"snakes and scorpions"--who do his bidding.  (Rome?)  Nevertheless, Jesus again asserts victory.  Nothing any of them can do can ultimately harm--"no nothing."

Jesus issues a mild corrective to the missionaries.  They had earlier rejoiced that "demons are subject to us in your name."  Jesus slightly amends this phrase.  "Do not rejoice that spirits submit to you," he says.  (One wonders if the more generic "spirits" includes the good ones as well as the bad.)  In any case, that kind of rejoicing is rejected.  Instead, rejoice that your salvation is assured.  When it comes to the power of names, it is through Jesus' name that demons are subjected, and it is his power which assures that "your names" are written in heaven.

Image:  Christ sends out the 72, artist and date unknown.