Nations and Neighbors (Luke 9:57-10:42)
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Following Jesus (9:57ff)
After being rejected in Samaria, one person exclaims, “I will follow you wherever you go!” We have to wonder if the man really understood what he was saying. Jesus had no room in Bethlehem, no room in Samaria, and no room that night either, and His destination was the cross. To follow Him wherever He goes involves a difficult road. In verses 59-60, initiating the interaction with the next man who’s father is at the point of death (probably not dead at this point), He impresses upon Him the urgency and importance of the mission. He was not saying that the man should dishonor His dying Father, and He was not setting a standard for all time, giving us an excuse to ignore the 5th commandment. He was making an emphatic point that the mission He was on superseded any cultural norms or familial expectations. In verse 61, the third man that Jesus speaks with wishes to follow Him, but only in his own timing, at his own convenience, and on his own terms. No matter how good or ethical his intentions, saying no to a direct and explicit command of Jesus is never okay. Many opportunities for advance within the kingdom are stifled and choked out due to looking back to the comforts of home, claims of family, or cultural courtesies.
– For you personally, what are the aspects of following Jesus that are hard to swallow? Why is it worth counting the cost and following Him?
The 70 Sent Out (verses 1-16)
Demonstrating the same pattern we see in the early church, Jesus sends out the 70 in pairs of two. The first rule of order in this mission trip is to pray (verse 2). Specifically, it is to pray for laborers. Prayer is the best and most powerful means of expanding the kingdom through spreading the Gospel. Colleges can educate, pastors can ordain, churches can support, denominations can strategize, but God alone can raise up and send out true workers. The next instruction that he gives is to expect difficulty and suffering (verse 3). He does not encourage them to invite it, welcome it, stir up hostility, or provoke it, but they should understand that it will come. In addition to these, they should go out in simplicity and contentment, not taking more than they need, and they should be focused on the mission (verse 4). Rejection is promised (verses 10-12), and the cities that reject the witness of Christ’s disciples are worse off than Sodom, which is the epitome of wickedness. Yet even in the rejection, it’s important to note the nearness of Christ to His people. In rejecting His disciples they are not rejecting them primarily, but Christ, and ultimately the Father (verse 16).
– Are you being diligent about asking the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers? In light of the challenges promised to those who labor in the harvest, who could you be praying for this week, and in what specific ways can you be praying for them?
Jesus Rejoices (verses 17-24)
The return from their trip was marked with joy because of the success of their mission. Yet even though the spirits are subject to them, they are to rejoice even more in the fact that their names are recorded in heaven. Grace is greater than all those gifts, conversion is better than the casting out of demons, and pardon supersedes power and success. Jesus rejoices that God, in His providential care, reveals Himself to babes in the Spirit, those with open hearts who are eager to hear His every word. He is not praising ignorance, but humility. The Gospel is not restricted to the intellectually elite, but to all who turn to Jesus with a childlike trust in Him. We merely know about God until we are intimately acquainted with Christ (verse 22), which is an unparalleled privilege gifted to us by God (verses 23-34).
– God rarely gives our souls more success than they can bear without becoming prideful. What are some ways that you are cultivating humility before the Lord?
A Lawyer and the Good Samaritan (verses 25-37)
As Jesus is rejoicing that God has hidden His truth from those are are wise in their own sight and that He reveals it to the childlike, a “wise” man approaches Jesus to put Him to the test. In response to the man’s question about eternal life, Jesus asks the expert in Jewish Law what the Law says about it. He answers well, saying that you must love God and also love others, and Jesus tells Him that if he does these things, he will live. But rather than admitting that there is anything lacking in himself in light of this heavy command, he seeks to justify himself by getting Jesus to clarify exactly who was not his neighbor, or who it was he did not have to love. The parable of the Good Samaritan shows that our neighbor includes everyone. While to the Jew the non-Jew is a non-neighbor, Jesus makes clear God’s law trumps tradition. The question is not “Who is your neighbor?” but “Will you be a neighbor?” While Jesus is not promoting a universal brotherhood, he is demanding a universal neighborhood.
– What opportunities do you currently have to be a neighbor to someone? What would it mean for you to be a neighbor to them right now?
Choosing the Good Part (verses 28-42)
In the home of Mary and Martha, Jesus finally finds a welcome. Martha is distracted with all her preparations, self-pitying as she questions whether or not Jesus cares that her sister is not helping her, and resentful that she is left to do all the serving alone. And yet, Jesus responds to her in an affectionate manner, reminding her of the need to prioritize and to make seeking Christ the main issue in her life. The story does not serve as an excuse for a messy house, but offers a reason to rightly prioritize and choose the good part.
– Looking at your own life, including the way you use your time and resources, what are your priorities? Can you say honestly that you have chosen the good part, and that seeking Christ is the main issue in your life?