Luke 11:1-2

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1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.’”~ Luke 11:1-2

Having previously emphasized the importance of listening to the Lord intently, in Luke 11, the Lord Jesus emphasizes the necessity of prayer. In Luke's account, he provides us with an abbreviated version of the "disciples prayer." In his gospel, Matthew provides us with more information which Luke chose not to include here. Matthew's input will enable us to understand more. So, we will dip into Matthew 6 here and there. This is not just a prayer to be memorized and prayed occasionally.

In v.1 we notice the Lord Jesus Himself praying. This is the fifth time in Luke's gospel that we see the Lord Jesus in prayer. This is the impetus behind the disciples request of Him to teach them to pray.

I find it quite instructive to note that the only thing the disciples asked the Lord Jesus to teach them to do was here. They did not ask Him to teach them how to witness or how to study the scriptures. No, they asked Him to teach them to pray. With this request, the disciples are illustrating if we get prayer right, all the rest will fall into place. They didn't say, "Lord, teach us how to pray." They were Jewish, they grew up praying their whole lives. They requested Him to teach them to pray.

In v.2 we read, "He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come." 

In Matthew 6:5 the Lord Jesus said, "When you pray you are not to be as the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogue and on the street corners in order to be seen by men."  In order to appear righteous, holy and virtuous, the religious leaders would stand in very public places inside the synagogue or on the street corners to be seen by people. Prayer is not a means to impress man and not even God. Prayer is a means to experience personal relationship with God. The disciples wanted to know how to relate to and with God.

In Matthew 6:6 the Lord Jesus says, "When you pray, go into your inner room and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret. Your Father who sees in secret will repay you." We are to pray to God in secret. There should be no false motivations involved. We should rid ourselves of any hypocrisy. The Jews used formulaic prayers, memorized prayers that were recited over and over again in very public places to parade their supposed spirituality.  

In the Old Testament there was a sense in which God was unapproachable. In the tabernacle and in the Temple a veil separated the Holy of Holies from the holy place and then the holy place separated from the area where there were the altars and the place of sacrifice and then the outer courtyard. There were degrees of separation. God was in the inner place where only the high priest could go once a year. This is why we say that in the Old Testament there was a sense of separation from God.

When we look at Old Testament praying, we find adoration, thanksgiving, the recognition of the glory and holiness of God, and the affirmation of one's desire to please and obey God.  In addition, we find confession of sin and the request for cleansing. But, here in Luke 11, the Lord Jesus gives us a framework for praying. This is not a prayer to be recited, it is a model for prayer. It's a guideline for conversation with God.

This pattern for prayer begins in v.2 with, "Father." The Lord Jesus shows us that we are to approach God as our father who should be the one in our lives who makes us feel a measure of security. It is our father's love that prepares us for life best. It is our fathers' love that prepares us for life. This was the divine design from the beginning. It is in and through the Father's love that we come to Him in prayer. 

This sense of security is crucial to our prayer life. We can not sustain a personal relationship with God if we believe He is angry with us or even neutral to us. Prayer is sustained by the confidence that God is our Father and He has our best interest at heart. We must pray with a sense of security in the Father's love for us.

Now, notice, it's not just "Father," but in Matthew 6, it's "Father in heaven." There is the recognition that the Father is in heaven. And heaven has a vantage point that we lack. He sees things we don't see. We have a very narrow, myopic, and limited vantage point of life. He is always working, and we must measure our difficulties by His capacity of dealing with them. And, He is so good that He uses even our irritants to accomplish what is best for us.

In v.2, the Lord Jesus prays: "Hallowed be your name." The word "hallowed" means to sanctify, to treat as holy. When God's name is made holy or complete to us, it sanctifies us. It is this understanding of His holiness which renders completeness in us. When we hallow His name, we treat Him as holy and perfect.

"Hallowed be your name" is a request, not a declaration. We are not saying, "Lord, your name is hallowed!" We are saying, "Lord, cause your name to be hallowed!" That is, cause your word to be believed, cause your displeasure to be feared, cause your commandments to be obeyed, and cause yourself to be glorified. We hallow the name of God when we trust him, revere him, obey him, and glorify him.

The next part of this pattern of prayer and the last that we will consider today is at the end of v.2: "Your kingdom come." In essence we are to pray, "Father, rule in my life. Be my king. Get the victory today over my anxiety about life's necessities." In addition, we are asking God to draw history to a close and establish his kingdom on the earth. 

Luke 10:38-42

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38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” ~ Luke 10:38-42

In today's text, we enter the last six months of the earthly life of the Lord Jesus. He has been on the road for a number of months, since He ended His ministry in Galilee. He's been traveling in Judea and is now going from town to town and village to village proclaiming His gospel.  

In v.38 we read, "As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him." In our text, the Lord Jesus enters the home of Martha and Mary in Bethany. Martha and Mary were excited to have the Lord Jesus in their home. They obviously believed in Him. And, in v.39, Mary becomes the central figure in the story. Nothing about Mary's physical features, her temperament or her personality is mentioned. All we know about her is that when the Lord Jesus came to her house, she listened to His words intently, seated at His feet. 

God created us with a spiritual thirst that can only be satisfied by Him and His definition of the way life should be. And, if we are to learn from Him, we must take on the posture of listening. Eight times in the Gospels and eight times in the Book of Revelation we are reminded that it’s not enough just to have ears, it’s necessary to use them. Listening is an art which is engaging God in a personal way. It is the tilting of the ear and the heart. It is the consummation of the soul that is worn out. 

In biblical, days, disciples would sit at the feet of their rabbis. In Acts 22:3, Paul tells us he was educated "at the feet" of the rabbi. There is nothing unusual about this position. What's unusual is that the one seated at the feet of the rabbi is a woman. Rabbis had male disciples, and only men sat at their feet. 

We don't know what the Lord Jesus was teaching that day. Martha, like everyone else except the Lord Jesus, thinks that a woman's place is in the kitchen and not at the feet of the rabbi. The Lord Jesus tells Martha that Mary has chosen, literally, "the good part," the part of a disciple, and that He will not let anyone take that part away from her. On the other hand, Martha was in the presence of the Prince of Peace, yet she was the picture of stress and anxiety. 

At the beginning of v.40 we read, "But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made." The verb, “distracted” means to be pulled away or to be dragged away. Martha was more concerned about mundane tasks than she was about listening to the word of the Lord. She was dragged away by her house work. She had her priorities completely out of place. Furthermore, it wasn't bad enough that Martha's priorities were messed up, but once our priorities get messed up our attitude does too. So she starts losing the joy of this service. She becomes agitated and frustrated. Then she gets mad. 

According to v.40, Martha came to the Lord Jesus and asked, "Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me?" 

In v.41-42 we read, "Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." To say her name twice was to invite her closer. Tucked away in this exchange is the point of this passage. Getting so close that we realize that what He is saying is so good that it must overtake me. These words to Martha are corrective, yet sympathetic. It was good to do what Martha did, but not then, not when it was time to listen to God.  And He says this amazing statement, "few things are needed—or indeed only one."  

The Lord Jesus then said, "Mary has chosen what is better."  The Lord Jesus was saying to Martha, "Work without worship produces worry." Another way to put it is, "action without adoration produces aggravation." In Isaiah 40 we read, "Those that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings as eagles, they will run and not be weary, they shall walk and they shall not faint."

In Deuteronomy 8:3 we read, "Man shall not live on bread alone but every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." Why is it so important to listen. The word of God must be antecedent to every thing else in our lives. And when the opportunity to hear Him is there, we must grasp it. Daily, we must make it a habit to listen intently to Him. Mary has chosen the best. And He said, "I will not take it away from her." That is to say, "I'm not sending her to the kitchen." 

Luke 10:30-37

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30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” ~ Luke 10:30-37

This parable of the Good Samaritan is so well known that it has become an idiom for sacrificial kindness. We call people good Samaritans who help the needy. To call someone a good Samaritan is to grant to them a compliment. But, this is really a story about how we do not inherit eternal life and how we do not love others as we do ourselves. This is a story about how the Lord Jesus is the fulfillment of those two questions. The first is in v.25, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" Then, the second is in v.29, "Who is my neighbor?"

In v.30, we read, "In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho." The setting of this parable is on the road from Jerusalem down to Jericho. This road was known as the “bloody pass,” it is a journey through a very dangerous place.

 

As we continue to read v.30 we read, "when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead." A group of robbers jumped the man. They didn't just rob him, they stripped him of his clothes, they beat him and left him in critical condition. He was near death. 

In v.31-32 we read, "31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side." At the right moment a priest and a Levite came upon the man, but they went in the opposite direction. They didn't want to be contaminated by what they thought was a dead body. They had no love for the man.  

Notice the direction: from Jerusalem to Jericho, and not from Jericho to Jerusalem. If the priest and the Levite were going to Jerusalem they would have brought this man's uncleanness into the temple. But since he was going the other direction, he would have some weeks to go through the purification process before they came back."   

Then, in v.32, the Levite did the same as the priest. Levites came from Levi. They were the assistants to the priests. At the top of the sort of religious ladder was the priest, and at the bottom was the Levite. The Levite comes to the place, he saw the severely wounded man and he passed by the other side. These are two illustrations of men who had no heart.

The point: being religious, doing the rituals, doing all the ceremonies, being Jewish, being circumcised, being a part of the whole system, being a priest and a Levite isn't going to get you in the kingdom of God. The test is to love God with all you have and to love your neighbor as yourself.  

According to v.33, a Samaritan came along. It would be assumed that this man was not going to be any help at all to this half dead man because the Samaritans and the Jews despised each other.   At the end of v.33 we read, "when he saw him, he took pity on him." This is what broken people do. People who have been broken by their sinfulness, are given a heart.

The two men had no love, but the outcast did. Remember the Lord Jesus is answering the question, "Who is my neighbor?" The issue of loving is not a matter of one's religion.

The Samaritan's response begins with his compassion. Then in v.34 we read, "He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him." 

After diagnosing the man's condition, he bandaged up his wounds for he was bleeding. Since the man was naked, the Samaritan had to use his own clothes to bandage him and to clothe the beaten man. Then, he poured oil and wine on him. Wine was used as an antiseptic. It was used to sanitize and cleanse whatever might have come in there that could create infection. The oil was used to soothe and to soften the tissue. This was all a part of the healing process.

Then, having negotiated a place to stay, took the man in, put him down to rest, continued to work with him with his bandages, with his wounds, providing food, sleep, comfort, water, cleansing.  

According to v.35, "The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have." He stayed with him all night. He set his whole agenda aside. He gave up his own clothes, his own supplies, his own time. Then he gave his own money. This is amazing for a stranger who was his worst enemy.

In v.36 we read, "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” To which the scribe replied in v.37, "The one who had mercy on him." He wouldn't even say the word "Samaritan." Then at the end of v.37, the Lord Jesus said, "Go and do likewise."

The Lord Jesus has answered two questions: "What must I do to inherit eternal life?' and "Who is my neighbor?" "Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength; love your neighbor as yourself." If this is what is required for any of us to get into heaven, I will not get there. Neither will you. None of us love God and others perfectly. The Ten Commandments are good but not as a tool to make us right with God. God didn't give the Ten Commandments to make us right with Him.

The Lord Jesus was driving the scribe's sword right back into this scribes heart to convict him of his inability to earn eternal life on his own and to love as he should. His Jewishness, his scribing, his circumcision, his law-keeping, his sacrificing, was not enough. 

By the way, the way this Samaritan loved is how God loves us. We think we can measure up to the Law but we can't. But, the Lord Jesus can and did. As the Samaritan came to the nearly dead man, the Lord Jesus came to you and me. He who never committed one sin, took on our sin, so that we could become righteous in God's eyes through Him. Righteousness is a gift we receive not a reward we achieve. And, God's love for us was secured by the Lord Jesus. And, when God looks at us, He sees us through the lens of His perfect Son. 

Luke 10:29

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But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” ~ Luke 10:29

The key to our text today is the question that appears in v.25, "Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?" This lawyer knew this was the most important question, because he was a scribe. He was an expert in the Mosaic law.  He knew that when Adam sinned, he lost not just physical immortality, but he lost eternal life. That is, he lost full fellowship with God and a perfect world. And, he knew that not only had Adam forfeited eternal life in the Fall, but he had caused the whole of humanity to follow suit.

The Christian life is not about the life that this world offers, it's about the type of life that God offers. Through the abiding Holy Spirit, the believer in Christ has been given the very presence of God to provide us eternal life instead of eternal death, eternal joy instead of eternal pain, and eternal blessing instead of eternal punishment.

This man who approached the Lord Jesus, this expert in the Mosaic Law, believed in eternal life. When he asked the Lord Jesus, "What shall I do?," he revealed he did not understand the means by which we are given the free gift of salvation. He was a lot worse off than he thought, but God’s grace is so much bigger, so much better and brighter than he could have hoped or imagined.

In context, the Pharisees were trying to catch Jesus in some kind of a violation of the law so they could condemn Him to death and execute Him, which they eventually did.  And they were using this scribe to try to trip up the Lord Jesus. 

After the Lord Jesus asked the scribe what was his understanding of the Law, the expert answered, "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, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself." The problem is we can't love God perfectly, nor have we loved our neighbors the way we love ourselves.  

There’s a big difference between the gospel of the Lord Jesus and moralism. Moralism is looking at a passage in the Bible and saying this is simply giving us guidelines about how to live our lives, while preaching the gospel shows us how whatever is being talked about in that text is a picture of the Lord Jesus. 

Here in v.29, we read, "But he wanted to justify himself." This is a big problem. Backed into the corner, he had not come to an end of himself, he had not recognized, yet, that he was unable to be good enough. He knew he didn't love God perfectly, but he was unwilling to admit that he was spiritually bankrupt. He knew, also, he didn't love his neighbor like he loved himself. 

"But he wanted to justify himself" literally in the Greek means desiring to declare himself righteous. And, he was having this conversation with the Lord Jesus publicly. He seriously underestimated God's righteousness. He seriously considered God less holy than He is. He thought God was more tolerant of sin than He was. He believed God would allow his hypocrisy, so he was ignorant of God's righteousness.

In the mind of the expert in the Law of God, God was less holy than He was. In his mind, he was more holy than he was. Along with this scribe, the religious leaders had lowered the the requirements of the Law of God and had elevated themselves. They lowered the standard and raised their own ability to maintain it. And, they thought, they therefore could please God by their own efforts. They should have been driven to their knees, and driven to reject their own self-righteousness.

Many think, the goal of the Law is to get people to heaven through our good behavior, by being more good than bad. This is not biblical thinking. No, the goal of the Law is to crush us. The perfection of the Law is to reveal to us that we cannot be good enough before a holy God. 

The Law of God indicts us. It brings us before the court, renders us absolutely guilty, invites us to cry out to God for mercy. God, the judge of all, provides the mercy because Christ has paid for the sin. This is the gospel. The Lord Jesus is the goal of the law and the Savior of our lives.

Luke 10:25-28

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25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “‘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, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” ~ Luke 10:25-28

Of all the questions that could ever be asked or answered, none is more important than this one in v.25. "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" This question is a question that appears in all four Gospels. This expert in the Law of Moses asked this question because he knew of God's promise that He would send Messiah who would establish an eternal kingdom where righteousness and peace would prevail. 

In v.26 the Lord Jesus responded, "What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?" The religious leaders had added to the Law 613 separate laws that had to be kept. This is why the Lord Jesus asked this Lawyer, "How do you read it?" They had come up with 613 because there are 613 letters in the Ten Commandments. They had made the Law into that which God did not intend.

In v.27 the Lawyer cited the Shema which is found in Deuteronomy 6:4-5. It reads, "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, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself." This was the right answer, but the problem was he knew he couldn't do it.  That's why he stood up. Sure, he was trying to put the Lord Jesus to the test, to see if He would violate the law or if He would agree with the law. 

"With all your" is repeated four times in the Shema. The repetition emphasizes the extremity, the perfection, the completeness of this kind of love. The Lawyer was presenting the idea that entrance into heaven depends on our perfect love for God. We must love Him with our all, but no human is capable of this.

In v.28, the Lord Jesus agrees with the Lawyer, perfect love is required. But, nobody can do this. Perfection is required if we're going to save ourselves by means of the law. The Law exposes our sinfulness, and we know from experience the Law has the power to transform us or liberate us from the power of sin. So, the Law is like a teacher who shows us God’s holiness, our sinfulness, and our need for salvation. And the needed divine intervention ultimately comes through the Lord Jesus. This is the good news of the gospel.

Grace, for many Christians, is the reduction of God’s expectations and/or requirements of us. Because of grace, we think, we just need to try harder. Grace becomes this Law-cheapening agent, attempting to make the Law easier to follow. But, a low view of the Law always produces legalism; a high view of the Law makes a person need and seek God's grace because it is a mountain that is unscalable by us. 

Most people think that those who talk a lot about grace have a low view of God’s law. Others think that those with a high view of the Law are legalists. But, it is a low view of the Law that produces legalism because a low view of the Law causes us to conclude that the bar is low enough for us to jump over. 

A low view of the Law makes us think that the standards are attainable by us to attain and/or maintain God's favor. The biggest problem is not "cheap grace" but "cheap law," the idea that God accepts anything less than the perfect righteousness of the Lord Jesus for our acceptance into His presence. 

It is only when we see that God's law is absolutely inflexible that we will see that God's grace is absolutely indispensable. We have got to have it. A high view of the Law reminds us that God accepts us on the basis of Christ's perfection, not our good behavior or goodness. Grace, properly understood, is the movement of a holy God toward an unholy people. He doesn’t cheapen the Law or lower its requirements. He fulfills them. He fulfilled them in His Son, who then gives His righteousness to us. 

Luke 10:21-24

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21 At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. 22 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” 23 Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” ~ Luke 10:21-24

When the disciples returned from their mission trip, the Lord Jesus rejoiced. These joyful disciples had gone out two by two to preach the gospel of the kingdom with the power to heal and to cast out demons. This is the only time in the Gospels that we are told that the Lord Jesus rejoiced.

There is a threefold joy here: the joy of service (Luke 10:17–19), the joy of salvation (Luke 10:20), and the joy of sovereignty (Luke 10:24). Our highest joy is not found in service or even in our salvation, but in being submitted to the sovereign will of our Heavenly Father. This is the foundation for both service and salvation. 

In v.21 we read, "At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do." It is the Holy Spirit who provides joy and it was out of His joy that the Lord Jesus praised the Father. And, the pleasure of the Father factored into the joy the Lord Jesus displayed that day.

The Son is rejoicing that the Father designed a salvation plan that is accessed by the humble, those who reject all human ability to know God apart from divine revelation. It is to those who have experienced the process of a broken heart that God reveals Himself. It is to the spiritually bankrupt that the Lord Jesus reveals Himself.

In the beginning of v.22 we read, "All things have been committed to me by my Father..." Within the Trinity everything is shared. The Father perfectly trusts the Son who has the supreme power to work out this plan of redemption completely. The Father has turned the whole operation over to the Son. In Matthew 28:18 the Lord Jesus said, "All authority in heaven and earth has been given to Me." 

As we continue in v.22 we read "No one knows who the Son is except the Father."  No one would know the Son is if the Father hadn't chosen to reveal Him. No one knows who the Son is except the Father. The true knowledge of the Son is known only to the Father and none of us would know it if the Father had not revealed Him. 

Then, we read, "and no one knows who the Father is except the Son..." We would never know the Father personally except the Son reveal Him to us. The Lord Jesus came to reveal the Father to us, this is all just as God had planned it.  And so, v.22 ends with, " and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." 

No one knows God personally unless He wills that we know Him. To us who have received the revelation of the Father in the Son, the truth was revealed, and our blindness was turned to sight. At that point, we went from death to life.

In v.23-24 we read, "23 Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it." 

In v.21-22, the Lord Jesus had been talking to the Father. Now He turns to the disciples. He says, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see." He experienced extreme joy over the blessing that had come to them. He rejoiced in them being blessed. Matthew adds, "Blessed are your eyes because they see and your ears because they hear."  He's referring to the work of the Holy Spirit because it is the Holy Spirit who awakened us from the dead. 

Then in v.24 we read, "For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."  Our hearts are naturally blind. Luke's Gospel repeatedly presents men in a natural state of blindness. We saw this when the Lord Jesus first described His ministry in Luke 4 to “open the eyes of the blind.” 

In Matthew 13:11, the Lord Jesus said, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted."  This has been granted, not earned or achieved. 

The New Testament is the revelation of all the things kept secret in the Old Testament. The Old Testament saints looked into the mysteries and tried to understand. They could not understand it. But, it is all revealed in the New Testament and it has been revealed to us. God reveals Himself in a way that goes to war against human pride because pride is the source of all of our other sins.

John 10:17-20

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17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”18 He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” ~ Luke 10:17-20

The disciples returned from their mission trip with joy because the demons submitted to them. In v.17 we read, "The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." There is a key phrase in this one verse that we must consider. These two words are "to us." The disciples were, no doubt, tempted to think that they themselves were more important than the power of God behind them. 

These demons were created by God to glorify and to serve God. One-third of them were thrown out of heaven and cursed to eternal damnation in a lake of fire forever for their rebellion. 

On the other hand, evangelism is the task of rescuing souls, ripping them from the lap of the evil one. Evangelism is breaking into the domain of darkness, it is a rescue operation. And, in order to achieve this most important work, the powers of hell must be overthrown. This is why the Lord Jesus gave these disciples the power over the demonic world.

An even more important key phrase is found at the end of v.17 where we read, "in Your name." This power is the Lord Jesus' power. These disciples were giddy when they returned because they saw God doing great work through them. In the name of the Lord Jesus, they shared the gospel and exorcized demons.

I'm often asked how many people I have led to the Lord Jesus. I always answer, "zero." Then I tell them, I have witnessed some go from the darkness to the light as God did His work in their hearts.

In v.18 the Lord Jesus said, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven." All of these returning disciples were excited about the battles that they won. The Lord Jesus is saying, "Let me tell you about the whole war. I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning. You saw some demons go down; I saw their leader go down. I was there when he fell from heaven. I was there when He was defeated in the wilderness during my forty day trial. I was there when his demons were cast out of those people during my earthly ministry. And I will be there at the end of Revelation when Satan will be thrown into the Lake of Fire for forever." From the standpoint of eternity, the Lord Jesus was able to see everything in human history from the fall of Satan to his final doom at the eternal lake of fire. 

In v.19 we read, "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you." The Lord Jesus reminds His disciples, "if we center our sense of joy on what has been accomplished, losing sight of the fact that it is only because of what we have received, just like every other Christian has received, we can be thrown off course." We were created to know Him and to make Him known.

In v.20 we read, "do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." 

Revelation 20:15 declares, “If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” The Book of Life, in this context, is the set of names of those who will live with God forever in heaven. It is the roll of those who are saved. This Book of Life is also mentioned in Revelation 3:5; 20:12; and Philippians 4:3. This same book is also called the Lamb’s Book of Life because it contains the names of those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lord Jesus (Revelation 13:8; 21:27).

Once our name is written in the Book of Life, it is never erased (Revelation 3:5; Romans 8:37-39). No true believer should doubt his eternal security in Christ (John 10:28-30).

The Great White Throne Judgment described in Revelation 20:11-15 is a judgment for unbelievers. That passage makes it clear that no one at that judgment has his name in the Book of Life (Revelation 20:12-14). The fate of the ungodly is sealed; their names are not in the Book of Life; their punishment is sure. And, for those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life, well, we will step eternity in heaven with the One who laid down His life to purchase us back to God.

Luke 10:12-16

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12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. 13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.

16 “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.” ~ Luke 10:12-16

In today's text, the Lord Jesus mentions six cities, three Old Testament Gentile cities and three New Testament Jewish cities. The first Old Testament Gentile city of Sodom was destroyed by fire and brimstone, a prototype for wickedness and judgement.  

The Gentile cities of Tyre and Sidon were cities given over to idolatry, materialism, greed and wickedness. All the people in Sodom, Tyre and Sidon were catapulted into a godless eternity of punishment in hell. Sodom had exposure to the truth from Lot. Tyre and Sidon had exposure to the truth from many who passed their way. They rejected the truth and unknowingly embraced hell.

The Jewish cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum also rejected truth and suffered the same fate as the Gentile Old Testament cities mentioned here. But, Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum will be punished more than the three Gentile cities. The Sodomites, Sidonites, and Tyrites will receive lesser punishment in hell than the Jewish people of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum. What this means, I am not sure.

In Luke 10, the Lord had sent out disciples to every city and place where He Himself was going to come. In v.12 the Lord issues a warning to those who reject the Gospel. "On that day" speaks of the Day when the Judgment of God will be exacted upon those who are not in the family of God. To be exposed to the gospel and to reject it is to invite the wrath of God.  

According to our text, any place the disciples went where the people rejected the truth, it will be more tolerable for Sodom, Tyre and Sidon. This is why the Lord tells these disciples, "Go offer them peace but if they reject it, they will live with the consequences."

In Luke 10:12, the Lord Jesus said, "I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town." He was saying, " you're going to have a hotter hell than Sodom because judgment is not limited to the degree of one's sin; it's much more associated to the degree of one's rejection." 

In v.13 the Lord Jesus said, "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes."  We don't know much about Chorazin, a little village which is two and a half miles from Capernaum. Chorazin doesn't exist today, it was exposed to the Lord Jesus, His miracles, and His power over disease, death, demons and nature. And He says, "Woe to you, " which means "you are cursed." 

In v.13 Bethsaida is also another little town on the northwest of Capernaum. According to John 1, it was the home of Andrew and Philip and Peter. Bethsaida, along with Chorazin, had been exposed to the power and presence of the Lord Jesus. And they rejected Him. Their rejection of the truth left them in their sin. Tyre and Sidon, mentioned in Luke 10:13-14 were rich and very pagan. God pronounced destruction on them.

On one side, the ungodly and Gentile towns of Sodom, and Tyre, and Sidon rejected the truth from God. And, then there are "the chosen" people of God, the Jews of Capernaum, Bethsaida, and Chorazin. The Lord Jesus is saying to them, "When you all get to the judgment, it's going to be worst for you than it was for them." The Lord was saying to those who had seen the miracles, "If these three Old Testament cities had seen what you saw, they would have repented."

The Jews of Capernaum, Bethsaida, and Chorazin did not repent because of their self-righteousness which is a worse condition than any other. Religious people are the hardest of all to convince of their need of a savior. And so, according to v.14-16, "14 ... it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. 16 “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me." 

It is the truth that sets us free, it does not matter who is sharing it with us or who we are sharing it with. The design of truth is to lead us ultimately back to the One who is the way, the truth and the life.

Luke 10:5-11

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5 “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house. 8 “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’  ~ Luke 10:5-11

In today's text, two main ideas stand out: peace and contentment. These two very important tools are essential to living the type of life we want to impart to others. This is part of the adorning of the Gospel the Apostle Paul mentions in Titus 2:10.

In Luke 9:9,11 a phrase is mentioned twice: "The kingdom of God has come near to you." This means, "The kingdom is accessible to mankind." 

 

The good news of the Gospel is about the involvement of God in our lives. The Gospel means He has entered into our existence and we now have access to the wisdom, goodness and righteous rule of God in our lives having believed in the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross.

In Luke 9:23 the Lord Jesus said, "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself." When we have done this, we have come to the end of us. We have come to the end of our ambitions, our dreams, our hopes, our goals and our opinions. Now, the Lord Jesus is defining us and leading us each day.

The Lord Jesus had sent out the seventy-two who went out in twos to share the gospel with all who were willing to listen. The   word “Gospel” is used a hundred times in the New Testament, and it means "good news." It is good news because it means our bad news, our sins can be forgiven. It means we can be reconciled to God. It means we can have a personal relationship with God. It means God has become the friend of the willing. 

In v.5 we read, "When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house." The Lord Jesus was telling these upstart witnessers, "When you go to evangelize, go to the ready heart, go to the eager heart, go to the prepared heart.  Go to the one who is seeking to know the kingdom and it's King." 

In v.6, the Lord Jesus utilizes an ancient Near Eastern expression signifying that we should not waste our message of peace on those who reject it. And, we should go somewhere else. He is not saying our message of peace is given to them and then taken away. No, He is saying if it's offered to them and refused, we're free to leave and go elsewhere. 

There are two forms of "peace" in the scriptures. There is peace with God and there is the peace of God. According to Romans 5:1-2, we have peace with God as a result of trusting in the free gift offered us of forgiven sin through the Lord Jesus' death on His cross. This peace enables us to have a personal relationship with God.

In Philippians 4:6-9 we read, "6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." 

In these verses we learn of the peace of God, the ability to live a quality of life that renders a settled existence in a world of troubles. Notice, we go into a deeper relationship with God in these verses, we go from the peace of God in v.7 to the God of peace in v.9. These verses describe an ear increasing intimacy with Him that renders more of His peace in our yielded lives.

In v.7-8 the Lord Jesus draws attention to a valuable commodity: contentment. The Lord Jesus tells these disciples not to go from house to house trying to find better or more food and lodging. They were to stay where they were and eat what was given to them. The main lesson here for the disciples was: God is the one that provides for all our needs, we need not manipulate.

Too often people move from place to place because they are not content with what they have. It is not wrong to better yourself or your circumstances, but such efforts must not rise because of being discontent. It is better to make changes in our lives because we have a godly vision for the future and not because we cannot tolerate the present. 

Contentment is crucial for having a successful life, and a successful ministry. Paul states in Philippians 4:11 that he learned to be content in whatever circumstances. It does not come automatically, we must resist the fear of the flesh. The flesh wants to rule our lives. We must trust in the God who is bigger than we can imagine.

The disciple should stay with the hospitable. In fact, the Lord Jesus instructed the twelve with these same words in Luke 9:4. The emphasis is upon trusting the Lord who will provide all of our needs, even providing the very words we need to share about the faith with others. 

In v.8-9, the Lord continues the instructions with: "When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you." This was delegated authority from the Lord Jesus Himself to the twelve and here to the seventy-two. The Lord delegated this power in order to authenticate these sent ones and their message. Their message was then verified by the miracles.

In v.10-11 we read, "10 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near." The idea is to declare openly God’s absolute displeasure with the rejection of the Gospel. This is a life or death matter, what a person does with the free gift of salvation through Christ Jesus determines where they will spend eternity.

Luke 10:1-4

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1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. ~ Luke 10:1-4

Effective witnessing begins in the heart of the one sharing his story with the Lord with others. Witnessing is not about a three step training program, it's about our relationship with the Lord Himself. We can give people all kinds of information, we can unload our theological gun on them, we can give them strategies and methodologies, but effective witnessing comes from a heart that is walking with the Lord. It's not about what we know, it's about who we know.

Of course, the basics of the Gospel are most important as we relationally share with the lost. The first two words in Luke 10:1 are: "After this." These two words indicate relationship. What happens in Luke 10 is the result to what happened in Luke 9. So, subsequent to all of the time the disciple's had spent with the Lord Jesus. Subsequent to their calling, subsequent to their training, subsequent to the close of the Galilean ministry, the Lord sends out the seventy-two.

The word “appointed” in v.1 is a word used only twice in the New Testament. The other time it is used is in Acts 1:24 where the Lord Jesus chose the replacement of Judas. No one can be an apostle by his own will, we can only be chosen by the Lord. And, if the Lord has not appointed us to a task, we do not want to do it. The only assignments we fill are those given to us by Him.

Also, in v.1 we read, "After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him.” Thirty-six pairs of them were sent out. In ancient days, whenever the king was going to come to a town or a village, heralds would be sent by him to inform the town that the king was coming. The Lord Jesus was going to spend the remaining months of His life on this earth going from town to town and village to village and He wanted them to be prepared for His arrival.  

The basis of all effective witnessing is a compassionate heart. It isn't training, it is compassion. It is a deep profound sense of empathy because of the desperate condition of the unsaved. It is a heart-wrenching concern over the lost given to us through our personal relationship with the Lord. Witnessing's thrust is the compassion born of a proper assessment of the eternal destiny of those who are not in a personal relationship with God.

In v.2 we read, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." The precedent of being "sent out" is a heart to heart relationship with the Lord Jesus. This is why the religious community of the Lord Jesus' day never came in line with His modus operandi. They were not in relationship with Him, thus they lacked the heart of grace.

At the end of v.2 we read, "Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."  We are to pray that the Lord Jesus sends workers to deliver the Gospel message which will deliver people from hell. God seeks to rescue people from His own wrath through the prayers of believers who ask Him for more messengers to work in delivering the Gospel which rescues souls. The executioner becomes the source of messengers to deliver people from His execution. And, the executioner is Himself executed to save people from His execution. 

In v.3 we read, "Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves." The believer must expect the hatred of the world toward the Gospel message. In countries that are non-Christian, Christians are suffering and dying at a rate higher than ever in the history of the church, today, tens of thousands a year. 

According to v.4, the Lord Jesus told the seventy, "Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road."  This is a repeat of the message He gave the twelve in Luke 9:3. This is required because He wants the disciple to learn to trust Him. And when we are placed in that position, we are forced to trust and subsequently experience Him. It is then that we get it. Dependency upon the Lord is at the crux of witnessing, for He not only provides our physical needs, He also gives us the very words we need to witness to others.

Luke 10:4 ends with, "greet no one on the way." The Lord is defining the mission He is giving to these disciples. He is essentially saying, "Don't depend on making relationships with people so that they provide for you. Focus on sharing the gospel, and leave the results to me when I go to them."

In Acts 1:8 the Lord Jesus tells His disciples to remain in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit comes to empower them to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. “Witnessing” is something more than a spiritual discipline or a Tuesday night activity. It is the very essence of who we are as Christians. Witnessing is an outflow of our personal relationship with God.

Witnesses bear testimony about who they know. As John testifies in his first epistle, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life." 

Witnessing is not possible for those who do not know Christ; and it is strengthened as those who know the Lord grow in relationship with the One who saved them. The sharing of the story the Lord gives us is most powerful and the most believable.