What I Noticed Today (Luke 10-11)
Luke 10
In verses 1-12, Jesus calls 70 others and sends them out in pairs with instructions to prepare the way for Him. He said to pray for even more workers because the harvest is large, but the workers are few. Their work was dangerous. They were not to take money, a travel bag, or extra sandals. He told them to be deliberate and get to where they needed to be without delay. They were to enter a house with the greeting, “Peace to this household.” And if a son of peace (a believer) were there, they would provide for the disciples. They should not travel from house to house but stay with those who welcome you. If you enter a city and they welcomed you, eat what they give you, heal the sick, and tell them the kingdom of God is near. If they do not welcome you, wipe the dust from your feet as a testimony against them, but still, warn them the kingdom of God is near.
Note: Luke is the only Gospel that records the sending of the 70 out. Some Greek manuscripts say 70 were sent; some say 72.
In verses 13-16, Jesus pronounces a woe on Chorazin (also spelled Korazin), Bethsaida, and Capernaum for rejecting the message of God even after witnessing His miracles. Jesus said whoever rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.
Note: Jesus’ warning indicates the Jewish cities that rejected God would face greater judgment than the Gentile cities of Tyre and Sidon, who had not witnessed His miracles.
In verses 17-20, the 70 returned to Jesus joyful because the demons submitted to them in Jesus' name. However, Jesus said their joy should not come from casting out demons but because their names were written in heaven.
Note: We often forget this today. Our work, even in ministry, is not as important as our personal relationship with Jesus.
In verses 21-24, (See also Matthew 11:25-27), in that same hour, Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and praised the Father because these things had been hidden from the wise but given to the infants. No one knows the Son or the Father except for those to whom the Son chooses to reveal.
Turning to the disciples, Jesus said privately the things you have seen and heard many prophets and kings had hoped to see, yet didn’t see them.
Note: The reference to the wise and the infants are in relation to their spiritual maturity. The religious leaders were wise in their own eyes but rejected Jesus, whereas the children and infants (spiritually open) accepted Jesus.
In verses 25-37, an expert in the law (a scribe) tested Jesus asking what must I do to inherit eternal life. Jesus asked what is written in the law, and the scribe answered to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, strength, mind, and neighbor as yourself (quoting Leviticus 19:18, and Deuteronomy 6:5). Jesus said this was correct, and to justify himself, the scribe then asked, but who is my neighbor.
Jesus taught the parable of the Good Samaritan (vv. 30-37).
Note: The distance between Jerusalem and Jericho is about 17 miles and descends about 3,000 feet in elevation.
The priest was going down the road (away from Jerusalem after having served in the temple) and purposely passed by the injured man on the far side of the road. A Levite also passed by the man on the far side of the road. The Samaritan came along and helped the man and paid for his care.
Note: Samaritans and Jews did not get along. Jews viewed them as half-breeds because of their intermarriage with foreigners who worshiped false gods.
So, Jesus asked, who was the injured man’s neighbor? The scribe answered the man who showed mercy acted like a neighbor.
In verses 38-42, Jesus and the disciples arrived in Bethany and came to the home of Martha and her sister Mary. Mary sat listening to Jesus while Martha was distracted by her many chores. Martha confronted Jesus, asking Him to tell Mary to help her, but Jesus said Mary had made the right choice (in listening to Jesus).
Note: It was a role for women to prepare meals and serve the men. Martha was busy doing that, but Jesus said the most important thing was to be like Mary, who made a choice to be with Jesus while she could.
Luke 11
In verses 1-4, Jesus was praying, and when He finished, the disciples asked Him to teach them to pray. Jesus taught them the Lord’s Prayer. There are five points in the Lord’s Prayer:
- God’s name is to be treated as Holy.
- Your kingdom comes (identify with and believe in God’s message).
- Give us our daily bread (rely on God daily for His provision).
- Forgive our sins as we forgive others.
- Lead us not into temptation (deliver us from situations that cause us to sin).
Note: Addressing God as Father would seem uncomfortable and far too personal to Jews, but Jesus is trying to teach them to have a different kind of relationship with God.
In verses 5-13, Jesus teaches two parables about the importance of persistent prayer.
- In verses 5-8, the parable of the persistent man knocked on a friend’s door in the middle of the night to borrow some bread. He kept knocking until finally the friend answered the door and gave him the bread. Therefore, says Jesus, keep asking, and it will be given, keep searching, and you will find, keep knocking, and the door will be opened.
- In verses 9-13, the father gives his son only good gifts. If we are evil and know enough to give our children good gifts, how much more our Father in heaven gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask!
Note: The “ask, seek, and knock” are present tense imperatives in Greek, which means we are to keep doing something. In relation to prayer, we are to: keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking.
In verses 14-23, (See also Matthew 12:22-30 and Mark 3:20-27), Jesus was driving a demon out of a man that was mute. Some accused Jesus of driving out the demon by the power of Satan (Beelzebul also spelled Beelzebub).
Jesus answered, saying if Satan’s kingdom were divided against itself, it would fall. If I drive out demons by the power of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.
Jesus then taught the parable of the strong man (vv. 21-23). A strong man (Satan) can only be overcome by a stronger man (Jesus). Anyone who is not with Me is against me.
In verses 24-26, (See also Matthew 12:43-45), Jesus spoke of a demon that comes out of a man. The demon returns and brings seven other demons with him, and the man ends up worse off than before.
Note: Verses 24-26 relate to the parable of the strong man (vv. 14-23). When a demon is cast out, something stronger than the demon must take up residence in the man (the Holy Spirit), or the demon will return, and the man will end up worse off.
In verses 27-28, a woman came up to Jesus and said his mother was blessed for having given birth to Him. Jesus answered people who hear the Word and keep it are even more blessed.
Note: This is similar to the teaching of Luke 8:19-21 that the greater blessing comes from the spiritual family.
In verses 29-32 (See also Matthew 12:38-42 and Mark 8:11-12), the crowds around Jesus asked for a sign, and Jesus said no sign would be given except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah was a sign to the people of Nineveh, the Son of Man will be to this generation. The men of Nineveh will rise up in the days of judgment and condemn this generation because they repented, but this generation has not.
Note: The teaching is the people should accept Jesus' message without a sign.
In verses 33-36, Jesus taught no one lights a lamp and puts it under a table or a basket but on a lampstand so that others can see it. Your eye is a lamp to the body, so your body is full of light when your eye is good.
Note: Those who had good “spiritual eyes” received the light of Christ, but those who did not live in spiritual darkness having rejected him.
In verses 37-54, (See also Matthew 23:1-36 and Mark 12:38-40), a Pharisee who invited Jesus to dinner noted that Jesus did not complete the ritual hand washing. Jesus answered, saying the Pharisees were focused on the outside (washing the outside of the cup) while the inside they were full of greed and evil. A sign that they were clean on the inside will be if they give to the poor.
Jesus continues pronouncing three woes on the Pharisees
- They were tithing their herbs while disregarding justice and the love of God (they’re greedy hypocrites).
- They loved the show of importance by having the front seats in the synagogue (they’re prideful).
- They are like unmarked graves (people walk over you and become unclean and don’t even realize it).
Jesus then pronounced three woes on the scribes:
- They place heavy burdens on the people they themselves don’t carry (they’re hypocrites).
- They built monuments to prophets whom your fathers killed (they’re hypocrites honoring the prophets with monuments when they had rejected them).
- They took away the key of knowledge from the people and kept them from obtaining it (they had mishandled the scriptures keeping the people from learning the real truth).
After this, the scribes and Pharisees fiercely opposed Jesus, questioned Him, and tried to trap Him.
Some thought for further consideration:
- What makes you want to serve?
- Are you the kind of neighbor Jesus describes in the story of the Good Samaritan?
- Are there areas in your life where you struggle with the kinds of hypocrisy that the Pharisees and the scribes illustrate?
What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.
LK 10:9,11- whether the apostles were welcomed or not, they are to tell the people that the kingdom of God is near.