Chapter Text
Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two
After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.
2Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.
3Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.
4Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.
5And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.
6And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.
7And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.
8And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:
9And heal the sick that are therein , and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
10But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say,
11Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
12But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.
13Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
14But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you.
15And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.
16He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.
The Return of the Seventy-Two
17And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
18And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
19Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
20Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
21In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.
22All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.
23And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately , Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see:
24For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
25And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
26He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
27And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
28And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
29But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
30And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead .
31And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
33But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
34And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again , I will repay thee.
36Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
37And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.
Mary and Martha
38Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
39And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.
40But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
41And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
42But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
Summary
Jesus appoints seventy disciples and sends them out in pairs ahead of Him into every city and place He intends to visit. He gives them instructions similar to those given to the twelve and warns of judgment upon cities that reject their message.
The seventy return with joy, reporting that even demons are subject to them. Jesus rejoices in the Spirit and thanks the Father. A lawyer tests Jesus with a question about eternal life, and Jesus responds with the parable of the Good Samaritan. He visits the home of Martha and Mary, commending Mary for choosing the good part of sitting at His feet.
Meaning
The sending of the seventy extends the mission beyond the twelve, foreshadowing the spread of the gospel to the wider world. Jesus' warning that the harvest is great but the laborers are few establishes the ongoing urgency of the gospel mission throughout every generation.
The parable of the Good Samaritan redefines the question Who is my neighbour? by showing that genuine love transcends ethnic, religious, and social boundaries. The Samaritan, despised by the Jews, becomes the model of mercy. The story of Martha and Mary teaches that service for Christ must not crowd out communion with Christ.
Background
The number seventy may correspond to the seventy nations listed in Genesis 10, symbolizing the universal scope of Jesus' mission. The seventy were sent to prepare the way in areas Jesus Himself planned to visit.
Samaritans were descendants of intermarriage between Israelites and Assyrian colonists. The hostility between Jews and Samaritans was deep and centuries old. That Jesus made a Samaritan the hero of the story was shocking and deliberate.
Chapter Outline
- vv. 1-16The Sending of the Seventy
- vv. 17-20Their Joyful Return
- vv. 21-24Jesus Rejoices in the Father
- vv. 25-29The Lawyer's Question
- vv. 30-37The Parable of the Good Samaritan
- vv. 38-42Mary and Martha at Bethany
Key Verses
“Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.”— 10:2
A foundational missions text quoted across the church for centuries, framing evangelism as a prayer-driven response to spiritual urgency. It establishes God as the sovereign 'Lord of the harvest' who alone commissions workers.
“Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.”— 10:20
Jesus redirects ministry joy from spiritual power to settled identity in God, anchoring assurance in election rather than experience. A key verse on the believer's security and proper grounds for rejoicing.
“And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.”— 10:27
The Great Commandment, joining Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18, which Jesus affirms as the summary of the entire law. It defines the whole-person love that fulfills covenant obligation.
“But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”— 10:42
A pivotal saying on the priority of attentive devotion to Christ over anxious activity. It has shaped Christian spirituality on contemplation, discipleship, and the place of women learning at the Master's feet.
People & Places
People
- Jesus — The Lord who commissions the seventy, teaches the Great Commandment, and tells the parable of the Good Samaritan.
- The Seventy — A wider group of disciples sent two by two to prepare cities for Jesus' coming.
- Satan — The adversary whom Jesus says he beheld falling from heaven like lightning as the seventy ministered.
- The Father — God whom Jesus thanks for revealing the kingdom to the humble rather than the worldly wise.
- A certain lawyer — An expert in the Mosaic law who tests Jesus with a question about inheriting eternal life.
- The Good Samaritan — The compassionate traveler in Jesus' parable who rescues a wounded Jewish man ignored by religious leaders.
- The priest — A temple official in the parable who passes by the wounded man without helping.
- The Levite — A temple assistant in the parable who likewise refuses to aid the half-dead traveler.
- Martha — The hostess who welcomes Jesus into her home and grows distracted by the demands of serving.
- Mary — Martha's sister who sits at Jesus' feet listening to his word, commended for choosing the better part.
Places
- Chorazin — A Galilean town Jesus rebukes for unrepentance despite witnessing his mighty works.
- Bethsaida — A fishing village near the Sea of Galilee condemned alongside Chorazin for spiritual hardness.
- Tyre and Sidon — Pagan Phoenician coastal cities judged less harshly than the unrepentant Galilean towns.
- Sodom — The proverbial city of judgment used to measure the greater guilt of those who reject the kingdom.
- Capernaum — Jesus' adopted Galilean base of ministry, warned of being thrust down for its pride.
- Jerusalem — The starting point of the traveler in the parable, descending toward Jericho.
- Jericho — The destination city of the wounded traveler, reached by a notoriously dangerous road.
Prophecy & Fulfillment
Jesus' vision of Satan falling like lightning (v. 18) echoes Isaiah 14:12 and anticipates the final overthrow of evil pictured in Revelation 12:9, signaling that the kingdom's advance through the seventy is already breaking the dominion of darkness. In verses 23-24, Jesus tells his disciples that prophets and kings longed to see what they now witness, declaring that the messianic age foretold by the Hebrew prophets has dawned in his ministry. The judgment oracles against Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum (vv. 13-15) draw on Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 26-28, applying ancient prophetic woes to towns that rejected the Messiah in their midst.
Devotional
Luke 10 holds together two callings that the heart easily separates: tireless service and quiet attentiveness. The seventy go out as lambs among wolves, the Samaritan kneels in roadside dust, Martha bustles in her kitchen — and Jesus blesses the work. Yet he also says only one thing is truly needful, and Mary has chosen it.
Real love does not flinch from the wounded stranger, nor does it skip the Master's feet. Let your rejoicing rest not in what you accomplish for God, but in the truth that your name is written in heaven, and from that settled place go and do likewise.
Literary Style
Gospel narrative weaving together commissioning discourse, prophetic woe oracles, a thanksgiving hymn, didactic dialogue, parable, and domestic scene. Luke uses paired contrasts — priest and Levite against Samaritan, Martha against Mary — and Semitic parallelism in Jesus' sayings to drive theological emphasis.