Year Two, June 3

Peace Be to This House1

Luke 10:1-20

1After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. (The twelve had succeeded so well that our Lord added to the number of his evangelists. He sent them out as traveling preachers all over the land.) 2And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

The preachers themselves were instructed to pray for more preachers. In any other occupation people are afraid of competition if too many are involved in the same business. There is no fear of this in the Christian ministry. There cannot be too many soul winners.

3“Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. (They must expect trouble and look to a higher power than their own for protection.) 4Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. (The king’s business required haste. The unnecessary courtesies of life were to be ignored.) 5Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house! 6And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you.”

No blessing can be lost. If the blessing is given sincerely, the giver will eventually be blessed for their kindness.

7“And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. (They were not to be beggars or gluttons, but being provided for at one friendly home, they were to go on with their work.) 8Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. 9Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 11‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ 12I 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 mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 15And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades.”

Matthew Henry says, “To understand the wisdom of God in giving the means of grace to those who would not take advantage of them, and denying them to those who would, we must wait for the great day of discovery.”2

16“The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

Christ considers himself to be treated the same way his ministers are. Therefore, it will go hard on those who reject their message and cause them pain.

17The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name! 18And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. (He saw Satan fall from his power suddenly and hopelessly, like a meteor.) 19Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

To be one of God’s elect is better than to have the greatest abilities. When we are in a position where we are likely to become proud of what the Lord does through us, it will be good to remember what he has done for us. What he has done for us is far greater and a safer reason for rejoicing than what he has done by us.

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¹ Luke 10:5

² Matthew Henry (1662-1714).