Setting the scene
Who wrote it
Traditionally Luke, a doctor and companion of Paul
Who it was for
Theophilus and other followers of Jesus
What was happening
The seventy sent out, a lawyer's question about neighbors, and Martha and Mary
Read the full background in the book overview

What’s happening

After this the Lord appoints seventy others and sends them two by two ahead of him to every town he is about to visit. "The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore to the Lord of the harvest that he may send out laborers into his harvest." He sends them "as lambs among wolves," with no purse, bag, or sandals, telling them to greet no one on the road. Into any house they enter, they are to say first, "Peace be to this house," to eat what is set before them, heal the sick, and say, "The Kingdom of God has come near to you." Where they are not received they are to wipe the dust off their feet. Jesus says it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for those towns, and pronounces woes on Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. The seventy return with joy: "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!" He says, "I saw Satan having fallen like lightning from heaven ... Nevertheless, don't rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." Filled with joy in the Holy Spirit, he thanks the Father for hiding these things from the wise and revealing them to infants, and tells his disciples privately that many prophets and kings desired to see what they see. A lawyer stands to test him: "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus asks what is written, and he answers with love for God and for neighbor. "You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live." Wanting to justify himself, he asks, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus tells of a man going down from Jerusalem to Jericho who falls among robbers, who strip him, beat him, and leave him half dead. A priest comes down that way and passes by on the other side, and a Levite does the same. But a Samaritan, as he travels, comes upon him, and "when he saw him, he was moved with compassion," bandages his wounds with oil and wine, sets him on his own animal, brings him to an inn, and takes care of him. Next day he gives the innkeeper two denarii: "Take care of him. Whatever you spend beyond that, I will repay you when I return." "Which of these three, do you think, seemed to be a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers?" "He who showed mercy on him." "Go and do likewise." As they go on, Jesus enters a village and a woman named Martha welcomes him into her house. Her sister Mary sits at the Lord's feet and listens, but Martha is distracted with much serving and says, "Lord, don't you care that my sister left me to serve alone? Ask her to help me." Jesus answers, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her."

Why the setting matters

The "seventy" (some manuscripts say seventy-two) may recall the seventy elders who shared Moses' spirit (Numbers 11) or the seventy nations of Genesis 10; the number points to a mission wider than the twelve, and the Gospel of Luke is the only one that records it. Eating whatever is set before them meant sharing meals with people who might not keep Jewish food customs. Chorazin and Bethsaida were Galilean towns near Capernaum, and Sodom is the standard of judgment. The road from Jerusalem to Jericho drops about 3,300 feet in seventeen miles through desert hills, and was known for robbers. Priests and Levites served in the temple and lived in places like Jericho, so those on the road were probably going home. A priest might avoid a body for fear of ritual impurity, though Luke gives no reason. Jews and Samaritans were deeply hostile, going back to the split of the kingdoms and the rival temple on Mount Gerizim, so making the Samaritan the hero turns the lawyer's question around: not "whom must I treat as a neighbor," but "who proved to be one." Two denarii were about two days' wages. Luke doesn't name the village of Martha and Mary; John 11:1 places them at Bethany. Sitting "at the feet" is the position of a student, as Paul describes his own training (Acts 22:3), and women were not usually welcomed in that role.

Read Luke 10 (World English Bible)

Who’s in this chapter

Jesus

Sends out the seventy and answers the lawyer.

The seventy

Sent ahead in pairs; they return with joy.

A lawyer

An expert in the law who tests Jesus.

The Samaritan

The hero of the story, a member of a despised group.

The priest and the Levite

Two temple figures who pass by.

Martha

Distracted by serving.

Mary

Sits at Jesus' feet.

Talk it through

  1. The lawyer asks "Who is my neighbor?" and Jesus ends with "Which was a neighbor?" What changed in the question?
  2. Why a Samaritan, and not, say, a third Jew?
  3. Jesus says Mary has chosen the good part. What is he saying about Martha, and what is he not saying?
  4. The seventy are told to go with almost nothing. What would that teach them about the mission?

Read Luke 10

World English Bible

1Now after these things, the Lord also appointed seventy others, and sent them two by two ahead of him into every city and place where he was about to come. 2Then he said to them, “The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore to the Lord of the harvest, that he may send out laborers into his harvest. 3Go your ways. Behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. 4Carry no purse, nor wallet, nor sandals. Greet no one on the way. 5Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’ 6If a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. 7Remain in that same house, eating and drinking the things they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Don’t go from house to house. 8Into whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat the things that are set before you. 9Heal the sick who are there, and tell them, ‘God’s Kingdom has come near to you.’ 10But into whatever city you enter, and they don’t receive you, go out into its streets and say, 11‘Even the dust from your city that clings to us, we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that God’s Kingdom has come near to you.’ 12I tell you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that city.

13“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment than for you. 15You, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades. 16Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me. Whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

17The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!”

18He said to them, “I saw Satan having fallen like lightning from heaven. 19Behold, I give you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will in any way hurt you. 20Nevertheless, don’t rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

21In that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in your sight.”

22Turning to the disciples, he said, “All things have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is, except the Father, and who the Father is, except the Son, and he to whomever the Son desires to reveal him.”

23Turning to the disciples, he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things that you see, 24for I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see the things which you see, and didn’t see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and didn’t hear them.”

25Behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

26He said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?”

27He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”

28He said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live.”

29But he, desiring to justify himself, asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”

30Jesus answered, “A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31By chance a certain priest was going down that way. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32In the same way a Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a certain Samaritan, as he traveled, came where he was. When he saw him, he was moved with compassion, 34came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. He set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the host, and said to him, ‘Take care of him. Whatever you spend beyond that, I will repay you when I return.’ 36Now which of these three do you think seemed to be a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers?”

37He said, “He who showed mercy on him.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

38As they went on their way, he entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. 39She had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. 40But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she came up to him, and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister left me to serve alone? Ask her therefore to help me.”

41Jesus answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

Text: World English Bible, Public domain. About our sources