For those who were eagerly awaiting the latest birth to the British royal family, there was an unusual stealth campaign. Members of the family and staff were tight lipped as to the gender and name of the child until birth. The announcement of the birth was through a combination of posted notices and twitter tweets. The announcement of the birth listed the sex, weight, delivery time and soon after, the name of the child. His name tied together the lineage to the kingship.
To announce the kingship of Jesus, he commissioned seventy-two-two kingdom missionaries, who were sent by the King to announce His presence. The seventy-two were willing to deny themselves, take up their crosses daily, and follow Him. Like the Twelve they were ordinary men, chosen for an extraordinary task. The message the seventy-two proclaimed was that the kingdom of God had come near because the King, the Lord Jesus Christ, was present—the same message proclaimed by John the Baptist (Matt. 3:2), Jesus (Matt.4:17, 23; 9:35; Luke 4:43), and the apostles (Matt. 10:7). A kingdom is a realm, sphere, or territory ruled by an absolute monarch who functions with absolute authority. In the kingdom of God, He is the “blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Tim. 6:15). In a general sense, all creation is included under His sovereign rule in His universal kingdom (Ps. 103:19), but the kingdom of salvation is the theme of all gospel preaching. Those who enter that aspect of His kingdom through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ submit themselves completely to His authority and receive all the benefits of eternal life. The rest of humanity is in the kingdom of the world (Rev. 11:15), under the rule of Satan (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; Acts 26:18; 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2); there are no free agents. The gospel is the good news that sinners can be forgiven, delivered from the kingdom of darkness into “the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Col. 1:13), and thereby reconciled to God, who gives them permanent peace, comfort, and joy both in time and eternity.
The phrase in verse 1 after this indicates that the sending of the seventy-two took place subsequent to the events of chapter 9, which marked the close of the Lord’s Galilean ministry and the beginning of His journey to Jerusalem. That journey would last for several months, and take place mainly in Judea and east of the Jordan in Perea. It would end with Christ’s arrival in Jerusalem for the events of Passion Week, which would culminate in His death, resurrection, and ascension. Early in that journey, the Lord appointed these seventy-two messengers (some translations read “seventy-two-two”; the manuscript evidence is not clear as to which reading is correct). Anadeiknumi (appointed) appears elsewhere in the New Testament only in Acts 1:24, where it refers to the Lord’s choice of Matthias to replace Judas as an apostle. Jesus sovereignly chose the seventy-two-two, just as He did the twelve apostles. It seems that the twelve apostles were representatives of Israel (with its twelve tribes) and the seventy-two-two seventy-two-two (there are seventy-two nations listed in Genesis 10—the Septuaguint version details seventy-two-two). (Bentley, M. (1992). Saving a Fallen World: Luke Simply Explained. Welwyn Commentary Series (p. 155). Darlington, England: Evangelical Press.)
After choosing these seventy-two men, Jesus sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he Himself was about to go/going to come. Sending messengers “two by two” (ana duo) was common not only among the early Christians (Mark 6:7; Luke 7:18–19; Acts 13:2; 15:27, 39–40; 17:14; 19:22) but also among the Jews. It provided companionship, protection, and the double witness prescribed in Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15 (Joachim Jeremias, New Testament Theology. The Proclamation of Jesus [New York: Scribners, 1971], p. 235).
As well, the Old Testament law required that “on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed” (Deut. 19:15).Thus the testimony these men gave about Jesus in the towns and villages would conform to the law’s requirements. The Lord’s instruction to the seventy-two provides insight for believers today, who are all called to distribute the good news of salvation, the best way for us to love our neighbors. Three requirements rise from His charge to the seventy-two: all who proclaim salvation in Christ must be 1) Content with the Lord’s Provision (Luke 10:2-4), 2) Faithful to the Lord’s Message (Luke 10:5–9), and 3) Diligent to declare Judgment (Luke 10:10–12).
In order to Love our Neighbors in sharing the good news of salvation we must first, be:
1) Content with the Lord’s Provision (Luke 10:2-4)
Luke 10:2-4 [2]And 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. [3]Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. [4]Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. (ESV)
The attitude Jesus expected of the seventy-two is composed of five elements, all of which are transferable to believers today. Luke’s record of what he said to them is most likely only a rich summary of our Lord’s instruction. As is the case in all the records of His teaching, we assume He said much more on the matters that are only briefly referred to by the writers. This section presents aspects of dependence on the Lord.
Please turn to Matthew 13 (p.818)
The Lord’s compassion was prompted by His knowledge of what awaits those who refuse to repent; the harvest of which He spoke was not one of bringing people into the kingdom of God. It was the gathering of sinners for their final judgment (cf. Joel 3:12–14; Matt. 13:30, 39–43; Rev. 14:14–15).
Matthew 13:24-30, 39-43 [24]He put another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, [25]but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. [26]So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. [27]And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?' [28]He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' So the servants said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?' [29]But he said, 'No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. [30]Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'" [39]and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels. [40]Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. [41]The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, [42]and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. [43]Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. (ESV)
Compounding the matter, although the harvest is plentiful … the laborers are few. The mass of humanity moving inexorably toward divine judgment and eternal hell, while only few are working to reach them with the saving truth of the gospel. This moved the heart of the Savior as it should move us. True evangelism begins with a proper assessment of the plight of sinners; with an awareness of their desperate condition and with the realization that they all face the terrifying reality of eternal punishment. In Christian service, there is no unemployment. God has work enough for everyone. No believer should sit back and watch others work because the harvest is great (Barton, B. B., Veerman, D., Taylor, L. C., & Osborne, G. R. (1997). Luke. Life Application Bible Commentary (p. 268). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.).
• What should be obvious with the assessment of the task is that there should never be an opportunity wasted. Our calling is not for trivial pursuits, or assumptions that someone else will reach an individual who the Lord has laid on our heart. Whatever name or face is on your mind right now, it the exact person God has put in your heart for you to present the truth of Christ.
In light of the impending harvest of divine judgment, believers are commanded to pray earnestly for the salvation of the unregenerate. In Romans 10:1 Paul wrote, “Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them [unbelieving Israelites] is for their salvation.” Our prayers do not save the harvest or a part of it. Our prayers join God’s concern for the harvest, make us of one mind, heart, and will with him, partners of Jesus himself (Lenski, R. C. H. (1961). The Interpretation of St. Luke’s Gospel (p. 567). Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Publishing House.).
• By praying before, during and after our encounters we are put in the right frame of mind in approach, deal in a godly manner with the issues, and continue to ask God to use the word and others to change the hearts of our hearers.
The prayer in view here is that God would raise up people to evangelize the lost; that the Lord of the harvest would send out laborers into his harvest to rescue people from the coming judgment. The principle is this—there are times when attention should be concentrated on the field that is at our own door. We are to work outwards from the circle that is next us (Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (Ed.). (1909). St. Luke Vol. I. The Pulpit Commentary (p. 279). London: Funk & Wagnalls Company.)
The Lord of the harvest is the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom the Father has committed all judgment (John 5:22, 27–29; cf.2 Thess. 1:5–10). The compassionate Lord seeks to rescue people from His wrath and judgment through the prayers of believers. This is the paradox and wonder of the gospel. The judge commands His people to earnestly pray that more sinners be saved from His judgment; more than that, that more evangels be sent to those sinners, because the judge and executioner was Himself executed to save others from being executed by Him.
There is a basic need for obedience for this to occur. The present imperative form of the verb hupagō in verse 3 which could be rendered go and keep going, reflects the urgency of the Lord’s command. This is a PRESENT ACTIVE IMPERATIVE. Theologically this is parallel to the Great Commission of Matt. 28:19, “Go” (AORIST PARTICIPLE used in the sense of an IMPERATIVE). In context this looks like a specific assignment: so this cannot be interpreted “as you are going through life” or “through your daily affairs.” This is a specific mission (Utley, R. J. (2004). The Gospel according to Luke. Study Guide Commentary Series (Vol. Volume 3A, Lk 10:3). Marshall, TX: Bible Lessons International.).
• We often mistakenly believe that people will just know about Christ from our lifestyles, or that we will just tell people as we go. The commission that the 70 had, and we have, is to go with a specific purpose, to specific people, with a specific message. Anything less, results in distractions and other pressures that will crowd this out.
By likening the seventy-two to lambs in the midst of wolves, Jesus stressed the reality of the threats that awaited gospel witnesses and their need both for innocence and vigilance. As He did the apostles (cf. Matt. 10:16–18; John 16:1–4, 33), Jesus warned them of the hostility, hatred, and danger they would face. All of the apostles faced persecution, and as far as is known, all were martyred except for John. The seventy-two-two also would face persecution in the synagogue courts, by religious and secular authorities, and even from their own families, and perhaps a number of them were martyred as well. But they were all protected by the power and strength of their Shepherd until their work was done.
The disciples would need to trust in Christ’s power. Like innocent, helpless lambs in the midst of a wolf pack, the seventy-two had no strength of their own and were only as safe as the strength of their Shepherd. “Lambs” implies that the disciples should not attempt to gain converts by force; the spread of the gospel is to come through preaching the “good news” of Jesus Christ and inviting hearers to respond willingly (cf. Matt. 11:28; John 1:11–12; Acts 3:19; Rom. 10:14–17; Rev. 22:17). The principle that genuine religious commitment cannot be compelled by force sets Christianity in clear contrast to significant segments of Islam, Hinduism, and many tribal religions (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 1975). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.).
• The methodology of proclaiming the gospel is clear. By no means are we ever to forcefully attack an opponent. Be ready for attacks, but respond when appropriate, with reasoned kindness. (2 Pt.)
Does this not spell utter helplessness? Extreme danger? So it seems. But note the emphatic I in “I am sending you out.” It is no one less than their Shepherd who is speaking. Apart from him, to be sure, they are, and will be, in a hopeless situation. But commissioned by him, as his apostles, the opposite is true. Will he not gather the lambs in his arms and carry them in his bosom? See Isa. 40:11. Let them then depend on him … entirely (Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953–2001). Exposition of the Gospel According to Luke. New Testament Commentary (Vol. 11, p. 573). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.).
As He had done with the Twelve (Luke 9:1–3), the Lord did not allow the seventy-two to take any extra provisions for their journey, in verse 4, such as a money belt, bag, and sandals. Nor were they to greet anyone on the road/way. Jesus was not referring to giving a polite greeting in passing, but rather to stopping and indulging in the elaborate greetings that were part of the culture (cf. Ex. 18:5–12). They were not to establish relationships from which they could expect support. Nor was doing so essential to this mission of evangelizing people; people would be saved by the power of the gospel, not the power of friendship. This mission was to be a time of training, of learning to trust God to supply all their needs (cf. Phil. 4:19). The seventy-two were not only to trust the Lord to protect them from the wolves, but also to supply their basic necessities. As was the case with the apostles, this austerity was for temporary training purposes and not permanent, as Jesus’ later reference to His sending the Twelve indicates: “When I sent you out without money belt and bag and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you?’ They said, ‘No, nothing’” (Luke 22:35). But the pattern for future ministry would be different, Jesus told them: “But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one’” (v. 36). The rigorous rules the Lord enforced during the initial training of both the apostles and the seventy-two were relaxed after it was completed.
• What should be an obvious take away from this portrayal is that there is never an excuse of lack of training or relationship, to share the truth. We often put financial pressures or lack of a relationship with a particular individual as a barrier to approach. We say things like I have so many bills, I have to put the overtime in. Or we say that I will establish a friendship with someone then present the truth of the Gospel to them. The instruction in this incident shows that there are opportunities that God deliberately puts you in that you have to trust Him with financial pressures or relational inexperience. He wants to show you and the one to whom you are entrusted with presenting the gospel that it is not a perfect opportunity or friendship that changes hearts, but the Holy Spirit inspirited and life changing word of God that changes hearts and lives.
Illustration: This section has deal with the motives for sharing the Gospel, think now on our motives. Imagine that I have ten bags of money here, each containing a thousand dollars, and that I offer one of these bags to each of the first ten people who, by this time tomorrow, will share the gospel with a non-believer and invite him to receive Jesus Christ as Savior. The response of the non-believer would have no bearing on whether one gets the money. What do you think would happen? We all know that there would be a mad rush to get out of here and be one of the first ten to tell somebody about Jesus. Are we more willing to witness out of impure motives than out of love for and obedience to the Lord?
The story is told of the captain of a Mississippi riverboat who, as his ship passed another vessel, grabbed the first passenger he saw and said, “Look, look, over there on the other boat. Look at its captain.” The man was somewhat bewildered and asked, “Why do you want me to look at that captain? What makes him so special?” Then the captain told him the story of how he had collided one night with another boat. His own vessel was foundering and in the process he was thrown overboard. The captain of the other vessel saw his desperate plight and maneuvered close enough that he was able to dive into the water and save his life. After telling the story, the once-saved captain then turned to the bystander and said, “Ever since that day, I want to point out my rescuer to others.” Likewise, as those who have been saved, secured, and loved by Jesus, we should want to tell others of him (Michael P. Green. (2000). 1500 illustrations for biblical preaching (pp. 127–128). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.).
2) Faithful to the Lord’s Message (Luke 10:5–9)
Luke 10:5-9 [5]Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace be to this house!' [6]And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. [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. [8]Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. [9]Heal the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' (ESV)
The message the seventy-two were charged to preach would inevitably divide people based on one of two responses: acceptance bringing peace, or rejection bringing punishment. These itinerant evangelists from Galilee would be strangers in virtually every Judean town and village that they entered. In His instructions to the Twelve, Jesus had told them, “Whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay at his house until you leave that city” (Matt. 10:11). In other words, they were to look for someone receptive to the gospel message, a true Jew who was one inwardly (Rom.2:29); who was waiting for the Messiah as Simeon was (Luke 2:25).The seventy-two were likewise to look for those who were ready, eager, and divinely prepared to hear the gospel.
Then the Lord gave them specific instructions as to how to find such a person, “Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’” They were to seek out a house where there was an interest in the message of peace with God that Messiah, the “Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6; cf. Luke 1:79) would bring.
• There as so many worried and unsettled, that are just waiting for an eternal solution to this unrest. God allows the unrest of sin to show how the Gospel eternally brings peace. Our role is to continually look the unsettled. If they are possessing a false sense of security, by relying on that which does not eternally satisfy, then the Law of God shows how far everyone falls short of God’s standard, and needs his peace through faith.
The saying of “Peace be to this house” in verse five, was more than merely a polite greeting since, as Jesus went on to say in verse 6: “If a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him”; in other words, the gospel message would find a home with him. Peace therefore is portrayed not merely as something one might wish for another, but as an entity that can be transmitted and possessed or returned. This “peace” is not a feeling of ease or contentment but an objective reality. It is a synonym for the messianic salvation and its attendant blessings, referred to in 1:79; 2:14; 7:50; 8:48; Acts 10:36. Paul spoke of such peace as being the result of justification (Rom 5:1) (Stein, R. H. (1992). Luke. The New American Commentary (Vol. 24, p. 305). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
The phrase son/child of peace, in Jewish vernacular, is to say that someone was a son of something meant that person had a disposition or nature consistent with it. A son of peace would be receptive to the message of eternal peace with God and entrance into His kingdom that comes only through the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Rom. 5:1). Importantly, one does not predetermine to whom God’s wholeness is transmitted; the division that results from the communication of peace is without human premeditation, but arises through its acceptance or rejection. (Green, J. B. (1997). The Gospel of Luke. The New International Commentary on the New Testament (p. 414). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
• I fear that we have often negated the power of the Gospel that could have come through us because we often predetermine who will accept or reject the message of the Gospel. Often the outwardly well off and successful, who we assume would not be receptive, are inwardly struggling and hurting. The basic concept of the kingdom of God is the consideration of the internal nature before outward trappings.
Jesus told his commissioned that if the message is not accepted it will return to them, an expression signifying rejection. In that case the seventy-two, like the Twelve (Matt. 10:13), were not to waste any more time with the rejecters, but to go somewhere else. The benediction or prayer of peace will not be effective if faith is not present (Stein, R. H. (1992). Luke. The New American Commentary (Vol. 24, p. 305). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.).
Please turn to Matthew 7 (p.812)
What might be the most difficult concept to consider in proclaiming the gospel is to think about how we use our time. Do we continue to spend all our time proclaiming a message to people who continue to refuse the message? Biblically, this is called: “casting our pearls before swine” (cf.Matt.7:6).
Matthew 7:1-6 [7:1]"Judge not, that you be not judged. [2]For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. [3]Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? [4]Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? [5]You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. [6]"Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. (ESV)
• Pearls symbolize the great value of the message of the kingdom of heaven (cf. Matt. 13:45–46). Believers are to be merciful, forgiving, and slow to judge (7:1–5), yet they should wisely discern the true character of people and not indefinitely continue proclaiming the gospel to those who adamantly reject it, so that they can move on and proclaim the gospel to others (cf. 10:14; also Acts 13:46; 18:6; Titus 3:10–11). (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 1833). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.)
• There are occasions to persevere, especially with family, friends and immediate co-workers, but this should never be at the expense of continuing to search out new opportunities.
When they were welcomed into the house of a son of peace, verse 7 notes that they were to remain/stay in the same house, eating and drinking what they were given, since the laborer deserves/is worthy of his wages (cf. Matt. 10:10; 1 Cor. 9:14; 1 Tim. 5:17–18).The seventy-two were strictly forbidden to not go/keep moving from house to house seeking nicer accommodations or better food. This was the same charge that the Lord gave the Twelve when He sent them out to preach (Luke 9:4). The point was to distinguish the true preachers of the gospel from greedy false teachers. The latter were constantly looking to stay in the most comfortable and wealthy homes for a while and then move on, seeking to take advantage of as many people as possible. Obeying Christ’s command would demonstrate the integrity, sincerity, and honesty of His messengers and their message, as opposed to the false teachers.
Broadening the scope of His instructions, Jesus then told the seventy-two in verse 8, “Whenever you enter a town/city and they receive you, eat what is set before you.” In contrast to the false teachers, they were not to put a price on their ministry by demanding certain living arrangements or quality of food. Nor did they need to be concerned even about the Jewish dietary laws should they stay in a Gentile home, since Jesus had already declared all foods clean (Mark 7:18–19). The question of table fellowship was a large one in the early church, and Jesus wants his followers to imitate his example. He has already been seen “eating and drinking” with tax collectors and sinners in 5:29–30 (Black, M. C. (1995). Luke. College Press NIV Commentary (Lk 10:7–8). Joplin, MO: College Press Pub.).
• One of the biggest reasons we don’t connect with our neighbors is that we don’t intentionally spend time with them. Occasional, happenstance contact just won’t cut it. Summer is a perfect, non-threating time to make deliberate, systematic, regular contact with our neighbors.
Finally, the Lord charged the seventy-two to heal the sick in each city they visited. Verse 17 indicates that they also received power to cast out demons. Those miraculous powers, which may have been granted only for the duration of their mission, served to authenticate their message as it did the apostles (Luke 9:6) in the time before the completion of the inspired New Testament. The healing Jesus brought pictured what the kingdom offered (11:20). Jesus’ ministry was the arrival of the initial stages of God’s rule, which Jesus will consummate at His return (17:20–37) (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (Lk 10:8–12). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.)
The message they proclaimed, was that the kingdom of God had come near because the King was present. The “kingdom of God” in this present age is not an earthly, military, or political kingdom but is the rule and reign of God in people’s hearts and lives, and it is manifested both in people following Jesus and his teaching, and in the miraculous healings that God brought through the disciples, giving a foretaste of resurrected life in the age to come (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 1975). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.).
When the gospel is proclaimed, the blessings of God’s rule are near or within the grasp of all who will accept them (Mk. 1:15) (Carson, D. A., France, R. T., Motyer, J. A., & Wenham, G. J. (Eds.). (1994). New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., Lk 10:1–16). Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity Press.).
Illustration: C.H. Spurgeon said that Holy boldness honors the gospel. In the olden times, when Oriental despots had things pretty much their own way, they expected all ambassadors from the West to lay their mouths in the dust if permitted to appear before his Celestial Brightness, the Brother of the Sun and Cousin of the Moon. Certain money-loving traders agreed to all this, and ate dust as readily as reptiles. But when England sent her ambassadors abroad, the daring islanders stood bolt-upright. They were told that they could not be indulged with a vision of the Brother of the Sun and Cousin of the Moon without going to their hands and knees. “Very well,” said the Englishmen, “we will dispense with the luxury, but tell his Celestial Splendor that it is very likely that his Serenity will hear our cannon at his palace gates before long, and that their booming is not quite so harmless as the cooing of his Sublimity’s doves.” When it was seen that ambassadors of the English Crown were no cringing petitioners, the British Empire rose in respect of Oriental nations.
It must be just so with the cross of Christ. Cowardice has subjected the gospel to contempt. To preach the gospel boldly is to deliver it as such a message ought to be delivered [C. H. Spurgeon, Feathers for Arrows, p. 23].
3) Diligent to Declare Judgment (Luke 10:10–12)
Luke 10:10-12 [10]But 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.' [12]I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. (ESV)
The seventy-two could not expect to find a favorable reception in every town/city they visited; the Lord Himself had just been rejected by an entire Samaritan village (9:52–53). When a town/city did not receive them, they were not to slip away quietly, but go out into its streets and according to verse 11 say, “Even the dust of your town/city that clings to our feet we wipe off/in protest against you. Nevertheless be know/be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near.” This was a public pronouncement of judgment on those who rejected the King and His kingdom. Wiping off the dust from one’s feet was a demonstrative expression of disdain in Jewish culture (cf. 9:5). This was a final call to those who had rejected the King, graphically warning them that they themselves were being rejected by Him. Despite their rejection, they could know/be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near. God’s kingdom moves inexorably through history and those who are not swept up into it are crushed by it.
Please turn to John 5 (p.890)
Understanding the good news of the gospel is predicated on understanding the bad news about what happens to those who reject it. To be faithful to the Word of God, a gospel presentation must include not only the promise of heaven, but also the threat of judgment and hell (Ps. 96:13; John 5:28–29; Acts 17:31; 24:25; Rom. 2:5; 2 Thess. 2:12; 2 Tim. 4:1; Heb.9:27;2 Peter 2:9;3:7; Rev.20:11–15). In the conclusion of His charge to the seventy-two, the Lord Jesus Christ emphasized the reality of comparative judgment. Those who rejected the message the seventy-two proclaimed will face a severer judgment than those who have never heard the truth.
John 5:22-29 [22]The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, [23]that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. [24]Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. [25]"Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. [26]For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. [27]And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. [28]Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice [29]and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. (ESV)
The Lord’s final emphatic declaration in Luke 10:12: I tell/say to you (cf. Matt. 5:18, 20, 22, 26, 28, 32, 34, 39, 44) indicates the importance of this truth. The warning given here is not hearsay or inference, but firsthand information straight from the judge’s mouth. It will be more bearable/tolerable refers to the degree of punishment dropped on the unbelieving sinners at the Great White Throne judgment, the final sentencing of the lost to the lake of fire (Rev. 20:11–15). In that place of unceasing torment there will be different levels of punishment. To be exposed to the gospel of Jesus Christ and reject it is to incur greater guilt and punishment.
But while all who reject the gospel and refuse to repent of their sins will face eternal punishment in hell, the degree of their punishment will depend on the amount of knowledge they had. The severest punishment belongs to those who had the most knowledge of the truth. The writer of Hebrews expressed that principle when he wrote, “How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?”(Heb. 10:29; cf. Luke 12:47–48).
To illustrate His point, Jesus gave an example of a city whose judgments would be different based on their level of exposure to the truth. The Lord declared that it will be more bearable/tolerable on that day for Sodom than for that town/city. The unspecified town/city is any that rejected the seventy-two and their message about Christ (v. 10). That Sodom would face a lesser judgment than any town/city in Israel was incomprehensible. The appalling evil of Sodom, especially its gross homosexual sin, would seem to merit the most severe judgment. God Himself declared of Sodom and its sister city Gomorrah, “The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave” (Gen. 18:20). Yet Jesus declared that any town/city that rejected the gospel would face a more severe judgment than Sodom.
All who proclaim salvation in Christ must use the Lord’s means (Luke 10:1-4), and be faithful to the Lord’s Message (Luke 10:5–9). This not only means the proclamation of peace for those who believe but also Diligent to declare Judgment (Luke 10:10–12) to those who reject the truth. The harvest is white for judgment. We are commissioned and equipped for the task. There is no time to waste. This is truly loving our neighbors.
(Format Note: Some base commentary from MacArthur, John F (2011-02-21). Luke 6-10 MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Macarthur New Testament Commentary Series) (pp. 329-334). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.)
