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Luke Chapter
Ten
I.
Content of the Chapter
The Teachings of the Son of Man the Savior
I. His teaching towards workers:
A. The
laborer is worthy of his wages (v.1-7).
B. He
who rejects them rejects the Lord (v.8-16).
C. Do
not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice
because your names are written in heaven (v.17-20).
D.
Rejoice and be thankful for seeing the good will of God (v.21-24).
II. His teaching towards the lawyer------he should
do like what the good Samaritan did (v.25-37).
III. His teaching towards Martha------she should
choose that good part just like Mary (v.38-42).
II.
Verse by Verse commentary
Luke. 10:1 “After these things the
Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face
into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.”
YLT: “And after these
things, the Lord did appoint also other seventy, and sent them by twos before
his face, to every city and place whither he himself was about to come,”
The Background:
“the Lord appointed seventy others also”
Seventy Gentile nations were recorded in the Genesis of the Old Testament (See
Gen. 10); seventy of the sons of Israel went to Egypt (Gen. 46:27); there were
seventy of the elders going to the Mount Sinai (See Exod. 24:1, 9); the Jewish
council was made up of seventy members.
Literal Meaning: “and sent them two
by two” The purpose for the Lord’s sending them two by two is not that the
witness of two is more faithful (See Deut. 17:6) but that they could help and support
each other during the period of their being trained.
“Into every city and place where He
Himself was about to go” They went to preach before Jesus and they were like
the trailbreakers.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Lord sent the disciples two by two. This
shows that when we serve the Lord, we have to cooperate with other brothers and
sisters and help each other and we should not act alone.
2) If two agree on earth concerning anything that
they ask, they will be answered (See Matt. 18:19); in the assembly, the work of
two who are of the same mind is more effective than that of one (See Deut.
32:30).
Luke. 10:2 “Then He said to them, ‘The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few;
therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
YLT: “then said he unto
them, ‘The harvest indeed [is] abundant, but the workmen few; beseech ye then
the Lord of the harvest, that He may put forth workmen to His harvest.”
Literal Meaning: “the harvest truly
is great”: the harvest is great.
“Labor”: manpower, toil.
“Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest”
the Lord here used harvest and the Lord of the harvest to liken the relation
between Him and men (Rev. 14:15).
“Send out laborers into His harvest”
“Into His harvest” means to partake in His harvest. “He” indicates “the Lord of
the harvest”, i.e. our Lord.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Though the Lord’s harvest is plentiful, laborers
who are able to endure the suffering are few.
2) The Lord needs men to work with Him on earth
(Is. 6:8). And the need of the Lord’s works is always more than the laborers
that He could send out.
3) Though the Lord is willing to send out laborers,
He sends out laborers unless we pray for this. Praying is to pave the track for
the will of God so that His will would run forth.
4) We should always pray for the preaching of glad
tidings (Col. 4:3). Praying is to work with the Lord and praying may rise many
good soldiers of glad tidings.
5) Workers do not go out voluntarily and they are
“sent out” to work by the Lord.
Luke. 10:3 “Go your way; behold, I
send you out as lambs among wolves.”
YLT: “’Go away; lo, I
send you forth as lambs in the midst of wolves;”
Literal Meaning: “as lambs among
wolves” Lambs’ natural disposition is meekness and wolves are brutal. Lambs are
in danger if they are among wolves.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) To work for the Lord, one will unavoidably meet
difficulties and persecutions.
2) Since we are sent out by the Lord, He will
assuredly take responsibility for our safety. Otherwise, if not being sent out
by the Lord, we should not take risks by ourselves.
3) Lambs are very dangerous among wolves.
Christians profit nothing among the unbelievers and may even be harmed by them.
4) Men’s natural life is like the wolves and they
like to obey the law of the jungle. However the life of the Lord is the life of
Lamb------standing aloof from the world and being willing to suffer losses.
5) Lambs do not have the strength to protect
themselves and therefore believers on earth should rely on the Lord in
everything.
Luke. 10:4 “Carry neither money bag,
knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.”
YLT: “carry no bag, no
scrip, nor sandals; and salute no one on the way;”
Meaning of Words: “bag”: it is used to
keep foods.
Literal Meaning: “Carry neither money
bag, knapsack, nor sandals” “money bag” indicates the money in reserve;
“knapsack” indicates the food in reserve.
The Lord has ordained to those that announce to the glad tidings to live
of the glad tidings (1Cor. 9:14). Therefore workers of the Lord, being sent out
by the Lord to work among God’s people, should not prepare superfluously for
the daily necessities.
“Nor sandals” It does not mean that we
should not “wear” sandals but that we should not “carry” the additional
sandals.
“And greet no one along the road.” Their
tasks are so urgent that they should not greet others conventionally lest they
may waste time on the way (See 2Kings. 4:29).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The principle of
the life of a worker of the Lord is not to prepare for himself and not to plan
for himself and in him it is proved that God is able to feed us and He is
responsible for us.
2) Workers of the Lord should have faith towards
God and should not trust on the uncertainty of riches, but in God who affords
us all things richly for enjoyment (1Tim. 6:17).
3) Those who serve the Lord should not be
distracted by material enjoyment on earth. Having sustenance and covering, we
will be content with these (1Tim. 6:8).
4) Workers of the Lord should do their utmost to
make use of time to preach the gospel and they should not waste their time in
insignificant talk.
Luke. 10:5 “But whatever house you
enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’”
YLT: “and into whatever
house ye do enter, first say, Peace to this house;”
Spiritual Meaning: “Peace to this
house.” It indicates to provide Christ to him because Christ Himself is peace.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Everyone who is willing to receive the Lord’s
workers partakes in the Lord’s works and he could be counted as a co-worker in
the Lord.
2) Christ Himself is peace. Where there is the
Lord’s presence there will be peace (2Thess. 3:16). This peace is the peace of
Christ (Col. 3:15).
Luke. 10:6 “And if a son of peace is
there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.”
YLT: “and if indeed there
may be there the son of peace, rest on it shall your peace; and if not so, upon
you it shall turn back.”
Literal Meaning: “a son of peace”
This verse means that if the greeting is replied kindly, it shows that the
owner of this house is “a son of peace” who has the nature of peace and is
willing to receive the message of peace, otherwise, peace
still goes back to the grass roots and waits to be received by the fit
one.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) If there is “a son of peace” in the house, he
will bring the whole house peace. In other words, if there is one who has been
granted grace in the house, he could bring the whole house grace.
2) After believers have been granted grace, it is
our right and responsibility to bring grace and peace to the whole house.
3) Being sent out by the Lord is important because
those who have been sent out are representatives of the Lord. The moment they
are sent out by the Lord, they have the Lord’s authority, presence and peace.
Therefore wherever they go, the Lord’s authority, presence and peace go with
the workers who are sent out by the Lord just as the flow of water.
4) Everyone that receives those who have been sent
out by the Lord receives the Lord’s presence and peace. Everyone that rejects
those who have been sent by the Lord rejects the Lord’s presence and peace.
5) Any kind of circumstance could not affect the
peace in the workers of the Lord, however, the peace in the workers of the Lord
is able to change the circumstances.
6) Before the devil makes us fail, it will make us
lose our peace at first. If we hold fast the peace in our hearts, the devil
will do nothing to us.
7) Whether someone is worthy of the Lord’s blessing
and peace is determined by the Lord. While someone acts positively, we should
hold an active attitude towards him and we should not doubt his intention or
motive.
Luke. 10:7 “And remain in the same
house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy
of his wages. Do not go from house to house.”
YLT: “`And in that house
remain, eating and drinking the things they have, for worthy [is] the workman
of his hire; go not from house to house,”
Literal Meaning: “for the laborer is
worthy of his wages” When Paul wrote the first epistle of Timothy, he quoted
this sentence as the classics (See 1Tim. 5:18); it shows that the Book of Luke
was published earlier than the first epistle of Timothy. In the laws of the Old
Testament, it was set that the lord should not covet the wages of workers (See
Lev. 19:13; Deut. 24:14-15).
“Do not go from house to house.” The
Lord said so with the purpose that His workers could preach single-mindedly and
they should not be distracted by the enjoyment of life or be inconstant so that
they may waste time to find the more comfortable lodgments.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “For the laborer is worthy of his wages.” If we truly are workers of the Lord, He
will assuredly be responsible for realizing this promise. If we work for
ourselves, certainly we should prepare food for ourselves.
2) When believers do the work of the Lord, they not
only receive the food and drink of the flesh, but also gain the spiritual
provision.
Luke. 10:8 “Whatever city you enter,
and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.”
YLT: “and into whatever
city ye enter, and they may receive you, eat the things set before you,”
Literal Meaning: “eat such things as
are set before you.” It means that they should not be fastidious about
food.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) What those who serve the Lord should pay
attention to is how to provide life for others instead of seeking enjoyment for
their flesh.
2) Having food and clothing, with these the workers
of the Lord shall be content (1Tim. 6:8) and they should not seek the desire
for good food.
Luke. 10:9 “And heal the sick there,
and say to them, ‘The
YLT: “and heal the ailing
in it, and say to them, The reign of God hath come nigh to you.”
Enlightenment in the Word: there are two main works for the ministers: 1)
healing the diseases of men’s souls; 2) bringing men into the
Luke. 10:10 “But whatever city you
enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say,”
YLT: “`And into whatever
city ye do enter, and they may not receive you, having gone forth to its broad
places, say,”
Luke. 10:11 “‘The
very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless
know this, that the
YLT: “And the dust that
hath cleaved to us, from your city, we do wipe off against you, but this know
ye, that the reign of God hath come nigh to you;”
The
Background: When the Pharisees
departed from a gentile place, they usually wipe off or cleanse the dust which
clung to them, indicating that they have nothing with the “uncleanness” of the
Gentiles.
Spiritual Meaning: “against you” It
means that the men or place that have rejected Christ should suffer their own
actions and their endings in future have nothing with us (Acts. 13:50-51).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Our relations with the world should be
established on the ground that whether they desire the Lord. To those who do
not desire the Lord, we should not maintain earthly intimate relations with
them.
2) The disguised social services should never
replace Christ’s gospel. What the Lord cares about is whether men receive the
glad tidings. The Lord does not care about whether we have improved men’s
living standard.
Luke. 10:12 “But I say to you that it
will be more tolerable in that Day for
YLT: “and I say to you,
that for
Meaning of Words: “
The
Background: “
Literal Meaning: “that Day” indicates the end of the world when men are
confronted with God’s judgment.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) In that Day the judgment that men would receive
is determined by men’s reaction to the Lord.
2) If those who have tasted the heavenly taste fall
away, their ending will be more terrible than those who did not know the Lord
(Heb. 6:4-8).
3) In the time of grace, those who have heard the
gospel of salvation and still obstinately reject the gospel probably will
suffer more in future than the ignorant sinners.
4) Today men receive more truth and enlightenment than
the former time. If they still reject and do not listen to them, their sins are
inexcusable and their sins are greater because to every one to whom much has
been given, much shall be required from him (See 12:48).
5) Why do we preach glad tidings? Because there
will be that Day. If men do not receive glad tidings, they will suffer more in
that Day.
6) The greatest sin of men is rejecting the Lord.
All men’s sins come from their rejection of the Lord.
Luke. 10:13 “‘Woe
to you, Chorazin! Woe to you,
YLT: “`Wo to thee,
Chorazin; wo to thee,
Meaning of Words: “Chorazin”: secret;
“
The
Background: “Woe to you,
Chorazin! Woe to you,
“For if the mighty works had been done
in
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Woe to the proud ones who think that only they
in the world know the secret (the meaning of “Chorazin”) and others do not know
it.
2) Woe to this kind of people who can do everything
but reject the Lord: they are good at preaching the glad tidings------“fishing”
(the meaning of “
3) Those who “have repented, sitting in sackcloth
and ashes” will not fall into judgment. Without repentance, it is impossible
for men to be delivered from God’s judgment.
Luke. 10:14 “But it will be more
tolerable for
YLT: “but for
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) This verse shows that the judgment in future is
not the same. There is degree of seriousness concerning the judgments.
2) The consequence of the judgment in future is
related to what we have received from the Lord today. Everyone to whom much is
given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of
him they will ask the more (See 12:48).
Luke. 10:15 “And you,
YLT: “`And thou,
Meaning of Words: “
Literal Meaning:
“You, who are exalted to heaven, will be
brought down to Hades.” “Hades” was in the heart of the earth (See Matt. 12:40)
and it was the temporary place for souls after men were dead (See Acts. 2:27,
Luke. 16:22-23). The whole sentence shows that it has been brought down to the
lowest status of punishment from the supreme status of honor (See Is. 14:13,
15).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) To those who have received “comfort” (the
meaning of “Capernaum”) by repentance and then thought something of themselves
today, though they are exalted to heaven, they will be brought down to Hades.
2) Many first shall be last, and last first (Matt.
19:30, 20:16).
Luke. 10:16 “He who hears you hears
Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent
Me.’”
YLT: “`He who is hearing
you, doth hear me; and he who is putting you away, doth put me away; and he who
is putting me away, doth put away Him who sent me.’”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Believers should never look down upon themselves
as we are “ambassadors” of the
2) If believers want others to hear us, we have to
speak in the communion of the Holy Spirit and we can’t speak randomly as we
please.
3) He who rejects the disciples rejects the Lord
and he who rejects the Lord rejects the Father. This shows the wonderful union
of believers with the Holy Trinity. It is no wander that when Saul of Tarsus
persecuted believers, the Lord questioned him that, “why are you persecuting
me?” (See Acts. 9:4)
Luke. 10:17 “Then the seventy returned
with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are
subject to us in Your name.’”
YLT: “And the seventy
turned back with joy, saying, ‘Sir, and the demons are being subjected to us in
thy name;’”
Literal Meaning: “even the demons are
subject to us in Your name.” It shows that casting out demons is one the tasks
for the seventy disciples (See 9:1-2).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The whole world lies under the sway of the
wicked one (See 1John. 5:19). Only believers have the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ and therefore the demons are contrarily “subject to us”.
2) The name of the Lord is above every name (Pill.
2:9) and His name is the best equipment for believers. As long as we attack the
enemy in the name of the Lord, we will conquer it.
Luke. 10:18 “And He said to them, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”
YLT: “and he said to
them, ‘I was beholding the Adversary, as lightning from the heaven having
fallen;”
Literal Meaning: “Satan fall like
lightning from heaven” It means the rapid defeat of Satan.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Every strong believer must subjectively
experience that “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven”.
2) As long as we live in the risen Lord, we will
ascend up into heaven with the Lord and cast Satan out into the earth (See Rev.
12:9).
3) It is the external phenomenon that the disciple
returned with joy that the demons were subject to them (See v.17). The Lord saw
“Satan fall like lightning from heaven” and this is the fundamental reason. One
should first binds the strong man and then he will plunder his house (Matt.
12:29).
Luke. 10:19 “Behold, I give you the
authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the
enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
YLT: “lo, I give to you
the authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and on all the power of the
enemy, and nothing by any means shall hurt you;”
Spiritual Meaning: “trample on serpents and
scorpions” “serpents and scorpions” symbolize the evil spirits.
“Over all the power of the enemy” “the enemy” indicates Satan itself.
Enlightenment in the Word: though Satan has “the power”, believers have “the
authority”. The authority overcomes the power.
Luke. 10:20 “Nevertheless do not
rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice
because your names are written in heaven.’”
YLT: “but, in this
rejoice not, that the spirits are subjected to you, but rejoice rather that
your names were written in the heavens.’”
The
Background: In ancient times,
the book of citizens was prepared in the city gate, lest the enemy was mingled
into the city.
Literal Meaning: “but rather rejoice because
your names are written in heaven.”
Men’s being saved is recorded in heaven (See Ps. 69:28; Dan. 12:1; Pill. 4:3;
Heb. 12:23; Rev. 3:5).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Salvation is the fountainhead of joy and this
joy overcomes every joy.
2) One’s being saved is more important than that he
has received the power to overcome the demons or his being delivered from its
harm.
3) The primary aim that believers should pursue is
not whether one could do the signs and wonders but whether one truly partakes
in the reward of the
Luke. 10:21 “In that hour Jesus
rejoiced in the Spirit and said, ‘I thank You, Father, Lord
of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and
prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in
Your sight.”
YLT: “In that hour was
Jesus glad in the Spirit, and said, `I do confess to thee, Father, Lord of the
heaven and of the earth, that Thou didst hide these things from wise men and
understanding, and didst reveal them to babes; yes, Father, because so it
became good pleasure before Thee.”
Meaning of Words: “good”: well-pleasing, goodliness, and wish.
Literal
Meaning: “Jesus rejoiced in
the Spirit” the “rejoice” in the original means “exultation or ecstasy”. It is
the joy that is revealed when one conquers in the conflicts.
“I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.”
“Father” shows that God is the fountainhead of everything. “Lord of heaven and
earth” shows that God rules and arranges everything. The Lord here admitted
that all that happened to Him is of God the Father (Rom. 8:28). “I thank You”
shows that the Lord not only receives the arrangement from God’s hands, but
also receives it with thanksgiving.
“You have hidden these things from the wise and
prudent and revealed them to babes.” “The wise and prudent” indicate those who
are opinionated and consider themselves wise; “babes” indicate the humble who
are willingly to be instructed. This shows the principle how God reveals.
Though God is pleased to reveal Christ in men (See Gal. 1:16), if a man, wise
and prudent in his own eyes, wants to understand spiritual things by
intelligence, contrarily he will not receive revelations. Only those who are
simple and open their hearts to God like babes will receive the full
revelations.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) If one knows that the Father is the “Lord of
heaven and earth”------everything is under His mighty hands, he will be
thankful in everything.
2) Though we have received the circumstances and
things arranged by God many times, we receive them unwillingly and there are
complaints in our hearts. Therefore we are unable to have rest like the
Lord.
3) If we could see persons, things and circumstance
that we are encountered with from the principle by which God works, we will
have unconventional state and still have rest in many troubles.
4) Christians’ misfortune, circumstances and things
are God’s will. If we could receive everything from God’s hands, we will not
complain at all.
5) God’s works in us are related to our intentions
and attitudes. The more our intentions are like babes, the more grace we will
receive from God.
6) The humble ones who are willing to be instructed
usually receive God’s revelations (1Pet. 5:5).
7) Whoever thinks that he knows the way how God
does His work (“the wise and prudent”) does not know the will of God on the
contrary. Whoever thinks that he knows nothing (“babes”) is easy to know God’s
will contrarily.
8) The reason why one could not read the Bible very
well is not that his brain is not good. It is that his brain is so good that he
wants to use his own “wisdom and prudence” to read the Bible. Consequently, he
loses the attitude as “a babe” and God has hidden Himself from him.
9) “Even so, Father.” It is the spirit of the Son
and it is the attitude the Son should have. We should say “yes”------amen to
everything that is of the Father.
10) We should seek God’s delight instead of our own
delight in everything.
11) We should say “yes”, i.e. “amen” to everything
in which God delights. In this way, we will be able to have rest even in
adversity.
12) What seems good in the Father’s sight is that:
we should attain glory through tribulations, we should reach the throne through
cross, we should overcome through failures and we should achieve spiritual peak
through the losses of souls.
13) Whether a servant pleases God lies in his
intention to do the will of God instead of the effect of his works.
Luke. 10:22 “All things have been
delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father,
and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to
reveal Him.’”
YLT: “`All things were
delivered up to me by my Father, and no one doth know who the Son is, except
the Father, and who the Father is, except the Son, and he to whom the Son may
wish to reveal [Him].’”
Meaning of Words: “wills”: counsel;
“reveal”: take off the cover, disclose.
Literal Meaning: “All things have
been delivered to Me by My Father” This sentence has two meanings:
1) All my misfortune and “possessions” are from God
instead of men. Therefore there is no need for us to complain others.
2) Since everything is from God, it seems good in
His sight and therefore we should receive everything willingly.
“No one knows who the Son is except the Father.” It
is just that men do not know the Lord because only Father and those who have
been revealed by the Father know Him. It implies that: even if men do not know
or understand me, I am satisfied and able to have rest only if the Father knows
me.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “All things have been delivered to Me by My
Father.” It shows that:
a) The Lord submits to all the arrangements of the Father.
b) The Lord will inherit all the things of the Father ultimately.
What happens to the firstborn will happen to the
sons of God. Whoever submits to all the arrangements of the Father with the
Lord will ultimately inherit all things with Him.
2) “Nor does anyone know who the Father is except
the Son, and the
one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” Only those who have been revealed by the Father
know the Son (See John. 16:17). Only those who have been revealed by the Son
know the Father. The knowledge of the Divine Trinity must be of revelations.
3) Only those who have rest in being merely known
by God are able to know God. Only those who know God are able to lead men to
know God (John. 17:25-26).
Luke. 10:23 “Then He turned to His
disciples and said privately, ‘Blessed are the eyes which
see the things you see;”
YLT: “And having turned
unto the disciples, he said, by themselves, ‘Happy the eyes that are perceiving
what ye perceive;”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The reason why one is “blessed” is not that he
is better than others but that God is pleased to reveal the mysteries of the
kingdom of heaven in him (See Gal. 1:16).
2) The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD
has made even both of them (Prov. 20:12). Only those who look upon God’s mercy
humbly are able to hear and see.
Luke. 10:24 “for I tell you that many
prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and
to hear what you hear, and have not heard it.’”
YLT: “for I say to you,
that many prophets and kings did wish to see what ye perceive, and did not see,
and to hear what ye hear, and did not hear.’”
Literal Meaning: “prophets” are those
who speak for God; “kings” are the authority that God has established and they
represent God on earth. Men of old have desired to see but have not seen. They
have desired to hear but have not heard because in other ages (the age of the
Old Testament) this mystery was not made known to the sons of men (Eph. 3:5).
We are luck to be born in last time and we are blessed that He had made known
to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed
in Himself (Eph. 1:9).
Luke. 10:25 “And behold, a certain
lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, ‘Teacher,
what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’”
YLT: “And lo, a certain
lawyer stood up, trying him, and saying, ‘Teacher, what having done, life
age-during shall I inherit?’”
Literal Meaning: “a certain lawyer”:
“Lawyer” was the scribe who was very familiar with the Law of the Moses and was
of the sect of the Pharisees.
“Stood up and tested Him” This lawyer
must hold himself that He was very familiar with the Law and commandments. He
wanted to examine the Lord Jesus in order to show that the knowledge of the
Scriptures of the Lord Jesus was so so by this and make a fool of the Lord
before the masses.
“Teacher” is an inappropriate
appellation. It shows that he regarded Jesus as “teacher” (See John. 3:2) who
taught men instead of the “Savior” who saved men.
“What shall I do to inherit eternal
life?” This sentence includes four meanings: 1) he admitted the importance to
“inherit eternal life”; 2) he confessed that there was no eternal life in him;
3) He thought that he may inherit eternal life by doing something, in other
words, he thought that one could earn the eternal life; 4) he did not know what
to do in order to inherit eternal life.
“Inheriting eternal life” means that
“names are written in heaven” (v.20), i.e. “being saved”------one has
everlasting life of God and shall not perish (See John. 3:16).
Luke. 10:26 “He said to him, ‘What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?’”
YLT: “And he said unto
him, `In the law what hath been written? how dost thou read?’”
Literal Meaning: the Lord Jesus
asked so in order to remind him to grasp the key to “inherit eternal life”
through the quintessence of the Law. He did not asked him to inherit eternal
life through keeping the letters and words and regulations of the Law.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Law is not useless; the Law brings us unto
Christ (Gal. 3:24).
2) The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life
(2Cor. 3:6).
Luke. 10:27 “So he answered and said, ‘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.’”
YLT: “And he answering
said, ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God out of all thy heart, and out of all
thy soul, and out of all thy strength, and out of all thy understanding, and
thy neighbour as thyself.’”
Meaning of Words: “love”: agapao.
The
Background: the Ten Commandments
could be divided into two parts. One part is towards God and the other towards
men (See Exod. 20:3-17). At that time, this verse was in the prayer of the
Jews. The ordinary Jews knew that the great principle of the Old Testament is
to love God and men.
Literal Meaning: “You shall love the LORD your
God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with
all your mind” It means to love
God with the whole body and the whole life (See Deut. 6:4-5). Here the fourfold
descriptions mainly express the tone of emphasis.
“And your neighbor as yourself” is
quoted from Lev. 19:18.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be
accursed (1Cor. 16:22). We love Him because He first loved us (1John. 4:19).
2) The love that God demands from us is the love
“with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our
mind”. We have to admit that we cannot do this. We could only let God’s love
fill, infuse and compel us more (2Cor. 5:14) and then we shall reveal His love
naturally.
3) Men have to love God first and then they are
able to love men and love their neighbor as themselves.
4) We, in our behaviors, should do our duty both
towards God and men. Towards God, the hinge must be love; towards men,
certainly love should be the key.
5) Those who love God are able to love men and
therefore loving God includes the whole Law. Today the principle of Christians’
life is to “love the Lord your God”.
6) “Love your neighbor as yourself” is to love
unconditionally, i.e. the love of sacrifice. Only those who live in the divine
life are able to do this. He loved me and gave Himself for me (Gal. 2:20).
7) Men should love others just like they love
themselves and they are self-centered (See 6:31). The principle of prayer is
also the life (not in word only).
Luke. 10:28 “And He said to him, ‘You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.’”
YLT: “And he said to him,
‘Rightly thou didst answer; this do, and thou shalt live.’”
Literal Meaning: “do this and you
will live.” This is only a hypothesis------if men could truly love God with
their whole life and love their neighbors as themselves, they could inherit
eternal life. The problem is that we could never meet this demand and therefore
we have to rely on the Savior and look upon His salvation and by this we will
have eternal life.
Luke. 10:29 “But he, wanting to
justify himself, said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’”
YLT: “And he, willing to
declare himself righteous, said unto Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’”
Literal Meaning: “but he, wanting to
justify himself” The word of the Lord Jesus that “do this and you will live” (v.28) implied that he did not do this.
Because of this he may want to make an excuse to defend himself concerning that
“he knew this and did not do it”.
“And who is my neighbor?” It means that
“who is the neighbor that is worthy to be loved as I love myself?” This
sentence implies that his problem is not that he did not “love” but that he
could not find the “right person to show love”.
Luke. 10:30 “Then Jesus answered and
said: ‘A certain man went down
from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his
clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.”
YLT: “and Jesus having
taken up [the word], said, `A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to
Jericho, and fell among robbers, and having stripped him and inflicted blows,
they went away, leaving [him] half dead.”
Meaning of Words: “
The
Background: “A certain man went
down from
“
Spiritual Meaning: “A certain man”
implies the lawyer who was self-righteous (See v.29).
“Went down from
“Fell among thieves” “Thieves” symbolize the
leaders of Judaism who adhered to the Law (See John. 10:1). They forced men to
obey the letter of the Law and consequently sin, taking the opportunity,
produced in them (Rom. 8:7) and brought them into captivity to the law of sin
which was in their members (Rom. 7:23).
“Who
stripped him of his clothing” It symbolizes that
the Law exposes the shame of men.
“Wounded
him, leaving him half dead” It symbolizes that
the Law harms men on the contrary (
“And
departed” It symbolizes that
the leaders of Judaism only asked men to obey the Law and did not care about
men’s life and death (See 6:6-11).
Luke. 10:31 “Now by chance a certain
priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other
side.”
YLT: “`And by a
coincidence a certain priest was going down in that way, and having seen him,
he passed over on the opposite side;”
The Background:
“priest” had the responsibility to instruct
and teach God’s people (See 2Chron. 15:3)
Literal Meaning: “he passed by on the
other side” The reason why he did so may be for his own safety or that he
avoided touching the dead to make himself unclean (See Lev. 21:1).
Spiritual Meaning: “priest” symbolizes
the religious system that is helpless to those who are hurt by the Law.
Luke. 10:32 “Likewise a Levite, when
he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.”
YLT: “and in like manner
also, a Levite, having been about the place, having come and seen, passed over
on the opposite side.”
The
Background: “Levites” took the
responsibility to teach the Law to God’s people (See Deut. 33:9-10).
Literal Meaning: “likewise a Levite”
The priest is of the tribe of the children of Levite, however, not all the
Levites are the priests. Therefore the “Levite” here should be those who are in
the tribe of the children of Levite except the priests. Their duties were to
help the priests to deal with things in the
Spiritual Meaning: “a Levite”
symbolizes the busy holy works that are helpless to those who are hurt by the
Law.
Luke. 10:33 “But a certain Samaritan,
as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.”
YLT: “`But a certain
Samaritan, journeying, came along him, and having seen him, he was moved with
compassion,”
The
Background: “But a certain
Samaritan” In the eyes of the Jews, Samaritan could not listed in their
“neighbors” concerning both their lineage and faith.
Spiritual Meaning: “a certain
Samaritan” symbolizes the Son of Man the Savior; when the Lord walked on earth,
He was despised by the ordinary Jews as the Samaritan.
“As he journeyed, came where he was” It
symbolizes that the Lord Jesus came to the world and He was among the Jews.
“He had compassion.” It symbolizes that
when the Lord Jesus saw that the Jews were mislead by the traditions of their
ancestors and they were hurt, He was merciful.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Lord came to the world to seek sinners with
His “feet” (“as he journeyed, came where he was”), took care of sinners with
His “eyes” (“saw”) and He loved sinners with His “heart” (“he had compassion”).
2) Those who can help others in the assembly may
not the renowned ones (the priest and Levite) but brothers and sisters
(Samaritan) who are despised by men. They always show love in secret.
Luke. 10:34 “So he went to him and
bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal,
brought him to an inn, and took care of him.”
YLT: “and having come
near, he bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine, and having lifted him up
on his own beast, he brought him to an inn, and was careful of him;”
Meaning of Words: “inn” is the place
to receive all (in the original it is compounded of “receptive” and “all”).
Literal Meaning: “pouring on oil and
wine” “Oil” could relieve pain and “wine” could diminish inflammation. Both of
them are the common medicaments of the ancient Jews.
Spiritual Meaning: this verse shows
that the Son of Man the Savior gives sinners the salvation:
1) “Pouring on oil and wine” “oil”
symbolizes the Holy Spirit (See 4:18) and “wine” symbolizes God’s life (See
5:38). He healed sinners with the Holy Spirit and God’s life.
2) “Bandaged” It symbolizes the Lord’s
nourishing and cherishing (See Eph. 5:29).
3) “He set him on his own animal.” It
symbolizes the Lord’s humbleness and condescension (See Zech. 9:9) and He carries
us to go forth.
4) “Brought him to an inn, and took care of
him” It symbolizes that He brings us into the
assembly and takes care of us.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “Went to”------if we want to serve men, we
should “go to” others to help them instead of asking others to go to us.
2) The service of Christ is meticulous: moistening
(“oil”), healing (“wine”), winding (“bandaged”), supporting (“he set him on his own
animal”) and rest (“brought him to an inn”).
3) The Holy Spirit comforts (“oil”) first, judges
(“wine”) later and wraps (“bandaged”) us finally.
4) When serving those who have been hurt, we should
never uncover their wounds and we should help them to cover it. We should do
this with love because love covers a multitude of sins (1Pet. 4:8).
5) The assembly (“an inn”) is the rest home for
believers when they run on the heavenly way.
6) There is nowhere in this world for the Son of
Man to lay His head (See 9:58) and the world is unwilling to receive the Lord
and believers (See v.10). The Lord and those who have been saved by Him could
find rest only in the assembly (“an inn”) that receives all.
Luke. 10:35 “On the next day, when he
departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him,
‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I
come again, I will repay you.'”
YLT: “and on the morrow,
going forth, taking out two denaries, he gave to the innkeeper, and said to
him, Be careful of him, and whatever thou mayest spend more, I, in my coming
again, will give back to thee.”
The
Background: “he took out two
denarii” The Roman money “two denarii” was about the wage for two days of an
ordinary worker (See Matt. 20:2). It could afford one to stay in the inn for
about a month.
Spiritual Meaning: this verse shows how
the Son of Man the Savior takes care of those who have been saved:
1) “He took out two denarii.” “Denarii”
symbolizes the gifts of service (See Matt. 25:15).
2) “Gave them to the innkeeper, and said
to him, ‘take care of him’” “Innkeeper” typifies workers who have been
instructed by the Lord to perfect the Saints (See Eph. 4:11-12).
3) “Whatever more you spend, when I come
again, I will repay you.” It symbolizes that when the Lord comes back, He will
repay us according to our service.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Lord Jesus had paid up the ransom of life
“half a shekel” for us (See Exod. 30:11-16), i.e. “two denarii”. It is enough
for us to sojourn in the world (stay in the inn) until He comes back to meet
us.
2) We should serve the Saints with perseverance in
the assembly. Especially, we should not give up halfway when serving the weak
Saints and we should take care of them until they could stand up to walk.
3) “And whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will
repay you.” Those who serve
others should think that they owe each other (
4) The service of Christ is not only the provision
in season (See v.34) but also the grace of accumulation for the need in
future------“two denarii”, “whatever more you spend”. How abundant is His
provision!
Luke. 10:36 “So which of these three
do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?’”
YLT: “`Who, then, of
these three, seemeth to thee to have become neighbour of him who fell among the
robbers?’”
Literal Meaning: that self-righteous
lawyer thought that he could love his neighbor (See v.29) and he did not know
that he himself was the one who “fell among thieves” (See v.30). But his
“neighbor” was neither “the priest” nor “the Levite” (See v.31-32), but the
Samaritan (See v.33-35) who was despised by him------Jesus Christ.
This parable shows us that it is not
that the lawyer loves his neighbor but the neighbor loved him. It is not that
we love others, but the Lord loved us first.
Luke. 10:37 “And he said, ‘He who showed mercy on him.’
Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’”
YLT: “and he said, `He
who did the kindness with him,’ then Jesus said to him, ‘Be going on, and thou
be doing in like manner.’”
Literal Meaning: “He who showed mercy
on him” It indicates the Samaritan.
“Go and do likewise.” It means that “you
should love likewise”. Love is the prerequisite to “inherit eternal life”.
This parable shows that though the
religious leaders of Judaism kept on saying the obedience of the Law, they
could not do the generally acknowledged outline of the Law------loving God and
people (v.27). Contrarily the Samaritan who was despised by the Jews truly
fulfilled this Law. Obeying the Law does no lie in sticking to the letter and
articles but seizing the quintessence of the Law------“mercy”.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) For judgment is without mercy to the one who has
shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment (James. 2:13).
2) “Go and do likewise.” Believers should love men
as the Lord loves men. We could not love the Lord only without loving men.
Loving men is the manifestation of loving the Lord.
3) “Go and do likewise.” If one hears the word only
and does not do it, he deceives himself (James. 1:22-23).
Luke. 10:38 “Now it happened as they
went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha
welcomed Him into her house.”
YLT: “And it came to
pass, in their going on, that he entered into a certain village, and a certain
woman, by name Martha, did receive him into her house,”
Meaning of Words: “Martha”: madam,
lady.
Literal Meaning: “He entered a
certain village” This village was Bethany (See John. 11:1).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The sister who is willing to receive the Lord is
truly the lady (“Martha”).
2) “Welcomed Him into her house” Believers should
open their house for the use of the Lord.
Luke. 10:39 “And she had a sister
called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word.”
YLT: “and she had also a
sister, called Mary, who also, having seated herself beside the feet of Jesus,
was hearing the word,”
Meaning of Words: “Mary”: rebel,
bitterness.
Literal Meaning: “also” is very
important and it does not show that she did nothing and only sat there to
enjoy. It shows that she had done something and then also sat down to hear the
Lord’s word.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The good example of Mary:
A. She
sat at “Jesus’” feet------instead of others’ feet. Drawing near to the Lord
Himself is the shortest and fastest way for the growth of the spiritual life.
B. She
sat at Jesus’ “feet”------she stood in the position of humbleness. Humbleness
is the most important attitude to receive the Lord’s blessing (See 1Pet. 5:5).
C. She
“sat” at Jesus’ feet------she was quiet before the Lord. In quietness and in
confidence shall be our strength (Is. 30:15).
D. She sat and heard His word-------the words that
the Lord speaks to us are spirit, and they are life (John. 6:63).
2) The Lord reveals Himself to men through His
words. Therefore hearing the Lord’s words is to give the chance to the Lord to
work in us. Letting the Lord work in us is more important than working for Him.
3) Nothing is more important for Christians than
drawing near to the Lord, having communion with Him and hearing His words.
Luke. 10:40 “But Martha was distracted
with much serving, and she approached Him and said, ‘Lord,
do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her
to help me.’”
YLT: “and Martha was
distracted about much serving, and having stood by him, she said, `Sir, dost
thou not care that my sister left me alone to serve? say then to her, that she
may partake along with me.’”
Meaning of Words: “was distracted”: be
diverted, trouble, be overburdened.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Every Christian should work (See 2Thess. 3:10).
We should work diligently like Martha.
2) When working, we could be “busy” outside,
however, we should not be “distracted” inside.
3) As long as our hearts are not “distracted”, our
hand won’t be in a muddle. The principle of serving the Lord is to give our
inner hearts to the Lord first and then all the outside works will be in order.
4) In the assembly, we should respect others’
service of different natures and positions. And we should never force others to
do the work that we do.
5) The Lord lead everyone in different ways and we
should never be jealous because of their states (See Matt. 20:15).
Luke. 10:41 “And Jesus answered and
said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are
worried and troubled about many things.”
YLT: “And Jesus answering
said to her, `Martha, Martha, thou art anxious and disquieted about many
things,”
Literal Meaning: “you are worried and
troubled about many things.” The Lord did mean that “you have done too many
things” but that “there is so much worry that she was troubled and disturbed”.
The Lord did not mean that “you should not use your minds to do things” but
that “your mind should never be troubled because of many things and lose the
peace that you should have in the Lord”.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The problem does no lie in the amount of things
but “one’s being worried and troubled”. When we do not work, we may have rest.
However, when we start to work, we always let many things come into our hearts.
2) We should use our minds to direct things and
should never let our minds be directed by things.
Luke. 10:42 “But one thing is needed,
and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.’”
YLT: “but of one thing
there is need, and Mary the good part did choose, that shall not be taken away
from her.’”
Meaning of Words: “needed”: required;
“part”: portion, participation.
Spiritual Meaning: “one thing is
needed.” This “one thing” is “Christ” that had been revealed by the Lord in His
words. Because she had received the revelation Mary caught the opportunity and
anointed the Lord with the ointment before He was crucified (John. 12:3).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Serving the Lord is blessed, however, only the
gaining of the Lord is “that good part” which cannot be taken away from us by
other things, even the most spiritual and holiest things.
2) The difficult for believers is that they are
busy serving the Lord and neglect the Lord that they are serving. The Saint
Laurence worked busily, however, he kept on having communion with the Lord in
himself.
3) The Lord demands that we should not be
influenced by any kind of circumstances. No matter how great the things are
outwardly, we should never let them come into our inner hearts. There’s only
one in our hearts, i.e. Christ. There is one thing that we should do in our
hearts, i.e. drawing near to Christ.
4) We should be like Martha outwardly, however, we
should never be like Martha inwardly and we should learn to be like Mary
inwardly.
5) Martha works for the Lord, however, Mary lets the
Lord work in her. Martha gives the Lord the effect of works and Mary is the
vessel that receives the Lord.
6) Martha satisfies the Lord with works and Mary
satisfies the Lord with love. Though the Lord needs the service of works, He
needs the service of love more.
7) Martha speaks to the Lord and Mary lets the Lord
speak to her. If you keep on saying, there will be no chance for the Lord to
speak and therefore you won’t receive the revelation.
8) God’s word is the foundation and root of
service. We should never let the busy activities of the assembly or individual
affairs occupy our attention and time that should be spent in God’s word.
9) Whether one desires the common blessing or the
“good part” depends on his own “choice” and others could never choose it for
him.
10) Many things we do today and the blessing that
we gain may “be taken away” from us and only Christ Himself cannot be “taken
away” from us.
11) In the assembly, we should be like Martha.
What’s more, we should be like Mary. We should pay out invariably and enjoy the
Lord continuously. Only those who enjoy the Lord could have the power to serve
the Lord.
III.
Outlines of the Spiritual Lessons
The Nature of the
Lord’s works
I. The fountainhead of the Lord’s
works------the Lord’s sending (v.1).
II. The need of the Lord’s works------the
harvest truly is great and the laborers are few (v.2).
III. The danger of the Lord’s works------as
lambs among wolves (v.3).
IV. The provision of the Lord’s
works------the Lord will be responsible for them (v.4a).
V. The urgency of the Lord’s works------they
should not waste time on the road (v.4b).
VI. The aim of the Lord’s works------bring
men peace (v.5-6).
VII. The reward of the Lord’s works------the
laborer is worthy of his wages (v.7).
VIII. The treatment of the Lord’s
works------eat such things as are set (v.8).
IX. The main things of the Lord’s
works------heal the sick and preach the
X. The targets of the Lord’s works:
A. If one does not receive us, we should not have the earthly relations
with him (v.10-11).
B. He who rejects the message of the
C. He who hears us hears the Lord, he who rejects us rejects God (v.16).
XI. The reason for the overcoming of the
Lord’s works:
A. Because of the name of the Lord, they
overcome the demons (v.17).
B. The authority that the Lord has given them overcomes all the power of
the enemy (v.20).
XII. The joy of the Lord’s
works------because their names are written in heaven (v.20).
The Example that the
Lord Rejoiced
II. He thanked God for His arrangement of
good will (v.21b).
III. He was satisfied that all things had
been delivered to Him by the Father (v.22a).
IV. He was satisfied with His own will
(v.22b-24).
The Example that the
Lord Taught Men
I. He led men from the outward letters and
words and behaviors to the inner quintessence and hearts (v.25-28).
II. He led men to know their own poor states
(v.29-30).
III. He led men to know the useless of
religious regulations and works (v.31-32).
IV. He led men to know the one who truly
showed mercy on men (v.33-37).
The Example that the
Lord Served
II. Went to (v.34a)------come to others
initiatively.
III. Pouring on oil and wine
(v.34b)------heal him with the Holy Spirit and God’s life.
IV. Bandaged his wounds (v.34c)------cover
the wounds with love and nourish and cherish.
V. Set him in his own animal (v.34b)------support
and bear him.
VI. Brought him to an inn (v.34c)------bring
him into the assembly and take care of him.
VII. The next day (v.35a)------serve him
continually.
VIII. He took out two denarii, gave them to
the innkeeper (v.35b)------pay the price of love and life.
IX. He said to him, “take care of him”
(v.35b)------encourage others to serve him together.
X. Whatever more you spend, when I come
again, I will repay you (v.35c)------serve men.
That Good Part
II. Sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word
(v.39)------receive the word of the Lord humbly and quietly.
III. It is not the outward service
(v.40a)------the one who serves the Lord may be far away from Him.
IV. It is the problem of heart
(v.40b-41)------we should let the Lord have the preeminence in our hearts and
should never let other things disturb this.
V. One thing is needed (v.42a)------others
are not essential and only the Lord is indispensable.
VI. Which will not be taken away
(v.42b)------the Lord is our eternal portion and we could enjoy Him forever.
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Sharon Ren