AS WE SAW in the last study, our Lord's journey from Galilee to Jerusalem is given in Luke 9:51. He would not go through Samaria, but He was going the usual way through Perea--in all probability. The Samaritans, therefore, would not receive Him. They became very hostile toward Him. On the way there was a certain man who offered to follow Jesus, but who wished first to go and bury his father--stay at home until his father's death. Then he would follow the Lord.

This journey mentioned by Luke is doubtless the one that is described by John in chapter 7, verses 1-13, which occurred at the Feast of Tabernacles--about six months before the crucifixion. Presumably, our Lord remained in Jerusalem and engaged in the discussions and delivered the discourses that are mentioned in John 7:14-10:21. At that time, things indicate, He engaged in the great latter Judean ministry. Of the early Judean ministry we read in John 2:13-3:36. In the latter Judean ministry our Lord sent seventy of His disciples throughout the country, preceding Him into the various villages. They seemed to be preparing the people for His coming.

Where there is no vision, the people perish. The Lord recognized this fact and gave in Luke 10:2 a vision of the situation as it existed at that day and time: "The harvest indeed is plenteous, but the laborers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth laborers into his harvest." The fields today are white unto the harvest. Let us remember that there is a two-fold purpose in the preaching of the gospel: It is to be a savor of life unto life, and of death unto death; to those who believe it is a savor of life unto life; to those who will not believe and will not accept, it is a savor of death unto death. These facts must be borne in mind by everyone who engages in the service of the Lord, or who is supporting the work of God.

The Lord enjoined upon these seventy disciples that they should be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves; for they, He knew, would be in the midst of those who hated the message. They were not to carry any extra clothing, food, money, or anything of that nature. They were to be entertained wherever they were invited. When, however, they should enter a home, they were to pray God's peace upon it, Saying: "Peace be to this house." If there was no one there who was of the same attitude of mind as the disciples, they were to let their peace--a special blessing from God--return to them.

The Lord urged them to stay at the home to which they were invited and remain at that place until they left the locality. Those who received of the spiritual benefits of their ministry should support them.

The disciples were to accept whatever hospitality was extended to them. Moreover, they were to heal the sick and to make the announcement that the kingdom of God had come unto them. The kingdom of God is the reign of God. In Mark and Luke we have the expression, "kingdom of God," whereas, in Matthew, we have the term, "kingdom of heaven," in parallel passages. In the parables in the thirteenth chapter of Matthew we have a full and detailed account of the kingdom of heaven, which might be termed Christendom. All who hear the Word are brought into the kingdom in this broadest sense of the term. But the term, kingdom of God, is used in a much narrower sense. Only the new birth can put one into this kingdom, as used in this exclusive manner.

Whatever community would not receive them, when they should go forth they were to shake the very dust off their feet and declare that the kingdom of God had come.

In verses 12-16 our Lord showed that increased light brings added responsibility. In order to do this, He showed that it would be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah, for Tyre and Sidon, than for Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, cities in which many of His mighty works had been wrought. In our Lord's making these statements, He did not mean to imply that the people of these cities of wickedness would be saved; but they will be dealt with according to the light that they had during their lives.

According to verse 16 those who heard the preaching of the Seventy and rejected them would likewise reject Christ and would reject God the Father who sent Him.

When the task of evangelizing Judea was completed, the Seventy returned to the Lord with great joy and enthusiasm. They therefore said to Him: "Lord, even the demons are subject unto us in thy name." Their joy lay largely in the fact that they had been so very successful and had demonstrated the power conferred upon them over the demons in the name of Christ. In reply to their statement the Lord spoke to them saying: "I beheld Satan fallen as lightning from heaven." When did the Lord Jesus see Satan fallen as lightning from heaven?

Some interpreters think that he referred to the time when Satan rebelled against God and tried to match swords with Him (Ezek. 28:11-19) and was cast out of heaven. It is altogether possible that Jesus referred to this historic universe--shaking event. On the other hand, there are those who consider these words of our Lord as a prediction. If this is the correct interpretation, these words are what is known by prophetic students as "the prophetic perfect." This idiomatic expression simply speaks of that which is in the future as if it were an accomplished fact. If this is the proper interpretation of the words, then Jesus simply informed the Seventy that He, in vision, looked forward to the time when He would see Satan cast into the pit of the abyss and incarcerated there forever and ever.

Although it seems that the Seventy returned upon the accomplishments of their task, the Lord extended the time of their using this authority, as we see in verse 19: "Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you." As to how long the Seventy enjoyed the possession of the powers here foretold, no one can tell.

But the Lord urged the disciples not to rejoice in the fact that they possessed these powers and could exercise authority over the demon world, but ratter to rejoice because their names were written in heaven.

On the day of Pentecost (Acts, chap. 2) the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke with other tongues as He gave them utterance. All of the Apostles seemed to have had the power of performing miracles. This fact is seen in the history of the early church (Acts of the Apostles). The Apostles were able to lay their hands upon certain ones whom they, by the Spirit, chose and in so doing they conferred upon them the ability and the powers for working various types of miracles. Certain elders, as we see from the Pastoral Epistles, laid their hands upon special ones to whom they were led by the Spirit of God and conferred upon them these miraculous powers. But as Pentecost receded into the distance, and as the new revelation found in the New Testament was given, there was no necessity for the continuation of these spiritual gifts and powers. Thus the Apostle Paul, in I Corinthians, chapter 13, foretold that those gifts would cease, but that the three permanent gifts of the Spirit--faith, hope, and love--should be an abiding possession bestowed upon the born-again ones.

At the present day there are those who claim to have these same powers that the Seventy and the Twelve had under the leadership of our Lord Jesus Christ. But the type of ministry in which they engage is so very different from that which is set forth in the New Testament, that one is often led to doubt the correctness and genuineness of those who make such mighty claims.

In contrast with the joy which the Seventy had because of their successful ministry, is the case of the Lord Jesus. He was rejoicing from the fact that the Holy Spirit was dwelling in Him without measure and was flooding His soul with divine glory and joy. Happiness is something that depends upon chance and things that occur; but joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit, which Jesus possessed in the fullest measure.

At that time the Lord Jesus prayed to God in such a way that we see the relationship existing between Him and the Father as occurs in very few passages. No one on earth could know the Father; the Son only knew Him. No man could know Jesus; only God the Father and the Holy Spirit could understand Him. These facts show that Christ was God in human form. Thus in verses 21 and 22 we have a clear reflection of the divine nature of our Lord.

In verses 23 and 24 our Lord spoke to His disciples and pronounced them blessed in that they were seeing things concerning which the prophets and the kings before had desired to see and to hear, but had never had the privilege. Truly the time when our Lord came is that which is called the fullness of the times (Gal. 4:4).

God overrules all things for the good of those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose. A certain lawyer who was in the crowd made trial of Jesus by saying: "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" (vs. 25). In reply Jesus asked him how did he read that which was written in the law. The lawyer replied by saying, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself" (vs. 27). Note the four nouns occurring in this passage: heart, soul, strength, and mind. The word strength refers to the physical body. Are there four separate and distinct elements constituting man's make-up? No thinking person will affirm such a doctrine. Nevertheless, there are those who are insistent that man consists of three elements: body, soul, and spirit (I Thess. 5:23; Heb. 4:12). It is obvious that heart, soul, and mind overlap more or less and are used synonymously in Luke 10:27. The term soul and spirit are used interchangeably in various passages.

The Lord Jesus replied to the lawyer that he had answered correctly and that he should do this and live. But, desiring to justify himself, he asked Jesus who his neighbor was. This question brought forth one of the finest statements on this point to be found in the Word. It is what is usually called "The Parable of the Good Samaritan." But our Lord did not say that He was using a parable. He used language such as He would employ if He were recounting an actual, historical fact. In view of this fact I refrain from calling this a parable. There is nothing in the context to indicate a departure from the natural meaning of the words, as referring to an historical fact. The story which Jesus told in substance was as follows: A certain man was on his way from Jerusalem to Jericho. He fell among robbers, who stripped and beat him and left him on the roadside to die. A certain priest passed by, but on seeing the man he, in a heartless manner, walked by on the side of the road as if he did not see the sufferer. A Levite, passing by, did the same thing. Of course, it was supposed that the priest, and the Levite, the leaders of the religious life of the community, would have compassion upon the suffering man. But they did not. Finally, there passed by a man of Samaria, who, upon seeing the man in this condition, rendered such aid as he could and then, putting the man on his own beast, brought him to an inn. He gave the innkeeper money to take care of the poor, unfortunate man. He promised that, if there was anything lacking, when he returned, he would pay him.

Jesus, having told this incident, asked the lawyer: "Which of these three, thinkest thou, proved neighbor unto him that fell among the robbers?" Of course, the answer was: "He that showed mercy on him," he that performed the neighborly act. We can be a neighbor to anyone in distress, provided we have the heart and the means to perform such acts of kindness and mercy.

In verses 38-42 we have an account of Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus, of whose death and restoration to life we read in John, chapter 11. Upon the occasion of which Luke is speaking, Jesus came to the home of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus in Bethany. They had a deep and keen appreciation of spiritual truth. Martha, however, while she had an appreciation for these things, was more concerned about serving. Hence, as Jesus sat in the house, Mary it was who came and sat before Him, drinking in every word that fell from His blessed lips. Martha became exasperated because she was left by her sister to serve alone. Thus she asked Jesus to reprimand Mary for not helping her. Instead of censuring Mary, the Lord gave Martha a kind, gentle rebuke, saying: "Martha, Martha, thou art anxious and troubled about many things: 42 but one thing is needful: for Mary hath chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her." Instead of consuming all of her time and energy in the preparation of a big feast, Jesus told Martha that only one dish was necessary. Mary had chosen the better part, in that she chose to take advantage of the opportunity of learning more truth and being influenced by the Lord's holy presence. May we, at all times, choose the better part, laying the emphasis upon spiritual, rather than upon material things.