Luke Chapter 10

Good morning! ☀️

"When disciples followed a rabbi, they followed him closely so they would never be out of his sight, never be someplace where they couldn’t hear him speak. They followed him so closely that his sandals often kicked up dust."

May you be covered in His dust.

Are you ready? Let’s go!

In the last chapter, Jesus sent out the 12 Disciples, and in Chapter 10, He appointed and sent out the 72, but not until He explained the cost of following Him.

What's the cost?

The cost of following Jesus is...
everything.

Think about that for a minute. What does everything mean? Your time? Your thoughts? Your life?

Yes.

When Jesus says, “The harvest is great," He’s telling us that there are people who are ready and open to hear right now. He’s telling the 72, and He’s telling you and me to pray.

Pray for more workers and for more people to share the message of salvation and the kingdom of God. Pray that we ourselves can see people through Jesus’ eyes and feel deep compassion for them.

Lambs among wolves.

I love the way it’s written in Matthew:

The metaphor of "sheep among wolves" captures the idea of obediently spreading the message of salvation in the midst of a world that may not be welcoming.

Recognizing the challenges ahead for His disciples, Jesus dispelled any romanticized views of serving Him. He warned them about facing opposition and betrayal from unexpected sources, including family and friends (Matthew 10:21–22, 34–36).

Luke refers to us as "lambs among wolves," highlighting the intentional vulnerability that should characterize Christ’s servants, messengers, missionaries, and evangelists.

Wise and Innocent

So, when Jesus instructs his disciples to be "wise as serpents," he encourages them to approach their mission with a strategic and discerning mindset. It's a call to be aware of their surroundings, to navigate challenges with caution, and to make thoughtful decisions in the face of opposition.

"Innocent as doves" suggests that the disciples should maintain a sense of purity, sincerity, and harmlessness in their actions. Doves often symbolize peace, simplicity, and innocence.

As we venture out, we should be adorned with grace, mercy, kindness, and humility—acting "innocent as doves." Simultaneously, we’re called to possess wisdom, truth, and integrity, being "wise as serpents."

Travel light. Don’t take anything with you. Trust in His ability to meet your needs.

Why would Jesus say, “And greet no one on the road.”

In many Middle Eastern cultures of that era, when people met on the road, greetings were often followed by invitations of hospitality. It was customary to stop and talk with those you met, ask how they were doing, and potentially extend invitations to share a meal or visit their home. These interactions weren’t brief and could extend into hours or days.

That’s Guatemalan villages in a nutshell. In the States, if you ask someone how they’re doing, you’ll usually get a one or two-word answer. “I’m good,” or “Busy.”

In Guatemala, it’s like asking, “Tell me everything that’s going on in your life. Start with your struggles. Wait. Come inside and sit down. Here’s a glass of water.”

It’s beautiful, but we have to remember that Jesus sent the 72 ahead of Him to towns and places He planned to visit. They were to prepare the way.

WE are to prepare the way.

What can we learn?

Show Compassion: There are people struggling and suffering all around us. Jesus is asking us to care. To be compassionate. To offer support. To be present.

Build Relationships: Jesus' mission involved not only healing but also building relationships and communities.

Live a Life Reflecting Kingdom Values: Let your words and actions reflect love, kindness, forgiveness, and justice. Your life can be a testimony to the nearness of the Kingdom.

Pray for Healing: We may not have the power to heal as Jesus did, but we can pray for healing, comfort, and strength for those who are sick or going through difficult times.

Say to them the Kingdom of God has come near to you

When Jesus says "Woe to you," it is a pronouncement of judgment and warning. It announces that the individuals or communities addressed will face severe consequences for their actions or attitudes.

Tyre and Sidon were ancient Phoenician cities known for their wealth and prosperity.

Tyre was a major seaport on the southern coast of Lebanon. Sidon was another prominent city located to the north of Tyre, along the coast of present-day Lebanon.

Look at that map. Egypt. The Red Sea. Israel. Jerusalem. Damascus. Syria. Lebanon.

Places of immense significance in the Old Testament and New Testament that we continue to hear about in the news today.

"Sitting in sackcloth and ashes" was a cultural and symbolic expression used to signify deep mourning, repentance, and humility.

Sackcloth was a coarse, rough fabric often made from goat hair, camel hair, or other cheap fibers. It was uncomfortable and scratchy, symbolizing discomfort and humility. People would wear sackcloth garments as an outward sign of mourning, distress, or repentance.

Sitting or rolling in ashes symbolized humility, sorrow, and contrition. Ashes were often associated with mourning and loss. People might apply ashes to their bodies, especially on the head or face, as a visible sign of grief or repentance.

• In the book of Jonah, the people of Nineveh, including the king, put on sackcloth and sat in ashes as a sign of repentance when they heard Jonah's message (Jonah 3:5-6).

• Job, in the midst of his suffering, expresses his distress by sitting in ashes (Job 42:6).

• The prophet Daniel refers to putting on sackcloth and sitting in ashes as a gesture of repentance (Daniel 9:3).

Hades, Limbo, Purgatory

"Hades" is often used to represent the realm of the dead or the intermediate state between death and the final judgment. It is not necessarily a place of eternal punishment but rather a state of existence after death.

In some parables and metaphors used by Jesus, "Hades" symbolizes the separation between the righteous and the wicked after death but before the final judgment.

I grew up Catholic, and although I was young, I remember hearing about Limbo and Purgatory, but what are they exactly?

Limbo: In Catholicism, the idea of Limbo is based on the understanding that, before Christ's death and resurrection, the gates of heaven were closed to humanity due to original sin. The Limbo of the Fathers is seen as a temporary state where the righteous awaited the fulfillment of God's plan for salvation.

Purgatory: In Catholic theology, Purgatory is understood as a state or condition where souls undergo purification before entering into the fullness of heaven.

Purgatory is not a place of eternal punishment but rather a place of temporary purification for souls who have died in a state of grace but still need purification from the remaining effects of sin.

Jesus often used strong and vivid language to convey the seriousness of spiritual matters and the consequences of rejecting the message of the kingdom of God.

The disciples are clearly excited over the authority and power they experienced in Jesus' name. They were amazed at the tangible results of their ministry, including the ability to cast out demons.

But Jesus redirects their focus and reminds them of the ultimate source of joy – their relationship with God and the assurance of eternal life.

When Jesus talks about "little children" in Luke 10:21, He's not talking about actual kids. He's using it to describe people who come to God with a simple, trusting, and humble attitude, like how children approach things. It's about having a heart that's open, humble, and trusting in our relationship with God.

Don’t miss this.

The disciples had the unique opportunity to see and interact with Jesus in person. They witnessed His miracles, heard His teachings directly, and experienced His presence in a way that prophets and kings of old had longed for.

The disciples were present during a crucial time in history when the kingdom of God was being proclaimed and manifested through Jesus' ministry. They saw firsthand the arrival of the long-awaited Messiah and the inauguration of God's redemptive plan.

The disciples heard the profound teachings of Jesus, including parables, lessons about the kingdom of God, and instructions for living a life in accordance with God's will. They had direct access to the words of life spoken by the Son of God.

Unlike many prophets and kings of the Old Testament who longed to see and hear about the Messiah, the disciples were in the presence of The Son of God. They experienced the closeness of God in human form.

I read scriptures like that sometimes, and I get jealous.

What would that have been like?

And then I realized all that we do have. And I imagine sitting on the limestone steps of the temple, talking with Moses and Jacob, and they’re asking ME, “What was it like? To have God WITH you?” They might ask, “You must have talked with Him all day! You must have asked for advice before every important decision!” They’d be shaking their heads in disbelief. “We had to climb a mountain to be in the presence of God.”

Do you fully grasp that??? 👆🏽

Through faith, we have the privilege of direct access to God through prayer. We can communicate with THE CREATOR, seek guidance, and experience the transformative power of prayer.

We have the opportunity to study and understand God's Word, the Bible, which provides guidance for life and reveals God's character. The disciples didn’t have the New Testament!

I think sometimes we, as Christians, take the foundation of our faith for granted.

Christians experience the love and grace of God through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This relationship brings forgiveness, acceptance, and the assurance of God's unconditional love.

We have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, providing guidance, wisdom, and comfort WHENEVER WE ASK. The Spirit empowers us to live according to God's will.

By asking, "And who is my neighbor?" the lawyer might have been hoping to find a legalistic loophole or a specific definition that would allow him to fulfill the commandment of love in a limited way. He may have wanted to justify himself by defining the term in a way that required less compassion and fewer responsibilities on his part.

Don’t think, “I don’t do that,” rather, “Where do I do that?”

Some interpreted it narrowly, considering only fellow Jews as neighbors, but Jesus responds with the Parable of the Good Samaritan, showing that a neighbor is anyone in need, even if they belong to a different social or religious group.

How often do we pass the opportunity to help based on our own definition of “help” or “love?”

Martha, Martha

I’ve read this story 100 times, and every time, I whispered to myself, “I would have been like Mary.”

And then I hurried off to work or rushed out the door to take the kids to baseball practice or I slept in because I stayed up late watching Netflix.

And then I realized… I was Martha.

The story teaches us the importance of spending time with Jesus. Mary chose to listen to Him and be with Him. Martha, who was busy with “many things,” was reminded to focus on what truly matters, not letting busyness distract from Him.

Long chapter today. I’m sorry it was a little late this morning. We’re at the end of a fundraiser for our ministry, and I’ve been writing non-stop for eight days. I didn’t want to rush Chapter 10, so it’s a little late.

I love you,

George
Covered in His Dust

PS. If you learned something, if you were encouraged or Inspired, please forward this email.

If this Bible study was forwarded to you, subscribe for free and get it sent directly to your inbox.