The Gospel of Luke: Comments and Observations, Part III

This is my final post on this read of Luke’s Gospel.  The previous two posts can be found here and here. 

On this post I turn my attention to chapter ten and break it down in detail.

I think chapter ten in Luke is another remarkable chapter.  It starts off with Christ sending off seventy (or seventy-two in some versions) disciples to preach and convert.  Let's look at His send off in more detail.

1 After this the Lord appointed seventy [-two] others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. 2 He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. 3 Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. 4 Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way.

Why is He sending them like lambs to wolves?  Why no money or sack or sandals?  I guess it builds a trust in the Lord.  But why "greet no one along the way?"  That I find puzzling, especially since further down they are to go into houses of people.

5 Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' 6 If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another.

Obviously the disciples are very active in this ministry, apparently working as well as preaching.  The word "peace" here carries more than the definition allows.  It carries a spiritual connectation, like a blessing.  [Side note: I love signing off notes with "peace."  It's almost like I'm blessing the person I'm writing to.  But I never thought about that peace returning to me if it doesn't settle on that person.]

And then Jesus comes to what I think is significant:

8 Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, 9 cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.'

So the ministry is to work to help the community, preach, and cure the sick.  This is bringing "The Kingdom of God" here to Earth.  Luke more than any of the other Gospels seems to be concerned with the Kingdom of God on Earth.  Look at all the references: Luke 4:43, Luke 6:20, Luke 9:62, Luke 13:18-19, Luke 13:28, Luke 14:15, Luke 17:21, Luke 18:17, Luke 18:24-25, Luke 19:11, Luke 21:31.  Yes, the kingdom is also in heaven, but 17:20-21 makes clear:

20 Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he said in reply, "The coming of the kingdom of God cannot be observed, 21 and no one will announce, 'Look, here it is,' or, 'There it is.' For behold, the kingdom of God is among you."

Yes, there is a metaphysical element to it, but our work here on Earth is bringing the kingdom of God to fruition.  Now back to chapter ten, Jesus gets perturbed with the unrepentant.

10 Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say, 11 'The dust of your town that clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.' Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand.

The next passage in the chapter (verses 13-16) Jesus continues on the unrepentant motif, but the passage after that the disciples come back with joy.

17 The seventy [-two] returned rejoicing, and said, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name." 18 Jesus said, "I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky. 19 Behold, I have given you the power 'to tread upon serpents' and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

Their success is like casting Satan out of heaven.  Their success in bringing the kingdom of heaven to Earth brings them to heaven.  The next passage Jesus rejoices,

21 At that very moment he rejoiced [in] the holy Spirit and said, "I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and Earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.

And further:

23 Turning to the disciples in private he said, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. 24 For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it."

The disciples have seen the Kingdom by working to bring it to Earth, and they have been blessed for it.  And then Jesus recounts to a lawyer the Parable of the Good Samaritan, which I don't need to quote.  It is a dramatization of what the Kingdom of God should look like on Earth.  It is the neighbor working to help the other, showing mercy to all.  And Jesus concludes that with "Go and do likewise."  Go and do likewise is a commandment to actively create the kingdom of God here on Earth.  This Protestant notion of "by faith alone" is nowhere substantiated in the Gospels.

And then Luke completely blows me away by concluding chapter ten with Jesus' visit to Mary and Martha, the famous dichotomy between the active and contemplative life.  Notice that Jesus enters a house just like he had his disciples enter at the beginning of the chapter.  Martha is caught up with serving the guests and complains that Mary is a slacker because she just sits listening to Jesus.  And Jesus seems to be rebuking Martha while upholding Mary.  So after this entire chapter of raising the active work of bringing the Kingdom to Earth, does Luke undermine his own argument with the opposite theme? 

Meister Eckhart, the great German, Dominican mystic, had a different take on this scene.  Remember Dominicans have the calling to be both active and contemplative, breathing with two lungs.  Eckhart believed that Jesus wasn't so much praising Mary, but acknowledging her limitations.  This was the best that Mary could do.  But Martha has the ability to do both.  Eckhart's reading seems like a bit of a stretch, and it's not one you will typically get in a homily.  But look carefully.  Christ is not rebuking Martha for being active.  He is rebuking her for being anxious and upset.  Martha is not at peace.  She doesn't have the "peace" that is mentioned earlier in the chapter, that the disciples are supposed to cast on those they minister. 

I don’t know if I’d make a good theologian—I only play one on the internet—but I think this was one of my better readings.  Feel free to disagree.  :)