[2] No wallet! Can you imagine? Jesus sent them forth with only the clothes on their backs and a cloak for cold weather and for at night.
[3] Christian ministries are among the biggest group of beggars on earth. Do they go anywhere without their beggar’s bag/offering plate? One notable minister who never asked for a penny was George Mueller. Cory Ten Boom eventually adopted Mueller’s method of going only to God with her financial needs.
[4] Stay focused on your task. Do not allow yourselves to be distracted or adversely influenced from your assignment. For this purpose, keep to yourselves until you arrive at your destination.
[5] See verse :1. Where Jesus gave the seventy advance directives as to which cities they were to go to. He sent them in pairs and instructed them not engage in conversation with anyone until they arrived at their destination.
[6] This is an authoritative peace bestowed on the seventy. They had the power both to give and withdraw it. When Jesus said, “My peace I leave with you…,” was he leaving that peace only to the ones he was speaking to at the time, or did he leave his peace to all his children—The Children of Peace?
[7] What? No expensive hotels or restaurants?
[8] Where the scriptures speak plainly, there is no need to wonder about what we should do, no need to pray about what we should do. This passage is for ministers of the gospel, for those sent forth by the Spirit of the Living God to bring the good news of humanity’s peace with our Creator through the sacrifice of Christ. When we travel for Jesus, we do not charge for accommodation, but rather accept food, shelter, and fellowship with the Children of Peace who invite us to stay in their homes. But what if their home is small, simple, with only plain food and accommodation, and during the course of our stay, we are invited by someone else to stay at their larger, fancier, home…with tastier and more abundant food? Jesus said, Don’t do it!
[9] Something needs to said here, about placing too much confidence in scholarship. Reference it yes. Generally respect it, yes. Do not readily discard it, when mistakes are found—and there are many—but do not automatically take anyone’s scholarship, definitions, or commentary as Holy Writ. One example of thinking and researching for ourselves is found in the Strong’s definition of the simple word, “say,” as used in Luke 10:10. The word is translated correctly but it is wrongly defined in the Strong’s Concordance, as shown on the Blue Letter Bible website. Bible students and researchers read there, that the Greek primary verb, eipon/eipate G2036 (the word appears in 51 different forms—usually translated as say or said) is used only in the definite past tense. As we see in Luke 10:10, this is not true. Jesus used this word while instructing his followers what to say in future statements. We should make the effort to clarify and accept or reject scholarly definitions as we seek to understand the truths of God’s Word. The vast resources contemporary Bible students have at their disposal is more comprehensive than at any time in history. But take care that we do not read our Bibles strictly through the lenses and filters of favorite teachers, scholars, or commentators.
[10] At the end of the 1000 years there will be one more resurrection and one more judgement. This is where the inhabitants of these cities will be judged. Jesus specifically mentions witnesses who rise up against them at this judgement, such as the Queen of Sheba (ancient Sheba was possibly located in Africa or in what is now modern Saudi Arabia). This will be the only judgment where a second death takes place. The reason those at The Great White Throne Judgment suffer death twice is, because after they have endured the agony of complete separation from the presence and power of God, after they have lost all hope of salvation when their physical life here on earth ended, their bodies will be raised for a final judgment. During this judgment, they will once again come into the presence and power of God—only to be cast from his presence…to die a second time (Revelation 20:12-14). Redemption: Bible Prophecy Simplified, One Way Press, 2008
[11] HIERARCHY IN THE GODHEAD? No! ALL of the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Jesus in physical form. Jesus is fully God and fully human, not a half and half hybrid like the mythical Hercules. To atone for sin and defeat death, the living God, the Creator. The Most High, The Aleph-Tav Genesis 1:1 / Alpha-Omega Revelation 1:8,11 , chose to became his creation. As the Creator, Jesus—The WORD John 1:1—is subordinate to no one. As a human, Jesus is an obedient Son.
[12] The symbol of Satan falling from Heaven, the lightening bolt, is commonly used among those involved in the occult. Some who own companies often apply it as logo’s, knowing full well what it means. Toy companies use it. Clothing companies use it. It is widely used in a great variety of products these days. Because of the occult meaning deliberately applied to the symbol of the lightening bolt, some believers choose not to associate themselves with it.
[13] When Jesus said “…nothing shall by any means hurt you,” he is referring to deliverance ministry. He is referring to the serpents, scorpions, and all the power of the enemy that will manifest through those they oppress. An example of this is the demoniacs that terrorized every one who came near them, except Jesus. Another example are the sons of Sceva, who did not know Jesus, yet tried to cast out devils in his name, and the devils, through one man, overcame all seven of them.
[14] The esteemed and highly educated religious leadership of Jesus’ day, did not perceive the time of their visitation. They roundly rejected him and looked down their noses at those personally chosen by him. Doesn’t that seem to hold true, even for today? The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge. Worldly credentials do not qualify any to represent the Most High God in any area of service. In fact, many institutions of higher learning, including seminaries undermine the faith of those who seek degrees. The majority of those Jesus called and sent forth, did not possess degrees of higher learning. But when God calls, he equips, and God forbid that those in positions of authority, in 501c3 organizations among others, silence those God has called to be heard within his Body.
[15] When THE MOST HIGH became one of his human creations, the entire Godhead was involved in the conception of Jesus, not just the “first person of the Trinity,” of which there is no such thing as the first, second, or third person of the Godhead. Those are blasphemous hierarchical terms denoting order of existence, a procession of creation. If such were true, the chronological and hierarchical phrase, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, regulates the Holy Spirit to a subordinate position, when the false doctrine of the subordinate son clearly places Jesus last in the so-called hierarchy.
There is no hierarchy within the Godhead, and Jesus is not a created being, nor is he the “eternal” son. He did not become the Son, until he entered the Kosmos, when he was conceived by the Jewess, Miriam. That is called the incarnation. The incarnation happened when THE GOD became a man—IMMANUEL, THE GOD WITH US. This was foretold, explained, and declared Psalm 2:7, John 1:1,14, 1:5-6, Hebrews 1:5-6. YHWH ELOHIYM, The Godhead, became human when the Holy Spirit came upon Miriam, and she was over-shadowed by THE HIGHEST Colossians 2:9.
Prior to The Almighty’s incarnation as a human, Jesus existed in eternity as THE WORD. THE WORD was GOD, and Isaiah even called Jesus the Father.
Through some unfathomable miracle, Jehovah/YHWH became a human. Miriam was told her child would be called IMMANUEL—THE GOD With us. THE GOD is YHWH, the Godhead. The Holy Spirit came upon Miriam, and and the power of THE HIGHEST (YHWH/The Godhead) over-shadowed her, and that is why that Holy Thing that was born of her was called the Son of God Luke 1:31-35.
[16] This lawyer obviously had issues with prejudice. Among the Jews of Jesus’ day, Samaritans were considered fair game for discrimination, the lowest of the low as they were viewed as hybrid, “mongrel” Jews who had defected from traditional Judaism, so it was a Samaritan Jesus chose to illustrate neighborly kindness and God’s way of judging others by personal behavior and not by race or nationality. He also illustrated those who were considered the epitome of righteousness could actually be just the opposite. It is personal behavior and not position or title that makes one friend or foe. Our hearts and behavior are what matter to God, but if the behavior must come from a pure heart of love Psalm 51:13-19.
[17] The issue of Martha and Mary has long been characterized as a struggle between those who are spiritual—the Marys—and those who are not—the Martha’s. In one aspect this is correct, but the larger point, the elephant in the room, so to speak, is gender-role aspect of this story. This is huge, because without the gender-role aspect, Martha would have had no problem with what Mary was not doing. There would have been no point to make. Yet, this been completely ignored by Christian scholarship.
It is important to note that the nature of work is not the real divide between the Mary’s and the Martha’s. The real divide is the perception of what that work should be based on ones gender. The perception of what constitutes a woman’s “place” in ministry and society, was the driving force behind Martha’s complaint against her sister. This wrong perception harms both women and men. Many men excel in the kitchen, love it, and do not feel called in the least into traditional Christian ministry.
In this scene, we see a woman, stepping out of her “place” in society to sit with the men, learning at the feet of the master. And Martha found this extremely agitating. It is likely that Martha already had plenty of help in the kitchen, because that’s what women do. It is also likely that she simply resented the fact that Mary did not seem to be bothered in least that she wasn’t helping Martha and the other women “do what women do.”
This scenario continues to play out in Christian gatherings today, where men feel little or no pressure to do anything but enjoy the events, while cultural pressure is still brought to bear on women to “be in the kitchen,” cooking, cleaning, making sure everything runs smoothly for everyone else.
For some women, possibly even for most women, this is a labor of love. It comes naturally for them. They are good at it and enjoy it. It is truly a ministry for them. But for others, it is not the same. There are women who are called to sit at the master’s feet and their ministry falls into the category of what has always been considered the realm of men. It is interesting that, at this particular gathering, there is no record of the men complaining to Jesus about Mary’s presence at his feet.
It is also interesting, that though Jesus put down the idea of gender “roles” when he gently rebuked Martha for trying to take the “better thing” from her sister, Christian scholarship regulates this passage to strictly a women’s argument about spiritual women -Vs- not spiritual women. But there is no evidence that Martha was not a spiritual woman, only that she was totally sold out to the cultural norm of her day, that held men and women to strict gender-roles and unequal standards of behavior and morality. Jesus did not hold to these norms and bluntly said so.
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