Luke Chapter 10
Showing all 42 verses for Luke Chapter 10.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"After these things the LORD appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. "
"Jesus chose seventy more followers, in addition to his twelve closest disciples, and sent them out in pairs ahead of him into every town and place he planned to visit himself."
I don't do this work alone, and neither should you - find a companion, share the load, and go together into new situations rather than facing them in isolation.
"Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. "
"Jesus told them there's a huge amount of good work to be done but not enough people willing to do it, so they should ask God to send more workers into that work."
I ask you to notice how much good could be done, and how few people actually step up to do it - let that awareness turn into a request, even a prayer, and then into your own willingness to be one of the workers.
"Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves. "
"Jesus told them to get going, warning that he was sending them out like defenceless lambs into a pack of wolves."
I won't pretend the world is always safe or that kindness is always welcomed - go anyway, without armour, and let your vulnerability itself become part of your strength.
"Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way. "
"He told them to carry no money bag, no travel pack, and no spare sandals, and not to stop for long greetings along the road."
I ask you to notice how much stuff, and how many social formalities, you lean on for security - try letting go of some of it, and trust that what you truly need will turn up.
"And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. "
"He told them that whenever they entered a house, the first thing they should say is, 'Peace to this household.'"
I want you to lead with a blessing, not a demand - offer goodwill first, before you ask anything of anyone, and let that shape how every relationship begins.
"And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again. "
"He said that if someone open to peace lives there, your blessing of peace will settle on them; if not, it simply comes back to you, unused."
I tell you not to fear that your kindness will be wasted - offer it freely, and if it isn't received, it stays with you, ready for someone who will receive it.
"And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house. "
"He told them to stay in that same house, eating and drinking whatever was offered, since a worker deserves fair payment for their work - and not to go moving from house to house looking for better treatment."
I tell you that honest work deserves honest support - receive what's freely given with gratitude, and resist the urge to keep hunting for something better once you already have enough.
"And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you: "
"He told them that in any town that welcomes them, they should eat whatever food is put in front of them."
I ask you to receive hospitality graciously rather than with fussy conditions - accepting what's offered, in good faith, honours the person who is offering it.
"And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. "
"He told them to heal the sick people there, and to say to them, 'God's kingdom has come near to you.'"
I pair action with words - go and help people practically, and let that become the proof that something good and near is genuinely available to them right now.
"But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say, "
"But he said that in any town that doesn't welcome them, they should go out into its streets and speak up."
I prepare you in advance for rejection - having a clear, calm response ready means you won't be thrown off balance when it happens.
"Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. "
"He told them to say, 'We're wiping off even the dust of your town that's stuck to us, as a sign against you - but know this: God's kingdom still came near to you.'"
I show you how to let go of rejection - do something simple that says 'I release this,' and move on without resentment, while staying honest that something valuable really was offered and refused.
"But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city. "
"Jesus said that on judgement day, the notoriously wicked city of Sodom will actually be treated more leniently than any town that rejects this message."
I warn that more opportunity to see and hear truth brings more responsibility, not less - take seriously what's right in front of you rather than assuming familiarity keeps you safe.
"Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, siting in sackcloth and ashes. "
"Jesus said, 'Sorrow to you, Chorazin! Sorrow to you, Bethsaida! Because if the miracles done in you had happened in Tyre and Sidon, those cities would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.'"
I grieve when people see clear evidence for change right in front of them and still don't act on it - don't let familiarity with good things dull your response to them.
"But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you. "
"He added that it will go better for Tyre and Sidon at the judgement than for these towns."
I hold clarity of opportunity to a higher standard - the more you've been shown, the more seriously I ask you to take it.
"And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell. "
"And Jesus said to Capernaum, a town greatly favoured, that instead of being lifted up to the skies it would be brought down low."
I remind you that a favoured position isn't a guarantee of anything - what matters is what you actually do with the advantages you've been given.
"He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me. "
"Jesus told them that anyone who listens to them is really listening to him, and anyone who rejects them is rejecting him - and rejecting him means rejecting the one who sent him, God."
I identify so closely with those I send that how people treat them is how they treat me - when you represent something good, your treatment of others reflects on what you stand for.
"And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. "
"The seventy came back full of joy, saying, 'Lord, even evil spirits obeyed us when we used your name!'"
I'm glad when good work succeeds and brings you joy - but notice how I redirect that joy next, because how you measure your own worth matters more than what you achieved.
"And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. "
"Jesus told them he watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning."
I want you to see that the good you do, even in small acts, connects to something far bigger than yourself - part of a larger turning of the tide against whatever harms people.
"Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. "
"Jesus said he was giving them authority to walk over snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and that nothing would harm them."
I equip you before I send you into difficult places - the confidence I give isn't recklessness, it's the assurance that you're not facing danger unprepared or unsupported.
"Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. "
"But he told them not to be most excited that evil spirits obeyed them - instead, to be glad that their names are recorded in heaven."
I redirect your joy away from what you can achieve, towards something far more stable - your worth is secure regardless of your performance, and that's what's truly worth celebrating.
"In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight. "
"At that moment Jesus was filled with joy and said, 'Thank you, Father, ruler of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from the clever and educated and revealing them instead to ordinary, simple people - yes, Father, because that's what pleased you.'"
I celebrate that understanding real, life-changing truth doesn't require status, credentials, or cleverness - it requires openness and humility, which anyone can have regardless of background.
"All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him. "
"Jesus said everything has been entrusted to him by his Father, and that no one truly knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and whoever the Son chooses to reveal him to."
I offer you a way to genuinely know what's ultimately real and good - not by working it out alone, but through the relationship I open up to anyone willing to receive it.
"And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: "
"Turning to his disciples privately, Jesus said, 'You're fortunate to see what you're seeing.'"
I want you to recognise the value of what's actually in front of you right now, rather than assuming the good things happening in your life are ordinary or guaranteed.
"For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. "
"He said, 'Many prophets and kings longed to see and hear what you're seeing and hearing now, but they never got the chance.'"
I want you to treat the good things placed in front of you as genuinely rare and valuable, not as something you're automatically owed.
"And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? "
"A religious law expert stood up to test Jesus, asking, 'Teacher, what do I need to do to inherit eternal life?'"
I don't dodge hard or even hostile questions - I meet them directly, and I often turn them back so the person asking discovers the answer already living inside them.
"He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? "
"Jesus answered him with a question: 'What does the law say? How do you read it?'"
I often answer questions with questions, not to be evasive but because I trust you already carry more wisdom than you realise - I want you to find it yourself.
"And he answering said, 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 neighbour as thyself. "
"The man answered, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind; and love your neighbour as you love yourself.'"
I affirm that everything meaningful comes down to this: give yourself fully to what's good and true, and treat the people around you exactly as carefully as you'd want to be treated yourself.
"And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. "
"Jesus told him, 'You've answered correctly - do this and you will live.'"
I care less about you having the right answer in your head than about you actually living it out - understanding love isn't the same as practising it.
"But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? "
"But the man, wanting to justify himself, asked Jesus, 'And who exactly counts as my neighbour?'"
I notice when people look for the edges of love rather than its centre - instead of asking who you can exclude from care, I'd rather you asked how far your care can reach.
"And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. "
"Jesus replied with a story: 'A man was travelling down from Jerusalem to Jericho when robbers attacked him, stripped off his clothes, beat him, and left him half dead.'"
I tell this story so you see suffering people stripped of every label - notice human need itself, not what group someone belongs to, before you decide whether they deserve your help.
"And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. "
"A priest happened to be travelling that road, and when he saw the wounded man, he crossed to the other side and kept walking."
I warn against letting religious duty, status, or fear of inconvenience become an excuse to walk past someone suffering right in front of you.
"And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. "
"A Levite, a temple assistant, did exactly the same when he reached the spot - he came, looked, and passed by on the other side."
I ask you not to let a close look at someone's pain become just another thing you observe and walk past - seeing suffering clearly should move you to act, not just to notice.
"But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, "
"But a Samaritan, from a group this man's own people despised, came along, and when he saw the wounded man, he was moved with compassion."
I deliberately make the hero of this story someone your society looks down on, so you'll see that goodness has nothing to do with someone's group or reputation - it shows up in action, wherever it comes from.
"And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. "
"He went over, bandaged the man's wounds with oil and wine, put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and looked after him."
I show that real compassion gets its hands dirty - it isn't a feeling you have from a distance, it's action taken at personal cost, right where the need is.
"And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. "
"The next day he took out two silver coins, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, 'Look after him, and whatever else you spend, I'll pay you back when I return.'"
I show that real care doesn't stop once the immediate crisis passes - it follows through with practical resources and ongoing responsibility, even when there's nothing in it for you.
"Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? "
"Jesus then asked, 'So which of these three do you think acted as a neighbour to the man who was attacked?'"
I flip the question you're asking - stop trying to work out who qualifies for your compassion, and start asking whether you're the kind of person who actually shows it.
"And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise. "
"The lawyer answered, 'The one who showed him mercy.' Jesus told him, 'Go and do the same.'"
I don't end this story with a moral to admire - I end it with a command to act: go and show the same mercy, to anyone, regardless of who they are or what you think of them.
"Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. "
"As Jesus and his disciples continued their journey, he came to a village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home."
I welcome hospitality and relationship - being received into someone's home matters to me, and I show up in the ordinary, domestic spaces of people's lives, not just in public settings.
"And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. "
"Martha had a sister named Mary, who sat down at Jesus's feet and listened to what he was teaching."
I welcome anyone, regardless of gender or social expectation, who wants to sit down, be still, and genuinely learn from me - that posture of attentive listening is always open to you.
"But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. "
"But Martha was distracted and overwhelmed by all the work of hosting. She came to Jesus and said, 'Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do all the serving by myself? Tell her to help me.'"
I hear you when you feel overwhelmed and unsupported - but notice that Martha brings her frustration straight to me rather than staying silently resentful; bringing your struggles honestly into the open is always better than seething quietly.
"And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: "
"Jesus answered her, 'Martha, Martha, you're anxious and worried about so many things.'"
I speak to you with the same tenderness I gave Martha - naming your anxiety honestly, rather than ignoring it, is the first step towards being freed from it.
"But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. "
"Jesus said, 'But only one thing really matters, and Mary has chosen it - and it won't be taken away from her.'"
When you're consumed by busyness and worry over many things, I invite you to pause and choose the one thing that truly matters - being present, attentive, and unhurried, at least for a moment.