After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them out in pairs ahead of him to every town and place he was about to go.[1] 2 He told them, “The harvest is huge, but the workers are few. So plead with the Lord of the harvest to send workers out into his harvest. 3 Go. Look, I’m sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Don’t carry a money bag or a pack or sandals, and don’t stop to greet anyone along the road.
5 “Whenever you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 If a person of peace is there, your peace will rest on them. If not, it will come back to you. 7 Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, because the worker deserves his wages. Don’t move from house to house.
8 “When you enter a town and they welcome you, eat what’s set before you. 9 Heal the sick there and tell them, ‘God’s kingdom has come near you.’ 10 But when you enter a town and they don’t welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust from your town that stuck to our feet, we wipe off against you. But know this: God’s kingdom has come near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom on that day than for that town.
13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! Because if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have turned from their ways long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum — will you be lifted up to heaven? No, you’ll be brought down to Hades.[2]
16 “Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”
17 The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name!”
18 He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. 19 Look, I’ve given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy — and nothing will harm you at all. 20 But don’t rejoice that the spirits submit to you. Rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
21 At that very moment he was full of joy through the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you’ve hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father — this is what pleased you.
22 “My Father has handed everything over to me. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son — and anyone the Son chooses to reveal him to.”
23 Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Fortunate are the eyes that see what you see. 24 I tell you, many prophets and kings wanted to see what you’re seeing and didn’t see it, and to hear what you’re hearing and didn’t hear it.”
25 Then a legal expert stood up to test him. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 Jesus said to him, “What’s written in the Law? How do you read it?”
27 The man answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind — and love your neighbor as yourself.”[3]
28 “You’ve answered correctly,” Jesus told him. “Do this, and you will live.”
29 But the man wanted to justify himself, so he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when bandits attacked him. They stripped him, beat him, and left, leaving him half dead.[4] 31 Now by coincidence a priest was going down that same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 A Levite, too, came to the place, saw him, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan traveling along came to where the man was, and when he saw him, his heart went out to him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him. Whatever more you spend, I’ll pay you back when I return.’[5]
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the bandits’ hands?”
37 The legal expert said, “The one who showed him mercy.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.”
38 As they traveled on, Jesus came to a village. A woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to his teaching.[6] 40 But Martha was distracted with all the serving. She came up to him and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the serving alone? Tell her to help me.”
41 The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you’re worried and upset about so many things. 42 But only a few things are needed — really, just one. Mary has chosen the good portion, and it won’t be taken from her.”
Notes
Note 1. The Greek manuscripts split here between “seventy” and “seventy-two.” ↩
Note 2. The Greek word here is Hades (ᾅδης), the Septuagint’s usual word for the Hebrew Sheol, the realm of the dead. ↩
Note 3. This quotes Deuteronomy 6:5, but with a difference: the Hebrew there names three faculties — heart, soul, and “might” (meod, meaning strength or abundance) — while Luke’s Greek lists four, adding “mind” (dianoia). Mark’s version also lists four; Matthew’s keeps three, swapping “mind” in for “might.” ↩
Note 4. The word “down” is literal. In roughly seventeen miles the road drops about 3,300 feet. ↩
Note 5. A denarius was roughly a day laborer’s wage for a day’s work, so this is about two days’ pay handed to the innkeeper. ↩
Note 6. Paul says he was brought up “at the feet of Gamaliel” (Acts 22:3). ↩