Luke
Chapter 10
Mission of the Seventy-Two
The Lord appointed seventy-two other disciples and sent them, two by two, ahead of him to every town and place where he was to go himself.
He said to them:
“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. So you must ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers to his harvest.
Set off without a purse, a bag, or sandals, and do not stop at the homes of those you know.
When they welcome you to any town, eat what they offer you.
Heal the sick there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near to you.’
Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet, we wipe off and leave with you. But know for certain that the kingdom of God is near to you.’
I tell you, on the Day of Judgment, it will be better for Sodom than for this town.
Sure enough, it will be better for Tyre and Sidon on the Day of Judgment than for you.
And what about you, city of Capernaum? Will you be raised to heaven? No, you’ll be thrown down to the grave.
Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects me rejects the one who sent me.
The seventy-two disciples returned joyfully. They said:
“Lord, even the demons obey us when we call on your name.”
Then Jesus responded:
However, don’t rejoice because the evil spirits submit to you; rejoice instead that your names are written in heaven.”
At that time, Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit and said:
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. I have been given all things by my Father so that no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and he to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said to them privately:
for I tell you that many prophets and kings would have liked to see what you see, but did not see it; and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”
Then a teacher of the law came and began testing Jesus. He asked:
“Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus responded:
“What is written in the law? How do you interpret it?”
The man answered:
“It is written: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind. And you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Jesus said:
“That’s a good answer! Do this, and you will live.”
The man wanted to justify himself, so he asked:
“And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus then said:
“There was a man going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half-dead.
A priest was walking along that road and saw the man, but passed by on the other side.
So, likewise, a Levite saw the man and also passed by on the other side.
However, a Samaritan was traveling that way, and when he saw the man, he was moved with compassion.
He approached him, cleaned his wounds with oil and wine, and bandaged them. Then he placed him on his own animal and took him to a roadside inn, where he took care of him.
The next day, he had to set off; but he gave two silver coins to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him and whatever you spend on him, I will repay when I return.’”
Jesus then asked:
“Which of these three, do you think, made himself a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
The teacher of the law answered:
“The one who had mercy on him.”
And Jesus said:
“Then go and do the same.”
As Jesus and his disciples were traveling, he entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home.
She had a sister named Mary, who sat beside the Lord at his feet, listening to him speak.
Meanwhile, Martha was busy with all the serving, and finally she said:
“Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work? Tell her to help me!”
But the Lord replied:
“Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things,
but only one thing is truly needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”