Sunday School Lessons: Luke 10

Chapter 10

10:1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. 2 And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.

13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades.

16 “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

70 or 72

2x2

Travel light

Greet no one

What was their message?

What were they to do?

What if they don’t listen?

If they reject them, they are rejecting Christ!

17 The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” 18 And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

The 70 were able to do what the apostles had not; they had cast out demons. This gave them great joy. Jesus tells them about Satan falling from heaven to indicate that Satan’s defeat was beginning: “I saw at your command devils immediately depart, as quick as a flash of lightening, I gave you this power; I saw it put forth.” Jesus gave them more power, or authority, to tread on serpents and scorpions, protection from harm, and power over the enemy. They had been faithful in a little and now they were given more! The greatest thing that they should be rejoicing in, though, was that their name had been written in heaven. That means that they were citizens of heaven; God had approved of them and they would be permitted to dwell with Him.

21 In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 22 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

23 Then turning to the disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”

Notice that Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and prayed to the Father. This is another Trinitarian passage. Jesus is rejoicing in the wisdom of God and in his fellowship with the Father and the Spirit.

Like Simeon in the temple, the disciples were blessed to see the coming of the ‘consolation of Israel’ that the people had been waiting for.

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

The Parable of the Good Samaritan is the most well-known parable and one of the most familiar passages in the Bible. It is only found in the Gospel of Luke.

25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

This man was a lawyer, but not like the lawyers now. He was an interpreter of the Law of Moses. He asked Jesus a very difficult question, hoping to catch him up and “put him to the test.”

(He stood up)

26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”

Jesus answered the lawyer in the same way he answered Satan when he put him to the test: by directing him back to scripture. The lawyer was hoping to catch him setting aside the law, but instead, Jesus directed him back to the Law.

27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

The lawyer answered correctly, according to the law, but Jesus says “do this” and live. It is not enough to KNOW the right thing or answer correctly, you must DO it. Is anyone able to keep the law? No! (Gal 2:16)

29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

The lawyer wanted to think he had kept the Law, but Jesus uses a parable to show him his error:

30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

Robbers/highwaymen

Road between Jericho and Jerusalem (remote, cliffs, caves, hiding places)

Priest and Levite passed by on the other side. Why?

Samaritans and Jews

Samaritan man’s compassion

Oil and wine

Samaritan’s actions from compassion to commitment

Again, Jesus tells the lawyer to DO.

Who is our neighbor? Anyone who we can help!

38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Martha vs Mary

Sat at feet

Distracted

accusation

One thing is necessary. Mary has chosen that one thing—the good portion. What is the good portion?

Will not be taken away.

*These lessons are written for use with elementary aged students. You can find lessons for previous chapters here . All scriptures are taken from the ESV.