Luke 10:1

Our Lord and Savior, dearest brothers, sometimes admonishes us through words, and sometimes through deeds. For His very actions are commandments, because when He does something in silence, He makes known what we ought to do. For behold, He sends His disciples out to preach in pairs, because there are two commandments of charity, namely the love of God and of neighbor, and charity cannot exist between fewer than two persons. For no one is properly said to have charity toward himself, but love extends toward another so that it may be charity. The Lord sends His disciples to preach in pairs, so that by this He may silently indicate to us that whoever does not have charity toward another should by no means undertake the office of preaching. It is well said that he sent them before his face into every city and place where he himself was about to come. For the Lord follows his preachers, because preaching comes first, and then the Lord comes to the dwelling place of our mind, when words of exhortation run ahead, and through these truth is received in the mind. For thus Isaiah says to these same preachers: Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight the paths of our God. Thus the Psalmist says to them: Make a way for him who ascends over the setting. For the Lord ascended over the setting because from that by which he fell in his passion, from that same thing he manifested his greater glory by rising again. He ascended over the setting, namely, because he trampled down by rising again the death which he had endured. Therefore we make a way for him who ascends over the setting when we preach his glory to your minds, so that he himself also, coming afterward, may illuminate them through the presence of his love.

In the book of Exodus it is written: "And they came to Elim; there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees" (Exod. 15:27). What happened then historically and figuratively has now been fulfilled in reality. Elim means ascent. By this nothing other is …

After these things, the Lord appointed another seventy-two. Just as the twelve apostles clearly represented and foreshadowed the role of bishops, it is to be understood that these seventy-two represented the figure of presbyters, that is, priests of the second order. Although in the earliest …

And he sent them two by two before his face into every city and place where he himself was about to come. For there are two precepts of charity, namely, the love of God and of neighbor, and charity cannot be less than between two …

Rightly are seventy-two sent, for to so many nations of the world was the Gospel to be preached, that as at first twelve were appointed because of the twelve tribes of Israel, so, these also were ordained as teachers for the instruction of the foreign nations. Now as the great harvest is this whole multitude of believers, so the few labourers are the Apostles, and their followers who are sent to this harvest.

The number of the twelve apostles marked the beginning of the episcopal rank. It is also apparent that the seventy-two disciples, who were also sent out by the Lord to preach the word, signify in their selection the lesser rank of the priesthood that is …

(Hom. 17. in Ev.) He sends the disciples to preach two and two, because there are two commands of charity, the love of God, and love of our neighbour; (and charity cannot exist without at least two;) thereby silently suggesting to us, that he who has not love to another, ought not to undertake the office of preaching. (ubi sup.) It is rightly added, before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. For the Lord follows His preachers, since the preaching comes first, and then the Lord enters into the tabernacle of our heart; seeing that through the words of exhortation going before, truth is received into the mind. Hence Esaias says to the preachers, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight a highway for our God. (Isa. 40:3.) (ubi sup.) But not without deep sorrow can we add, but the labourers are few. For although there are who would hear good things, they are wanting who should spread them. Behold the world is full of priests, but seldom is there found a labourer in God's harvest, because we undertake indeed the priestly office, but we perform not its works. (ubi sup.) Hereby also the people must be induced to pray for their pastors, that they may he able to work what is good for them, and that their tongue grow not lifeless in exhortation. For often for their own wickedness their tongue is tied. But often for the fault of the people it comes to pass that the word of preaching is withdrawn from their rulers.

The Lord had appointed the disciples for the sake of the multitude, who were in want of teachers. For as our corn fields require many reapers, so the innumerable company of those who are to believe need many teachers, as it follows, The harvest truly is great.

Second, the mission of the seventy-two disciples is treated with respect to three things. After these things the Lord designated etc. The part concerning the mission of the Apostles having been completed, here is added the part concerning the mission of the disciples after the …

Luke 10: He sent them two by two, etc.; the Gloss of Ambrose says: "So great ought the preacher's confidence to be that he knows most certainly that necessities will not fail him, lest, while he provides earthly things for himself, he less provides eternal …

), as his harbingers; and we must suppose, though it is not recorded, that Christ soon after went to all those places whither he now sent them, though he could stay but a little while in a place. Two things they were ordered to do, the same that Christ did wherever he came:-- 1.

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After these things,....

After these things - After the appointment of the twelve apostles, and the transactions recorded in the previous chapters. Other seventy - Seventy others besides the apostles. They were appointed for a different purpose from the apostles. The apostles were to be with him; to hear his instructions; to be witnesses of his miracles, his sufferings, his death, his resurrection and ascension, that they might “then” go and proclaim all these things to the world. The seventy were sent out to preach immediately, and chiefly where he himself was about to come. They were appointed for a temporary object.

the Lord--a becoming title here, as this appointment was an act truly lordly [BENGEL]. other seventy also--rather, "others (also in number), seventy"; probably with allusion to the seventy elders of Israel on whom the Spirit descended in the wilderness (Nu 11:24, 25). The mission, unlike that of the Twelve, was evidently quite temporary.

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The verses before us relate a circumstance which is not recorded by any Gospel writer except Luke. That circumstance is our Lord's appointment of seventy disciples to go before Him, in addition to the twelve apostles. We do not know the names of any of these disciples. Their subsequent history has not been revealed to us. But the instructions with which they are sent forth are deeply interesting, and deserve the close attention of all ministers and teachers of the Gospel. The first point in our Lord's charge to the seventy disciples — is the importance of prayer and intercession.

The verses before us relate a circumstance which is not recorded by any Gospel writer except Luke. That circumstance is our Lord's appointment of seventy disciples to go before Him, in addition to the twelve apostles. We do not know the names of any of these disciples. Their subsequent history has not been revealed to us. But the instructions with which they are sent forth are deeply interesting, and deserve the close attention of all ministers and teachers of the Gospel. The first point in our Lord's charge to the seventy disciples — is the importance of prayer and intercession. This is the leading thought with which our Lord opens His address. Before He tells His ambassadors what to do, He first bids them to pray, "Pray to the the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth laborers into his harvest." Prayer is one of the best and most powerful means of helping forward the cause of Christ in the world! It is a means within the reach of all who have the Spirit of adoption. Not all believers have money to give to missions. Very few have great intellectual gifts, or extensive influence among men. But all believers can pray for the success of the Gospel — and they ought to pray for it daily. Many and marvelous are the answers to prayer which are recorded for our learning in the Bible. "The fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." (James 5:16.) Prayer is one of the principal weapons which the minister of the Gospel ought to use. To be a true successor of the apostles, he must give himself to prayer — as well as to the ministry of the word. (Acts 6:4.) He must not only use the sword of the Spirit, but pray always, with all prayer and supplication. (Ephesians 6:17,18.) This is the way to win a blessing on his own ministry. This, above all, is the way to procure helpers to carry on Christ's work. Colleges may educate men.

The Lord appointed other seventy - Rather, seventy others, not other seventy, as our translation has it, which seems to intimate that he had appointed seventy before this time, though, probably, the word other has a reference to the twelve chosen first: he not only chose twelve disciples to be constantly with him; but he chose seventy others to go before him. Our blessed Lord formed every thing in his Church on the model of the Jewish Church; and why? Because it was the pattern shown by God himself, the Divine form, which pointed out the heavenly substance which now began to be established in its place. As he before had chosen twelve apostles, in reference to the twelve patriarchs, who were the chiefs of the twelve tribes, and the heads of the Jewish Church, he now publicly appointed (for so the word ανεδειξεν means) seventy others, as Moses did the seventy elders whom he associated with himself to assist him in the government of the people. Exo 18:19; Exo 24:1-9. These Christ sent by two and two: 1. To teach them the necessity of concord among the ministers of righteousness. 2. That in the mouths of two witnesses every thing might be established. And, 3. That they might comfort and support each other in their difficult labor. See on Mar 6:7 (note). Several MSS. and versions have seventy-two. Sometimes the Jews chose six out of each tribe: this was the number of the great Sanhedrin. The names of these seventy disciples are found in the margin of some ancient MSS., but this authority is questionable.