← All Chapters The Book of Luke · Chapter 10

Luke 10: The Good Samaritan and the Better Part

Jesus sends out the seventy, defines the neighbor through a Samaritan's mercy, and welcomes Mary's quiet devotion at his feet.

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Luke 10 (WEB)

1 Now after these things, the Lord also appointed seventy others, and sent them two by two ahead of him into every city and place, where he was about to come.

2 Then he said to them, “The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore to the Lord of the harvest, that he may send out laborers into his harvest.

3 Go your ways. Behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.

4 Carry no purse, nor wallet, nor sandals. Greet no one on the way.

5 Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’

6 If a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you.

7 Remain in that same house, eating and drinking the things they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Don’t go from house to house.

8 Into whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat the things that are set before you.

9 Heal the sick who are therein, and tell them, ‘God’s Kingdom has come near to you.’

10 But into whatever city you enter, and they don’t receive you, go out into its streets and say,

11 ‘Even the dust from your city that clings to us, we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that God’s Kingdom has come near to you.’

12 I tell you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that city.

13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

14 But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment than for you.

15 You, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades.

16 Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me. Whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

17 The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!”

18 He said to them, “I saw Satan having fallen like lightning from heaven.

19 Behold, I give you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will in any way hurt you.

20 Nevertheless, don’t rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

21 In that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I thank you, O 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 so it was well-pleasing in your sight.”

22 Turning to the disciples, he said, “All things have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is, except the Father, and who the Father is, except the Son, and he to whomever the Son desires to reveal him.”

23 Turning to the disciples, he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things that you see,

24 for I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see the things which you see, and didn’t see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and didn’t hear them.”

25 Behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

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

27 He answered, “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 your neighbor as yourself.”

28 He said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live.”

29 But he, desiring to justify himself, asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”

30 Jesus answered, “A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

31 By chance a certain priest was going down that way. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

32 In the same way a Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side.

33 But a certain Samaritan, as he traveled, came where he was. When he saw him, he was moved with compassion,

34 came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. He set him on his own animal, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

35 On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, and gave them to the host, and said to him, ‘Take care of him. Whatever you spend beyond that, I will repay you when I return.’

36 Now which of these three do you think seemed to be a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers?”

37 He said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

38 As they went on their way, he entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.

39 She had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.

40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she came up to him, and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister left me to serve alone? Ask her therefore to help me.”

41 Jesus answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things,

42 but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

Summary

Jesus appoints seventy others and sends them ahead two by two to every town he is about to visit, telling them to pray for laborers and to bring peace. They return rejoicing that even the demons are subject to them, and Jesus tells them to rejoice instead that their names are written in heaven. He praises the Father for revealing these things to little children. When a lawyer asks who his neighbor is, Jesus tells of a man left half dead, passed by a priest and a Levite, but cared for by a Samaritan who showed mercy at his own cost. "Go and do likewise," he says. The chapter closes in Martha's home, where Martha is distracted by much serving while Mary sits at Jesus' feet listening. Jesus gently says Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken from her.

Main Characters

  • Jesus — Sends the seventy, teaches the parable of mercy, and commends Mary's devotion.
  • The Samaritan — A despised traveler who shows costly mercy to a wounded stranger.
  • Martha — Welcomes Jesus into her home but is distracted by much serving.
  • Mary — Sits at the Lord's feet to listen, choosing the good part.

Key Verse

Luke 10:27 (WEB)

He answered, “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 your neighbor as yourself.”

Lessons Learned

  • The harvest is plentiful, so we should pray for and become laborers.
  • Our deepest joy is that our names are written in heaven.
  • Loving our neighbor means showing mercy at real personal cost.
  • Sitting at Jesus' feet to listen is the one needful thing.
  • Mission begins with prayer for laborers. Jesus said, "The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore to the Lord of the harvest" (Luke 10:2, WEB).
  • Heaven's record outweighs every earthly success. Jesus told the seventy, "Rejoice that your names are written in heaven" (Luke 10:20, WEB).
  • True love is mercy in action. The Samaritan "came to him, and bound up his wounds" and cared for him, and Jesus said, "Go and do likewise" (Luke 10:34-37, WEB).
  • Loving God and neighbor sums up the law. The lawyer answered to love God with all his heart and to love "your neighbor as yourself," and Jesus said, "Do this, and you will live" (Luke 10:27-28, WEB).
  • Listening to Jesus is the better part. Jesus said, "Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:42, WEB).
  1. Why did Jesus tell the seventy to pray for more laborers before sending them out?
  2. What did Jesus say should be the true source of their joy, and why?
  3. How does the Samaritan's response differ from the priest's and the Levite's?
  4. What does Jesus mean when he says Mary chose the good part?
  5. Where in your own life are you, like Martha, distracted from simply sitting at Jesus' feet?
  1. Jesus saw a plentiful harvest but few workers, so he told them to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers (Luke 10:2). The work of the kingdom begins on our knees before it begins in our hands.
  2. The seventy rejoiced that demons obeyed them, but Jesus redirected their joy: "Rejoice that your names are written in heaven" (Luke 10:20). Our security rests in belonging to God, not in our results.
  3. The priest and Levite passed by, but the Samaritan was moved with compassion and met every need at his own expense (Luke 10:31-35). Mercy crosses social lines and costs the giver something real.
  4. Mary sat at the Lord's feet and heard his word, and Jesus said she had chosen the good part that would not be taken away (Luke 10:39-42). Devoted attention to Jesus is never wasted and lasts forever.
  5. This is a personal application question. Invite members to consider gently where busyness crowds out time with Jesus (Luke 10:41-42). Encourage honest sharing, and do not press anyone to share more than they wish.

Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible (WEB), the King James Version (KJV), and the American Standard Version (ASV), all of which are in the public domain.