Judgment
When Jesus sends out the seventy his focus was on the harvest and the end times before his return.
There is to be an impact on every city. The disciples go to houses and families but the responses they get translates into an affect on how everyone lives in a city. A city, translating the Greek word ‘polis’, was an enclosed settlement, a distinct community usually raised up on a hill. Jerusalem was an example intended to represent God’s community.
Luke gives a picture of a city being raised up, responding initially through homes and families and expressing community as the Kingdom of God. He also refers to those who are not raised up, but going down (to Hades - a Hebrew word used for the place of the dead), the death of a city.
He uses the words ‘alas’ and ‘woe’, words spoken at a funeral, weeping over the death of a community.
Sadly, one of the named towns was Capernaum that was the home of Peter and an early base for Jesus. This would indicate that the community there did not continue following Jesus and let the negativity or indifference to his message impact across their community life.
The judgment here was not on an individual but on a community, the way it functions. Ultimately, any community that does not express the Kingdom of God will have no permanence. The way it operates will die.
The Old Testament gives illustrations of how community can be negatively affected. In Genesis, the city that rejected God was called Babel and this became Babylon. Babylon is compared to Sodom, an unwelcoming and dangerous place. These communities are characterised by immorality, corruption and violence.
We recognise these types of communities and the judgment on them, society without God.
Luke explains how to respond when not welcomed by communities that express such characteristics, by shaking the dust off our feet, by moving on. Paul encountered this type of rejection.
Jesus wants us to demonstrate the Kingdom of God within a community setting. If it is rejected then we are not to impose it by force or coercion, or to battle against it, but to move on to where it is accepted and embraced.
Through church history there have been terrible examples where this has not been followed, such as the example of the Roman empire when they adopted Christianity as their religion. They then forced people into submission, giving them the option of being baptised or being put to death. Augustine and Calvin endorsed coercion and the imposition of moral disciplines and laws on society. Religion today wants to impose a legal framework for life, Catholics and denominations linked to the Old Testament Law, muslims through Sharia law.
The passage is not about judgment on an individual but on a way of life. The way people will live together as communities will ultimately reflect the Kingdom of God not Babylon. Anything that characterises Babylon will go. What characterises the Kingdom of God will remain.
Background
Luke chapter 10 verses 1 to 20 - Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of him to every city and place where he himself was going to come. And he was saying to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest. Go; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no money belt, no bag, no shoes; and greet no one on the way. Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace be to this house.' "If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in that house, eating and drinking what they give you; for the labourer is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving from house to house. Whatever city you enter and they receive you, eat what is set before you; and heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' But whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'Even the dust of your city which clings to our feet we wipe off in protest against you; yet be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near.' I say to you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that city. Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had been performed in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will be brought down to Hades! The one who listens to you listens to me, and the one who rejects you rejects me; and he who rejects me rejects the One who sent me."
The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name." And he said to them, "I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven."
When Jesus sends out the seventy his focus was on the harvest and the end times before his return (Luke chapter 10 verses 1 to 20).
There is to be an impact on every city. The disciples go to houses and families but the responses they get translates into an affect on how everyone lives in a city. A city, translating the Greek word ‘polis’, was an enclosed settlement, a distinct community usually raised up on a hill. Jerusalem was an example intended to represent God’s community (Galatians chapter 4 verses 25,26; Hebrews chapter 11 verses 10,16; 12 verse 22; Revelation chapter 22 verse 4).
Luke gives a picture of a city being raised up, responding initially through homes and families and expressing community as the Kingdom of God. He also refers to those who are not raised up, but going down (to Hades - a Hebrew word used for the place of the dead, Luke chapter 10 verse 15), the death of a city.
He uses the words ‘alas’ and ‘woe’ (verse 13), words spoken at a funeral, weeping over the death of a community.
Sadly, one of the named towns was Capernaum (verse 15) that was the home of Peter and an early base for Jesus. This would indicate that the community there did not continue following Jesus and let the negativity or indifference to his message impact across their community life.
The judgment here was not on an individual but on a community, the way it functions. Ultimately, any community that does not express the Kingdom of God will have no permanence. The way it operates will die.
The Old Testament gives illustrations of how community can be negatively affected. In Genesis, the city that rejected God was called Babel and this became Babylon (Genesis chapter 11; Isaiah chapter 14 verses 1 to 23). Babylon is compared to Sodom (Isaiah chapter 13 verse 19; Genesis chapter 19; Luke chapter 10 verse 12), an unwelcoming and dangerous place. These communities are characterised by immorality, corruption and violence (Revelation chapter 18).
We recognise these types of communities and the judgment on them, society without God.
Luke explains how to respond when not welcomed by communities that express such characteristics, by shaking the dust off our feet (chapter 10 verse 11), by moving on. Paul encountered this type of rejection (Acts chapter 13 verses 48 to 52; 18 verses 5,6).