SECTION XV.

THE DEPARTURE OF JESUS FROM GALILEE TO JERUSALEM. SAMARIA. THE FOUR DISCIPLES, AND THE FOUR HINDRANCES ON THE \VAY INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD. THE SEVENTY DISCIPLES. THE GOOD SAMARITAN.

(Luke ix. 51-x. 37.)

We have already seen, that the disciples, even then, when Jesus was about to commence His journey to Jerusalem, were not wholly resigned to His spirit, nor wholly shared His views and frame of nind. This became manifest anew, when He now took His departure from Galilee. Difficulties were thrown in His way by several disciples, which sufficiently showed that, like unripe scholars, they had but imperfectly learned their Master's spirit. He, however, approved Himself, in all these cases, as the perfect Teacher.

The Evangelist has collected and arranged together four acts of this kind.

When the time was come that He should be received up, He steadfastly — with firm determination — turned His face towards Jerusalem. Thither now His way, the bent of His spirit, led Him. He knew that He went to His glory, whilst going to meet His death.¹ On the way He sent messengers before Him. These came into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for Him. But the inhabitants of the village did not receive Him, because the direction of His journey showed that He would go to Jerusalem.² When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, 'Lord, wilt Thou that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, even as Elias did? 'But He turned, and rebuked them, and said, 'Know ye not of what spirit — ye are — the children? For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's souls, but to save them.'³ And they went to another village.

Whilst they were on the way, a second difficulty was raised by another. Meeting the Lord in the way, he assured Him: 'I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest.' Jesus said unto him, 'Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head.'

A third opposed to Him a new difficulty. The Lord addressed to him the summons, 'Follow Me.' But he said, 'Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.' Jesus said unto him, 'Let the dead bury their dead, but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.'

And finally a fourth difficulty was raised by a fourth individual. This man declared to Him: 'Lord, I will follow Thee; but let me first go bid them farewell which are at home, at my house — celebrate a farewell feast.' To him Jesus replied, 'No man having put his hand to the plough and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.'

Thus, the most various obstacles oppose themselves to Christ, and hindrances in the way of following Him arise within the circle of His disciples themselves. In one the resistance is of one kind, in another it assumes a different form; but in each the special nature of the dissonance stands in connection with his peculiar temperament. The choleric disposition hinders, whilst it seeks to further His progress by acts of fanaticism. The sanguine follower, with his glowing but transient enthusiasm, in which he promises the boldest and most faithful service, gives Him special cause for hesitation. The melancholic disciple, who would first go and bury his father, impedes Him with his pietistic bondage and legality of spirit. The phlegmatic follower, finally, who would first celebrate a special leave-taking with his friends, has in his love of comfort and ease a cause of hindrance to the service of Christ. But Christ stands as Master above them all, and knows how to treat each one according to his nature, and train him according to his necessities. He meets the threatening zealots with a gentle rebuke; He recalls them to reflection over their motive, and the end of His own mission. He occasions the all-promising enthusiast to take into calculation, that he will find the most self-denying life with Him. Into the heart of the melancholic scrupulous man He throws that word of fire: Let the dead bury their dead. And last of all, the phlegmatic, easy and sentimental man. He summons to decided and devoted activity, with the urgent call. Whoso putteth his hand to the plough and looketh back, is unfit for the kingdom of God.

For this combination of the four disciplinary acts of Christ, we are indebted to the psychological discrimination of our Evangelist. We owe to him likewise the communication of the fact, that Jesus sent out also other disciples besides the Twelve.

After these things, the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them, two by two before His face, into every city and village whither He Himself would come (see above, ii. 440). He furnished them at the same time with instructions for their work. In so doing. He spoke to the following effect: —

'The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth labourers into His harvest. Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves. Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes; and salute no man by the way. And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say. Peace be to this house. And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it; if not, it shall turn to you again. And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they have;⁴ for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house. And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you; and heal the sick that are therein; and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say, Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding, be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God has been near unto you. I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city. Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell. He that heareth you — spake the Lord in conclusion to these messengers — heareth Me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth Me: and he that despiseth Me, despiseth Him that sent Me.'

The seventy disciples form manifestly a contrast to the Twelve. The selection of these messengers for a special mission,⁵ shows us that the Lord did not intend to make the Twelve exclusively the channels of His life. His authority, and His Spirit. This becomes the more evident, as we saw in the previous paragraphs what impure elements the Lord had still to contend with in the college of the Twelve; and here learn what promises, on the contrary. He could also give to the seventy disciples. The instructions with which the seventy were furnished are closely related to those imparted to the twelve (Matt, x.) And even should the recollection of the one have exerted an influence on the recording of the other, those parts of the commission given to the seventy will, for the most part, certainly have formed its fundamental and original elements, in which these disciples are provided with special authoritative powers, even if something similar occurs in the instructions given to the Twelve. For no Evangelist, without warrant, would have transferred these from the circle of apostles to a wider circle of disciples.

The restrictive injunction. Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not, is here omitted by the Lord — the more so, as the seventy received especially the commission to visit those places in Samaria which He Himself could not personally visit.

On the other hand, however, a restriction is here laid on them — not to salute any one by the way.⁶ This was intended, no doubt, to enforce on them the necessity of wording not merely all delay, but also all notoriety on their journey (see above, vol. ii. p. 441).

In the instructions given to the apostles, we find the entrance into a city mentioned before the entrance into a house; here it is the reverse. In the former case, entrance into a particular house is placed indeed in immediate prospect; here, however, it is brought into greater prominence, as a chief matter. And as respects the house, it is here again specially noted, how much a single child of peace within it may decide in regard to its worthiness.

In the house where they meet with a friendly reception they are to remain, and there plant a church. The Christian Church is thus to form itself as a community, around a Christian household in the centre (as παροικιά — parish).

So. long as the messengers of peace remain in any house, their support is to consist in partaking with the rest of whatever is there. This is the test of the moral purity and truth of the relationship. If they are not allowed to eat and drink of the family fare, they are not well received: would they, on the other hand, take a higher place and enjoy something better, that were not to enter into the full and familiar fellowship of the household life.

When, however, a city, as such, receives them, this relation is modified. They shall then partake of what is set before them, i. e., also what is set out for them. The chief point here also is, that they shall neither give themselves airs whilst partaking of that which has been provided for their support, nor make high pretensions.

Where they are thus received, they must unfold the power of their salutation of peace, by healing the sick and proclaiming the near approach of the kingdom of God.

The Lord depicts at the same time the judgment which awaits the city which shall not receive them; and makes use of this opportunity to proclaim the woe against Bethsaida, Chorazin, and Capernaum, having occasion at this special juncture to cast a mournful retrospective glance on His ministry in Galilee (see above, vol. ii. 441).

Most of all, were the seventy disciples put on an equality with the apostles by the concluding words: Whosoever heareth you, heareth Me; and whosoever despiseth you, despiseth Me; and he that despiseth Me, despiseth Him that sent Me.

The distinction also, which the seventy received on their return, is well worthy of remark. They returned again in joyful elation of mind, saying, 'Lord, even the devils are subject unto us, through Thy name.' He returned for answer the weighty words, 'I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the powers of the enemy; and nothing shall by any means hurt you.'

He thus intimated to them, that their smaller victories over the power of the evil one rested on a great victory over his power, which He Himself had already achieved;⁷ and that, in the strength of this victory, He gave them the power victoriously to tread down all the opposition of the kingdom of darkness, as they would poisonous reptiles which are trampled under foot, and rendered innocuous.⁸

Still further, however, He pointed out to them the right frame of mind, saying unto them, 'Notwithstanding, in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.'

In that hour the soul of Jesus was moved with joy. He exulted inwardly in spirit; and to this joyful emotion within, He gave expression aloud by thanksgiving: 'I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father; for so it seemed good in Thy sight.'

That He, however. Himself has a share in this glory of the Father, which glorifies itself in the babes, is expressed by Him in the words which follow: 'All things are delivered to Me of My Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal Him.'

But, as He shares in the glory of the Father, so the disciples also in His own. This He expresses in the words addressed to the disciples: 'Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see. For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them, and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.'

At those labours of the seventy disciples among the Samaritans a certain lawyer seems to have taken offence. In order to tempt the Lord, he asked Him, 'Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 'He said unto him, 'What is written in the law? how readest thou? 'And he answering said, 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart — the kernel and centre of thy life — and with all thy soul — the whole sensitive form and periphery of thy life — and with all thy strength — or the energy of thy religious and moral being — and with all thy mind — or the free self-determination of thy moral and religious nature — and thy neighbour as thyself.'

The lawyer could give a pertinent answer: he knew the fundamental law of all law. But this insight had not become a living power within him. The Lord therefore said to him, 'Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.' He, however, in order to justify himself — in his contempt for those who were not Jews — said unto Jesus, 'Who is then my neighbour? 'Jesus met the thought of his heart by narrating to him the parable of the good Samaritan: 'A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow, when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said to him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.'

On this, the Lord put the question to the lawyer, 'Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? 'And he said, 'He that showed mercy on him.' Jesus then dismissed him with the word, 'Go, and do thou likewise.'

This history also is found in Luke only; and it belongs to the most expressive characteristics of his Gospel. It depicts free human compassion; love to our neighbour in its royal, unrestricted proffer of help to all men, as contrasted with the stinted form of a love which acts only according to national, confessional, and other similar sympathies, and amidst antipathies of this sort perishes. The deepest foundation of this free benignity towards man is at all times, whether consciously or unconsciously to its possessor, the free grace of God towards the sinner.

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