John Calvin Commentary Luke 10

And after these things the Lord appointed—That the Apostles had returned to Christ before these seventy were substituted in their place may be inferred from many circumstances. The twelve, therefore, were sent to awaken in the Jews the hope of an approaching salvation. After their return, as it was necessary that higher expectation should be excited, others were sent in greater numbers, as secondary heralds, to spread universally in every place the report of Christ’s coming. Strictly speaking, they received no commission but were only sent by Christ as heralds to prepare the minds of the people for receiving His doctrine. As to the number seventy, He appears to have followed that order to which the people had already been long accustomed. We must bear in mind what has been already said about the twelve Apostles,³⁰ that as this was the number of the tribes when the people were in a flourishing condition, so an equal number of apostles or patriarchs was chosen to reassemble the members of the lacerated body, that the restoration of the Church might thus be complete.

There was a similar reason for these seventy. We know that Moses, finding himself insufficient for the burden, took seventy judges to be associated with him in governing the people (Exodus 18:22; Exodus 24:1). But when the Jews returned from the Babylonian captivity, they had a council or συνέδριον—which was corrupted into Sanhedrin³¹—consisting of seventy-two judges. As usually happens with such numbers, when they spoke of the council, they called them only the seventy judges; and Philo assures us that they were chosen out of the posterity of David, that there might be some remaining authority in the royal line. After various calamities, this was the finishing stroke, when Herod abolished that council and thus deprived the people of a legitimate share in the government. Now as the return from Babylon prefigured a true and complete redemption, the reason why our Lord chooses seventy heralds of His coming appears to be to hold out the restoration of their fallen state; and as the people were to be united under one head, He does not give them authority as judges but only commands them to go before Him, that He may possess the sole power. And sent them by two and two. He appears to have done so on account of their weakness. There was reason to fear that individually they would not have the boldness necessary for the vigorous discharge of their office; and therefore, that they may encourage one another, they are sent by two and two.

The harvest is indeed abundant. I have explained this passage in Matthew 9;³² but it was proper to insert it again here, because it is related for a different purpose. To stimulate his disciples more powerfully to apply themselves diligently to their work, he declares that the harvest is abundant. Therefore, it follows that their labor will not be fruitless, but that they will find, in abundance, opportunities for employment and means of usefulness.

He afterwards reminds them of dangers, contests, and annoyances, and instructs them to go and prepare themselves to travel quickly throughout all of Judea.³³ In short, he repeats the same injunctions which he had given to the Apostles. Therefore, it is unnecessary to elaborate further here, since a full explanation of all these matters may be found in the passage already quoted.

We may notice briefly, however, the meaning of the expression, salute no man by the way. It indicates extreme haste when, on meeting a person by the way, we pass on without speaking to him, to avoid being detained even for a short time. Thus, when Elisha sent his servant to the Shunammite woman, he charged him not to salute any person whom he met:

if you meet any man, do not salute him;
and if any salute you, do not answer again (2 Kings 4:31).

Christ does not intend that his disciples should be so unkind³⁴ as to refuse to salute persons whom they meet, but instructs them to hasten forward, so that they pass by everything that would detain them.

Eating and drinking those things which they shall give you This is another circumstance expressly mentioned by Luke. By these words Christ not only enjoins them to be satisfied with ordinary and plain food, but allows them to eat at another man’s table. Their plain and natural meaning is: “you will be at liberty to live at the expense of others, as long as you are on this journey; for it is proper that those for whose benefit you labor should supply you with food.” Some think that they were intended to remove scruples of conscience, that the disciples might not find fault with any kind of food.³⁵ But nothing of this kind was intended, and it was not even his object to enjoin frugality, but merely to permit them to accept of a reward, by living, during this commission, at the expense of those by whom they were entertained.

He that heareth you heareth me. It is a mistake to suppose that this passage is a repetition of what we previously encountered in the Gospel of Matthew 10:40: he that receiveth you receiveth me.⁴⁷ Then, Christ was speaking of persons, but now, of doctrine. The former receiving referred to acts of kindness; but now He recommends faith, which receives God in His Word. The general meaning is that the godliness of people is determined by the obedience of faith,⁴⁸ and that those who reject the Gospel, though they may boast of being the most eminent worshippers of God, show that they wickedly despise Him.

We must now consider the purpose of Christ. Since a considerable portion of the world foolishly evaluates the Gospel according to the social standing of people, and despises it because it is professed by individuals of humble and despised condition, our Lord here contradicts such a perverse judgment. Again, almost everyone is so proud that they do not willingly submit to their equals, or to those whom they look down upon as inferior to them.

God, on the other hand, has determined to govern His Church by the ministry of human beings, and indeed frequently selects the ministers of the Word from among the lowest dregs of society. It was, therefore, necessary to uphold the majesty of the Gospel, so that it might not appear to be degraded by coming from human lips.

This is a remarkable commendation⁴⁹ of the external ministry, when Christ declares that whatever honor and respect is given to the preaching of human beings—provided that the preaching is faithful—God acknowledges as done to Himself.

This recommendation is useful in two ways. First, nothing should be a stronger encouragement for us to embrace the doctrine of the Gospel than to learn that it is the highest worship of God, and a sacrifice of the sweetest aroma, to hear Him speaking through human lips and to submit to His word—brought to us by human beings—just as if He were descending from heaven or making His will known to us by angels.

Second, our confidence is established, and all doubt is removed, when we learn that the testimony of our salvation, when delivered to us by human beings whom God has sent, is no less worthy of belief than if His voice resounded from heaven. To deter us, on the other hand, from despising the Gospel, He adds a severe threat:

He that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me. Those who disdain to listen to ministers, however humble and despised they may be, offer an insult not only to human beings but to Christ Himself and to God the Father.

While a magnificent eulogy is here pronounced on the office of pastors who honestly and faithfully carry out their office, it is absurd for the Pope and his clergy to use this as a pretext for cloaking their tyranny. Certainly, Christ does not speak in such a way as to surrender into human hands the power that the Father has given Him, but only to protect His Gospel against contempt.

Therefore, it follows that He does not transfer to persons the honor due to Himself, but only maintains that this honor cannot be separated from His Word. If the Pope wishes to be received, let him bring forward the doctrine by which he may be recognized as a minister of Christ; but as long as he continues to be what he now is—a mortal enemy of Christ and lacking any resemblance to the Apostles—let him stop adorning himself with borrowed feathers.

And the seventy returned. It is evident, that the faith of the seventy disciples in the words of Christ had not been full and complete when they returned, exulting that they had cast out devils by the power of Christ, which they regarded as something new and unexpected. Nay, they had received this power accompanied by a command. At the same time, I have no doubt that, when they departed, they were convinced that nothing that the Master had said to them would fail of its accomplishment; but afterwards, when the matter proceeded to an extent that surpassed their expectations, they were astonished at the sight.⁵¹

And this is frequently the case with believers, that they receive from the word only a slight perception of the Divine power, and are afterwards excited to admiration by actual experience. What was the nature of that joy will more clearly appear from Christ’s reply.