Sending Forth the Seventy

Luke 10:1-24

In verse 1, it states that the Lord other Seventy also and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. This is very interesting that without the benefit of living prophets and modern day revelation, this very important office in the Priesthood is lost. In this one verse the mission of the Seventy is explained. They went out two and two before the Savior to prepare his way and the way of the 12 Apostles.

In verses 2-4 our Savior begins giving instructions to the Seventy. Since the harvest is great, the Seventy must pray to Heaven Father that he send forth the laborers into the harvest. In a way, they are praying for themselves. As they pray, they should also pray for the strength to go forward with the Father's direction. As they are go forward on their ways, the Savior tells that he is sending forth as lambs to the slaughter; but I sense that He is also telling them that He will protect and guide them. The world will tell them that they are going to the slaughter, but the Savior is promising them peace and success. They are not to carry purse, scrip (money), nor clothing and shoes, and I sense that the Lord is promising all these things as they go forth on His errand.

In verses 5-7 the Savior gives more instruction. One of the greatest blessings of the Gospel is peace. Real peace cannot be duplicated by the Adversary. This is the first blessing that the Lord wants the Seventy to bestow upon those who invite them in to hear the Gospel. "If the household deserved the gift of, peace would rest therein, but otherwise the Lord's servants would feel that their invocation was void. To any family by whom they were received they were to impart blessing-healing the afflicted, and proclaiming that the kingdom of God had come nigh unto that house. They were not to go from one house to another seeking better entertainment, nor should they expect or desire to be feasted, but they should accept what was offered, eating that which was set before them, thus sharing with the family.” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, chapter 26)

In verses 8-9, the Lord gives instructions to the Seventy about what to do if the people in a city receive them. First, they are to eat what is set before them. One never knows how much people have sacrificed to put that food in front of you. Just eat it. That is great lesson for the missionaries today. Second, the Seventy are to heal the sick. They have the Priesthood and need to exercise it for and in behalf of those who have faith and believe. Third, the Seventy are to proclaim that the Kingdom of God is come and invite people to join.

In verses 10-12, the Savior continues His instruction to the Seventy about how to handle those who do not accept their preaching. They are to go into the streets of the city and proclaim: “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 is come nigh unto you.” They are to testify that the Kingdom of God has come to them. The Savior continues that it will be more tolerable for the city of Sodom than for the city that rejects His invitation to join the Kingdom of God.

In verses 13-15 I have wondered what the Lord was saying. This quotation from Jesus the Christ really helps. “Mention of the condemnation that would follow willful rejection of the authorized servants of God aroused in our Lord's mind sad memories of the repulses He had suffered,and of the many unrepentant souls, in the cities wherein He had accomplished so many mighty works. In profound sorrow He predicted the woes then impending over Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum.” This explanation is wonderful. In verse 16 the Savior emphasizes that He has authorized His servants to speak for Him. “He that heareth, you heareth me; he that despiseth you, despiseth me; and he that despiseth me, despiseth him that sent me.” His servants speak for Him.

As the Seventy returned, they rejoiced and told the Lord that “even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.” The Twelve and the Seventy had all witnessed as the Savior cast out devils during the previous years of His ministry. I am sure that they never thought that they would be able to do the same thing. Now He had given them the power to do so and they had righteously acted and the devils were subject to them, but only through His name. The last three words are key. The Seventy learned that things done in His name happened. It was a very powerful lesson for them.

In verse 18, the Savior mentions that He beheld Satan fall from heaven. I believe that we have only a small part of this conversation. He probably taught the Seventy about the pre-mortal existence and the council and war in Heaven, and about His role and Lucifer's role. It would be wonderful to have heard His words and been taught by Him about this marvelous doctrine.

In verses 19-20, the Savior discourses on the power of the Priesthood. He instructs them that the creatures of the earth cannot have power over them nor hurt them. Through power in the Priesthood, their personal worthiness, they can control the creatures and the evil spirits. But they should not rejoice in the fact that the evil spirits are subject unto them, but they should rejoice that their names are written in heaven. In other words, “that the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.” The Priesthood is given to us to bless others. We cannot use the Priesthood to bless ourselves. As we righteously bless others, we are also blessed.

In verses 21-22, the Savior rejoices and thanks Heavenly Father that the Seventy were very successful and that the great blessings that they enjoy have been hid from those who think that they are wise and the prudent (the Sanhedrin), and revealed unto babes, in the eyes of the world, or the Seventy. The Savior knows that this is the correct way. Then the Savior states that “all things are delivered to me of the Father.” Jesus has progressed from grace to grace and now has power over death. He then states that no one knows the Son but the Father, and vice versa. He then implies that there are others who know the Father and Son, and it is they to whom the Son has revealed them.

In verses 23-24, the Savior continue to instruct the Seventy about how blessed they are to see the things that they have seen—healing the sick, casting out devils, and the most important—personally being taught and instructed by the Savior and the receipt of the Priesthood. The Savior continues that prophets and kings have greatly desired to see the things that they have seen, heard and done, but they have not been seen, heard or done them. They were truly blessed.