MPV Commentary

As Jesus' time on earth draws to a close, preparations for the establishment of His kingdom are accelerated and expanded.

1. The Lord appointed seventy others also—likely alluding to the seventy elders of Israel who received the Spirit in the wilderness (Numbers 11:24-25). This mission was temporary, unlike that of the Twelve, which had far-reaching and permanent effects. After their return from this brief missionary tour, we no longer read about the Seventy.

2. The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few—see Matthew 9:37. Pray to the Lord of the harvest to send workers into His harvest—see Matthew 9:38.

3-12. See Matthew 10:7-16.

10. A son of peace is someone inwardly prepared to receive your message of peace—see note on "worthy" in Matthew 10:13.

12-15. See Matthew 11:20-24. The doom of those who reject the Savior, despite being surrounded by light, will be less bearable than that of Sodom or Tyre and Sidon.

16. He who receives you receives Me—see Matthew 10:40.

17. After their return, Jesus said to them, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us through Your name." They were astonished and joyful at possessing such power, not explicitly mentioned in their commission like that of the Twelve (Luke 9:1).

18. I was beholding Satan as lightning falling from heaven—Jesus' statement depends on the nuance of the original Greek tense, which should be translated as "I was beholding" to convey the sense of ongoing action. This means Jesus watched Satan's fall while observing their mission and witnessing the subjection of demons in His name.

19. Behold, I give you authority over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you—this is not a renewal of their mission but rather a recognition of their status as disciples. They will be protected from harm through faith, which enables them to overcome the world (1 John 5:4) and quench the fiery darts of the wicked one (Ephesians 6:16).

20. Do not rejoice that spirits submit to you—Jesus takes this opportunity to reveal what was on His mind. However, He gives them a higher joy to balance their power over demons—the joy of having their names written in heaven's register (Philippians 4:3).

21-22. Jesus rejoiced in spirit and said, "I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to infants." These sublime words were also spoken on a previous occasion (Matthew 11:25-27), but here they are expressed with greater emphasis and reference to Jesus' humble followers.

23-24. See Matthew 13:16-17.