Woes On Those Who Will Not Receive the Message of His Disciples (10:10-16).
Inevitably all the wolves will not respond, and we now recognise that Jesus' message is not only one of mercy but of judgment. His words here are severe. If His disciples are persistently rejected they are to shake the dust of the cities that reject them from their feet. That will be a sign that they are cut off from Israel and that in the coming judgment they will be dealt with by God. For in line with what John said about Him He has come both in Holy Spirit and in fire (Luke 3:16-17). It is a reminder that although in Luke 4:19 He had closed the book after reading of the ‘the Lord's year of acceptability', the day of vengeance of God would one day also come (Isaiah 61:2).
Analysis.
a “But into whatever city you shall enter, and they receive you not, go out into its streets and say (Luke 10:10).
b “Even the dust from your city, which cleaves to our feet, we wipe off against you, nevertheless know this, that the Kingly Rule of God is come near” (Luke 10:11).
c I say to you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city” (Luke 10:12).
d “Woe to you, Chorazin! woe to you, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which were done in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes” (Luke 10:13).
c “But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment, than for you” (Luke 10:14).
b “And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades” (Luke 10:15).
a “He who hears you, hears Me; and he who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me, rejects Him who sent Me” (Luke 10:16).
Note that in ‘a' they do not receive the disciples, while in the parallel by not receiving the disciples, Jesus is not received, and thus they reject the One Who sent Him. In ‘b' the dust of their feet is wiped off against them, and yet the Kingly Rule of God has come near them, while in the parallel they think themselves exalted to Heaven but they are brought down to the dust, to Hades. In ‘c' and its parallel are the declarations that it will be more tolerable in the judgment for infamous cities than for them. And centrally in ‘d' is the declaration of judgment on the cities in question.