Since the Lord intends to send His disciples to preach the Gospel, He says to them: "Do not take a sack, nor this nor that; for it is sufficient for you to be anxious for the word. And if you carry a bag, you will obviously be busy with it, and you will begin to neglect the word. In other words, since you will be nourished by those whom you will teach, what need do you have of a mark, or a bag, or boots? For those who are instructed by you will satisfy all your need of them. "And do not greet anyone on the road." Thus He commands them, so that they do not engage in people's greetings and caresses, and thereby do not put obstacles in the way of preaching. For it is probable that the one who received the greeting would have responded with the greeting himself, or perhaps he would have entered into a long conversation, as the companions usually do, and then, as if having already become friends, he would have talked about something still more, and thus the Apostle would have descended into ordinary human relations, and would have despised the word. For this reason, the Lord forbids the disciples to greet anyone on the road. "Into whichever house," he says, "you shall first say, 'Peace be unto this house,' that is, greet those who are in the house; Then, showing that this is not only a simple greeting, but at the same time a blessing, he says: if the householder is worthy, then he will be blessed, but if he is an offender and incapable of accepting peace, if he is an enemy and opponent of your word and teaching, then the blessing will not come to him, but will return to you. He commands not to go from house to house, so that the apostles do not appear gluttonous, do not give many a breed to temptation, and do not offend those who received them at the beginning. "Eat," he says, "and drink what they have," that is, whatever is offered to you, and even if it be small and not rich, do not demand more. Take food instead of a reward, that is, do not seek to receive food and payment separately, but take the food itself as a reward. See how He makes His disciples strong against poverty. He commands to heal the sick in the cities, so that the apostles could attract people to preach by their miracles. For see what he says: "And say to them, The kingdom of God is at hand with you." For if you heal first, and then teach, your preaching will prosper, and people will believe that the Kingdom of God has reached before them. For they would not have been healed if some divine power had not done this. And the Kingdom of God then drew near to the sick, when they were healed in their souls. For it is far from the sick, over whom sin still reigns.

But if you come to any city and are not received, then go out into the street and say, "And the dust that has cleaved to us from your city, we shake it off to you; yet know that the Kingdom of God has drawn near to you. I say to you, Sodom on that day will be more pleasant than that city.

If, he says, "they will not receive you, then go out into the street and tell them" that we have nothing in common with you, that we have nothing to do with your city, that we even sweep away the dust that clings to us, that is, shake it off, cleanse it, and throw it on you; yet know that the Kingdom of God has drawn near to you. Here another will ask: how does the Lord say that the Kingdom of God has drawn near both to those who receive the Apostles and to those who do not receive them? It must be said that He does not contradict Himself in the least. For to those who receive the apostles, the Kingdom approaches with blessings, and to those who do not receive them, with condemnation. For, I beseech thee, imagine that at a spectacle there are many condemned and others uncondemned, such as senators, generals, and nobles, and then a herald all together, condemned and honorable, proclaims: The king has drawn near to you! Does he not say that the king approached some of them for punishment, and others in order to show them honor and favor? Understand it in the same way. "It will be more gratifying," he says, "to Sodom than to the city that has not received you." Why? Because the apostles were not sent to Sodom, and therefore those who did not receive the apostles are worse than the Sodomites. Note also that the city that does not receive the apostles has wide streets; and the broad path leads to destruction. Thus, whoever walks the broad roads leading to perdition does not accept the apostolic and Divine teaching.

Woe to you, Chorazin! woe to you, Bethsaida! for if the powers manifested in you had been manifested in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes; but both Tyre and Sidon will be more pleased in judgment than you. And you, Capernaum, who have ascended to heaven, will descend to hell. He who hears you hears me, and he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.

Tyre and Sidon were pagan cities, and Bethsaida and Chorazin were Jewish cities. Therefore He says that at the judgment it will be more pleasing to the Gentiles than to you, who have seen miracles and disbelieved; for if they had seen, they would have believed. And you, Capernaum, who have ascended to heaven, as glorified by the many miracles that have wrought in you, will descend to hell; you will be condemned for the very fact that even after so many miracles you do not believe. "Then, lest those who are sent to preach should say, 'Why do you send us, if some cities will not receive us?' he says, 'Do not be sad; he who rejects you rejects Me and My Father; therefore the offense does not stop at you, but ascends to God. Therefore, let it be a comfort to you that the offense is inflicted (not on you, but) on God. In the same way, on the other hand, do not boast or be exalted by the fact that some listen to you; for this is not your work, but mine's grace.

Семьдесят [учеников] возвратились с радостью и говорили: Господи! и бесы повинуются нам о имени Твоем. Он же сказал им: Я видел сатану, спадшего с неба, как молнию; се, даю вам власть наступать на змей и скорпионов и на всю силу вражью, и ничто не повредит вам; однакож тому не радуйтесь, что духи вам повинуются, но радуйтесь тому, что имена ваши написаны на небесах.

Прежде сказал евангелист, что Господь послал семьдесят учеников, а теперь говорит, что они возвратились с радостью о том, что они не только от других каких болезней исцеляли, но избавляли еще от большего зла — от демонов. Смотри, как они далеки от высокомудрия; ибо они говорят Господу: «о имени Твоем» повинуются нам бесы, по Твоей благодати, а не по нашей силе. А Господь сказал им: не дивитесь тому, что бесы вам повинуются, ибо начальник их давно низвержен и не имеет никакой силы. Хотя для людей это и не было видно, но для Меня, созерцающего и невидимое, это было видно. Как молния спал с неба сатана потому, что он был светом, архангелом и денницею, хотя теперь и стал тьмой. Если же он спал с неба, то рабы его, разумею бесов, чего не потерпят? Некоторые слова «с неба» разумеют так: от славы. Так как семьдесят сказали Господу, что им бесы повинуются, то Он говорит: это и Я знал, ибо Я видел, как сатана спал с неба, то есть лишился славы, которую он имел, и чести. До пришествия Христова его чтили как Бога, а теперь он спал с неба, то есть перестали его почитать за Бога и думать, что он живет на небе. — Се даю вам власть попирать силы его. Ибо змеи и скорпионы суть полки бесов, пресмыкающиеся долу, и те из них, кои язвят более видимым образом, суть змеи, а те, кои более скрытым образом поражают, суть скорпионы. Например, бес блуда и убийства есть змей, ибо он побуждает на видимые злодеяния; а тот бес, который под предлогом болезни, например, преклоняет человека пользоваться банями, благовонными мазями и другими негами, может быть назван скорпионом, так как он имеет скрытое жало и тайно старается ужалить плоть, чтобы послушавшего его ввести в большее преступление. Но благодарение Господу, давшему власть наступать на них! Впрочем, научая учеников не высокомудрствовать, Господь говорит: однако же не тому радуйтесь, что бесы вам повинуются (ибо от сего получают благодеяние другие, именно получающие исцеление), но более радуйтесь тому, что имена ваши на небесах написаны не чернилами, но Божией памятью и благодатью. Диавол спадает с неба, а люди, на земле живущие, написываются на небесах. Итак, истинная радость в том, что имена ваши написаны на небесах и не забываются Богом.