Luke 10:11Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He states, if they do not accept you, go into the street and declare that you share nothing with them; we have nothing belonging to your city, even the dust that clings to us, we shake off and cleanse, casting it upon you; yet, know this: the Kingdom of God has drawn near to you. Someone may question how the Lord asserts that the Kingdom of God is near both to those who welcome the apostles and to those who reject them. It is important to clarify that He does not contradict Himself. For those who accept the apostles, the Kingdom approaches with blessings, while for those who reject it, it comes with judgment.

A commendable quality is to refrain from easily shifting from one dwelling to another; one ought to remain steadfast and honor the bonds of fellowship cultivated with a gracious host. Upon entering a household, we convey a message of tranquility, initiating our visit with a blessing of peace. We should accept the sustenance provided and proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven without diminishing our commitment to faith. If an individual is unwilling to receive us as guests within their city, let us dust off our feet! See the interpretation of Luke 9:4-5.

When you enter a town and are not welcomed, step out into the streets and declare, “We shake off the dust that clings to us from your city.” Also refer to the passage that states, “And if anyone does not welcome you.” Yet be aware that the kingdom of God is drawing near to you. He instructed those who failed to heed this message to bear witness, ensuring that they could not claim, “We were unaware of your coming, O Lord.”

Will there be mercy in the next life for those who reject the Lord as He has revealed Himself to those who reside on earth? Certainly not. When the Lord commissioned the seventy to spread His message, He instructed them that if they were not welcomed, they should declare in the desolate places, ‘We wipe off the dust that adheres to us from your city; however, be aware that the kingdom of God is near;’ meaning they did not seek anything from the inhabitants: their mission was not for personal gain, but to share the message of peace and the kingdom of God. If one chooses to disregard this good news, it is their choice, and they shall continue on their way. This applies in the present, but what about the future?

To once again reach the people of Judea with the message of the imminent kingdom of God, the Lord appointed 70 additional disciples, paralleling the elders chosen by Moses (the 12 apostles correspond to the 12 leaders of the tribes). He sent these disciples ahead of Him into all the towns He planned to visit. Those selected as part of this new community were not to be impeded in any way in accomplishing the mission entrusted to them. When one disciple requested to first bury his father and another sought to say farewell to his family, the Lord did not grant these requests.

The directives given to the seventy disciples bear a striking resemblance to those Christ provided to the twelve apostles during His commissioning of them to proclaim the Good News (Matt. 9:37, 10:1, etc.). The parallels between these two addresses stem from the fact that they were delivered by Him in similar contexts. However, notable distinctions can be observed between the two discourses. For instance, in His message to the twelve, Christ advises them against visiting the Gentiles and Samaritans, restricting their ministry solely to the Israelites (Mt. 10:5-8).

In the passages of Matthew 10 and 11, when instructing the seventy to remove the dust from their feet in response to cities that rejected them, Jesus emphasized: ‘As you depart, gently inform those who have not welcomed you, "Understand that the kingdom of God is at hand." Do not scold or express anger towards them; instead, caution them that if they turn from their ways, there is hope for their salvation, for the kingdom of God is accessible and not barred from them. However, should they remain obstinate, the people of Sodom will fare better on the final day than they will.

At this juncture, the Redeemer selected seventy additional disciples from His followers, who would join the twelve to create a second group of close evangelists of the Gospel and stewards of God's kingdom. He dispatched them in pairs to prepare the way for Him in various places, providing instructions akin to those given to the twelve disciples (Luke 10:1-20). These directions were more concise, reflecting the temporary nature of their mission, and excluded the previous limitations regarding outreach to Gentiles and Samaritans. Their message carried a more somber undertone, clearly influenced by the sorrow of continual rejection. For further understanding, refer to the parallel accounts in Matthew 10 and Luke 9:1-6.