The first instructions: V. 3. Go your ways; behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves. V. 4. Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes; and salute no man by the way, V. 5. And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. V. 6. And if. the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it; if not, it shall turn to you again. V. 7. And in the same house remain, eating- and drinking such, things as they give; for the laborer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.
Throughout the instructions the note is sounded: It is the business of the King; and the business of the King requires haste. In general, these marching orders do not differ from those given to the apostles, for the circumstances were practically the same. The order was to go; but the Lord frankly tells them that their position would resemble that of lambs in the midst of wolves. They should know from the start that their helplessness was absolute, so far as their own strength was concerned. The enemies that would arise to combat them would be so much mightier than they that with might of theirs could naught be done; their one trust should be the Lord and His protection.
They were not to carry a purse, since money should not be found on them; they were not to follow the methods of the itinerant prophets and have a beggar's sack on the shoulder ; they should not even take sandals with them, the heavy sandals used for journeys. They should not indulge in the circumstantial Oriental salutations, during which, for example, the inferior stood still until the superior had passed by; they should be intent exclusively upon their business.
Theirs was to be a house mission, and with the greeting of peace, as the first words spoken, they should enter into every house. If any one were living there that fitted the attribute "son of peace," a person of uprightness and benevolence, a true Israelite, then their peace should and would rest upon such a person; but in the opposite event, the blessing of the peace would return to him that uttered it. In any case the good wish would not be lost. True Christian courtesy is never in vain, for even if the intended recipient chooses to be unpleasant and grouchy, there is always the satisfaction of having shown politeness. A kind word costs nothing, and may bring rich interest.
Incidentally, the seventy should not scout around from house to house, looking for the best boarding-place, but should remain in the house where they first entered. And there they should eat and drink the meat and drink which belonged to the people of the house as though it were their own. For, Christ says, the laborer is worthy of his hire; their food and keep was their hire, it belonged to them of right for work done, 1 Cor. 9, 11-14.