And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.
Christ's word is a greeting of peace spoken on entering a house, resting upon it if it is worthy and returning to the giver if it is not. A house is worthy when it receives the messengers and their message, welcoming them warmly and esteeming the blessing of their prayers, praise and opening of Scripture. It was given as part of His instructions to the twelve on their first missionary tour for proclaiming the kingdom of heaven and for receiving or refusing hospitality in cities, towns and homes. To receive or refuse them and their words is to receive or refuse God and Christ Himself, and refusal brings accountability in the day of judgment when it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than for the rejecting house or city. That sending makes house-to-house presentation of Bible truth the pattern for missionary work, calling for judgment about where to give time and support, and for leaving without pressing where peace cannot rest to seek a receptive household.
Setting and Plain Meaning
The greeting was to be given on entering a house, offering peace to those within, and if the house proved worthy that peace would rest upon it, while if it proved unworthy that peace would return to the one who gave it. Worthiness lay in receiving the messengers and their message, welcoming them warmly and esteeming the blessing of their visit, so that their prayers and praise and opening of Scripture would bless the home. The saying belongs to the instructions for proclaiming the kingdom of heaven and for receiving or rejecting hospitality in cities and towns and homes, given to the twelve on their first missionary tour.
That sending was a clearly defined work to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. They were not to go at first into the way of the Gentiles or into any city of the Samaritans, but to bear testimony to the Jews first, because the time had come for the light of truth to be carried to the Jewish nation and then to the whole world, and working first among Samaritans and Gentiles would have closed doors of entrance to the Jews. Christ himself thus gave the Jewish nation the first opportunity to receive Him as Saviour, as lost sheep He as Shepherd came to seek and save from sin and error and bring back to His fold. As they went they were to preach that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils, and give freely as they had received, without providing gold or silver or extra clothing, for the workman is worthy of his meat. Into whatever city or town they entered they were to inquire who was worthy and abide there and salute the house on coming in, letting peace come if worthy and returning if not, and if refused they were to go into new territory, leaving and shaking off the dust of their feet, with a later commission to go into all the world and teach all nations.
They were to seek people of good repute and stay with them, since their influence would benefit the work. To receive or refuse the disciples and to hear or refuse their words is to receive or refuse God and Christ Himself, even when people excuse themselves by saying it is only a man rebuking them and the divine and human are mixed together. They were to stay with those who received them warmly as though welcoming Christ Himself. Refusing to receive or hear the messengers brings accountability and condemnation in the day of judgment, when it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for the rejecting house or city, showing the gospel cannot be rejected with impunity.
Gospel Work and Application
Christ's directions for the first tour stand as the model and pattern for missionary work by home-to-home presentation of Bible truth, in the same line as giving Bible readings. On entering a city the workers were to inquire who was worthy, abide there, and salute the house with peace. That pattern calls for house-to-house evangelism in the homes of friends and neighbors who have not yet received full evidence of the truth for this time, so that those in the highways and hedges and the highways and byways of life hear the saving gospel message. It governs going even into the homes of unbelievers with the simple story of Christ's love for man and personal testimony of first service for the Master, reaching souls in this way that preaching of the gospel from the pulpit would not reach.
There must be peace in the houses where the gospel call is given, and the household's reception and support help discern where to give time and instruction. Workers are to use judgment and discrimination about whether the master of the house is one to whom they should give labor, so labor is not lost producing no good results and precious strength and time are not wasted in fruitless effort. They were not to support all they visited but to be provided for by the houses they visited, and that provision was the test of where to remain and where to give time and instruction. They are not to press their presence on people who do not welcome them and esteem the blessing of their visit; if their peace cannot rest there, they are to leave and seek a receptive household.
The truth is to be presented in love and sympathy and simplicity in the family circle, by songs of praise to God, by humble heartfelt prayers, and by simple presentation of Bible truth. The divine Worker is present to send conviction to hearts, giving assurance of Christ's abiding presence for labor with faith and hope and courage by which many will be reached. In this house-to-house labor the small talents of the humble cottager can accomplish more than brilliant gifts. The same sending applies to workers laboring in the great centers, who are to work humbly, with ingenuity in presenting the words of eternal life, and with tenderness that wins hearts.
The verse is full of excellent instruction for sanitarium work that receives all classes and labors for the poor and suffering ones, following the example given in Matthew 9. The same principle applies to kindly warning someone in sin: when those receiving the message are unwilling to accept it, the blessing intended for them returns to the one who offered it. So a failed effort to lead them to righteousness does not leave responsibility for their sin with the warner, but the blessing of doing right returns to that person.
Christ's word is a greeting of peace spoken on entering a house, resting upon it if it is worthy and returning to the giver if it is not. A house is worthy when it receives the messengers and their message, welcoming them warmly and esteeming the blessing of their prayers, praise and opening of Scripture. It was given as part of His instructions to the twelve on their first missionary tour for proclaiming the kingdom of heaven and for receiving or refusing hospitality in cities, towns and homes. To receive or refuse them and their words is to receive or refuse God and Christ Himself, and refusal brings accountability in the day of judgment when it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than for the rejecting house or city. That sending makes house-to-house presentation of Bible truth the pattern for missionary work, calling for judgment about where to give time and support, and for leaving without pressing where peace cannot rest to seek a receptive household.
Setting and Plain Meaning
The greeting was to be given on entering a house, offering peace to those within, and if the house proved worthy that peace would rest upon it, while if it proved unworthy that peace would return to the one who gave it. Worthiness lay in receiving the messengers and their message, welcoming them warmly and esteeming the blessing of their visit, so that their prayers and praise and opening of Scripture would bless the home. The saying belongs to the instructions for proclaiming the kingdom of heaven and for receiving or rejecting hospitality in cities and towns and homes, given to the twelve on their first missionary tour.
That sending was a clearly defined work to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. They were not to go at first into the way of the Gentiles or into any city of the Samaritans, but to bear testimony to the Jews first, because the time had come for the light of truth to be carried to the Jewish nation and then to the whole world, and working first among Samaritans and Gentiles would have closed doors of entrance to the Jews. Christ himself thus gave the Jewish nation the first opportunity to receive Him as Saviour, as lost sheep He as Shepherd came to seek and save from sin and error and bring back to His fold. As they went they were to preach that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils, and give freely as they had received, without providing gold or silver or extra clothing, for the workman is worthy of his meat. Into whatever city or town they entered they were to inquire who was worthy and abide there and salute the house on coming in, letting peace come if worthy and returning if not, and if refused they were to go into new territory, leaving and shaking off the dust of their feet, with a later commission to go into all the world and teach all nations.
They were to seek people of good repute and stay with them, since their influence would benefit the work. To receive or refuse the disciples and to hear or refuse their words is to receive or refuse God and Christ Himself, even when people excuse themselves by saying it is only a man rebuking them and the divine and human are mixed together. They were to stay with those who received them warmly as though welcoming Christ Himself. Refusing to receive or hear the messengers brings accountability and condemnation in the day of judgment, when it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for the rejecting house or city, showing the gospel cannot be rejected with impunity.
Gospel Work and Application
Christ's directions for the first tour stand as the model and pattern for missionary work by home-to-home presentation of Bible truth, in the same line as giving Bible readings. On entering a city the workers were to inquire who was worthy, abide there, and salute the house with peace. That pattern calls for house-to-house evangelism in the homes of friends and neighbors who have not yet received full evidence of the truth for this time, so that those in the highways and hedges and the highways and byways of life hear the saving gospel message. It governs going even into the homes of unbelievers with the simple story of Christ's love for man and personal testimony of first service for the Master, reaching souls in this way that preaching of the gospel from the pulpit would not reach.
There must be peace in the houses where the gospel call is given, and the household's reception and support help discern where to give time and instruction. Workers are to use judgment and discrimination about whether the master of the house is one to whom they should give labor, so labor is not lost producing no good results and precious strength and time are not wasted in fruitless effort. They were not to support all they visited but to be provided for by the houses they visited, and that provision was the test of where to remain and where to give time and instruction. They are not to press their presence on people who do not welcome them and esteem the blessing of their visit; if their peace cannot rest there, they are to leave and seek a receptive household.
The truth is to be presented in love and sympathy and simplicity in the family circle, by songs of praise to God, by humble heartfelt prayers, and by simple presentation of Bible truth. The divine Worker is present to send conviction to hearts, giving assurance of Christ's abiding presence for labor with faith and hope and courage by which many will be reached. In this house-to-house labor the small talents of the humble cottager can accomplish more than brilliant gifts. The same sending applies to workers laboring in the great centers, who are to work humbly, with ingenuity in presenting the words of eternal life, and with tenderness that wins hearts.
The verse is full of excellent instruction for sanitarium work that receives all classes and labors for the poor and suffering ones, following the example given in Matthew 9. The same principle applies to kindly warning someone in sin: when those receiving the message are unwilling to accept it, the blessing intended for them returns to the one who offered it. So a failed effort to lead them to righteousness does not leave responsibility for their sin with the warner, but the blessing of doing right returns to that person.