Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
The healing of the sick wasn't just a bonus act; it was a direct demonstration that the Kingdom of God, with all its restorative power, had truly arrived. This wasn't just a message spoken, but a tangible sign that God’s reign was actively intervening in their present reality, not some distant future event.
Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just commissioned seventy disciples, sending them out ahead of him in pairs to various towns. He’s given them specific instructions for their journey, emphasizing reliance on God and urgency in their mission. This verse outlines their dual task: to demonstrate the arrival of God's kingdom through healing and to proclaim its nearness with their message.
Jesus commissions His followers with an astonishing dual command: heal the sick and announce the kingdom. What's the connection between these seemingly different actions?
In Luke 10:9, Jesus instructs the seventy disciples to 'heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’'
A Unified Mission
Healing the sick wasn't just a side act; it was integral to the message. The miracles served as tangible proof and visible signs that God's reign was breaking into the world through Jesus and His representatives. When people were physically healed, it wasn't just a display of power, but a demonstration of the kingdom's compassionate nature and its victory over the suffering and brokenness caused by sin.
The Kingdom's Arrival
The announcement, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you,' was the core message. Coupled with the healing, it meant that God's promised reign—a time of restoration, justice, and peace—was no longer a distant hope, but a present reality arriving with Jesus' messengers. The miracles underscored the reality and immediacy of this spiritual transformation.
The disciples were told to declare, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' What does this 'nearness' truly signify?
The phrase 'The kingdom of God has come near to you' (or 'is upon you,' as some understand it) is profound. It wasn't just a statement about a future event, but about a present reality.
A Present Reality
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This 'nearness' points to the inaugurated nature of the kingdom. Through Jesus' ministry, and now through His disciples' commissioned work, God's sovereign rule was actively advancing. It meant that the power, presence, and principles of God's reign were accessible and operative in the here and now.
More Than Just Presence
This was also an urgent call to respond. The kingdom's proximity meant people were at a crucial juncture. Their response to the message and the accompanying signs would determine their place within that unfolding kingdom. It was an invitation to embrace God's rule, not a passive observation.
Understand the original words
therapeuete · Greek Verb
The restorative power of God acting through His messengers to remove the physical or spiritual consequences of the Fall, serving as a sign of the kingdom's presence.
basileia tou theou · Greek Noun Phrase
The sovereign reign and rule of God established through Jesus Christ, which is both a present reality in the hearts of believers and a future reality to be fully consummated.
The disciples' mission was a crucial, immediate demonstration that Jesus Himself was bringing God's promised kingdom, a tangible sign of hope in a world longing for divine intervention and restoration.
c. 6th-5th century BC
The Return from Babylonian Exile
After the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, and the exile of the people, the return under figures like Ezra and Nehemiah marked a period of rebuilding and restoration. This event shaped the Jewish expectation of God's kingdom being re-established.
c. 1st century BC
Hasmonean Dynasty and Roman Influence
The Hasmonean rulers sought to re-establish Jewish sovereignty, but increasing Roman influence and internal strife created a volatile political and social climate.
c. 4 BC
Birth of Jesus Christ
The birth of Jesus, the prophesied Messiah, marks the beginning of God's direct intervention in human history to establish His kingdom.
c. AD 27-30
Jesus' Ministry in Galilee and Judea
Jesus travels, teaches, and performs miracles, proclaiming that the kingdom of God is at hand and calling people to repentance.
c. AD 30— this verse
The Sending of the Seventy-Two Disciples
Jesus commissions and sends out seventy-two (or seventy in some traditions) disciples to go ahead of Him into towns and villages, empowering them to heal the sick and proclaim the imminent arrival of God's kingdom.
c. AD 30-33
Jesus' Final Ministry and Crucifixion
Jesus continues His ministry, culminating in His death and resurrection, which fully inaugurates the reign of God and empowers His followers through the Holy Spirit.
This passage highlights Jesus' own initial proclamation, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near,' establishing the theme of the kingdom's imminent arrival as a core message.
Isaiah 61:1This prophetic passage describes the Messiah's mission, including bringing good news to the poor and proclaiming liberty to captives, which directly parallels the compassionate work of healing and the message of God's nearness.
Mark 1:15This verse succinctly states Jesus' preaching message, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel,' reinforcing the urgency and call to action associated with the kingdom's arrival.
Luke 17:20-21Jesus explains that the kingdom of God does not come with observable signs but is present within, showing that the disciples' ministry was a tangible manifestation of this spiritual reality drawing near to people.
bengelLuke 10:9: "And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you."
Luke 10:9 . Ἐν αὐτῇ , in it ) viz. in the city. So all the sick in a whole region might be healed.— ἤγγικεν , is come nigh ) See Luke 10:1 , at the end.
calvinLuke 10:1-12: "After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come."
- And after these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two by two before his face into every city and place, to which he was to come 2. He said, therefore to them, The harvest is indeed abundant, but the laborers are few; pray ye, therefore, the Lord of the harvest to send out the laborers into his h…
The healing of the sick wasn't just a bonus act; it was a direct demonstration that the Kingdom of God, with all its restorative power, had truly arrived. This wasn't just a message spoken, but a tangible sign that God’s reign was actively intervening in their present reality, not some distant future event.
Jesus has just commissioned seventy disciples, sending them out ahead of him in pairs to various towns. He’s given them specific instructions for their journey, emphasizing reliance on God and urgency in their mission. This verse outlines their dual task: to demonstrate the arrival of God's kingdom through healing and to proclaim its nearness with their message.
Jesus has just commissioned seventy disciples, sending them out ahead of him in pairs to various towns. He’s given them specific instructions for their journey, emphasizing reliance on God and urgency in their mission. This verse outlines their dual task: to demonstrate the arrival of God's kingdom through healing and to proclaim its nearness with their message.
"Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’" — The healing of the sick wasn't just a bonus act; it was a direct demonstration that the Kingdom of God, with all its restorative power, had truly arrived. This wasn't just a message spoken, but a tan…
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Last reviewed October 2026