Luke 10:5

Luke 10:5, in plain English

Jesus said, 'When you enter a house, first say Peace to this house.' Your first words in any new place should be a blessing.

Why it's here

Before asking for anything, give something: peace. Jesus taught His missionaries to lead with blessing, not need. That is still the best way to enter any relationship or situation.

Who's speaking

Jesus teaches the missionaries how to approach each home.

Where it sits in the story

The first thing out of your mouth when you enter someone's home: peace. Not a request, not a sermon, but a blessing. Jesus wanted His messengers to bring peace wherever they went.

The scholarly reading

Upon entering any oikia ('house'), the first words must be eirēnē tō oikō toutō ('peace to this house'). This is not merely a greeting but a performative declaration of shalom, carrying the actual power of God's peace to receptive households.

Language and setting

The peace greeting reflects the Hebrew shalom, encompassing wholeness, prosperity, and divine favor. In the ancient Near East, blessings were understood as having real power, not merely expressing wishes. The missionaries bring tangible divine peace.

Voice

Jesus instructs the seventy-two on how to enter homes.

Significance

Jesus instructed the missionaries to speak peace over every home they entered as their first act, not as a polite formality but as a genuine transmission of God's shalom to receptive households.

3Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.

4Carry no purse or bag or sandals. Do not greet anyone along the road.

5Whatever house you enter, begin by saying, ‘Peace to this house.’

6If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you.

7Stay at the same house, eating and drinking whatever you are offered. For the worker is worthy of his wages. Do not move around from house to house.

Read all of Luke 10 — A lawyer asks how to inherit eternal life and gets an answer he doesn't expect. The hero of the story is the one everyone despises.