What does "son of peace" mean in Luke 10:6? Canonical Text Luke 10:6 — “If a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you.” Semitic Idiom of “Son of …” Hebrew and Aramaic employ “son of” to denote nature or destiny: • “sons of the kingdom” (Matthew 13:38) = those who belong to it. • “sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17) = men marked by zeal. • “sons of light” (Luke 16:8) = those characterized by illumination. So Luke’s phrase is not genealogical but descriptive. Immediate Context (Luke 10:1–9) Jesus commissions seventy-two to enter towns ahead of Him: 1. Offer the greeting “Peace to this house” (v. 5). 2. Discern receptivity. 3. Stay, eat, heal, proclaim “The kingdom of God has drawn near” (v. 9). A “son of peace” is the householder (or household) ready to receive kingdom peace; if absent, the greeting is not wasted but “returns,” leaving the messengers untainted (cf. Ezekiel 2:5). Old Testament Foundations of the Peace Greeting • Aaronic Blessing: “The LORD… give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26). • Davidic models of household peace (1 Samuel 25:6). • Melchizedek, “king of Salem [peace]” (Genesis 14:18). The disciple’s greeting reiterates God’s covenantal shalom. Peace and Salvation in Luke-Acts Luke connects peace with messianic salvation: • Angelic proclamation: “on earth peace among men” (Luke 2:14). • Zacharias: the Messiah will “guide our feet into the way of peace” (1:79). • Peter: the gospel is “the good news of peace through Jesus Christ” (Acts 10:36). Recognition of the messenger = openness to the Savior. Missional Strategy of Identifying a ‘Person of Peace’ 1. Locate the receptive individual. 2. Use hospitality as a base (Luke 10:7). 3. Expand influence through that network (Acts 16:14-15; 18:7-8). Modern field studies in cross-cultural evangelism confirm that gospel movements often begin with a culturally embedded gatekeeper marked by peace and hospitality. Historical Interpretation • Patristic: Chrysostom—“He calls him son of peace because he has peace in himself and is worthy to receive things pertaining to peace.” • Reformation: Calvin—“Such persons are already prepared by the Spirit for the gospel.” • Modern scholarship (e.g., Fitzmyer) concurs that “son of peace” = “peaceable person receptive to God’s message.” Theological Significance 1. Election and Human Response: God prepares hearts (“Lydia, whose heart the Lord opened,” Acts 16:14). 2. Transferability of Blessing: Peace is a tangible, spiritual reality that can rest or be withdrawn, underscoring divine agency. 3. Judicial Return: Refusal does not diminish the disciple; it heightens the rejecter’s accountability (Luke 10:10-12). Practical Implications for Believers Today • Discernment: Pray to identify receptive individuals in workplaces, neighborhoods, campuses. • Blessing First: Offer goodwill before proclamation; biblical peacemaking precedes persuasion. • Freedom from Anxiety: Rejection is not personal failure; the peace “returns,” leaving the witness unburdened. Summary Definition A “son of peace” in Luke 10:6 is a person (or household) divinely prepared and dispositionally inclined to welcome God’s shalom, thereby becoming the entry point for the gospel in that locale. |
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