Bible Strands
Luke 10:16
Whoever listens to you listens to Me; whoever rejects you rejects Me; and whoever rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Jesus addresses the seventy-two disciples while they are still on their mission, prior to their return in Luke 10:17. He establishes that their authority derives directly from His commission.
The words — The text presents ἀκούων (akouōn), meaning "hearing," and ἀθετῶν (athetōn), meaning "rejecting" or treating as invalid. These verbs describe the listener’s posture toward the messenger’s message.
The thread — The same chain of authority appears in Matthew 10:40 and John 13:20, where receiving or rejecting a sent messenger is equated with receiving or rejecting the Sender. Paul applies the identical principle in 1 Thessalonians 4:8 regarding rejection of divine commands.
Why it lands — The passage requires readers to treat the messenger’s words as the sender’s own authority. It demands a clear decision to accept or dismiss the message as a direct response to God.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.
Cross-references
- John 13:20 Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever receives the one I send receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives the One who sent Me.”
- 1 Thessalonians 4:8 Anyone, then, who rejects this command does not reject man but God, the very One who gives you His Holy Spirit.
- Matthew 10:40 He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives the One who sent Me.
- John 12:44 Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in Me does not believe in Me alone, but in the One who sent Me.
- Mark 9:37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in My name welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes not only Me, but the One who sent Me.”
- John 5:22 Furthermore, the Father judges no one, but has assigned all judgment to the Son,
- John 12:48 There is a judge for the one who rejects Me and does not receive My words: The word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.
- Malachi 1:6 “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. But if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is your fear of Me?” says the LORD of Hosts to you priests who despise My name. “But you ask, ‘How have we despised Your name?’
- Matthew 18:5 And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me.
- Numbers 16:11 Therefore, it is you and all your followers who have conspired against the LORD! As for Aaron, who is he that you should grumble against him?”