Upwards Church

Today we read one of the most thorough passages in all of Scripture dealing with the subject of prayer. Thirteen verses explain how to pray.  Then Jesus answers accusations from religious leaders, warns against unbelief, teaches about the light within and gives his “woes” to those same religious leaders – ouch! 

 Jesus Teaches His Disciples about Prayer / 11:1-13

This passage highlights one of Luke’s most prominent themes: prayer (see 1:9-10; 3:21; 6:12; 9:18, 28-29). Here the disciples asked Jesus about prayer—interestingly enough, it was after Jesus had been praying. Jesus gave them an example of a prayer and two stories that emphasize the importance of seeking God in prayer.

11:1 Once again, Jesus had been out praying. Luke has presented several instances where Jesus was praying, making it clear that prayer was a regular part of his life (3:21; 5:16; 6:12; 9:18, 28-29; 18:1; 22:41, 44). Something about Jesus’ prayer life prompted one of his disciples to approach him as he finished. He wanted Jesus to teach them to pray, just as John taught his disciples. It was common for religious leaders to teach their followers how to pray. To be able to pray as their Master prayed would give them assurance of expressing themselves correctly to God.

• LIFE APPLICATION – LEARN TO PRAY
• Prayer life seems easy enough. Find a quiet place and talk to God. It’s like breathing; you just do it.  But even Jesus’ disciples asked to be taught—suggesting a knowledge level they did not have, but wanted. When was your last lesson in prayer? Several organizations help churches organize and understand prayer. Locate, contact, and begin a movement in your church or small group to pray with greater effectiveness.

 11:2 The prayer Jesus taught his disciples was not a formulaic prayer; rather, it was a “how to” prayer. These were not meant to be magical words prayed like an incantation over and over. Instead, he was giving the disciples a pattern. Luke’s form of the Lord’s Prayer is shorter than Matthew’s (Matthew 6:9-13). Most likely they were two distinct prayers on two different occasions. The differences in the prayers show that Jesus did not utter a rote prayer every time he prayed. Different occasions call for different utterances.

Notice the order in this prayer. First Jesus praised God; then he made his requests. The first person plural pronouns indicate that the believers could pray this prayer corporately. The pattern of praise, intercession, and request helps believers understand the nature and purpose of their personal prayers in their relationship with their Father. Because Jesus taught it to his followers, it is a prayer pattern for believers today as well.

The phrase, Father, may your name be honored, focuses on God as majestic and transcendent and says that the person praying is committed to honoring God’s holy name. Christians, God’s children who bear his name, must be responsible to “honor” God in every aspect of their lives. When believers pray for God’s name to be “honored,” they pray that the world will honor his name and look forward to the day when that will be a reality.

May your Kingdom come soon refers to God’s spiritual reign. To say this is to pray that more and more people will enter the Kingdom; it is also a petition for all evil to be destroyed and for God to establish a new heaven and earth, thereby revealing his glory to all nations.

11:3 This request, give us our food day by day, is for a personal need to be met. “Food” could refer to spiritual “food.” The words “day by day” reveals that God’s provision is daily, and that believers do not need to worry from one day to the next. Christians dare not be self-satisfied. Instead, believers should live in a state of continual dependence on God.

11:4 As God’s people need daily provision, they also need daily forgiveness. When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he made forgiveness the cornerstone of their relationship with God. God has forgiven believers’ sins; they must now forgive those who have sinned against them. To remain unforgiving shows that the person has not understood that he or she deeply needs to be forgiven. The meaning of this sentence focuses on the true repentance of a believer who understands the greatness of the forgiveness that he or she has received. This believer willingly extends such forgiveness to others for their wrongs. To refuse to forgive others can impede the forgiveness needed daily from God (see 6:37; Matthew 6:14-15; 18:23-35; Mark 11:25).

Finally, there is the request that God would help believers refuse to yield to temptation. The Greek word translated “temptation” means “enticement” or “test” or “trial.” This is a request for spiritual protection from trials and temptations.

•  LIFE APPLICATION – SHEDDING GRUDGES
• Forgiving those who sin against you is very tough to do. Frank has framed you, Sue has sacked you, and Chad has cheated you. OK, Lou has lied to you too. Forgiving these people is difficult. Yet Christ calls you to do it. Here’s how you can start to be more forgiving:
• Imagine how poorly you rate in view of God’s holy standards. To forgive you, God must genuinely love you.
• Remember how disagreeable the people are who hate and hold grudges forever. You shun people like that. Don’t become one.
• Recall that God, in charge of your life, can and will provide for your needs. To be cheated hurts; God will repair. To be lied to hurts; God will clean the wound with truth.
• Now are you ready to forgive?

11:5-6 This parable points out, with a touch of humor, that God’s people must persist in their prayers, and that God is always ready to give. The setting is midnight. A journeying friend has arrived, presumably unexpected. Social custom dictates providing food, but the bread is gone and the person has nothing for him to eat. The person knows that another friend has some bread, so he goes to him and asks to borrow three loaves of bread.

11:7-8 The friend would not be happy to be interrupted at this late hour, having already gone to bed. Jesus explained that although the friend might not get up for the sake of the friendship, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up. Because of the persistence of the person knocking, the request will be answered.

Boldness in prayer overcomes the praying person’s apathy, not God’s perceived insensitivity. To practice persistence changes the hearts and minds of those praying, and it helps them understand and express the intensity of their need. Persistence in prayer helps them recognize God’s work. By praying persistently, believers are not trying to get a reluctant God to answer their prayers; instead, they are showing that they are very serious about their request.

11:9-10 Highlighting the importance of persistent and consistent prayer, Jesus encouraged his disciples, who wanted to be taught to pray (11:1), to keep on asking, keep on looking, and keep on knocking. Only through prayer can believers stay in contact with God, know what he wants them to do, and then have the strength to do God’s will in all areas of life. God will answer believers who persistently ask, look, and knock. In all these cases, God is accessible and willing to respond. Jesus promised, “For everyone who asks receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks.” (See also Jeremiah 29:13). Believers must not take Jesus’ words as a blank check however; prayer is not a magical way to obtain whatever we want. Requests must be in harmony with God’s will, accepting his will above our desires.

•  LIFE APPLICATION – SEIZE THE DAY
• Jesus encouraged us to be persistent in prayer. Prayer promotes a dynamic that separates passive sideliners from active participants. Prayer never makes the believer lethargic, unable to act, dull, unable to feel, indifferent, unable to dream, cold, unable to love,
• Instead, prayer always makes the believer, eager to grasp life, to seize the day, ready to face the challenges, courageous to expand his or her dreams, passionate to share God’s love
• God does not ask you to pray so that you can blame him when life fails, but so that you will praise him when life opens to your knock.

11:11-13 Jesus explained that his followers can depend on God to answer their prayers. If human beings who are sinful would not think of giving a child a snake instead of a fish, or a scorpion instead of an egg, then how much more will a holy God acknowledge and answer Christians’ requests? In these words, Jesus revealed the heart of God the Father. God is not selfish, begrudging, or stingy; his followers don’t have to beg or grovel when they come with their requests. He is a loving Father who understands, cares, comforts, and willingly gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask him. Because the Holy Spirit is God’s highest gift and he will not refuse giving him to those who ask, believers can trust in God’s provision for all their lesser needs as well. How much better the perfect heavenly Father treats his children! The most important gift he could ever give is the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4), whom he promised to give all believers after his death, resurrection, and return to heaven (John 15:26).

 Jesus Answers Hostile Accusations / 11:14-28

In this passage, Luke underscores two different negative reactions: (1) those who reject Jesus, accusing him of being associated with the Devil, and (2) those who sit on the fence, waiting for yet another sign. Jesus confronted those who rejected him, by clearly asserting that his miracles were evidence of his connection to God. There is no middle ground, no room to withhold judgment. A person is either against him or for him.

11:14-15 On another occasion, Jesus cast a demon out of a man who couldn’t speak, thus enabling the man to speak. But some in the crowd said that Jesus was casting out demons because he got his power from Satan, the prince of demons. Jesus exposed the absurdity of this accusation.

11:16 Some wanted to make accusations, but others wanted to test Jesus. As if all the healings and miracles and sending demons from people were not enough, they asked for a miraculous sign from heaven to see if he was from God. If they thought that the exorcism just witnessed might be by the power of Satan, then they felt that they needed something “from heaven” as proof of Jesus’ identity. The irony, of course, is that no matter what kind of sign Jesus might have given, they would have stubbornly refused to believe (see Matthew 12:38-42).

11:17-18 Jesus’ first response was to the accusation recorded in 11:15. He explained that any kingdom at war with itself is doomed, and likewise with a divided home. If Jesus were driving out demons by Satan, then the conclusion would be that Satan is fighting against himself. If that were true, it would mean civil war in the kingdom of evil. No king would throw his own soldiers out of his kingdom; neither would Satan throw his soldiers out of a person they had possessed. Such a kingdom could not stand.

11:19-20 Jesus was not the first person to exorcise demons. In the first century, exorcism was thriving in both Jewish and pagan societies (Mark 9:38; Acts 19:13-14). Many Jewish exorcists were Pharisees. Jesus asked, “If I am empowered by the prince of demons, what about your own followers” who were also casting out demons? If it took Satan’s power to drive out demons, then those Pharisees who drove out demons were also working under Satan’s power.

But if it isn’t by Satan’s power that demons were fleeing, then it had to be by the power of God. Jesus’ exorcisms were specific evidence of the presence of Kingdom power. They showed that the hoped for time of God’s Kingdom had come in the power of Jesus’ authority. That Jesus was powerfully casting out demons and plundering Satan’s kingdom revealed that the Kingdom of God had arrived.

11:21-22 Jesus explained his words in 11:19-20 with a parable. Here Satan is fully armed with all kinds of demons guarding his palace. This whole scene changes, however, when someone who is stronger attacks and overpowers him, as Jesus had just done in sending the demon out of the man (11:14, and had done many times previously). Satan cannot stand against God or against Christ. Jesus overpowers Satan.

11:23 The line has been drawn. There are two kingdoms—God’s and Satan’s. Satan is active and powerful in the world, but God’s Kingdom is far stronger and will eventually triumph. People cannot be neutral in this matter. Either they choose to side with God, or they do not. That is the meaning of Jesus’ ominous words, “Anyone who isn’t helping me opposes me.” In this battle, if a person is not on God’s side, he or she is on Satan’s.

• LIFE APPLICATION – CROSSING THE LINE
• In the movie Hook, a revived Peter Pan draws a line in the sand. Everyone who believes must cross. In the story of the Texas Alamo, Colonel Bowie does the same, asking defenders to commit to dawn’s battle.
• In neither case is it possible to stand on the line. If you’re considering Jesus, weighing the options, exploring the possibilities—take the step, cross the line, trust God today. Your unanswered questions are still important. Seek and you shall find. Your doubts are still to be settled. Knock and the door of knowledge will open. Your unmet needs are vital. Ask and it will be given.

11:24 To further illustrate the danger of attempting to be neutral about him, Jesus explained what can happen to such people. Unfilled and complacent people are easy targets for Satan. The evil spirit was not “cast out,” but for some reason had left a person. The desert was believed to be the habitation of demons. Because demons need a resting place (that is, someone or something living that they can enter and torment), this demon returned to the person it came from. Jesus was making a serious point about people’s spiritual destiny—they must make a decision about him.

11:25-26 In the demon’s absence, the home (the person’s life) had been swept and made clean, but it is still empty. In fact, the accommodations are now so inviting that the demon finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. The “owner” of the “house” is now filled with eight demons instead of one; definitely, that person is worse off than before.

Jesus was illustrating an unfortunate human tendency—personal desire to reform often does not last long, and attempts to take care of life end in disaster. It is not enough to be emptied of evil; the person must then be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish God’s new purpose in his or her life (see also Matthew 12:43-45; Galatians 5:22).

11:27-28 Jesus was speaking to people who highly valued family ties. Their genealogies guaranteed that they were part of God’s chosen people. A man’s value came from his ancestors, and a woman’s value came from the sons she bore. Jesus’ response to the woman meant that a person’s obedience to God is more important than his or her place on the family tree (see 8:21).

 Jesus Warns against Unbelief / 11:29-32

After admonishing his listeners to follow him (11:23), Jesus clearly described the consequences of not believing him. The request for a sign revealed wicked unbelief.

11:29-30 Here Jesus was responding to the request made in 11:16. The people had asked Jesus for a sign from heaven to prove that he was from God. Instead of giving a sign (beyond the miracles and healings he had performed), Jesus explained that no miraculous sign would be given except the sign of the prophet Jonah. God had asked Jonah to preach repentance to the Gentiles (non-Jews)—he had been sent by God to the Assyrian city of Nineveh (see the book of Jonah). Jonah preached to the city and saw it repent. With the words, “what happened to him was a sign to the people of Nineveh that God had sent him,” Jesus was affirming Jonah’s message. Salvation is not only for Jews, but for all people. The “sign” granted to them may refer to the Resurrection, for Jesus said, “What happens to me will be a sign that God has sent me, the Son of Man, to these people.” Jesus’ resurrection would prove that he was the Messiah. Three days after his death Jesus would come back to life, just as Jonah had been “brought back” to life after spending three days in the fish. Jonah’s presence was a sign to the people of Nineveh; they repented at his teaching. Jesus’ return to his people after his death would also be a sign to the people of his generation. Some would repent; many would not.

• LIFE APPLICATION- THEY SEARCHED AND FOUND
• The Ninevites and the Queen of the South had turned to God with far less evidence than Jesus was giving his listeners—and far less than people have today, with eyewitness reports of the risen Jesus, the continuing power of the Holy Spirit unleashed at Pentecost, easy access to the Bible, and knowledge of two thousand years of Christ’s acts through his church. With all this available knowledge and insight, people today ought to respond completely and wholeheartedly to Christ. Jesus stands alone in his ultimate authority. Give him his proper place. Listen and respond to him.

11:31 The queen of Sheba had traveled from southern Arabia to hear the wisdom of Solomon (1 Kings 10:1-10). Someone greater than Solomon was there with the people—the Messiah himself—but they refused to believe. As a result, this queen will rise up at the judgment and condemn the people of Jesus’ generation. She, an unbelieving Gentile, had recognized true wisdom when it was presented to her, unlike Jesus’ audience who refused the truth and wanted signs instead.

11:32 The cruel, warlike men of Nineveh, capital of Assyria, repented at the preaching of Jonah—even though Jonah did not care about them. By contrast, Jesus, the perfect Son of God, had come to people that he loved dearly—but they were rejecting him. Thus God’s chosen people were making themselves more liable to judgment than a notoriously wicked nation. The people of that nation will rise up at the judgment and condemn Jesus’ generation.

 Jesus Teaches about the Light Within / 11:33-36

Jesus next exhorted each person to focus his or her eyes on the light: Jesus himself. The people had requested a sign (11:16, 29), but Jesus explained that the light of his perfect life should be enough of a sign.

11:33 These words are very close to 8:16; however, in 8:16 the “lamp” that had been lit refers to the person who hears Jesus’ message, responds to it, and spreads it to others. In this teaching situation, it seems that Jesus was describing his own ministry and message as lighting a lamp that was not hidden or put under a basket, but was done in public with a message available for all to accept. All refers to Jesus’ mission to reach all the world, not just the Jews.

11:34 The lamp is Christ’s message, and “light” is the truth of his revelation and guidance (11:33); the eye represents spiritual understanding and insight that is filtered through the “good” or the “bad” in a person. When eyes are pure, that is, when they are operating properly, the illumination makes it easy for the body to function. Those with “pure eyes” are those true disciples who listen and respond to Jesus’ guidance. By contrast, when eyes are evil, that is, when they are not operating properly, the result is impaired functioning for the rest of the body. Those with “evil eyes” are those who reject Jesus’ words; all they have is the darkness and futility of their own evil ways.

11:35-36 To have the light within actually be darkness would be a dismal condition. That would mean that no goodness would be left, for even what might have been light would actually be dark—what good should have been there would actually be evil. But with Jesus, and with the filling of the Holy Spirit, a person can be filled with light, with no dark corners. This cannot happen from within—for the light does not originate there. It has an outside source, as though a floodlight is shining on you.

•  LIFE APPLICATION- SWITCHING ON THE LIGHT
• Jesus is the light and we need his guidance. If your life seems pointless and without direction, empty and without love, boring and without purpose, common and without creativity, dull and without challenge, or transient and without hope . . .
• Then switch on the light, God’s Word. It will direct you toward a wonderful goal, it is full of love for you, it suggests lots of important work to challenge your gifts and talents, and it points to eternal life—God’s generous promise to you.

 Jesus Criticizes the Religious Leaders / 11:37-54

Placed after Jesus’ teaching about the inner light is an example of those caught in darkness: the Pharisees and the experts in religious law. These religious leaders had meticulously cleaned the outside of the “cup,” but had not bothered to look at the filthiness of their souls.

11:37-38 Again Jesus was invited to a meal with a Pharisee (see also 7:36). Jesus offended his host, however, because he did not first perform the ceremonial washing. This washing was done not for health reasons but as a symbol of washing away any contamination from touching anything unclean. Not only did the Pharisees make a public show of their washing, but they also commanded everyone else to follow a practice originally intended only for the priests.

11:39-40 Obsessed about ceremonial “purity,” the Pharisees neglected their own internal defilement. They washed on the outside, like one would wash a cup or a dish, but they left the inside full of greed and wickedness, never bothering to deal with those sins. They were no more pure than a dirty cup. Jesus condemned the Pharisees and religious leaders for outwardly appearing saintly and holy but inwardly remaining full of corruption. Jesus accordingly castigated these Pharisees as fools. God who made the outside of each person also made the inside. In other words, God is just as concerned with the inside as with the outside. He is not only concerned about what you do, but also about who you are.

•  LIFE APPLICATION – MASKS
• Of the many masks used to hide hurt feelings, the mask of religion may be the most insidious. It projects an image of squeaky clean but hides an interior as rotten as maggots in a garbage can.  Here Jesus invited a masked person to drop the pretense and confront the issue. The same invitation is for you.  Admit your need and ask God to build you from the inside out. Masks are unnecessary. The real you, shaped and fashioned by God, is all the face you need.

 11:41 The Pharisees loved to think of themselves as “clean,” but their stinginess toward God and the poor proved that they were not as clean as they thought. Jesus wanted to stress the importance of the inward over the outward, here focusing on the importance of a right attitude when giving to the poor. The inner attitude must match the outward act in order for them to be clean all over.

11:42 Jesus pronounced how terrible it would be for the Pharisees because although they were keeping the tiniest details of law, ceremony, custom, and tradition, they were forgetting justice and the love of God. Jesus did not condemn the practice of tithing, even of small amounts if one chose to do so.  The Pharisees tithed, which is more than can be said for most of the professing church today.    The Pharisees had calculated their tithing down to the decimal point, and they never missed a leaf. But when someone came to them with a personal material need, they responded like stingy characters from a Dickens novel. And Jesus could not tolerate this.   Why? Because when you do not personally care and give aid to others, you do not really love God.

11:43 Jesus condemned the Pharisees for their love of public importance and honor. The elders sat on the seats of honor in the synagogues, at the front, near the place where the scrolls of the Torah were kept. Those seats faced the congregation. To receive respectful greetings was a highly treasured honor. Jesus condemned the attitude that focused on the “perks” of position, while they forgot their responsibility to be teachers. The Pharisees loved to receive honor and deference from ordinary people; yet they did not love or desire to serve those people. Instead, they often showed contempt for them as “lower” than themselves.

11:44 This third condemnation pictures the Pharisees, for all their ceremonial cleanliness, as actually typifying the worst sort of uncleanness. The Old Testament laws said a person who touched a grave was unclean (Numbers 19:16). Sometimes a body might be buried in an unmarked grave, causing an unwary traveler to become ceremonially unclean by walking over it. Jesus accused the Pharisees of actually being hidden graves who made others unclean by their spiritual rottenness. Like graves hidden in a field, the Pharisees corrupted everyone who came in contact with them.

11:45-46 Jesus did not back down from what was being taken as insults, nor did he leave these legal experts without condemnation. Jesus condemned them for crushing people beneath impossible religious demands. These “demands” were the details the Pharisees had added to God’s law. To the commandment, “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy” (Exodus 20:8), for example, they had added instructions regarding how far a person could walk on the Sabbath, which kinds of knots could be tied, and how much weight could be carried. Instead of teaching God’s law so that people could love, understand, and obey the God who gave it, they turned the law into such a confused maze of do’s and don’ts that it had become a burden to the people. The legal experts refused to lift a finger to help the people.

• LIFE APPLICATION – EXPERT?
• If you memorize every verse of every Bible version in your church library, but do not live by faith . . .
• If you trace all the cross-references in every center column of Bible text, but do not share with the poor . . .
• If you know the citations of every name of God in the Old and New Testament, but never tell a neighbor about Jesus . . .
• What are you? A religious expert. But what good is that?

11:47-48 The tombs of the prophets were revered. People even decorated the graves of those long dead who seemed worthy of such honor. Building tombs over the graves of the martyrs was ironic because most of these prophets had been killed by the ancestors of this present religious establishment. In essence, these religious leaders were agreeing with the deeds of their ancestors in killing these prophets. Jesus was saying that these leaders were no different from their ancestors who had killed God’s messengers because, in a sense, they were simply completing their work. The attitude of hatred for God’s messengers would carry through, and Jesus himself would face it as well.

•  LIFE APPLICATION – LEARN . . . TO SERVE
• With much knowledge comes great responsibility. Too casually do we
• buy Bible aids and commentaries.
•  listen to great messages.
• go to big conferences.
• Despite impressive educational credentials, the Bible experts in these verses were failures in Jesus’ eyes. As you seek knowledge, also explore ways to share it, use it, and apply it—helping many others to find a closer relationship with God.

11:49-51 God’s prophets have been persecuted and murdered throughout history. But this generation was rejecting more than a human prophet—they were rejecting God himself. This quotation is not from the Old Testament. Jesus, the greatest Prophet of all, was directly giving them God’s message.

Jesus gave two examples of martyrs in the Old Testament. Abel’s death is recorded in Genesis 4:8—he was the first martyr, the first to die because of his faithfulness to God. Zechariah’s death is recorded in 2 Chronicles 24:20-22 (the last book in the Hebrew canon). Zechariah is a classic example of a man of God who was killed by those who claimed to be God’s people. The current religious establishment would be guilty of all of their deaths, for they would be guilty of murdering the Messiah and would face judgment for that act. The destruction of Jerusalem in a.d. 70 was a partial fulfillment of Jesus’ words.

11:52 The experts in religious law were effectively locking people out of God’s Kingdom. Their rejection of Jesus and emphasis on their petty demands had the effect of making them unable to enter the Kingdom and then preventing those who might otherwise want to enter. Anyone who might have gotten in through a saving relationship with God was stopped short by their erroneous interpretations of Scripture and their added man-made rules. Then, as they prided themselves in their “understanding,” they themselves missed God’s message. Caught up in a religion of their own making, they could no longer lead the people to God. They had closed the door of God’s love to the people and had thrown away the keys.

•  LIFE APPLICATION – INSIDE OUT
• Jesus criticized the Pharisees and the experts in the law harshly because they (1) washed their outsides but not their insides, (2) remembered to give a tenth of even their garden herbs but were neglecting justice, (3) loved praise and attention, (4) loaded people down with burdensome religious demands, (5) would not accept the truth about Jesus, and (6) prevented others from believing the truth as well. They went wrong by focusing on outward appearances and ignoring the inner condition of their hearts. People do the same today when their service comes from a desire to be seen rather than from a pure heart and out of a love for others. People may sometimes be fooled, but God isn’t. Don’t be a Christian on the outside only. Bring your inner life under God’s control, and your outer life will naturally reflect him.

11:53-54 It may come as no surprise that these leaders were furious at Jesus. He had challenged these professed experts, so they hoped to trip him up and arrest him for blasphemy, heresy, or lawbreaking. They had to find a legal way to get rid of Jesus, so they grilled him with many hostile questions, trying to trap him. Jesus had pointed out the blatant hypocrisy of so much of Israel’s leadership, and there would be no turning back. The opposition was mounting; Jesus had become a threat to the establishment.

 Until tomorrow, Darrell

Sources: Life Application Bible Commentary,  Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary, Preacher’s Outline and Sermon Bible – Commentary, Preaching the Word

For more about the Ridge Fellowship or Darrell Koop go to www.ridgefellowship.com

Great material today.  The parable of the Good Samaritan – a classic! Jesus visits Mary and Martha, one has an issue with the other – which side is Jesus going to take?  Chapter 10 starts with Jesus mobilizing a large group to assist him.  There are lots of good insights today.

 Jesus Sends Out Seventy-Two Messengers / 10:1-16

Luke is the only Gospel to record the sending out of seventy-two disciples. In this passage, Luke highlighted and anticipated the universal mission of Jesus—the gospel would go to all people.

10:1 Far more than twelve people had been following Jesus. According to 1 Corinthians 15:6, Jesus had at least five hundred followers by the time he had finished his ministry. A group of 120 of these followers went to Jerusalem to begin the church there (Acts 1:15). Here Jesus designated a group of seventy-two to prepare a number of towns for his later visit.

Jesus sent them out two by two for mutual encouragement and help. Jesus saw a tremendous need, a need so great that a great group of witnesses was needed.

 The number 72 is significant for it was, according to Genesis 10, the traditional number of nations in the world, according to the Septuagint. By choosing and sending out seventy-two disciples, Jesus was symbolically showing that all nations in the world would one day hear the message. This would include the Gentiles—an important point for Luke’s Gentile audience.

10:2 Jesus was sending thirty-six teams of two to reach the many towns and villages that he had not yet been able to visit. Jesus compared this work to a harvest—the gathering of new believers into his Kingdom (see also John 4:35). To have a harvest, however, one must have workers in the field. So many people need to hear the message, but there are so few workers willing to gather it in. Even as Jesus had sent the Twelve, and now seventy-two more, he told them to ask the Lord to send out more workers for his fields. In Christ’s service, there is no unemployment. God has work enough for everyone. No believer should sit back and watch others work because the harvest is great.

• LIFE APPLICATION – PRAY FOR MORE HELP
• Jesus encouraged the disciples not just to do the work but also to pray for workers. Part of every missionary’s job is to pray for new workers and to help newcomers learn the ropes. Whatever your role in God’s work, pray today for more helpers. Believers are not always to work alone. God wants them to pray, recruit, and equip others to join them as they explore opportunities to serve Jesus. Some people, as soon as they understand the gospel, want to go to convert people immediately. Jesus gave a different approach: begin by mobilizing people to pray. And before praying for unsaved people, pray that other concerned disciples will join you in reaching out to them. God will lead you to an important responsibility, but prayer comes first.

10:3 The world into which these seventy-two were going was not a pleasant place. The harvest was going to involve intensive labor and possibly danger. Jesus commanded them to go, explaining that they were going out as lambs among wolves. The use of the word “lambs” refers to their vulnerability (see Isaiah 11:6; 65:25). But the important point is the four words, “I am sending you.” If Jesus were not sending them, then they would be attempting to go on their own plans, their own power, their own itinerary, being lambs among wolves would be like asking to be slaughtered. But because Jesus was sending them, they might face danger from the opposition. Their very defenselessness would cause them all the more to depend on God.

•  LIFE APPLICATION – WOLVES
• Jesus warned against opposition. Wolf-like opposition comes in many forms. Some spiritual opponents will be direct and aggressively attack.  Some opponents appear to be spiritual, but really want to undermine.  Serving God today requires courage under fire and discernment among counterfeits. Pray for growth in both virtues. Find a way to become better educated about the opposition you face.

 10:4 These instructions are basically the same as those given to the Twelve in 9:3-4. The reason was the same—they were to travel light, spend no time preparing for the trip, and depend upon God and those to whom they ministered to meet their basic needs. So urgent is their task that they are not to stop to greet anyone on the road. Jesus did not mean for them to be impolite to people whom they passed, but rather that they were not to spend precious time on dallying by the wayside. They had to remain focused on their task.

10:5-6 The home that a pair of disciples would enter would be the home from which they would receive hospitality during their stay in a particular town. When they entered a house, they should give the characteristic blessing. This blessing conveyed the messianic peace promised in the Old Testament and stressed the authority based on power from God that was behind the missionary. If the householders were worthy (had a proper attitude toward God), then the blessing would stand. Such people would be open to the gospel message. But if the people were not worthy, the blessing would return to the one who had given it.

10:7 Jesus had also directed the Twelve to remain with their original hosts in any town (9:4). This instruction avoided certain problems. For the two disciples to move around from home to home could offend the families who first took them in. In addition, by staying in one place, the disciples would not have to worry continually about getting good accommodations. They could settle down and do their appointed task. The disciples were to willingly eat and drink what their hosts provided because those who work deserve their pay. Jesus told his disciples to accept hospitality graciously because their work entitled them to it. Ministers of the gospel deserve to be supported, and it is believers’ responsibility to make sure they have what they need.

10:8-9 When the pairs of disciples entered a town, received a welcome, and entered a home, Jesus told them to eat whatever is set before them. It may well be that they would be welcomed into non-Jewish homes where the meals might not satisfy all the ceremonial laws of the Jews. Jesus told them not to be sidetracked about what they ate. Instead, they should do what they came to do—heal the sick (which was a signal that the Kingdom had arrived) and proclaim to the people that the Kingdom of God is near (see also 10:11; 21:31). This “nearness” meant both “already here” and “soon to come.” The Kingdom Jesus began on earth would not overthrow Roman oppression and bring universal peace right away. Instead, it was a Kingdom that began in people’s hearts and was as near as people’s willingness to make Jesus king over their lives.

10:10-11 Jesus also gave instructions if the disciples should enter a town and not be welcomed. He made it clear that they would face rejection in some places. But the rejection of their message would not change the message. Even if the people refused it, the Kingdom of God was still near, but those who refused it would miss it. Jesus repeated the instruction of wiping the dust of that town from their feet as a public announcement of their doom (9:5).

10:12 Sodom was a wicked city that God destroyed because of its great sinfulness (Genesis 19:24-28). The city’s name is often used to symbolize evil and immorality. Sodom will face God’s wrath at judgment day, but cities that rejected the Messiah and his Kingdom will face even worse wrath from God. A city as evil as Sodom would be better off than these towns because they had been given the opportunity to believe the Messiah—they had seen great miracles and had the Good News preached to them—but they had turned away and had refused salvation.

10:13-14 The mention of cities that might reject the Messiah (10:10-11) leads to a message of those who already had. Korazin and Bethsaida were cities near Capernaum, at the north end of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus had concentrated his ministry in and around Capernaum, so he must have performed miracles in these cities. These miracles are not recorded in the Gospels—there is much about Jesus’ ministry that is unknown. Tyre and Sidon were pagan cities in Phoenicia, the territory north of Galilee. They had rebelled against God and had been judged and punished for their wickedness and opposition to God’s people (see Isaiah 23:1-18; Jeremiah 25:22; 47:4; Ezekiel 26–28; Joel 3:4-8; Amos 1:9-10). Yet Jesus explained that, though these people were evil and rebellious, if he had come to them and had done miracles, they would have sat in deep repentance. The mention of sackcloth and ashes depicts mourning and repentance. A person humbled himself or herself by wearing only this rough cloth made of goat hair and sitting in a pile of ashes. Tyre and Sidon had not had that opportunity, while Korazin and Bethsaida had been visited by the Messiah who had done miracles among them; yet they rejected him. The punishment these cities would suffer on the judgment day would be far worse than what Tyre and Sidon experienced.

10:15 Capernaum was Jesus’ base for his Galilean ministry (Matthew 4:13; Mark 2:1). Jesus had performed many miracles there, and apparently the people were feeling a certain amount of pride in their connection with Jesus. But many people of Capernaum did not understand Jesus’ miracles or believe his teaching. Instead of being exalted to heaven as they might have thought because Jesus chose to live among them, they would be brought down to the place of the dead because they had seen the Messiah and rejected him. The language is reminiscent of Isaiah 14:12-15, where the prideful attitude of the king of Babylon is condemned. The Greek word translated, “place of the dead,” is Hades, the dwelling place of the condemned wicked people (16:23; Revelation 20:13-14). This pictured fiery judgment on this city that rejected Christ. Today the site of ancient Capernaum is desolate—a stunning picture of Jesus’ words here.

10:16 Jesus’ messengers are important people. They are sent with authority. In ancient times, when a person dealt with a messenger, it was the same as dealing with the person who had sent him (for example, see 7:3 and commentary). Therefore, people who accepted the message of Jesus’ disciples were accepting Jesus. Likewise, people who rejected Jesus’ disciples’ message were rejecting Jesus. Because Jesus and God are one, anyone who rejects Jesus is rejecting God who sent him. These messengers could take their mission seriously because Jesus did—he was sending them out with his message and his authority.

 The Seventy-Two Messengers Return / 10:17-24

This passage continues the theme of discipleship (started at 9:51). Here the seventy-two returned, rejoicing. Jesus rejoiced with them, praising God for the defeat of Satan and the fact that he had chosen to use these humble followers to advance his Kingdom.

10:17 Some time had passed between 10:16 and 10:17. The seventy-two disciples completed their mission to various towns and villages (10:1) and returned with joy. They had seen tremendous results as they ministered in Jesus’ name and with his authority. They were elated by the victories they had witnessed—that even the demons had submitted to them in Jesus’ name. Probably they were able to heal demon-possessed people, and this thrilled them.

10:18-19 This could mean that Jesus saw, as in a vision, Satan falling from heaven as a flash of lightning (that is, from a place of power) during the ministry of these disciples. Satan suffered a notable defeat as these thirty-six pairs of men went around the countryside casting out demons.

Satan might attempt to discourage and harm Jesus’ disciples, but when they were on this mission, nothing could harm them. Jesus had given them authority over all the power of the enemy. To walk among snakes and scorpions may allude to Psalm 91:13 where snakes are listed among dangerous creatures from which God protects the people of Israel. See also Deuteronomy 8:15 where scorpions and snakes are connected.

10:20 Such power and authority can be a heady experience, so the disciples were warned not to rejoice just because evil spirits had obeyed them. The main reason to rejoice was that their names were registered as citizens of heaven. Their ministry was not to become an experience of power leading to pride, but an experience of servanthood out of love for God and out of the desire for more people to join them in the Kingdom.

10:21 Jesus praised God, his Father, for making spiritual truth available to the childlike. Those who willingly submit themselves to God and do not depend upon their own wisdom will have the truth revealed to them. So often the wise and clever in this world refuse to submit themselves to God. They may not see their need for him, or they may think that their wisdom and learning have placed them in a separate class. These words of Jesus reveal God’s sovereignty and initiative regarding who will receive divine truth. God has chosen to hide it from those who refuse and reject it (see 8:10), and instead reveals it to those who may not seem wise and learned but have trusting hearts (like little children, 9:47-48).

• LIFE APPLICATION – GOD’S CHOICE: YOU
• How did you come to know about Christ?  The deeper reason (the explanation behind those immediate reasons) is that God chose you to know about him.
• Why would He do that? It was by grace, a gift entirely based on love from God to you.
• What should you do? Thank Him in prayer; live each day for Christ; speak about Him; and show God’s love in generous concern for others. A great gift inspires a grateful response.

10:22 Jesus further identified his special and unique relationship with God the Father. So close and intimate, so completely trusting, that Jesus said, “My Father has given me authority over everything.” The Father and the Son have an exclusive relationship that humanity at large cannot fathom. (Luke brought it up again in 20:41-44; 22:69; Acts 2:29-38.) Jesus’ mission was to reveal God the Father to people. His words brought salvation down to earth. He explained God’s love through parables, teachings, and, most of all, his life. By examining Jesus’ actions, principles, and attitudes, those chosen by him are enabled to understand God more clearly. As used here, the word chooses does not refer to predestination; rather, it refers to Jesus’ divine status and authority to reveal saving knowledge to people.

10:23-24 Old Testament men of God such as David and the prophet Isaiah made many God-inspired predictions that Jesus fulfilled. As Peter later would write, these prophets wondered what their words meant and when they would be fulfilled (1 Peter 1:10-13). In Jesus’ words, they longed to see and hear what the disciples were seeing and hearing, but they could not. Despite their privileged positions as part of God’s people and God’s plan, many prophets and kings were not as blessed as this little band of disciples or all the “simple” people who came in faith to Jesus.

• LIFE APPLICATION – THE PRIVILEGED FEW
• The disciples had a fantastic opportunity—they were eyewitnesses of Christ, the Son of God. But for many months they took Jesus for granted, not really listening to him or obeying him. Believers today also have a privileged position, with knowledge of two thousand years of church history, availability of the Bible in hundreds of languages and translations, and access to many excellent pastors and speakers. Yet often Christians take these for granted. Remember, with privilege comes responsibility. Because you are privileged to know so much about Christ, you must be careful to follow him.

Jesus Tells the Parable of the Good Samaritan / 10:25-37

Jesus had just praised God for hiding the secrets of the Kingdom from the wise and learned (10:21). Next an expert in Old Testament law asked Jesus a question that revealed the lawyer’s profound ignorance about central issues of the faith—eternal life and the basic command to love one’s neighbor.

10:25 This expert in religious law was a man who had made it his business to know and understand the details of the Jewish religion. He had studied the Scriptures (the Old Testament—the Law, the Psalms, and the Prophets). He also knew all the traditions. The fact that this man wanted to test Jesus does not necessarily indicate hostility. He wanted to know what he had to do to receive eternal life.

10:26-28 This expert in the law obviously would have known the law of Moses. In his answer, he quoted from Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18. He correctly understood that the law demanded total devotion to God and love for one’s neighbor. To love God in this way is to fulfill completely all the commandments regarding one’s “vertical” relationship. But another command from the law says to love your neighbor. This refers to “horizontal” relationships—among people. A person cannot maintain a good vertical relationship with God without also caring for his or her neighbor. The word “neighbor” refers to fellow human beings in general.

The expert in the law had it right. Jesus explained that people only needed to obey these commands; in doing so, they would fulfill all the rest of them. But with these abrupt words, Jesus was subtly making the point that no one can obey these commands. Do this and you will live sounds simple—in reality, however, those commands are impossible to keep in our human strength alone. This would be the lifestyle of Kingdom people—but they would not have to “do” it in order to be saved. Instead, they would be saved and then enabled by the Holy Spirit to obey these impossible demands. Jesus would show this to the man in the following story.

10:29 The expert in the law would not leave the encounter there. He wanted to justify his actions. It is unclear if he wanted to justify the question he had asked by asking the teacher to delve deeper into the topic, or whether he wanted Jesus to give an answer that he could then say he had fulfilled. He may have been attempting to pin down and limit the law’s demand, thereby limiting his responsibility. So he pressed Jesus further, “And who is my neighbor?”

10:30 Jesus answered this legal expert by telling a story. The rest of his listeners could easily picture this Jewish man who was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. The distance was about seventeen miles on a road that was notoriously dangerous because it curved through rocky and desolate terrain with many hiding places for bandits. As the listeners may have anticipated, the man in this story, who was traveling alone, was attacked and left half dead.

10:31-32 Jesus told a story about three different people, also traveling alone on this road. This priest served in the Temple and probably offered sacrifices. The Temple assistant also served in the Temple. Both of these servants of God saw the man lying there, but both passed by without helping. Perhaps it was concern over defilement, for a Jew would become “unclean” if he came into contact with a dead body. This would render him unable to worship. The man on the road may have appeared dead, so they did not want to risk defilement if there was nothing they could do. Either way, they deliberately refused to help.

10:33-35 The next person to come along was a despised Samaritan. Jews hated Samaritans, so when Jesus introduced this Samaritan man into the story, the Jewish listeners would not have expected him to help a Jewish man. But in great detail, Jesus described all that the Samaritan did for this man. This Samaritan is pictured as understanding what it meant to help someone in need, to be a neighbor, regardless of racial tensions.

• LIFE APPLICATION – GENEROSITY
• In this story, the Samaritan was extremely generous, and Jesus highlighted his helpful actions.  Generosity inspired by God does more than what’s expected.  Extend yourself. When you see a job to do, go overboard. Do it to show just an ounce of what God’s care for you is like. Do it with all the joy God has put in your heart.

 10:36-37 Having finished the story, Jesus asked the expert in the law who had been a neighbor to the wounded man. The legal expert had no choice but to answer that the one who showed him mercy—the Samaritan—had been the true “neighbor.” The Samaritan traveler and the Jewish man were far apart in distance and spiritual heritage, but the Samaritan had loved his neighbor far better than the hurt man’s own religious leaders. Jesus said that the legal expert had answered correctly and should go and do the same. Jesus taught that love is shown by action, that it must not be limited by its object, and that at times it is costly.

 Jesus Visits Martha and Mary / 10:38-42

This short story follows the parable of the good Samaritan because it involves another reversal. Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to his teaching, while Martha was busying herself fixing a meal. Although intently listening to Jesus was Mary’s way of expressing her love and devotion to God, in the first century, this would be quite unusual for a woman. Learning at a rabbi’s feet was a privilege typically reserved for young men. Thus, Martha assumed that Jesus would honor her request that he rebuke Mary. Instead, Jesus commended Mary, welcoming her to learn from him.

10:38 The village where these people lived was Bethany, located about two miles outside of Jerusalem. Martha had a sister named Mary (10:39, who was probably younger because this home is described as belonging to Martha) and a brother named Lazarus (whom Jesus later raised from the dead, John 11).

10:39-40 Jesus did not come alone—he had twelve disciples with him who all needed to have their feet washed, to be made comfortable, and to have a meal prepared for them. A respectable hostess in the ancient world would extend all of these courtesies to his or her guests. The impression here, however, is that Martha was overdoing it. She wanted something extra special for the Master, but she let herself get to the point where she was worrying, overworked, and unable to enjoy these guests. In attempting to serve Jesus, she did not understand or attend to Jesus’ reason for being there. Mary, however, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. She was taking advantage of the opportunity to hear Jesus. Martha, for her part, wanted to give her guests the royal treatment—and she should not be criticized for that. However, she allowed her worry to turn to irritation. She went to Jesus and asked him to tell Mary to get up and get to work. There is a touch of reproach in her words.

• LIFE APPLICATION – TASK ORIENTED BE CAREFUL
• Note three potential problems if we act like Martha :
• 1. While asking for help (a legitimate request), we point to our own accomplishments (prideful).
• 2. While calling Jesus “Lord” (certainly appropriate), we question his judgment with implied criticism that he is not directing his team effectively (suggesting we are a better chief than he).
• 3. While acknowledging our relationship to another person (Martha referred to her sister), we criticize that person for failing to follow our lead (imposing our will as right and good just because it’s productive).
• A better way: Never assume our own greatness.  Support others in their special roles.  Ask Jesus first; then get to work.

 *We ought to take our work seriously, but not ourselves. We ruin our service when we overestimate our importance. Martha attempted to force Mary to serve Christ her way.

 10:41-42 Jesus did not blame Martha for being concerned about preparing the meal, nor did he scold her for attempting to make him and his disciples welcome. But he did want her to understand that because she was so upset, she was not making time for what was most important, shown in Mary’s attitude. Jesus wanted Martha to rearrange her priorities. It is possible for service to Christ to degenerate into mere busywork that is no longer full of devotion to God. There was nothing wrong with Martha’s desire to serve—someone had to do it or no one would have eaten. Perhaps she could have laid out a less lavish feast so that she too could have had time to sit at Jesus’ feet and digest his teaching. But Jesus was not going to send Mary away to attend to housework. She had chosen to be at Jesus’ feet, and Jesus knew that he would not be on this earth forever. His time would be short, and he would not send away those who wanted to listen and learn.

 Sources: Life Application Bible Commentary, Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary,  Preacher’s Outline and Sermon Bible Commentary, Preaching the Word

For more information about The Ridge Fellowship or Darrell Koop see www.ridgefellowship.com

Day 9!  Jesus sends out his disciples for ministry, he feeds the five-thousand and is transfigured on the mountain.  The statement “What good is it if a man gains the whole world and loses his soul” (9:25) and others like it will make you think deeply.  It’s great reading today.

 Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles / 9:1-6

After giving examples of Jesus’ pattern of preaching about the Kingdom of God and of his power through all types of miracles, Luke reported how Jesus sent out the Twelve to continue this work. This begins two missionary trips (9:1; 10:1). Luke is the only Gospel writer that includes two trips, and the disciples probably were sent on other trips as well. Jesus gave the Twelve some instructions and then sent them on a “training mission.” They would soon be the ones left to carry on Jesus’ work after he was gone.

9:1-2 Jesus had chosen twelve disciples for special training (6:13-16). The men had traveled with Jesus, observed him, and listened to his teaching. Now they were to take a more active part in Jesus’ ministry; they themselves would go out to tell everyone about the coming of the Kingdom of God. More than that, Jesus also gave them power and authority to cast out demons and to heal all diseases. That was important because these miracles backed up the message. Jesus sent out his twelve apostles and gave them this power. The message of the Good News was of primary importance, but the healings showed God’s great compassion and fulfilled the ancient prophecies of the Messiah’s arrival (4:18-19).

• LIFE APPLICATION- HIS METHOD
• If you were given the task of carrying the good news about God’s love to the whole world, how would you attempt to accomplish it? Mass communication, satellite, the Internet? All of those technologies have been and continue to be used for evangelism and the building up of God’s people. But Jesus relied on a more basic means of communication: people. He called his twelve key men together and entrusted them with the most important message the world has ever heard: the gospel of Jesus Christ. Technology is a wonderful tool, but there is no substitute for committed men and women who love God enough and care enough about their lost friends and neighbors to tell them about God’s wonderful plan of salvation. If you know people who need to hear the Good News, pray for an opportunity to tell them. Be an active, willing part of Christ’s strategy to tell the world.

 9:3-4 The disciples were to travel light. The urgency of their task required that they not spend time preparing for the trip. Besides, it was to be a short trip after which they would come back and report to Jesus. As disciples sent by God, they were to depend on him and on the people to whom they ministered to meet their needs. In addition, whatever home showed them hospitality was the home where they were to stay until they left that town. The disciples were not to offend their hosts by moving to a home that was more comfortable or socially prominent. To remain in one home was not a burden for the homeowner because there would only have been two together at a time and their stay in each community would be short.

The disciples were instructed to depend on others while they went from town to town preaching the gospel. This had a good effect: (1) it clearly showed that the Messiah had not come to offer wealth to his followers; (2) it forced the disciples to rely on God’s power and not on their own provision—they carried no outward symbols of authority, only the inward power that Christ gave them; (3) it involved the villagers and made them more eager to hear the message. This was an excellent approach for the disciples’ short-term mission; it was not intended, however, to be a permanent way of life for them. Jesus’ instructions pertained only to this particular mission, so this would not be a command for missionaries today. Different times and situations would call for different measures, both then and now.

• LIFE APPLICATION – TRAVELING (WITH THE) LIGHT
•  Jesus sent the disciples out on their preaching and healing mission without a lot of comforts or even supplies. That’s because they weren’t going out to enjoy the scenery or stay in any place for very long. They were going on a short-term mission to spread the gospel widely through the spoken word and the authoritative command over demons and diseases. That kind of ministry doesn’t require much in the way of luggage, but it does require tremendous faith and reliance on the power of God. What kind of service are you involved in? Whatever it is—teaching, serving, working with youth, music—you undoubtedly have a list of equipment you’d love to have to be more effective. Next time you ask God to provide your needs, be sure to ask for his inner power and blessing on your work before you list your material needs.

9:5 The disciples could be sure of finding hospitality from some people, but Jesus told them to also expect places where they would not be welcomed. Jesus’ instructions for such a town was that as the disciples were leaving, they were to shake off its dust from their feet. Shaking off dust that had accumulated on one’s sandals showed extreme contempt for an area and its people, as well as the determination not to have any further involvement with them. Pious Jews would do this after passing through Gentile cities to show their separation from Gentile practices. If the disciples shook the dust of a Jewish town from their feet, it would show their separation from Jews who rejected their Messiah. This action also showed that the disciples were not responsible for how the people responded to their message.

• LIFE APPLICATION- THE JOB: TO SHARE
• Jesus was making it clear that the listeners were responsible for what they did with the gospel. As long as the disciples had faithfully and carefully presented the message, they were not to blame if the townspeople rejected it. Likewise, believers are not responsible when others reject Christ’s message of salvation if they have carefully and truthfully presented it. But they do have the responsibility to share the gospel clearly and faithfully. When the message is rejected, they should move on to others whom God desires to reach.

 9:6 Six teams of two began their circuit of the villages—perhaps going back to villages in which Jesus had already preached, or going where he did not have time to go (4:14-15, 43-44). They went with Jesus’ authority and power—preaching the Good News and healing the sick.

 Herod Kills John the Baptist / 9:7-9

The ministry of Jesus and his disciples was effective. The gospel message even reached Herod, leaving him questioning: “Who is this man?”

9:7-8 Herod Antipas was the king who had imprisoned and executed John the Baptist, and he would later hear Jesus’ case before the crucifixion (23:6-12). Herod was worried and puzzled because a man and his disciples were traveling around doing miracles and teaching a message that, once reported to Herod, sounded eerily like the message that John the Baptist had taught. In addition, some were saying that John had come back to life again. Herod thought that John had come back to life to trouble him some more. Others thought that Elijah or some other ancient prophet had risen from the dead. While John the Baptist had been widely regarded as a prophet (and the first prophet to the nation in over four hundred years), the people had refused to listen to him.

9:9 For the story of how Herod had beheaded John, see Matthew 14:1-12 and Mark 6:14-29. Herod may have had some guilt-pangs, for he had beheaded an innocent man who had done no more than speak the truth. So it bothered Herod that this good man, considered by everyone to be a prophet, may have come back to life. This certainly caused Herod to think twice about this man and try to see him—perhaps Herod thought he might be able to recognize him or talk to him. Luke did not include the details surrounding John’s death, focusing instead on Herod’s question, “Who is this man about whom I hear such strange stories?”

•  LIFE APPLICATION WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?
•  “I can accept Jesus as a great teacher, but why do you insist that he’s actually God?”
•  “I went to church when I was younger, but I’ve not read the Bible for myself.
• Perhaps you’ve heard these kinds of statements. Although the Bible is still the best-selling book in the world, year after year, and although the entire Western world was founded on biblical thought and principles, most people are “biblically illiterate.” Believers should encourage people to examine the Bible’s claims about Jesus for themselves, instead of relying on vague memories of childhood Sunday school lessons or intellectual trends that change like the seasons. Herod’s question “Who is this man?” is still the important question to answer. Be ready to help someone who sincerely wants to know the answer.

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand / 9:10-17

Apart from Jesus’ resurrection, this is the only miracle that appears in all four Gospels, showing its importance to Jesus’ ministry and to the early church. While many people have tried to explain away the incident, it is clear that all the Gospel writers saw this as a marvelous miracle.

9:10 The word “apostle” means “one sent” as a messenger, authorized agent, or missionary. The word became an accepted title for Jesus’ twelve disciples after his death and resurrection (Acts 1:25-26; Ephesians 2:20). The apostles had completed their teaching mission (9:6) and thus were official “sent ones.” They returned to Capernaum and told Jesus everything they had done. Jesus wanted to hear how their training mission, their “student teaching,” had gone. In order to do this, he needed to get them away from the crowds. So they withdrew by themselves to the town of Bethsaida.

9:11 The disciples needed rest; Jesus wanted quiet teaching time with them, but this was not to be. The crowds found out where he was going, and they followed him. Matthew wrote that they had gone by boat, and the crowds went on foot and met Jesus when he landed (Matthew 14:13-14). Far from being upset by the interruption of their plans, Jesus welcomed the people, using the opportunity afforded by their interest to teach them about the Kingdom of God.

• LIFE APPLICATION-INTERRUPTIONS
• Jesus had tried to slip quietly away from the crowds, but they found out where he was going and followed him. Instead of showing impatience at this interruption, Jesus welcomed the people and ministered to their needs. How do you see people who interrupt your schedule—as nuisances, or as the reason for your life and ministry?

9:12 Jesus’ teaching about the Kingdom of God (9:11) lasted until the evening. As the day was drawing to a close, the disciples certainly wondered when they would have time alone with Jesus. So they went to Jesus and suggested that he send the crowds away so they would have time to get food and lodging in the surrounding villages. The place where Jesus had been teaching was deserted, far from any town or village. It was near Bethsaida, east of the lake about four miles from Capernaum.

9:13 These disciples, already tired, meant to be compassionate in their request for Jesus to send the crowd away to get food before nightfall. Jesus’ response certainly surprised them, for he said, “You feed them.” A check of the resources had yielded five loaves of bread and two fish—John’s Gospel explains that these belonged to a boy (John 6:9). The disciples had just come back from a teaching tour in which they had used Jesus’ authority to preach and heal. But apparently they couldn’t see past the obvious in this situation.

• LIFE APPLICATION – RESOURCES
• When the disciples expressed concern about where the crowd of thousands would eat, Jesus offered a surprising solution—”You give them something to eat.” The disciples protested, focusing their attention on what they didn’t have (food and money). Do you think God would ask you to do something that you and he together couldn’t handle? Don’t let your lack of resources blind you to seeing God’s power. Use the resources you have at your disposal; let God stretch them to meet the need.

9:14-15 No wonder the disciples were a little dismayed at Jesus’ command to feed this crowd. Luke fills us in on the detail that there were about five thousand men there. The Greek word translated “men” is andres, meaning not “people” but “male individuals.” Therefore, there were five thousand men in addition to the women and children.

The disciples didn’t understand what Jesus wanted them to do, so he gave them a job and prepared to show them that little is much when God is in charge. The disciples followed Jesus’ instructions to have everyone sit down on the ground in groups of about fifty each. The people, perhaps realizing that this would be worth staying for, all sat down.

• LIFE APPLICATION-ALL YOU NEED
•  “Have you ever actually been in a situation where Jesus was really all you had? If so, you know that it can be anxiety producing. Imagine how the disciples must have felt when Jesus told them to tell five thousand men (and presumably several thousand more women and children) to sit down on the grass to be fed—with five loaves of bread and two fish! But instead, Jesus was all that was necessary to accomplish this miracle. When you are in situations where you have no other resource than Jesus—relax. He’s the best resource you could have, and the only one you need.

9:16 Jesus took the small lunch provided by the boy and asked God’s blessing on the food. Then he gave the bread and fish to the disciples to give to the people. As Jesus broke the loaves, a miracle happened. The disciples began serving the groups of people, and the supply never diminished.

This miracle certainly helped a hungry crowd, but it had a higher purpose and theology. God, who multiplied the bread, was authenticating Jesus as his Son and portraying the munificent blessings of the Kingdom. Just as God had provided manna to the Hebrews in the wilderness (Exodus 16), had multiplied oil and meal for Elijah and the widow at Zarephath (1 Kings 17:7-16) and for Elisha (2 Kings 4:1-7), and had multiplied twenty loaves to feed one hundred men (2 Kings 4:42-44), he was providing bread for the people on this day. This also points to the prophesied feast that the Messiah will abundantly provide for people in the wilderness (see also 13:29; 14:15-24; Isaiah 25:6, 9).

9:17 The disciples continued serving food, and the food continued to be supplied in abundance. They all ate as much as they wanted. Not only that, but there were enough leftovers to fill twelve baskets. The disciples collected the leftovers and may have taken them along for their own provision for a couple of days. While Jesus could have, he did not make a habit of supplying food out of nothing for himself and the disciples.

 Peter Says Jesus Is the Messiah / 9:18-20

Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Christ, the promised Messiah, marks a turning point in this Gospel. Luke had been meticulously recording the reactions of people to Jesus and his message and their questions revolving around Jesus’ identity. Peter gave a clear answer to Jesus’ identity.

9:18 Apparently the disciples and Jesus did at times get to be alone, for here we find Jesus and his disciples together, away from the crowds. Jesus was alone, praying. That the Son of God often took time to pray was certainly an example to his disciples, as well as to all who follow him (see also 3:21; 6:12; 11:1).

Then he asked his disciples, “Who do people say I am?” What had the disciples heard—perhaps this information would come from what they had learned on their preaching tour (9:6).

9:19 The disciples’ answer echoes what the crowds had been saying and what Herod had heard (9:8). This belief may have come from Deuteronomy 18:18, where God said he would raise up a prophet from among the people. (For the story of John the Baptist, see Mark 1:1-11; 6:14-29. For the story of Elijah, see 1 Kings 17–21 and 2 Kings 1–2.) All of these responses were incorrect, revealing that the people still didn’t recognize Jesus’ true identity.

9:20 People may have had various opinions and ideas about Jesus’ identity, but Jesus was concerned about what his chosen twelve believed about him. So he asked, “Who do you say I am?” The word “you” is plural; Jesus was asking the entire group. But Peter, who often acted as their spokesman, answered. Peter’s ready answer reveals a deep insight into Jesus’ identity, for he said, “You are the Messiah sent from God!” Peter did not understand the exact nature of Jesus’ ministry, but he knew one fact for sure—Jesus was the Messiah.

• LIFE APPLICATION – WHAT ABOUT YOU?
• Great moral leader . . . enlightened master . . . political dissident . . . avatar . . . great teacher . . . prophet. In our pluralistic, no-tolerance-for-absolutes culture, people will apply all these labels to Jesus and be comfortable with them. To talk of Jesus as a great teacher or even a prophet isn’t terribly unsettling or disturbing. There have been many prophets and teachers. But to declare him as the Messiah, the one and only Son of the living God, calls for a response. If Jesus is Messiah, then we must accept that as true and receive him as Lord. If he is not, then all of Christianity is based upon a lie. There is no middle ground. “Who do you say I am?” Jesus asked the disciples, and the question reverberates down through the centuries, into modern ears. What is your answer? Who do you say Jesus is?

Jesus Predicts His Death the First Time / 9:21-27

Jesus responded to Peter’s confession that he was the Messiah with a prophecy of his own death and resurrection. Most Jews at this time were expecting a political messiah, a person who would deliver them from their subjection to the Romans. To correct this, Jesus depicted his suffering and death at the hands of the religious leaders (see 9:43-45).

9:21-22 Jesus warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ because at this point they didn’t fully understand the significance of that confession of faith. Even though Jesus was the Messiah, he still had to suffer many terrible things, be rejected, and be killed. Jesus then added that after all those tragic events occurred, three days later he would be raised from the dead. When the disciples saw all this happen to Jesus, they would understand what the Messiah had come to do and the kind of Kingdom he was preparing. Jesus here called himself Son of Man, a title emphasizing that he had power and authority from God himself. The Son of Man was the figure prophesied by Daniel to come as God’s agent to gather his people and to be their judge. Only then would they be equipped to share the gospel around the world.

9:23 Jesus didn’t make following him sound very easy. To his disciples who may have been hoping to have special positions in Jesus’ earthly kingdom (22:24), these would have been hard words to hear. Denying one’s personal desires and taking up a cross in order to follow this man was not what most of them had bargained for.

To put aside one’s selfish ambition means a willingness to let go of selfish desires and earthly security. “Self” is no longer in charge; God is. Too often this has been interpreted to mean that believers should have no self-esteem. Some discipleship or “deeper life” strategies have advocated stripping oneself of all dignity or anything that contributes to a sense of self-worth. Jesus’ view of denial was immediate and practical. They would need this attitude in the days ahead. They would need a willingness to set aside their own desires in order to spread the Good News.

To shoulder one’s cross daily means to follow Jesus to the death if necessary. When Jesus used this picture of his followers taking up their crosses, everyone knew what he meant. Death on a cross was a form of execution used by Rome for dangerous criminals. A prisoner would carry his own cross to the place of execution, signifying submission to Rome’s power. Following Jesus, therefore, meant identifying with Jesus and his followers, facing social and political oppression and ostracism, and no turning back. And this would not be a once-for-all deal—believers would need to be willing to take up this cross “daily” as they faced new situations, new people, new problems.

To follow Jesus means recognizing that belief is only the beginning of discipleship. Following Jesus doesn’t mean walking behind him, but taking the same road of self-denial and self-sacrifice. Because Jesus walks ahead, he provides an example and stands with his followers as encourager, guide, and friend.

• LIFE APPLICATION – THE WAY OF THE CROSS
• What does it mean to live for Christ? Luke 9:23 is one of the clearest and most challenging descriptions of the Christian life in all of the Bible. Jesus says that to be his disciple means: putting aside selfish desires, shouldering one’s “cross” every day, following him. It is simple and yet so demanding. For the original twelve, this meant literal suffering and death. For believers today, it means understanding that they belong to him and that they live to serve his purposes. Consider this: Do you think of your relationship with God primarily in terms of what’s in it for you (which is considerable) or in terms of what you can do for him? If your thoughts run more toward your own benefits, repent and ask God to give you grace to live a Luke 9:23 Christian life.

9:24 As the Messiah must suffer and die (9:21-22), so his followers must realize that they must not grasp selfishly onto their own lives. Those who want to keep life for themselves strive to get only the best for themselves. Such people will try to hold on to earthly rewards and security only to find that in the end, they lose. By contrast, however, those who generously give up their lives, willing to lose them if necessary for the sake of Jesus and the Kingdom, will find true life. That person will have given up in order to gain, and what is gained is of greater value indeed for it is eternal. Those who invest their life for Christ and his Kingdom will receive eternal life, as well as the satisfaction of serving God on earth. Those who give up control to God find that he fills their lives with himself.

• LIFE APPLICATION – RISK IT
• If this present life is most important to you, you will do everything you can to protect it. You will not want to do anything that might endanger your safety, health, or comfort. By contrast, if following Jesus is most important, you may find yourself in unsafe, unhealthy, and uncomfortable places. You will risk death, but you will not fear it because you know that Jesus will raise you to eternal life. Nothing material can compensate for the loss of eternal life. Jesus’ disciples are not to use their lives on earth for their own pleasure—they should spend their lives serving God and people. Have you discovered the most fulfilling use of your life?

9:25 Many people are willing to turn away from Christ in order to stay in a relationship, hold on to a sin, or stay on a career path. Jesus explained, however, that even if someone could gain the whole world, it would be of no benefit if it means losing his or her soul in the process. The answer to Jesus’ question, then, is that nothing is so valuable that it can be exchanged for one’s soul. In order to gain the whole world, one would have to worship the ruler of this world—Satan—because this is the offer he made to Jesus (4:5-7). Even if a person could gain the whole world, that person would lose his or her soul—and the soul counts for eternity.

• LIFE APPLICATION – PRIORITIES
• You’ve seen the bumper stickers: “He who dies with the most toys wins.” Maybe you’ve seen the follow-up version: “He who dies with the most toys is dead.” It’s not hard to see through the emptiness and superficiality of materialism. The idea that the meaning of life is to be found in the things acquired, the trophies accumulated, and the amount of money made loses its credibility in the emergency room and the funeral parlor. As one wise older person once put it, “I’ve never heard anyone on his deathbed say, ‘I sure wish I’d spent more time in the office.'”

What is it you are pushing so hard to acquire or accomplish? Is it truly important, or merely something to gratify your ego or impress your peers? Will it come at the expense of your family or your own relationship with God? How do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose or forfeit your own soul?

9:26 If people are ashamed of Jesus and his message, he will be ashamed of them at his second coming (they would be rejected from eternal life with him). In the Bible, “ashamed” means more than embarrassment. It refers to the judgment of God (Isaiah 44:11), repentance (Ezekiel 43:10), or submission before God (Micah 7:16). When Jesus judges unbelieving people, his “being ashamed of them” means that he will reject them when he returns in glory. This indicates the Second Coming—the time of future judgment when present life ceases and everyone will be judged for their decisions about Jesus Christ.

•  LIFE APPLICATION – THE GLORY AND THE SHAME
• Jesus told his disciples to speak up for him without shame. You can tell a lot about a society by what it glorifies and what it considers shameful. Today some behaviors that once would have been considered scandalous are openly admired, and others that once were accepted as virtuous are criticized and condemned. Even Christians are often made to feel guilty or somehow inferior for holding to the belief that Jesus is the only true “way.” And anyone with the audacity to state that belief in a public forum is considered ignorant and closed-minded. Believers must stand boldly for the Lord in a world that increasingly stands for nothing. When nonbelievers heap pressure, rejection, and humiliation on us, we must remain faithful to Christ.

9:27 When Jesus said that some of those who were with him would not die before seeing the Kingdom of God, he may have been referring to: (1) Peter, James, and John, who would witness the Transfiguration eight days later, or in a broader sense (2) all who would witness the resurrection and ascension, or (3) to all who would take part in the spread of the church after Pentecost. Jesus’ listeners would not have to wait for another, future Messiah—the Kingdom was among them, and it would soon come in power. Jesus’ Transfiguration, which follows, previewed the Kingdom of God.

 Jesus Is Transfigured on the Mountain / 9:28-36

Drowsily, Peter, James, and John awoke to an extraordinary sight—Moses and Elijah, with Jesus, standing together in a moment of glorious heavenly splendor. Stunned—Peter blurted out that he would build three shrines. Peter’s instant reaction was to commemorate this moment of glory, at this very site. But God himself answered Peter. No shrines were needed; instead the disciples needed to recognize Jesus’ unique identity—that he was God’s Son—and obey what he told them to do.

9:28 Three of Jesus’ disciples did indeed get a glimpse of the Kingdom of God within days of Jesus’ pronouncement (9:27). Jesus singled out Peter, James, and John for this special revelation of his glory and purity. These three disciples comprised the inner circle of the Twelve (see 8:51; Mark 14:33). Jesus took them with him and went to a mountain to pray. This “mountain” is traditionally considered to have been either Mount Hermon or Mount Tabor.

•  LIFE APPLICATION- QUIET TIME
• Jesus took three disciples away to pray. Times of conversation with God—and that is what prayer is—each require a time and place undisturbed by the rush of the day’s traffic. Phones, televisions, and internet are wonderful tools, but poor help for sincere, concentrated times of prayer. Jesus didn’t deal with these technological intrusions; he had thousands of people following him around, some of whom wanted him dead. That’s why he often would withdraw to a remote, lonely place to pray. Where is your “prayer closet”? Where can you go and have uninterrupted time with God? If you have such a place, enjoy it and protect it. If not, make whatever arrangements necessary to find one. Jesus needed it, and so do you.

9:29 As Jesus was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothing became dazzling white. This revealed Jesus’ true glory and purity. While Luke avoided the word “transfiguration,” what occurred was an outward change that came from within—he appeared glorious because he was divine. On earth, Jesus appeared as a man; at this time, he was transformed into the glorious radiance that he will have in heaven.

9:30-31 Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus. Both of these men had, during their time on earth, met with God on a mountain (Exodus 24; 1 Kings 19). Both men also had departed from this earth in an unusual way—Elijah was taken up into heaven in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:11); Moses was buried by the Lord (Deuteronomy 34:6), and the location of his body became a matter of great speculation (Jude 9). These men represented the sweeping vista of God’s plan of salvation across the ages. Moses represented the Law, or the Old Covenant. He had written the Pentateuch and had predicted the coming of a great prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15-19). Elijah represented the prophets who had foretold the coming of the Messiah (Malachi 4:5-6).

These men were speaking of how Jesus was about to fulfill God’s plan by dying in Jerusalem. Jesus’ death would accomplish true freedom for all people who believe in him. It would happen according to God’s divine plan (see 1 Peter 1:19-20).

9:32-33 Apparently Jesus had been spending a long time in prayer; Peter, John, and James had fallen asleep. The display of dazzling glory awakened them. When it seemed that Elijah and Moses were going to leave, Peter spoke up and suggested making three shrines. Peter wanted to keep Moses and Elijah with them. But this was not what God wanted. While these three disciples got a glimpse of Jesus’ future glory, they had to realize that this did not erase Jesus’ previous words of suffering and death for himself (9:21-22). Peter also mistakenly treated these three men as equals—he was missing Jesus’ true identity as God himself. He called Jesus Master (meaning “Teacher”), when this glorious display should have shown him that Jesus was far more. No shrines would be built; no one was going to stay. Moses and Elijah would return to glory; Jesus would walk back down the mountain and head toward Jerusalem. There would be no shortcuts.

•  LIFE APPLICATION – MOUNTAINTOP EXPERIENCES
• Peter, James, and John experienced a wonderful moment on the mountain, and they didn’t want to leave. Sometimes believers have such an inspiring experience that they want to stay where they are—away from the reality and problems of daily life. Knowing that struggles await in the valley encourages them to linger on the mountaintop. Yet staying on top of a mountain prohibits ministry to others. Christians need times of retreat and renewal, but only so they can return to minister to the world. When you leave an inspiring mountaintop experience, be ready for the challenging real-life experiences in the valley. Your faith must make sense off the mountain as well as on it.

9:34-35 Even as Peter was blurting out words that he shouldn’t have been saying, a cloud came over them and covered them. This “cloud” was actually the glory of God—the same glory that had guided Israel out of Egypt (Exodus 13:21), had appeared to the people in the wilderness (Exodus 16:10; 24:15-18; 34:5; 40:34-38), had appeared to Moses (Exodus 19:9), and had filled the Temple (1 Kings 8:10). No wonder terror gripped the three disciples. Then, as had happened at Jesus’ baptism, a voice came from the cloud—the voice of God himself (3:22). God gave divine approval of his Son, separating him from Moses and Elijah by saying that Jesus was the Son, the Chosen One and that the disciples must listen to him. The voice affirmed, both at the Baptism and at the Transfiguration, that Jesus was the one sent by God and the one whose authority came directly from God.

9:36 The glory disappeared, the cloud went away, the voice finished speaking, Moses and Elijah left, and Jesus looked once again like an ordinary man. Jesus was there alone with his disciples. Jesus would return to glory, but he would first follow the path of suffering and seeming defeat on this earth. Only then could he fully accomplish the plan of salvation.

The three disciples kept quiet about this entire experience, not telling anyone what they had seen until long after. Matthew and Mark wrote that Jesus ordered the disciples not to tell anyone about this until he had risen from the dead—then they could talk about it, presumably because then they would better understand it (Matthew 17:9; Mark 9:9).

 Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy / 9:37-43a

Luke closely tied the Transfiguration to this healing of a demon-possessed boy. The ignorance and unbelief of the disciples was the same issue that God had spoken about on the mountain. He had commanded Peter, James, and John to “listen” to Jesus. There was no reason for the disciples to be defeated by any demon; all they needed to do was to believe in Jesus and dedicate themselves to prayer (see Matthew 17:20; Mark 9:29).

• LIFE APPLICATION – THE LITTLE PEOPLE
• Jesus took the time to notice one man and his demon-possessed son. He cared enough about these seemingly insignificant people to listen and respond to their problem, even with the tremendous events of cosmic magnitude playing out around him. Do you notice “the little people”? Do you have a place in your heart and your schedule for the seemingly insignificant ones who desperately need to know that someone cares about them? Ask God if there is someone—even someone insignificant in the world’s eyes—who needs your attention and compassion.

9:37 Jesus, Peter, James, and John came down from the mountain. A huge crowd met Jesus. This crowd included the rest of Jesus’ disciples, some teachers of religious law, and a group of followers and onlookers. Mark wrote that the disciples and the religious leaders were in an argument (Mark 9:14), which probably focused on the fact that the disciples had tried and failed to cast out a demon (9:40). The religious leaders may have been questioning the disciples’ power and authority.

9:38-39 A man had brought his only son who was possessed by an evil spirit. While the symptoms described by the father sound much like an epileptic convulsion, the destructive intent of the demon was described by the father—the demon was injuring his son. This was more than mere epilepsy; it was indeed a case of demon possession. Mark’s Gospel reveals that the boy could neither speak nor hear (Mark 9:17, 25).

9:40 This desperate man wanted his child to be freed from the demon, so he brought his son to Jesus and his disciples (the disciples had been given authority to heal demon possession, 9:1). But the disciples couldn’t do it. The text does not explain the reason for their failure. Matthew explained it as the disciples’ lack of faith (Matthew 17:19-20), Mark as a need for prayer (Mark 9:28-29). The disciples certainly tried, but the demon did not respond.

9:41 Jesus saw the failure of the disciples to cast out this demon as merely one more indication of the stubbornness and faithlessness surrounding him. The disciples were not singled out for rebuke, but they reflected an attitude prevalent in their society. Jesus would not stay with them forever; one day he would leave and the Spirit would come. The Spirit could help soften stubborn hearts. In the meantime, Jesus would battle this unbelief, but he would not leave this young boy in his horrible condition, so Jesus told the father to bring his son.

9:42-43a As if to show its anger that Jesus was now involved, the demon knocked the boy to the ground and threw him into a violent convulsion. It did not yell Jesus’ name as did other demons, for this one was mute (4:34; 8:28; Mark 9:17), but it showed its displeasure. Jesus, however, simply rebuked the evil spirit, and it had no choice but to obey. As the boy was healed and returned to his father, the people realized that this was a display of God’s power and they were filled with awe.

 Jesus Predicts His Death the Second Time / 9:43b-45

While Jesus was still in the limelight, while the people were still marveling over his recent exorcism, Jesus took time to reiterate to his disciples that the path he was traveling was the way of suffering—the way of the cross (9:23-27). Jesus calls all his followers to that path.

9:43b-44 Jesus did not let this healing fill him with pride, for he knew that the path ahead did not hold earthly glory and honor. As the crowd murmured their wonder at Jesus, he turned to his disciples and reminded them a second time (see 9:21-22 for the first) that he was going to die. This time he added the element that he would be betrayed.

9:45 The disciples didn’t know what Jesus meant about his death. They still thought of Jesus as only an earthly king, and they were concerned about their places in the Kingdom that he would set up (9:46-48). If Jesus died, the Kingdom as they imagined it could not come. Consequently, they preferred not to ask him about his predictions.

 The Disciples Argue about Who Would Be the Greatest / 9:46-48

This argument among the disciples about who would be the greatest highlights how they did not understand Jesus’ mission (9:45). Jesus was trying to prepare these men for the suffering and rejection that would come. At the same time, however, the disciples were enjoying all the attention and even disputing with each other over who was the greatest. So Jesus called over a little child—considered the most lowly person in first-century society—to show them their false priorities.

9:46 Apparently this argument among the disciples was occurring away from Jesus, but they could not hide it from him (9:47). The disciples, still not understanding the true nature of Jesus’ mission, were having an argument . . . as to which of them would be the greatest. Either they ignored Jesus’ words about his death as they planned for the coming Kingdom, or they took his words to heart and wondered who would be in charge after he had died.

• LIFE APPLICATION- TRUE GREATNESS
• Who are the people you know that you consider truly “great”? Perhaps they are particularly wealthy, or well-known, or influential, or talented. While these are wonderful qualities, they are not, according to Jesus, the essence of greatness. When the disciples argued about which of them would be the greatest, Jesus did not rebuke them for wanting to be great. He simply redefined “greatness” for them. True greatness, he said, is anyone who welcomes a little child in his name, whoever sincerely humbles himself. The world needs Jesus’ kind of greatness. Do you truly want to be great for God? Be a servant even to the “least.”

9:47-48 Jesus used this opportunity to teach his disciples a lesson about the “greatness” about which they were so concerned. He brought a little child as a visual aid. Jesus suggested that he and this child were peers—“Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me.” Jesus equated the attitude of welcoming children with a willingness to welcome him. This was a new approach in a society where children were usually treated as second-class citizens. Jesus equated the attitude of receiving children with a willingness to receive him. Even more important is the profound truth of Jesus’ identity—“Anyone who welcomes me welcomes my Father who sent me.” Jesus was saying that he and God the Father were one.

The disciples had become so preoccupied with the organization of Jesus’ earthly kingdom that they had lost sight of its divine purpose. Instead of seeking a place of service, they were seeking positions of advantage. Jesus used a child to help his self-centered disciples get the point. They were to have servant attitudes, being not “childish” (arguing over petty issues), but “childlike,” with humble and sincere hearts. Greatness would be measured by attitude toward service—“Whoever is the least among you is the greatest.” True greatness means to deny oneself, willingly serve others, and then follow and obey the Master.

• LIFE APPLICATION –REALLY GREAT
• Your care for others is a measure of your greatness. How much concern do you show to others? This is a vital question that can accurately measure your greatness in God’s eyes. How have you expressed your care for others lately, especially the helpless, the needy, the poor—those who can’t return your love and concern? Your honest answer to that question will give you a good idea of your real greatness.

The Disciples Forbid Another to Use Jesus’ Name / 9:49-50

Here the disciples displayed their tendency to be a closed group. Jesus rebuked their attempt to be exclusive. His ministry was to empower and encourage all those who do good, not to limit and restrict. Christians must welcome and encourage all who serve in the name of Christ. Having the same Lord should cover a multitude of differences.

9:49-50 John was one of the inner circle of three, along with his brother James and Peter. Apparently he needed to clear something with Jesus—he may have felt concerned that they had done wrong, especially after this illustration about greatness through serving. They had seen someone using Jesus’ name to cast out demons and they had tried to stop him. This was not an evil man, for apparently God was blessing him—the man was having success (as opposed to the disciples, nine of whom had just failed, 9:40). But the disciples stopped the man for one reason—he isn’t in our group.

Jesus explained that they should not stop such a person; instead, they should have been thrilled that there were other people through whom God was working, others who were on Jesus’ side. Jesus made the point that with him there would be no middle ground—“Anyone who is not against you is for you.” The disciples had been wrong to stop the man from exorcising demons in Jesus’ name; and they were also wrong to think that they alone had a monopoly on Jesus’ power. Jesus explained that no one would do such a miracle as exorcising a demon in Jesus’ name and then turn around and publicly speak against Jesus. The man, whatever his motivation, had at least done a deed of mercy for a possessed person and had stood against Satan in so doing.

• LIFE APPLICATION- OPEN ARMS
• The disciples were jealous. Nine of them together were unable to drive out a single evil spirit (9:40), but when they saw a man who was not one of their group driving out demons, they told him to stop. A person’s pride is hurt when someone else succeeds where he or she has failed, but Jesus says there is no room for such jealousy in the spiritual warfare of his kingdom. Share Jesus’ open-arms attitude to Christian workers outside your group or denomination. Don’t let possessiveness, protectiveness, or divisions stop the work of Christ.

Jesus Teaches about the Cost of Following Him / 9:51-62

Luke began an extended section of his Gospel presenting the teaching and parables of Jesus that, for the most part, focus on the cost of discipleship and the coming suffering that Jesus would endure. Jesus was preparing his disciples for the rejection, suffering, and death that he would experience.

9:51 Jesus knew that his time on earth was ending and that the time drew near for his return to heaven. In other words, Jesus knew that he would soon die and that this death awaited him in Jerusalem. As if needing to arrive on time for a pre-planned appointment, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.

•  LIFE APPLICATION – DETERMINED
• Although Jesus knew he would face persecution and death in Jerusalem, he was determined to go there. That kind of resolve should characterize believers’ lives today. When God gives you a course of action, move steadily toward your destination, no matter what potential hazards await.

9:52-53 Jesus was journeying from Galilee to Jerusalem, so he had to travel south. Samaria lay between Galilee and Judea, thus he would have to travel through that region. The animosity between the Jews and the Samaritans was so great that many Jews would go out of their way not to travel through Samaria, instead opting to cross the Jordan River and travel on the other side until they could recross. Jesus held no such prejudices, so he sent messengers ahead to go into a Samaritan village and prepare for his arrival (presumably to secure lodging for Jesus and the Twelve). Because the men were heading toward Jerusalem, however, the people in the Samaritan village refused to welcome him.

9:54-56 When the messengers reported back, James and John were furious. The disciples had been told that if they faced rejection in a certain town, they were to shake the dust from their feet as a testimony against the people (9:5). James and John did not want to stop there—they asked Jesus if they should order down fire from heaven to burn them up. Jesus rebuked their suggestion. The point here was that the village was not consciously rejecting Jesus; instead, they were rejecting this group of thirteen or more because they were Jews on their way to Jerusalem (9:53). The disciples were to take this rejection in stride and go on to another village. Whether this other village was in Samaria is unknown. There was no stopping Jesus; he continued resolutely toward Jerusalem.

• LIFE APPLICATION – RETALIATION
• James and John wanted to retaliate on a village that would not welcome Jesus by calling down fire from heaven on the people. When feeling rejected or scorned, it is natural to feel like retaliating and wishing to silence other groups with differing methods and schools of thought. Remember that judgment belongs to God. Do not expect him to use his power to carry out your personal vendettas.

9:57-58 Someone approached and wanted to follow Jesus. Matthew wrote that this man was a teacher of religious law (Matthew 8:19). Most of these leaders became Jesus’ enemies, but at least one apparently recognized Jesus’ authority and wanted to be his disciple. Jesus’ reply, however, pointed out to the man the cost of becoming a disciple. Jesus did not grab onto disciples, eagerly taking anyone who wanted to follow. Those who truly wanted to be his disciples needed to understand that it would cost them something. While most of God’s creatures have warm places in which to live and to sleep, the Son of Man had no home of his own, no place to lay his head. To be Jesus’ disciple, a person must willingly put aside worldly security. The words are recorded for believers’ benefit. Have you counted the cost of following Jesus? Do you understand that following Jesus is far more valuable than anything this world offers?

•  LIFE APPLICATION – PAYING THE PRICE
• No great success comes without sacrifice. Ask champion athletes or concert musicians what they had to give up to attain their level of expertise. Ask a mother if she has had to forgo some of her own plans and desires in order to do what is best for her child, and she will tell you that she has. Nothing worthwhile comes without sacrifice, and that applies to Christian discipleship as well. Of course, there are incomparable benefits to having a living relationship with God, but they do not come without a price. Jesus said that he, the Son of Man, didn’t even have a home, a place to call his own. What sacrifices has God asked you to make in view of the much greater privilege of following Jesus? Earthly success, possessions, and recognition must not deter us from serving others.

 9:59-60 The previous man came on his own to Jesus (9:57-58); this time, however, Jesus asked another man to be his disciple. But this man explained that he first needed to return home and bury his father. The man was asking for permission to wait until his father died—an indefinite delay. The reason is not given, but whatever it was, the man wanted to do it “first.” Whether his concern was fulfilling a duty, having financial security, keeping family approval, or something else, he did not want to commit himself to Jesus just yet.

Jesus’ response: “Let those who are spiritually dead care for their own dead” points out that those who want to follow him should count the cost and set aside any conditions they might have. In other words, let those who are spiritually dying (those who have not responded to the call to commitment) stay home and handle responsibilities such as burying the dead. This may sound insensitive, but it had precedents. A high priest and those who had taken the Nazirite vow were required by the law to avoid the corpse of even a parent (Leviticus 21:11; Numbers 6:6-8). A later Jewish precedent says that if there were enough people in attendance, a student of the Torah should not stop his studying to bury the dead. Jesus placed commitment to God even above these precedents. As God’s Son, Jesus did not hesitate to demand complete loyalty. Even family loyalty was not to take priority over the demands of obedience to the command to go and preach the coming of the Kingdom of God. Jesus’ direct challenge forces believers to evaluate their priorities.

• LIFE APPLICATION – A BETTER TIME?
• Luke did not give the reason why this man said no to Jesus. But Jesus used the response to teach an important lesson. True discipleship requires instant action; the responsibilities of the kingdom cannot be put off until a “better time.” Jesus did not teach people to forsake responsibilities to family, but he often gave commands to people in light of their real motives. Perhaps this man wanted to delay following Christ and used his father as an excuse. There is a cost to following Jesus, and each follower must be ready to serve, even when it requires sacrifice. Don’t wait for a better time to follow and serve Jesus—he is calling you now.

9:61-62 A third person approached and this one, like the first, expressed his desire to follow Jesus. However, this man also had something he wanted to do first. Jesus ascertained in this potential follower a sense of reluctance and an unfortunate willingness to put something else ahead of following Jesus. This was not the type of follower Jesus needed.

The picture of a person putting a hand to the plow and looking back can be compared with Elijah’s call of Elisha in 1 Kings 19:19-21. Elisha was called to be a prophet right in the middle of plowing a field—and he never looked back. In fact, he slaughtered the oxen so that there would be no temptation to return. Elisha then moved wholeheartedly into the ministry to which he had been called. Jesus explained that service in the Kingdom of God was of such vital importance that his followers must make it their top priority. They must step out in faith to serve him, without looking back.

What does Jesus want from his followers? Total dedication, not halfhearted commitment. His followers must accept the cross along with the crown, judgment as well as mercy. They must count the cost and be willing to abandon everything else that has given them security. Nothing should distract them from service for the Kingdom

Until tomorrow, Darrell

Sources: Life Application Bible Commentary, Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary

For more information about The Ridge Fellowship or Darrell Koop go to www.ridgefellowship.com

More good stuff today in Luke 8!   I enjoyed seeing the importance of a certain group of women to Jesus.  The parable of the soils is always very thought provoking.  I am challenged as Jesus describes his true family.  He shows his power over nature by calming a storm. What a sight when the demons are removed from a poor guy into a herd of pigs!   It’s amazing that a woman gets healed just by touching Jesus’ clothing and that he raises another person from the dead!  

 Thanks for spending this time with Jesus each day. I pray that you are moved and convicted as I have been.  As you read today’s chapter you may have a question, the commentary provided here is a good place to look for answers and further discussion.  Please use what is necessary for your understanding and study.  

 The Life Application sections are throughout.  I always enjoy the insights from them.  I hope you will too.  

Women Accompany Jesus and the Disciples / 8:1-3

 In a culture where women played invisible roles, the fact that Luke mentioned the support of three women and highlighted a number of women in his Gospel indicates the interest Luke took in showing how women were involved in Jesus’ ministry.

8:1-3 Jesus continued his mission to announce the Good News concerning the Kingdom of God (see 4:43; 7:22). The twelve disciples (named in 6:13-16) traveled with him—Jesus poured much of his ministry into them. As Jesus traveled and preached the Good News, he was also training the Twelve, preparing them for future ministry. The picture of women traveling with Jesus and his disciples would have been completely uncharacteristic of rabbis in ancient times. Rabbis refused to teach women because they were generally considered to be inferior. Jesus, however, lifted women up from degradation and servitude to the joy of fellowship and service. By allowing these women to travel with him, Jesus was showing that all people are equal under God. These women supported Jesus’ ministry with their own money. They owed a great debt to him because he had healed some of them and had cast out evil spirits from others.

Mary Magdalene was from a town called Magdala or Magadan (see Matthew 15:39). Jesus had cast out seven demons from her. The number of demons indicates the severity of the possession from which Jesus freed her. Mary stayed at the cross, went to the tomb, and was the first person to see the resurrected Christ (24:10; Mark 15:40, 47; 16:1, 9; John 19:25; 20:1, 18).

Joanna was the wife of Chuza, who was Herod’s business manager (or steward). He may have been in charge of one of Herod Antipas’s estates. Joanna is also mentioned in 24:10 as one of the women, along with Mary Magdalene, who told the disciples the news of Jesus’ resurrection. Otherwise, nothing else is known of her; Joanna’s husband is mentioned only here. Perhaps Luke’s Gentile readers knew of this man and the exact nature of the office that he held. Susanna is found nowhere else in Scripture, and nothing is known about her. Perhaps Luke highlighted these three women because they would have been known to his readers.

Besides these women there were many others who were contributing from their own resources to support Jesus and his disciples. This provides an insight into how Jesus and his disciples met their basic needs. John 13:29 reveals that Jesus and the disciples had a common pool of money from which they bought food and gave to the poor, and that Judas Iscariot acted as treasurer. This passage tells the origin of that pool of money. People, like the women listed here, gave money to Jesus and the disciples out of gratefulness for what Jesus had done for them.

• LIFE APPLICATION-NO RESPECTOR OF SEX OR CLASS
• Luke’s Gospel in particular highlights the positive role that women played in Jesus’ public ministry. Jesus showed women great respect and compassion, as he did others who were oppressed and downtrodden. When you meet those who are different than you—minorities, people of different economic levels, members of the opposite sex—show them the same dignity and compassion Jesus did.

Jesus Tells the Parable of the Four Soils / 8:4-8

Jesus began teaching in parables to get his listeners to think. These parables hid the truth from those who had their minds made up, having already chosen to reject Jesus. Yet those who truly wanted to know Jesus could listen carefully and learn more about the Kingdom of God.

8:4 Jesus often communicated spiritual truth through short stories or descriptions that take a familiar object or situation and give it a startling new twist—often called “parables.” Jesus’ parables compelled listeners to discover the truth for themselves, and they concealed the truth from those too lazy or dull to understand.

8:5 In this parable, Jesus used a familiar picture to illustrate an important truth about the Kingdom of Heaven. In ancient times, when a farmer went out to plant some seed, he walked across the field and scattered handfuls of seed from a large bag slung across his shoulders. The farmer scattered the seed liberally—and some seed fell on a footpath. The hard and compacted soil of the path meant that the seed did not sink into the ground and so it sat on top where it was stepped on and where the birds came and ate it. In 8:12 Jesus explains that the devil comes and takes away the gospel message from hard hearts so that those people cannot hear or be saved.

Jesus was speaking to the crowds about the Kingdom, explaining through this parable that the religious leaders’ rejection of the Messiah did not change the truth. Jesus and the gospel were truth; there was no problem with them as there was no problem with the farmer or his seed. The only variable was the land (or the hearts) where the seed (the message) fell.

• LIFE APPLICATION – FOR THE UNRECEPTIVE?
• In this story of the farmer and the seed, the farmer sows the seed on all kinds of soil, seemingly indiscriminately. No wise farmer would sow seed in thorns or on a path. Is he simply careless, wasteful, or perhaps unskilled? No—the farmer knows that some of the soil is unproductive, but he willingly scatters the seed on it anyway. God is like this farmer, allowing his words and his love to fall on many who will not receive them. And yet he is still willing to pour out his mercies upon them. God knows the high potential of this seed. Believers sometimes tend to pull back from those who are uninterested or even just different—but God doesn’t. Seek to emulate his extravagant love for the seemingly unreceptive.

8:6 Other handfuls of seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The footpath had no soil at all. But on the shallow soil, the seed began to grow. This type of soil was probably found in every farmer’s field—most of the land in Palestine is very rocky, filled with stones of all sizes. Soil on top of rocks traps the moisture so that plants can grow quickly, but the roots cannot go deep. The hot sun then dries up the water, causing the young plant to wither and die for lack of moisture. In 8:13, Jesus explains that those with hearts like this may hear the word and at first receive it with joy. But, like the crowds who followed, when the going gets tough, they fall away.

8:7 Thorns rob sprouts of nutrition, water, light, and space. Thus, when the thorns grew (weeds grow faster than wheat), the good seed was choked out and could not grow to maturity. In 8:14, Jesus explains that those with “thorny” hearts may receive the message, but then find it choked out by life’s worries and attractions.

• LIFE APPLICATION – SPREAD THE MESSAGE
• The farmer is using the acceptable method of hand-seeding a large field—tossing it by handfuls as he walks through the field. His goal is to get as much seed as possible to take root in good soil, but there is inevitable waste as some falls or is blown into less productive areas. That some of the seed produced no crop was not the fault of the faithful farmer or of the seed. The yield depended on the condition of the soil where the seed fell. It is the believers’ responsibility to spread the seed (God’s message), but they should not give up when some of their efforts fail. Remember, not every seed falls on good soil.

8:8 Some seed may be lost, but other seed fell on fertile soil. This soil had been plowed by the farmer and the seed had ample sunlight, depth, and moisture to be able to grow. The seed produced a crop one hundred times as much as had been planted. Normal yield for good seed would be seven- to ten-fold. Any farmer would be overjoyed at such a tremendous yield, for it would mean even more seed to plant and harvest during the next year. In 8:15 Jesus explains that “fertile soil” people are those disciples who hear the word, hold on to it, and share it with others.

Jesus understood that not everyone who heard him speak would listen and understand, referring to a different kind of hearing, a deep listening with the mind and heart that opens a person to spiritual understanding. Jesus’ words, like the farmer’s seed, fell on various types of hearts.

 Jesus Explains the Parable of the Four Soils / 8:9-18

 The meaning of the parable of the four soils reinforces Jesus’ differentiation between those who are given the secrets of the Kingdom and those who are not. The secrets of God’s Kingdom are for those whom God has prepared.

8:9-10 This explanation probably occurred after Jesus and the disciples were away from the crowd. “Disciples” here probably refers to the Twelve and other true followers, such as the women described in 8:1-3. As soon as they were alone with Jesus, his followers asked him what the story (told in 8:4-8) meant. Jesus’ stories were not always easy to understand, even to those closest to Jesus. The disciples may have thought that they should have understood the story without an explanation.

Jesus explained first that understanding of the secrets of the Kingdom of God comes as a gift to those he has chosen. That this knowledge is permitted reveals God’s sovereignty. The word translated “secrets” refers to the “hidden” revelation of God, given to his true people at the proper time. The Kingdom of God was like an unknown secret to the prophets of the Old Testament—they wrote about it, but they did not understand it (as Romans 16:25-26 explains). The believers received spiritual insight that illuminated the secret so that it was no longer a mystery to them.

The parables allowed Jesus to give spiritual food to those who hungered for it. Isaiah’s prophecy explains the situation of the outsiders. God told Isaiah that people would hear without understanding, and see without perceiving (Isaiah 6:9). That kind of reaction confronted Jesus. By quoting the prophet Isaiah, Jesus was telling his inner group of followers that the crowd resembled the Israelites about whom Isaiah had written. God had told Isaiah that the people would listen but not learn from his message because their hearts had hardened beyond repentance. Yet God still sent Isaiah with the message because, even though the nation itself would not repent and would reap judgment, some individuals would listen. Jesus came to the Israelites hundreds of years after Isaiah, but the words to Isaiah still applied. Most would not repent because their hearts were hardened; but a few would listen, turn from their sins, and believe.

• LIFE APPLICATION- HARD SOIL, HARDER HEARTS
• Have you ever had the experience of trying to explain your faith in Christ to another person, only to have that person look at you as though you were from some other planet? You may not have communicated very clearly what Jesus means to you. Or perhaps the other person’s heart was too hard to allow your words to penetrate. Jesus said that some people’s hearts are like a packed-down, foot-trampled path, too hard to let God’s Word take root. Satan has great success with those who refuse to listen. Prayerfully wait until you sense a more opportune time—perhaps when life has softened these hearts a bit more through suffering, loss, or even great blessing.

8:11-12 Jesus’ closest followers may not have immediately understood the meaning of his parable, but that did not mean they were hard-hearted. Jesus explained that the seed that the farmer sowed represents God’s message to the people—the Good News of the Kingdom. The seed that fell on the hard path represents those, like the religious leaders, who hear, but the message cannot penetrate their hearts. The element of spiritual warfare is revealed here because the Devil himself comes and steals the message and prevents them from believing and being saved. “Footpath” people, like many of the religious leaders, refused to believe God’s message. Satan locked their minds and hearts and threw away the key. Though not beyond God’s reach, their hardness will make it very difficult for them to ever believe.

8:13 Those who are like rocky soil are those who hear the message with joy. These people believe for a while, but Jesus explains that their roots don’t go very deep, so when difficulty comes, they fall away.

• LIFE APPLICATION-SOLID OR SHALLOW?
• If you come to Jesus simply expecting him to solve your problems or make your life more enjoyable—you have bought into a very watered-down imitation of Christianity.
• It is why some people latch on to the gospel with great enthusiasm at first, only to bail out when the initial excitement wears off. They are the people whose hearts are like the rocky soil, more shallow than solid. Is your faith the kind that will stand when “the thrill is gone”? Ask God to help you grow.

8:14 The same seed also fell in the thorny ground. These people hear and accept the message. But as they go on their way, the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. These distractions and conflicts rob new believers of growth—they do not spend time in God’s word or with God’s people. So even though the seed has grown, it can never grow into maturity. Daily routines overcrowd and materialistic pursuits distract them, choking out God’s word so that it yields nothing.

• LIFE APPLICATION- SEEDS AND WEEDS
• An old story says that Satan called in one of his most effective demons for a chat. This demon had personally overseen the ruin of thousands upon thousands of souls. “What’s your secret, little brother?” asked Satan. “I tell them to get serious about God,” replied the demon. “I tell them they need to open their hearts to Christ. I tell them to repent of their sins and follow Jesus.”   “You tell them what?!?” exploded Satan
•  “I tell them they need to do all these things . . . tomorrow,” he answered with a sly grin.
• Take a moment and consider what seems so important to you right now. The things you work day and night for, the goals you try to attain—how meaningful are they in the context of eternity? Are they truly important, or are they merely “weeds” that choke out the priorities that really matter?

8:15 Of course, some of the seed falls on good soil or the farmer would not plant in that area at all. Good soil can be found—hearts open to the gospel message wherever the seed of God’s word is sown. Those with hearts like “good soil” are those who hear God’s message, cling to it, and steadily produce a huge harvest. These people have truly believed and are willing to let Jesus make a difference in their lives. Because of this, they also “produce a harvest” because they are willing to share what Jesus has done for them.

Sometimes people’s lives can represent several different types of soil at once. A person may react like good soil to God’s teaching regarding one part of life, but be “thorny” in another area. Believers are called to be like “good soil” all the time in all areas of life. Then God can continue to teach them, they can continue to mature, and they can share the message with others.

• LIFE APPLICATION-  GOOD SOIL
• By now the point to Jesus’ parable should be apparent. The seed is the gospel, the Word of God; the sower is Jesus, or those who represent him; the various kinds of soils are people’s hearts. How can the type of soil in someone’s heart be identified? By the fruit produced. There’s no faking this.  

*What are you producing? Is your life more like Christ with the passing of time? Do you reach others for him or care about reaching others?

 8:16 These listeners would have understood Jesus’ refere nce to a lamp as being a lighted wick in a clay bowl that was full of oil. It would be ludicrous to light a lamp and then cover it up or put it under a bed. A lit lamp is meant to light up the room.

8:17 Although the truth may be hidden or kept secret for a while, it will not remain so. One day the truth will be brought to light and made plain to all. Jesus was speaking of the days of his ministry as the time of using parables and being rejected by many. The time of revelation and coming to light could refer either to Jesus’ resurrection and ascension (when his followers would fully understand his words) or the Second Coming. Jesus’ followers did not understand everything about Jesus at that time, but one day all their questions would be answered.

• LIFE APPLICATION – LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE
• When the light of the truth about Jesus illuminates a person, it is his or her duty to shine that light to help others. Witness for Christ should be public, not hidden. Believers should not keep the benefits for themselves, but pass them on to others. To hide the truth is foolish and unproductive. We must not blend so well with our non-Christian friends and neighbors that our faith remains invisible to them. In order to be helpful, believers should be well placed. Take Christ’s light out into the world. Seek opportunities to be available when unbelievers need help. Seek ways to let your light shine so that others may see it.

8:18 Because the teachings in the parables were so important for his followers to understand, Jesus warned them to pay attention. They needed to listen with understanding and then apply what Jesus said to their daily lives. To the people who listen and understand, more understanding will be given because their openness and perception of the Kingdom message will bring great rewards. They will continue to grow because they let God’s word make a difference in their lives. Ultimately, of course, they will receive eternal blessings.

Those who are not listening will lose whatever they had—it will be taken away. Jesus’ words here may have been directed to the Jews who had no understanding of Jesus and would lose even what they had—that is, their privileged status as God’s people. Or Jesus might have meant that when people reject him, their hardness of heart drives away or renders useless even the little understanding they had.

 Jesus Describes His True Family / 8:19-21

Jesus’ proverbial remark, that his true family members are those who listen to God’s word and obey it, reinforces the point of the preceding sections (8:8, 15, 18).

8:19-20 Jesus’ mother was Mary (1:30-31), and his brothers were the other children Mary and Joseph had after Jesus was born (see also Mark 6:3-4). According to Mark, the reason Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him was because they thought he was out of his mind (Mark 3:21). His mother and brothers couldn’t get to him because of the crowds. Apparently Mary had gathered her family, and they had gone to find Jesus. Mary was hoping to use her personal relationship with Jesus to influence him. Standing at the edge of the crowd, Mary and the brothers relayed a message to Jesus. They thought that because of their relationship with him, he would make his way out to see them.

8:21 Jesus respectfully declined his family’s request.   He was not severing ties with his earthly family. Through this incident, Jesus gave another lesson to his followers by explaining that spiritual relationships are as binding as physical ones. This would be the basis for the new community that Jesus was building—his disciples.  Therefore, Jesus told them that his mother and brothers, that is, those closest to him, are all those who hear the message of God and obey it. Jesus offers people an intimate family relationship with him.

• LIFE APPLICATION – FAMILY TIES
• What comes to mind when you hear the word “family”? For many, the word recalls happy memories. For others, the associations aren’t so pleasant. Whatever your biological family is like, following Jesus means that you are part of the worldwide family of God. This family isn’t perfect; brothers and sisters in Christ have their rough edges and idiosyncrasies. But it should give great comfort to know that this family, with God the Father as the head, God the Son as the elder brother, and God the Holy Spirit as the “family tie,” will one day be perfected together. Until then, believers must try to keep family squabbles under control, lest they reflect badly on the Father who loved them enough to make them his adopted children.

The types of people who can have a relationship with Christ are those who do the Father’s will. They listen, learn, believe, and follow.

Obedience is the key to being part of God’s family. Knowledge is not enough—the religious leaders had that and still missed Jesus.  Hanging around is not enough—the crowd did that but still didn’t understand who Jesus was. Those who believe are brought into a family. In these words, Jesus was explaining that in his spiritual family, relationships are ultimately more important and longer-lasting than those formed in one’s physical family.

• LIFE APPLICATION -GROW
• Jesus encouraged his disciples to pay close attention to his words. Applying God’s Word helps believers grow. A muscle, when exercised, will grow stronger, but an unused muscle will grow weak and flabby. If you are not growing stronger, you are growing weaker; it is impossible for you to stand still. How are you using what God has taught you?

Jesus Calms the Storm / 8:22-25

Following a section emphasizing obedience and faith in God’s word, Luke placed a powerful demonstration of Jesus’ supernatural power. Only God controls nature (Psalm 107:23-32), and here Jesus demonstrated his complete control over the wind and the sea, leaving his disciples thoroughly dumbfounded.

8:22 Jesus asked his disciples to cross over to the other side of the lake. Capernaum sat on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee (also called a “lake” because it is inland). So Jesus and the disciples got into a boat (perhaps Peter’s fishing boat) and began to cross to the eastern shore. Jesus’ ministry was never without purpose. He was crossing the lake in order to enter a new area of ministry. Along the way, the disciples would be taught an unforgettable lesson about his power.

8:23 Mark explained that it was evening when they finally set sail (Mark 4:35). Setting sail in the evening was not unusual because Peter was used to fishing at night (see John 21:3). As the boat set out, Jesus fell asleep.

That a fierce storm developed was not necessarily unusual. The Sea of Galilee is relatively small (13 miles long, 7 miles wide), 150 feet deep, and the shoreline is 680 feet below sea level. Storms appear suddenly over the surrounding mountains, stirring the water into violent twenty-foot waves. The disciples had not foolishly set out in a storm. They usually did not encounter storms at night and did not see this one coming. Even though several of these men were experienced fishermen and knew how to handle a boat, they had been caught without warning by this squall and they were in real danger.

• LIFE APPLICATION  STORM-READY FAITH
• Almost anyone can sail a boat across a calm, glassy lake. But the Sea of Galilee was known for its sudden, fierce squalls. Several of the disciples were fishermen who had spent their lives on and around it, and they knew it could be treacherous. Still, they probably felt confident enough in transporting Jesus from one side to the other . . . until the wind and the waves knocked the courage out of them. It is easy to criticize the disciples for not trusting their Master at that point, but would your faith handle a seemingly life-threatening situation any better? Those crises will come; it’s not a matter of if, but when. Is your faith ready for the storm? Resolve now that by God’s grace, you will trust in him, not just when it’s easy, but all the time.

8:24 The disciples were in great danger, so they went to Jesus, waking him to tell him that they were all going to drown! Jesus rebuked the wind and the raging waves. The verb “rebuked” may indicate that there was an evil force behind the storm because the Greek words are the same as Jesus used when he told the demons to be silent. With his rebuke, the storm stopped and all was calm.

8:25 Jesus’ words to the disciples, floating in their boat on the now-quiet sea, were simply, “Where is your faith?” They ought not to have been afraid—they were with Jesus. They had seen him heal people, but power over a furious storm may not have crossed their minds. But they should have readily made the connection and have come to Jesus in faith, not in fear. This demonstration of power filled them with awe and amazement.

They asked the question to which they should have known the answer, “Who is this man?” This miracle clearly displayed Jesus’ divine identity. Yet despite all that they had seen and heard thus far, and despite their love for Jesus, they still did not grasp that he was himself God, and thus had power and authority over all of creation.

• LIFE APPLICATION- WHO’S IN CHARGE?
• All people want to be in control of their lives and circumstances. If they are in good health, making enough money to pay the bills, and their loved ones are happy and safe, people can sometimes feel as though they really are in charge of their destinies. And then . . . something happens that is totally beyond their control—an illness, an accident, a natural disaster, financial reversal—and they realize that any such notion of being in command is at best a fleeting illusion.

What should believers do in a crisis? They should do what the disciples did: go to Jesus. He may not always “calm the storm” as he did for them, but he is in control. Christ is Lord over everything—including nature, life, finances, and all circumstances. Are there areas of your life you are trying to handle without him? Learn a lesson from a bunch of frightened fishermen: submit everything to him. He can handle it better than you can.

Jesus Sends the Demons into a Herd of Pigs / 8:26-39

The elements of nature and the evil beings of the spiritual world do not ignore Jesus’ command, but people do. The Pharisees rejected God’s plan (7:30), and the Gerasenes were more concerned about the economic loss of a herd of pigs. But all was not lost, for the man who had been liberated from the clutches of demons listened—intently. His soul was the “good soil” about which Jesus had spoken. Knowing this, Jesus commanded this man to stay in this Gentile region, testifying to God’s goodness and producing an abundant harvest of faith.

8:26 After Jesus had calmed the storm, the boat arrived at its intended destination, for Jesus wanted to go to the land of the Gerasenes. This region was across the lake from Galilee, a Gentile region probably southeast of the Sea of Galilee, home of the Decapolis, or the Ten Cities. These were Greek cities that belonged to no country and were self-governing. This was Gentile territory (there would not have been a herd of pigs in Jewish territory, for Jews considered pigs to be unclean, see 8:32 and Leviticus 11:7) and that Jesus had planned to go there. Luke would want to show his readers Jesus’ desire to go into Gentile territory with his message.

8:27 As soon as Jesus was climbing out of the boat, he met with demonic opposition. A man came out to meet him, but not as a welcoming party, for he was possessed by demons who probably wanted to scare away Jesus and the disciples.

A demon-possessed person lived in isolation and agony. This man was homeless. (Mark’s Gospel describes him as uncontrollable, so he could not live anywhere, see Mark 5:3-5.) He was naked and lived in a cemetery. In those days it was common for cemeteries to have many tombs carved into the hillside, making cave-like mausoleums. There was enough room for a person to live in such tombs. Finally, the text says that he had been in this condition for a long time.

8:28-29 The demons saw Jesus and recognized him and his authority immediately. So the demons caused the man to fall down before Jesus, not in worship but in grudging submission to Jesus’ superiority. The man shrieked, and demanded, “Why are you bothering me?” Such a question shows the demons’ ultimate rebellion. Jesus and the demons were as far separated as anything could be. Jesus’ purpose was to heal and give life; the demons’ purpose was to kill and destroy. The demon used Jesus’ divine name, Jesus, Son of the Most High God and begged Jesus saying, “Don’t torture me!” Demons recognize Jesus, understand who he is, know his power, and also seem to know their ultimate fate. Jesus has the power to “torture” them (see also 8:31). Their “torture” will be no more than the consequences for the rebellion (see Revelation 20:10).

Jesus had already commanded the evil spirit to come out of him. The power of the demon is revealed in that when the man was shackled with chains, he simply broke them. Although Satan is not as powerful as God, for he is a created being, he still exerts great power over this world. Satan’s demons (there were more than one in this man) could cause this man to break iron shackles that were intended to hold him. Then the demons would drive him into the wilderness. Finally, the story also shows Satan’s cruelty. For all that Satan might promise (see what he wanted to give Jesus, 4:6), he is a cruel and ruthless master. Those under his control face complete ruin under a master bent on destroying even those who serve him.

 8:30 Whether Jesus was asking this poor man for his name or asking the demon for its name is uncertain. But the demon answered, saying that its name was Legion. A “legion” was the largest unit in the Roman army, having between three thousand and six thousand soldiers. Thus this man was filled with many demons.

 8:31 The demons undoubtedly knew that Jesus planned to free their prisoner. Their concern at this point was where Jesus would send them. They knew where they did not want to go. They also knew that they had no power over Jesus and would have to submit to him. When the demons realized that they were face-to-face with Jesus himself, they begged Jesus not to send them into the Bottomless Pit. Also mentioned in Revelation 9:1 and 20:1-3, the Bottomless Pit is the place of confinement for Satan and his demons.

Why didn’t Jesus just destroy these demons—or send them far away? Matthew 8:29 says that the demons asked not to be sent to the Bottomless Pit before the appointed time. They knew their ultimate fate, but the time for such work had not yet come. The same question could be asked today—why doesn’t Jesus stop all the evil in the world? His time for that has not yet come. But it will come. The book of Revelation portrays the future victory of Jesus over Satan, his demons, and all evil.

8:32-33 The Gospel of Mark reports that this large herd of pigs numbered about two thousand (Mark 5:13). The demons pled with Jesus to let them enter into the pigs, so Jesus gave them permission. Satan has no final authority but can do only what God “permits” for the short time that he is allowed to be “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4). Why Jesus gave them permission is as uncertain as why the demons wanted to enter the pigs. While Jesus could have sent them away, he did not do so because the time for final judgment had not yet come. Yet it is clear from this story that Jesus valued this one man far more than any number of pigs. The demons’ ultimate destructive intent cannot be missed in the picture of the whole herd (about two thousand pigs!) running headlong down the steep hillside into the lake, where they drowned.

• LIFE APPLICATION – AUTHORITY
•  One insight should be very clear: Jesus has authority over unclean spirits, pigs, people, and everything else. He didn’t ask permission of the pigs’ owner before allowing his herd to be destroyed because he didn’t need to. Jesus is Lord over all, whether people acknowledge his authority or not. You may never be confronted by a person possessed by a legion of demons, but you do have to face the daily struggle of submitting your will to God. What “unclean” areas in your life do you need to let him clean up or clean out? Take some time in prayer to let him point them out to you, and then ask his help to change.

8:34 The herdsmen on the hill, responsible for the safety of the pigs, were astounded when their herd suddenly ran away, down the hill, and into the Sea of Galilee. Terrified, surprised, and afraid that they would somehow be blamed for the disaster, they fled to the nearby city and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. Certainly those who heard the news had to go and see for themselves, so a crowd soon surrounded Jesus, the disciples, and the newly freed man.

8:35 One would think that the people would have rejoiced that this man who had terrorized them for so long had been completely cured. But their response was quite different. They did not respond in joy or relief or welcome—instead, the whole crowd was afraid.

8:36-37 There could be no mistaking it, the demon-possessed man had been healed. But the people, overcome with fear told Jesus that they wanted him to leave. If they were afraid because of the loss of their livestock, it was foolish for them to value possessions, investments, and even animals above human life. Unfortunately for them, Jesus did as they asked—returned to the boat and left. And there is no biblical record that he ever returned. Sometimes the worst that can happen is for Jesus to answer a poorly considered request.

• LIFE APPLICATION – A MATTER OF PRIORITIES
• Unbelievable! Jesus healed a man possessed by demons, and the local people asked Jesus to go away. Why? Whatever the reason, the people were obviously afraid of Jesus and his ability to upset the status quo. How typical. Have you ever heard someone in your church say (or said yourself),
• “I’m glad the church has a heart for evangelism, but all these new people make me uncomfortable.”
• “Why do we need to sing these new songs? The old hymns are good enough for me.”
• “My last church or pastor didn’t do that. . . .”
• If so, you or your church may be unknowingly following in the footsteps of the people of the Gerasenes. Beware of letting your personal preferences or your attachment to the status quo take priority over Jesus and his work in people’s lives.

8:38-39 While the townspeople wanted Jesus gone, the formerly possessed man begged to go with Jesus, meaning that he wanted to become one of Jesus’ followers. Jesus had other plans for him, saying, “No, go back to your family and tell them all the wonderful things God has done for you.” This man would be returning to his home in a Gentile region. Jesus knew that this man would be an effective witness to those who remembered his previous condition and could attest to the miraculous healing. Through him, Jesus’ ministry would expand into this Gentile area. Jesus would not remain in the region, but he did not leave himself without a witness, for this man went all through the city telling about the great thing Jesus had done for him. The Gentiles may have sent Jesus away, but they could not send away his message or the irrefutable miracle evidenced by this healed man. Luke’s Gentile audience would have been glad to know that although Jesus had been sent away from this Gentile region, Jesus still had compassion and a desire for their salvation by leaving behind this man to be his witness.

•  LIFE APPLICATION – “GO BACK”
• Often Jesus asked those he healed to be quiet about the healing, but he urged this man to return to his family and tell what God had done for him. Why the difference?
•  Jesus knew the man would be an effective witness to those who knew his previous condition and could attest to the miraculous healing.
• Jesus wanted to expand his ministry by introducing his message into this Gentile area.
• Jesus knew that the Gentiles, since they were not expecting a Messiah, would not divert his ministry by trying to crown him king.
• When God touches your life, share the wonderful events with your family and friends.

Jesus Heals a Bleeding Woman and Restores a Girl to Life / 8:40-56

In this passage, Jesus took the timid faith of a woman and transformed her into a powerful, public testimony of him. Then he gently encouraged the grief-stricken Jairus to believe in him.

8:40-42 Jesus returned across the Sea of Galilee, back to Jewish territory, probably landing at Capernaum. In contrast to the crowd on the eastern shore that had asked him to leave, here the crowds received Jesus with open arms. A man in the crowd had apparently been waiting for Jesus to return. Jairus was a leader of the local synagogue. The synagogue was the local center of worship, and Jairus was a lay person elected as one of the leaders. The leaders were responsible for supervising worship services, caring for the scrolls, running the daily school, keeping the congregation faithful to the law, distributing alms, administering the care of the building, and finding rabbis to teach on the Sabbath.

•  LIFE APPLICATION- DESPERATE FAITH
• Would a respected leader of some mainline denomination—Southern Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian—go to a tent pitched on the outskirts of town and ask for help from a traveling faith healer? Not likely. But if that respected person’s son or daughter were dying and conventional medicine had been ineffective, then he or she might consider something unconventional. That’s the situation in which Jairus, leader of the local synagogue, found himself when Jesus came to town. Jesus was an itinerant preacher from lowly Nazareth, a nobody from nowhere. But Jairus was a desperate man, and his desperation drove him to ask for help from this unlikely person. What is the great need or fear in your life? Are you desperate enough to do something radical or unconventional about it? Then take it to Jesus, just as Jairus did, and let him meet you at the point of your need.

Despite his status, Jairus came and fell down at Jesus’ feet, begging him to come home with him. This would have been an unusual scene, but Jairus was desperate because his only child was dying, a little girl twelve years old. Jairus’s position as a loving father overshadowed his position as a leader. He put aside any concern for himself and went directly to the man who had healed so many (perhaps even in his own synagogue, 6:6-11). Jesus went with Jairus; as usual, the crowds went along.

8:43-44 One woman also had been awaiting Jesus’ return. Perhaps she had hoped to reach out to him when he came back and thus be healed. But Jairus got to Jesus first, and now they were walking away from her. Perhaps she thought this would be her only chance—she might not be able to talk to Jesus, but she knew she wanted to be healed.

Luke, the physician, wrote that the woman had had a hemorrhage for twelve years. Many doctors had tried to cure her, but with no success (Mark 5:26). The bleeding caused the woman to be in a constant condition of ceremonial uncleanness (see Leviticus 15:25-33). She could not worship in the synagogue, and she could not have normal social relationships, for under Jewish law, anyone who touched her also would become unclean. Thus, the woman had been treated almost as severely as a leper. That she was in the crowd at all was a courageous move on her part. If all those people bumping against her in the crowd had known her condition, she would have been in for some rough treatment.

Nevertheless, she also desperately needed Jesus. So she pressed her way through the crowd, came up behind Jesus and touched the fringe of his robe for she believed, as did many people, that the clothes of a holy man imparted spiritual and healing power (see Mark 6:56; Acts 19:11-12). She may also have feared that Jesus would not touch her if he knew her condition because she would make him unclean. And she certainly did not want the pressing crowd to know that she had ventured among them. So she hoped to touch Jesus and then get away as unobtrusively as possible. The moment that she touched Jesus, the bleeding stopped. Immediately her pain was gone and she knew that she was healed.

•  LIFE APPLICATION – RELEASE THE POWER
• Many people were surrounding Jesus as he made his way toward Jairus’s house. It was virtually impossible to get through the multitude, but one woman fought her way desperately through the crowd in order to touch Jesus. As soon as she did so, she was healed. What a difference there is between the crowds that are curious about Jesus and the few who reach out and touch him! Today, many people are vaguely familiar with Jesus, but nothing in their lives is changed or bettered by this passing acquaintance. It is only faith that releases God’s healing power. Jesus must be more than a curiosity. Reach out to him in faith, knowing that his mercy will bring healing to your body, soul, and spirit.

8:45 The woman had hoped to disappear into the crowd. But Jesus knew about the healing the moment it happened. He asked the seemingly absurd question, “Who touched me?” While the whole crowd had been pressing up against him, no one close by had deliberately touched him. It wasn’t that Jesus didn’t know who had touched him. He wanted the woman to step forward and identify herself. Jesus wanted to teach her that his cloak did not contain magical properties, but that her faith in him had healed her.

8:46 Jesus persisted. He stopped the entire crowd, determined to find out who touched him. Jesus was talking about a different kind of touch—not the press of a person in the crowd but the deliberate touch of someone who wanted to be healed. Jesus knew it because power had gone out from him.

8:47 The woman realized that to try to slip away at that point would have been impossible. The woman came forward, trembling, and fell down before Jesus. She explained to the crowd why she had touched him. This was not a simple act—for she would have to explain how she—unclean and filled with a dreadful disease—had come in among the crowd, had reached out and touched a man (a rabbi) in her unclean state, and had hoped to slip away. All these were huge infractions of social laws and would have probably been grounds for anger from any other rabbi and any other crowd. But this was no ordinary rabbi, for she also explained that when she had touched Jesus, she had been immediately healed.

• LIFE APPLICATION – DON’T WAIT
• Just as it was most unusual for a synagogue official to seek out a wandering rabbi, it was most inappropriate according to Jewish custom for a woman subject to bleeding to touch a man (see Leviticus 15:19-28). But if you had been seriously ill for twelve years with a disease that doctors could not cure, you might set aside such protocol as well. That’s what this woman did. She put aside her pride, fear, and hopelessness and pushed her way through the crowd until she could touch Jesus. Would you have done that? Or would you have let doubt or vanity or worry over what others might think keep you back? Don’t wait until you’re desperate to take your problems to Jesus. Overcome your fear of what others might say and take your stand for him.

8:48 The woman may have been afraid of an angry backlash for her actions, but Jesus spoke to her in gentle words. She came for healing and received it, but she also received a relationship and peace with God himself because of her faith. Jesus explained that it was not his clothing that had healed her; rather, her faith in reaching out to the one Person who could heal her had allowed that healing to take place. Not only did the woman have faith, but she had also placed her faith in the right person.

The words “Go in peace” are more literally, “Go into peace.” With this healing, Jesus gave this woman her life. Her cure was permanent. Jesus wished her peace of both body and soul—renewed health for her body and eternal salvation for her soul.

8:49 During this interval, Jairus had been waiting. Jesus was still speaking to this woman who had interrupted his walk to Jairus’s house when a messenger arrived. What Jairus feared most had happened. His dear little girl had died. It was too late for the Teacher to heal her, so there was no longer any reason to bring Jesus to his home. Apparently Jairus hadn’t heard that Jesus could raise the dead (7:11-15)—or perhaps he thought it would be too much to ask.

8:50 Upon hearing the news, Jairus surely reacted in great sorrow. It seemed that the delay had been too long, and it was now too late. But Jesus turned to the grieving man and said, “Don’t be afraid. Just trust me.” In the presence of Jairus, the woman had been commended for her faith. Here in the presence of the woman, Jairus was told to have faith. He had believed that Jesus could heal his daughter; Jesus wanted him to continue to believe that his daughter would be all right. The fact that the daughter had died did not change anything for Jesus.

• LIFE APPLICATION – BELIEVING THE IMPOSSIBLE
• Anyone with a child or children can readily put himself or herself emotionally in Jairus’s place. His daughter, his only beloved daughter, had died while they were on the way home. Luke did not write this, but the poor man probably wept and cried out in his grief—the deepest, most painful grief anyone can experience. To a man in this kind of intense pain and anguish in his soul, Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” Again, Luke didn’t record Jairus’s reaction to these words, but Jairus must have had at least some flicker of hope because he did complete his mission in bringing Jesus to his house. When you experience intense grief over the loss of a loved one, breakup of a marriage, loss of a job, or rejection of a close friend, don’t abandon hope. Don’t turn away from the one Person who can help you. Do what Jairus did, and cling to the hope found only in our resurrected Lord, the one with power over life and death.

8:51 Apparently Jairus did continue to believe, for he led Jesus the rest of the way to his house. The crowd still followed, perhaps all the more curious wondering what Jesus would do in this seemingly impossible situation. When they arrived at the house, however, Jesus took control and made everyone stay outside. The only people who entered with him were Peter, James, John, and the child’s parents. These three particular disciples had become Jesus’ inner circle to whom he gave special teaching and consideration (they were the only ones to see his transfiguration, see Matthew 17:1; also Mark 13:3; 14:33).

8:52-53 The house full of people probably included relatives and neighbors, as well as professional mourners who may have already arrived. Lack of weeping and wailing was the ultimate disgrace and disrespect. Jairus, the leader of the synagogue, was an important person in the town. Thus, at the death of his only daughter, the townspeople demonstrated their great love and respect by their intense grief. Yet their weeping turned to derisive laughter at Jesus’ words that the girl was not dead, only asleep. She was indeed dead, but Jesus would bring her back to life, as if awakening her from sleep. Jesus used the image of sleep to indicate that the girl’s condition was temporary and that she would be restored. For Jesus, death is nothing more than sleep, for he has power and authority over death.

8:54-55 Again Jesus went against all ceremonial law and took the dead girl by the hand. Touching a dead body would make a person unclean, but Jesus often would go past such laws in order to show compassion on those in need. He could have raised the girl without touching her (as he did Lazarus, John 11:43-44), but in this case, he chose to take her hand. Jesus’ words were simple and direct, “Get up, my child!” While Mark recorded the words in Aramaic (Mark 5:41), as Jesus most likely said them, Luke translated for his Gentile audience. With those words, her life returned. She came back well, whole, and able to walk around. She was even well enough to eat, for Jesus gave her parents instructions to give her something to eat.

• LIFE APPLICATION – HOPE THROUGH PAIN
• What is the pain of death? Death is inevitable, so why do people react so powerfully at the loss of a loved one? Death means separation. It means no longer being able to enjoy the presence of the one who has been lost. But Jesus has the power to remove the sting of death. Jesus, who met death head-on and overcame it, assures those who believe in him that they also can overcome. They won’t receive back loved ones who have died, but they can conquer the pain and fear of separation by the sure and certain hope that they will be reunited with the loved ones. Death is inevitable; loss of hope is not. Let hope in Christ answer the pain and heartache when death separates you from a loved one.

8:56 The young girl’s parents were overwhelmed and certainly overjoyed. Jesus told the parents not to tell anyone about their daughter’s healing because he knew that the facts would speak for themselves. Jesus was not attempting to keep this a secret, for the crowd outside was waiting and would see what had happened. Jesus was concerned for his ministry. He probably was asking them to keep to themselves the details of what he had done. He did not want to be known as just a miracle-worker; he wanted people to listen to his words that would heal their broken spiritual lives. Jesus’ mission was to preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God. If crowds descended on him to see dead people raised, they would not be coming with the attitude needed to hear and respond to the gospel.

Until tommorow, Darrell  

Sources: Life Application Bible Commentary, Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary   Note: today I read other commentaries but didn’t find them as clear and helpful as the two listed today. Also this is the longest post so far, fewer verses than chapter one but more commentary, so for the sake of length, I think we’re good.

For more information about The Ridge Fellowship or Darrell Koop go to www.ridgefellowship.com