In this next section Luke gives details about Jesus final journey to Jerusalem: Jerusalem where he will face crucifixion.
Luke 9:1 He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. 2 He sent them out to preach God’s Kingdom and to heal the sick. 3 He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey—no staffs, nor wallet, nor bread, nor money. Don’t have two coats each. 4 Into whatever house you enter, stay there, and depart from there. 5 As many as don’t receive you, when you depart from that city, shake off even the dust from your feet for a testimony against them.”
6 They departed and went throughout the villages, preaching the Good News and healing everywhere. 7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him; and he was very perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, 8 and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again. 9 Herod said, “I beheaded John, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” He sought to see him.
After teaching and training the disciples for three years, Christ sent the disciples ahead of him to announce the Kingdom. They were to prepare the way, preach God’s Kingdom and to heal the sick. Jesus gave the disciples very specific instructions to test their faith: “Take nothing for your journey—no staffs, nor wallet, nor bread, nor money. Don’t have two coats each. 4 Into whatever house you enter, stay there, and depart from there.”
Would you ever go on a journey with only the clothes on your back, with no food or even money to purchase food or lodging?
Christ was teaching his disciples to rely solely upon God and, in so doing, was preparing them for the hardships that they would face after his crucifixion.
Wherever the disciples taught about Christ’s Kingdom the eternal destiny of the people listening to the message was at stake. As many as don’t receive you, when you depart from that city, shake off even the dust from your feet for a testimony against them. Because the Gospel is true, all who hear it are obligated to believe. All who reject the Gospel are morally culpable. Luke will elaborate on this in Luke 10:10-16.
Luke 9:10 The apostles, when they had returned, told him what things they had done. He took them and withdrew apart to a desert region of a city called Bethsaida. 11 But the multitudes, perceiving it, followed him. He welcomed them, spoke to them of God’s Kingdom, and he cured those who needed healing. 12 The day began to wear away; and the twelve came and said to him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding villages and farms, and lodge, and get food, for we are here in a deserted place.”
When the disciples returned from their mission they were not alone. Apparently going across the land as they did, healing the sick and telling of Christ, attracted a multitude of people who followed the disciples back to Christ. Wouldn’t you follow someone who taught the words of life and could cure your every illness? Not counting women and children, there were five thousand men.
Luke 9:13 But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.”
They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we should go and buy food for all these people.” 14 For they were about five thousand men.
He said to his disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 They did so, and made them all sit down. 16 He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to the sky, he blessed them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude. 17 They ate and were all filled. They gathered up twelve baskets of broken pieces that were left over.
At the end of their long day listening to Christ’s teaching, the multitude, the crowd, which numbered in the thousands, was far from home and hungry. Rather than sending them away, Christ instructed his disciples to begin handing out the little food they had on hand, five loaves of bread and two fish. To the amazement of all, everyone was able to eat as much as they wanted, and on top of that, twelve baskets of leftovers were collected.
Christ had just sent the disciples out across the land without any provisions with only the clothes on their backs, and yet their mission was an overwhelming success. Likewise, the multitudes, who followed the disciples back to Christ, arrived without any provisions, and yet Christ provided to overflowing for their needs.
Every Christian is endowed with the power of the Holy Spirit, Luke 24:49 and has their Lord, Jesus Christ, standing before the Father on the Throne of Grace interceding for them. What possible excuse could justify your reluctance to proclaim the good news of the forgiveness of sins and the promise of everlasting life? Don’t you think that if Christ provided manna for ancient Israel in the wilderness and provided bread for the people of Bethsaida, he can provide for all of your needs?
Luke 9:18 As he was praying alone, the disciples were with him, and he asked them, “Who do the multitudes say that I am?”
19 They answered, “‘John the Baptizer,’ but others say, ‘Elijah,’ and others, that one of the old prophets has risen again.”
20 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”
21 But he warned them, and commanded them to tell this to no one, 22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up.”
After the crowds were satisfied and heading home Jesus went off by himself to pray. Upon rejoining the disciples Jesus asked them if they had heard the crowd speculating as to who Jesus really was. And, in fact, they had. Some thought that perhaps Jesus was John the Baptist. Still others guessed that Jesus must be Elijah or one of the other renowned prophets from Israel’s past come back to life to help them through their current economic and political struggle against their Roman occupiers.
These were interesting and understandable answers because, remember, up until that time Jesus had gone to great lengths to keep his identity as the Christ concealed. But Jesus pressed the issue with his disciples: But who do you say that I am?
Be honest this is a question that we have all heard and perhaps all dreaded being asked. Why dreaded? For the most part many in our world do not believe that Jesus is God. In fact some don’t even believe in God. We know, and if we are honest, we fear not being able to articulately answer that question. Or, perhaps, we fear being mocked, excluded, and maybe even losing our social standing or, worse yet, livelihoods for admitting to being followers of Christ.
We are tempted to conform to the world’s expectations when asked, “Who do you say Christ is?” We are ashamed and compromise with the unbelievers around us. What happened when Israel compromised and worshiped a golden calf like the Egyptians? Three thousand Israelites lost their lives. Exodus 32:28 What happened when Jeroboam compromised and set up altars to Baal in Bethel? Israel was enslaved and carried off into captivity by Assyria. I Kings 12 What happened when the church in Thyatira compromised with the false prophet Jezebel? Christ threw them onto a bed of sickness. Revelation 2:22
Are you willing to say who Christ is?
Having been mentored by Jesus for three years the disciples knew that Jesus was the Christ of God and were willing to say so. In other words they were unafraid to confess that Christ was the one first promised at the beginning of time to Adam and Eve, the one born of woman who came to defeat death: The Messiah.
Having given the correct answer Jesus began to unveil to the disciples some of the shocking details of God’s eternal plan: “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up.” Jesus was to fulfill the ancient picture portrayed by the sacrificial system that first began with Adam, when God provided the skins of innocent animals as coverings for their nakedness. This sacrificial system was later codified into the law of Israel at the time of Moses. The sacrifice of the spotless lamb always looked forward to the sacrifice of the one who had no sin, the spotless Lamb of God, Jesus, the Christ of God. 1 Peter 1:18-20 Jesus came to stand in our place and to cover our sins.
In fact, this is the summary of the whole Bible. The Old Testament promised that our final enemy, death, would be defeated. The New Testament describes how Christ defeated death, making salvation possible.
Luke 9:23 He said to all, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever will lose his life for my sake, will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits his own self? 26 For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed, when he comes in his glory, and the glory of the Father, and of the holy angels. 27 But I tell you the truth: There are some of those who stand here who will in no way taste of death until they see God’s Kingdom.”
Jesus then goes on to say that the stakes of compromise could not be higher because compromise places your eternal soul in jeopardy. Christ lays out the three qualities that the true, uncompromising disciple will embody.
First, you must deny yourself. You must part ways with your old nature: habits, desires, lusts, excuses for sin, self-reliance, and self-righteousness. You have been given a new identity in Christ. You depend on Christ alone and like Paul says, “Things that I once considered as gains to me I now count as lost for Christ.” Philippians 3:7
Second, you must take up your cross. That means that instead of compromising with the cool kids to be accepted you must be willing to voluntarily accept persecution, rejection, ridicule, and shame because you identify with Christ, sharing in his suffering. 1 Peter 4:13 All of the secular idolatries that people pursue will necessarily fail so don’t be tempted to join in pursuing them.
Third, you must follow Christ. Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in his steps. 1 Peter 2:21
In other words, just like in his parable of the sower, Luke 8:4, the true disciple is not in it to follow the crowd, because he knows that the seeds on the broad road get trampled underfoot. Matthew 7:13 The true disciple isn’t in it for political change, free stuff, medical care, or food, because the seeds on the rocky ground enthusiastically sprout up but quickly lose interest. The true disciple is in it for the long haul. He refuses to allow the weeds, such as the cares and joys of the world entice him away. The true disciple is firmly rooted in Christ and is willing to follow him despite the circumstances because he sees the big picture.
The big picture that most miss is that there is more to life than eating, drinking, and trying to establish some kind of security because even if you were somehow able to gain the whole world this world is only a small and fleeting part of the whole of creation. You may gain all the riches and accolades of the whole world. Good for you. Congratulations. But in a few short years you will die and, for eternity, lose your soul. Is that really what you want?
Christ continues don’t compromise with the world. Don’t try to fit in with the cool kids who will lose it all. Rather, stand up for Christ. Be a disciple. Don’t try to hold onto yourself and things which you will not, in the final analysis, be able to hold anyway. Don’t ever allow yourself to be ashamed of Christ, your Creator, your Savior.
Don’t ever deny being his disciple because if you:
1. Continue to identify with and cling to your old degenerate habits such as greed, sexual anarchy, anger, 1 Corinthians 6:9
2. Compromise for the sake of being accepted by those who have no love for Christ, and
3. Refuse to follow where your Lord leads you,
then you never really were a disciple of Christ. You were perhaps on the hard-packed road, or the rocky soil, or in among the weeds, but you were never rooted in Christ. You were never a disciple. For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed, when he comes in his glory, and the glory of the Father, and of the holy angels.
Christ concludes with this warning to the disciples that his words are not to be taken lightly because some of the disciples will actually still be here on earth when God’s New Covenant Kingdom is established. This could be a reference to the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost but more likely it is a reference to the definitive end of the Old Covenant Age in the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the temple sacrifices in 70 A.D. Luke 21 With the once and for all sacrifice of Christ, the Lamb of God, the Old Covenant sacrifices were no longer necessary. The reality that they pointed to, Jesus Christ, had fulfilled them.
Luke 9:28 About eight days after these sayings, he took with him Peter, John, and James, and went up onto the mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became white and dazzling. 30 Behold, two men were talking with him, who were Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory, and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
32 Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they were fully awake, they saw his glory, and the two men who stood with him. 33 As they were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let’s make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah,” not knowing what he said.
34 While he said these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered into the cloud. 35 A voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him!” 36 When the voice came, Jesus was found alone. They were silent, and told no one in those days any of the things which they had seen.
To impress upon the disciples that Christ was, in fact, the fulfillment of all of the Law and all of the prophets, the long promised Lamb of God, Jesus took Peter, James, and John up to a mountaintop to pray. Matthew 5:17 While there the glory of the Lord shown around them and Moses, representing the Law, and Elijah, representing the prophets appeared with Jesus. What a day that must have been for Moses and Elijah! They got to meet Jesus, the one for whom they had spent all of their lives looking forward to, the one for whom they had given themselves to serving with all of their hearts, the one for whom all creation longed, despite persecution and rejection. All of the Law, all of the prophets, and the Promise of the one to defeat Satan and defeat death, freely offering new life to mankind – life that the old Adam had carelessly thrown away – was standing before Moses and Elijah in the person of Jesus the Christ.
And in the midst of all of this what did the disciples hear?
The voice of God rang out, telling the disciples: “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”
Do you understand the big picture? Do you wish to belong to Christ?
Stop compromising with the world. Stop clinging to your old fallen nature. Stop secretly trying to stay close to your old sins. Stop seeking the acceptance of the cool kids. Stop being ashamed of Christ, the one who, without reservation, gave of himself, going to the cross for you.
If you wish to be a disciple, heed God’s Word: This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.
Listening to Christ is not easy, but it is everything.
As you survey the landscape of all manner of churches and denominations around the world, many, particularly in the West, have compromised. Churches across the spectrum of all denominations have been willing to stray far from the Scriptures, reading into them whatever they want them to say. Perhaps Soren Kierkegaard can offer us some insight as to why.
“The matter is quite simple. The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand, we are obliged to act accordingly. Take any words in the New Testament and forget everything except pledging yourself to act accordingly. My God, you will say, if I do that my whole life will be ruined. How would I ever get on in the world? Herein lies the real place of Christian scholarship. Christian scholarship is the Church’s prodigious invention to defend itself against the Bible, to ensure that we can continue to be good Christians without the Bible coming too close. Oh, priceless scholarship, what would we do without you? Dreadful it is to fall into the hands of the living God. Yes it is even dreadful to be alone with the New Testament.”
(Søren Kierkegaard, Provocations: Spiritual Writings of Kierkegaard)
Like the Pharisees of old, we love our scholars who are able to devise workarounds to the clear teachings of Scripture that allow us to both think of ourselves as faithful Christians while still granting us the respect we crave from the unbelieving community. To name just a few of the workarounds, our theologians have granted us permission to dismiss the Bible as the Word of God, accept the pro-choice lies, legalizing the murder of innocent children, accept the philosophical underpinnings of evolution, ordain sodomites into the ministry, support transgender delusions and the accompanying mutilations, normalize adultery and fornication, justify divorce, disrespect parents, ignore the worship of God in awe and reverence, embrace victimhood rather than gratitude, discount blessings as privileges, and a host of other abominations too numerous to list at this time.
A lot of faithful Christians are waiting for Christ to return in order to set things right. However, that is not how God designed the system to work. The first Adam was commissioned to have dominion but failed. The second Adam, Jesus Christ, came to redeem Adam’s race and commission all who believe in him as his ambassadors. As we listen to him, we will see, in Luke 24 Christ’s reign over the world will increase. As Christians throughout the ages proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sins to all the peoples and nations, many will come into the Kingdom. Luke 24:47-48 In other words, Christ expects his ambassadors, you and me, in the normal course of our lives, to spread the Good News, the Gospel, of repentance, forgiveness of sins, and adoption in God’s family, to our families, our communities, our nations, and to the whole world.
Luke 9:37 On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great multitude met him. 38 Behold, a man from the crowd called out, saying, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. 39 Behold, a spirit takes him, he suddenly cries out, and it convulses him so that he foams, and it hardly departs from him, bruising him severely. 40 I begged your disciples to cast it out, and they couldn’t.”
41 Jesus answered, “Faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.”
Luke tells us that after almost three years of performing miracles and teaching, Christ was still frustrated by both the faithlessness of the generation that he ministered directly to and the confusion of his own disciples.
Why do you think Christ called them faithless?
First, the disciples lacked the faith needed to overcome the evil spirit. They tried, but they failed. In Mark’s retelling of the same story Jesus tells his disciples that they failed because they didn’t persevere in prayer. Mark 9:29
Second, seeing that the disciples failed to cast out the spirit, the father of the child doubted that Christ could be successful saying, If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us. Mark 9:22 Christ responds incredulously saying, “If? … If?… All things are possible to him who believes.” Mark 9:23
All things are possible to him who believes. Let that sink in.
Luke 9:42 While he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him violently. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. 43 They were all astonished at the majesty of God.
The devil is called our adversary, 1 Peter 5:8 and his demons are no different. Notice that the spirit put up one final fight by throwing the boy to the ground. But Christ prevailed. The spirit was cast out and the witnesses were all astonished at the majesty of God.
Luke 9:43 But while all were marveling at all the things which Jesus did, he said to his disciples, 44 “Let these words sink into your ears, for the Son of Man will be delivered up into the hands of men.” 45 But they didn’t understand this saying. It was concealed from them, that they should not perceive it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.
46 An argument arose among them about which of them was the greatest. 47 Jesus, perceiving the reasoning of their hearts, took a little child, and set him by his side, 48 and said to them, “Whoever receives this little child in my name receives me. Whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For whoever is least among you all, this one will be great.”
Thus far in Luke’s story Christ had rebuked demons, Luke 4:35 rebuked a fever, Luke 4:39 rebuked the Pharisees, Luke 5:24 rebuked a violent storm, Luke 8:24 and now again, had rebuked the unclean spirit. But while the disciples were repeatedly astonished by their Master’s power, Christ again takes this opportunity to remind them about his true mission: Let these words sink into your ears, for the Son of Man will be delivered up into the hands of men.
Here, by referring to himself as The Son of Man, Jesus is deliberately saying that he will fulfill the prophecy of Daniel:
The Son of Man came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.
To him was given dominion, glory and a Kingdom,
That all peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away. And his Kingdom is one which will never be destroyed.
Daniel 7:13-14
But unfortunately, the disciples were unable to understand what Christ was referring to. And instead of admitting their confusion they were afraid to ask. Perhaps they were still stinging from Christ’s previous rebuke: “Faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?”
If they had swallowed their pride and asked for an explanation, perhaps they would have learned of Christ’s ascension into heaven, to be seated at the right hand of the Father and given all dominion over heaven and earth. It is never wrong to ask a question. But that was to be a revelation for another time.
In their confusion, making matters even worse, not only did they miss the point of Christ’s reference to Daniel, and not only were they afraid to ask, perhaps thinking that Christ would think them unworthy disciples, they began arguing about which of them was the greatest. Christ quickly put an end to their foolishness by pointing out that a little child who follows Christ is the greatest.
Why?
Do you remember when God said to Peter, James, and John, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him?” The disciples are to listen to and trust Christ just like a little child who naturally trusts their loving and kindhearted parents. To be great in Christ’s Kingdom is to empty yourself of your ego and ambitions and listen to, be obedient to, and trust Christ. Christ’s Kingdom is upside down by the world’s standards. By the world’s standards the greatest is the one who gets ahead by gathering wealth, power, and respect by any means necessary. God’s Kingdom is the opposite. The greatest is the one who gives of himself and ascribes all power to Christ, following his ways.
Are you willing to place total trust in Christ?
Luke 9:49 John answered, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he doesn’t follow with us.” 50 Jesus said to him, “Don’t forbid him, for he who is not against us is for us.”
Perhaps in an attempt to change the subject or perhaps in reference to Christ’s statement about the least being the greatest, John pointed out to Jesus that there was a man casting out demons in Jesus name. Jesus instructed the disciples to not stop the man from casting out the demons because he who is not against us is for us. Apparently the man was a God-fearing man who was familiar with Jesus and his message, however he had not followed closely enough to become part of the inner circle of disciples. In any event, in a world that is hostile to Christians it is always comforting to find allies. Don’t disdain them, instead, nurture them, encourage and instruct them. Acts 18:24-26
We would all do well to learn this lesson because it seems that Christians are frequently quick to condemn each other and break fellowship over any number of non-essential things. When Peter was asked, “What must we do to be saved?” Acts 2:37 His answer was, “Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and you will receive the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38
Similarly, Paul told the Romans: “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.” Romans 10:9
If you have repented of your sins and turned to Christ, publicly confessing that he is your Lord, you are a member of the family of God. No doubt, there are immature and doctrinally confused family members. There are lazy family members. There are even irascible family members, but nevertheless we are family members and have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit and the community of believers to build us all up to maturity. Christ commands us to love one another, John 13:35, not attack one another!
Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:11-16
As German pastor Rupertus Meldenius wrote in 1627 in the midst of the religious conflicts during the Thirty Years War, In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity.
Luke 9:51 It came to pass, when the days were near that he should be taken up, he intently set his face to go to Jerusalem 52 and sent messengers before his face. They went and entered into a village of the Samaritans, so as to prepare for him. 53 They didn’t receive him, because he was traveling with his face set toward Jerusalem. 54 When his disciples, James and John, saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from the sky and destroy them, just as Elijah did?”
55 But he turned and rebuked them, “You don’t know of what kind of spirit you are. 56 For the Son of Man didn’t come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”
Jesus knew that his mission was to be the perfect Passover sacrifice for the sins of the world. As Passover approached, Jesus set his face to go to Jerusalem. On his way to Jerusalem he came to a village in Samaria that was unhappy with his presence. His disciples, fresh from learning that with faith all things were possible, were anxious to try out this new teaching by commanding fire to come down from the sky to destroy the village. After all they reasoned, didn’t the great prophet Elijah do that? 2 Kings 1:10-12
Jesus, again disappointed with their inability to grasp the scope of his mission at even this late date, turned and rebuked them. Christ reiterated that his mission was not to destroy the lives of those who rejected him but rather his mission was to save those who rejected him. Remember all of that turn the other cheek stuff about not retaliating and trading insult for insult? Luke 6:29
We have all been given the truth of life. John 14:6 We have been shown that the Creator’s way is the way of life, not death. But steeped as we are in Satan’s lies and the counterfeit ways of the world, we are slow to understand, learn, and practice living the truth.
Luke 9:56 They went to another village. 57 As they went on the way, a certain man said to him, “I want to follow you wherever you go, Lord.”
58 Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
59 He said to another, “Follow me!”
But he said, “Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father.”
60 But Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead, but you go and announce God’s Kingdom.”
61 Another also said, “I want to follow you, Lord, but first allow me to say good-bye to those who are at my house.”
62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for God’s Kingdom.”
Do you really want to follow Jesus and learn the ways of true life?
Luke gives three examples of what is required to be a follower of Jesus.
First, Christ warns that a disciple should not expect a life of ease. While Jesus and his disciples are traveling around the land telling everyone about the Kingdom of life, they are without a permanent home.
Second, when Jesus reached out and asked a man to follow him in announcing God’s Kingdom, instead of agreeing, the man offered what seemed to be a reasonable excuse. “Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father.” But Jesus was not looking for an excuse, he was looking for commitment.
Third, a man offered to follow Christ but placed a condition on his offer, “First allow me to say good-bye to those who are at my house.”
But Jesus demands our unconditional allegiance. He will not vie for our attention. He is Lord. He summarized this by saying, “No one, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for God’s Kingdom.” You cannot serve the Lord if you have divided loyalties. This takes us back to the parable of the sower where Christ warned that there are many things that we allow to distract us from serving Jesus as Lord.
Luke 10:1 Now after these things, the Lord also appointed seventy-two others, and sent them two by two ahead of him into every city and place where he was about to come. 2 Then he said to them, “The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore to the Lord of the harvest, that he may send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go your ways. Behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. 4 Carry no purse, nor wallet, nor sandals. Greet no one on the way. 5 Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’ 6 If a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. 7 Remain in that same house, eating and drinking the things they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Don’t go from house to house. 8 Into whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat the things that are set before you. 9 Heal the sick who are there, and tell them, ‘God’s Kingdom has come near to you.’ 10 But into whatever city you enter, and they don’t receive you, go out into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust from your city that clings to us, we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that God’s Kingdom has come near to you.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that city.
13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment than for you. 15 You, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades. 16 Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me. Whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
Just like in our world today, in Israel there were many people who needed to hear about the Kingdom of God. The harvest was plentiful, but the laborers were few. To address this problem, just as Jesus had previously sent out the twelve disciples to prepare the townspeople throughout the land for Christ’s arrival as he traveled toward Jerusalem, he now commissions seventy-two other disciples, men from his inner circle, to go ahead of him, preparing the way. And like he instructed the apostles, the seventy-two were to take no provisions for their travels. And unlike foxes who have holes and birds who have nests, these disciples were to rely entirely on the kindness of strangers. Nevertheless, Jesus characterized their mission as lambs among the wolves because many would persecute them because of their message: God’s Kingdom has come near to you.
If the cities and towns rejected the disciples and their message, the disciples were instructed to wipe the dust of the city off their feet and move on. It is no small thing when a society ignores God and his commands. As Paul would teach the Romans: What can be known about God is plain for all to see, because God has shown it to them… So men are without excuse. Romans 1:19-20
So the disciples went out with an urgency knowing that Jesus would judge the cities and towns if they rejected the disciples and their message of the Kingdom. In fact, Jesus goes on to say that if the miracles done by the seventy-two disciples had been done long ago in Tyre and Sidon, those cities would have repented. To whom much is given much is required. Luke 12:48 In other words, Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum had seen and experienced wonders of the Messiah’s Kingdom that the ancient cities never saw, and yet, even seeing these miracles, they still rejected the Christ.
Notice also Jesus says something that is foreign to our individualistic “modern” ears. Jesus says that he judges not only individuals, but whole communities, cities, Matthew 11:23 nations, and even entire generations. Matthew 12:24 Like Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, Western nations, built on the foundation of Biblical principles, and experiencing centuries of blessing, are now turning from God and following once again the secular priests of Molech and their death cult.
Do you think that Jesus will not judge the people, communities, cities, and nations that reject him in the same way that he will judge the ancient nations that rejected him? The stakes could not be higher.
God is angry with the wicked every day. Psalm 7:11
Like the seventy-two disciples, we have our work cut out for us as we call our present generation to repentance. Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me. Whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.
Luke 10:17 The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!”
18 He said to them, “I saw Satan falling like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I give you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will in any way hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, don’t rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
If you think back to Luke 4, Christ quoted Isaiah 61 announcing that he had come to set the captives free. Prior to Christ coming to earth, Satan, the ancient serpent, had held mankind captive, deceiving the whole world. Revelation 12:9 But with the coming of Christ’s Kingdom, men and women are having sins forgiven and are being set free from their bondage to demons. As the demons are cast into the outer darkness, 2 Peter 2:4 Satan is seeing his reign crumble. The serpent’s attempt to overthrow God has failed. In fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy:
How you have fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
you who once laid low the nations!
You said in your heart,
“I will ascend to the heavens;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.
I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.”
But you are brought down to the realm of the dead,
to the depths of the pit.
Isaiah 14:12-15
While the serpent’s final defeat would not be complete until the final judgment, Revelation 20:10, the handwriting was on the wall. Christ and his followers were introducing everlasting life, replacing Satan’s counterfeit kingdom of death with Christ’s Kingdom of life.
Luke 10:21 In that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in your sight.”
22 Turning to the disciples, he said, “All things have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is, except the Father, and who the Father is, except the Son, and he to whomever the Son desires to reveal him.”
23 Turning to the disciples, he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things that you see, 24 for I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see the things which you see, and didn’t see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and didn’t hear them.”
Demonstrating once again the upside-down nature of God’s Kingdom, those who considered themselves wise and understanding rejected the Good News of the Kingdom while the truth was revealed to and accepted by little children. Even today the so-called “wise and understanding” people who consider themselves superior to Christians belittle, mock, and persecute those who have fled to Christ, those who believe the things that the prophets longed to see and understand. For example, Moses wrote that Christ would crush Satan, Genesis 3:15 and Isaiah wrote about Satan’s fall. Now all of these things are coming true, not only before the disciples’ eyes, but these things are coming true before our eyes as well. Blessed are the eyes which see the things that you see. We are blessed to see and blessed to understand that all things have been delivered to [Christ].
Luke 10:25 Behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?”
27 He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; Deuteronomy 6:5, and your neighbor as yourself.” Leviticus 19:18, 28 He said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live.”29 But he, desiring to justify himself, asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”
Isn’t it just like a lawyer to be looking for a loophole in the law to justify his actions?
Sure, I can see that I am to love my neighbor as I love myself, but Who is my neighbor?
Luke 10:30 Jesus answered, “A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 By chance a certain priest was going down that way. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 In the same way a Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he traveled, came where he was. When he saw him, he was moved with compassion, 34 came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. He set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the host, and said to him, ‘Take care of him. Whatever you spend beyond that, I will repay you when I return.’ 36 Now which of these three do you think was a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers?”
37 He said, “He who showed mercy on him.”
Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
Leviticus 19:18 commands that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves, however, as we have seen the religious leaders perverted that command to mean love your neighbor and hate your enemy, Matthew 5:43. However, the players in this parable narrowed the definition even further. Namely, the priest thought that he could get away with loving his neighbor, his fellow priest, to the exclusion of everyone else, and the Levite thought that he could get away with loving his neighbor, his fellow Levite, to the exclusion of everyone else.
Christ masterfully backs the “expert” in the law into a corner, taking his clever justification away from him. After hearing the parable the lawyer is left with no option but to admit that his neighbor was anyone that he encountered along his path in the world.
Do you encounter people in your life who need care, encouragement, healing, help, or friendship?
You are to:
Pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. Isaiah 58:10
Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. Matthew 10:8
This does not mean that we must work to earn our salvation. It is impossible for us to attain perfection here on earth. By works of the law shall no flesh be justified. Galatians 2:16 However, that never means that the requirements of God’s Laws have been abrogated. Our salvation is granted on the basis of Christ’s perfect obedience. Our obedience flows out of our gratitude for such a great salvation. Hebrews 2:3
Luke 10:38 As they went on their way, he entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she came up to him, and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister left me to serve alone? Ask her therefore to help me.”
41 Jesus answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
What is eternal and of lasting value? Martha is absorbed in doing good things, serving the guests in her home. But her sister, Mary, chose instead to sit at Jesus’ feet hearing his Word and worshipping him. Like Martha we can occupy ourselves with many things while neglecting the one good part, hearing God’s Word and worshipping our Savior. These are the things that are eternal. The Word of the Lord stands forever. 1 Peter 1:25
Many in our world today deny that there is a transcendent Creator God who fashioned order from chaos. Genesis 1:1 They have believed the father of lies, Satan, John 8:44 whose goal is to destroy God’s created order, returning it to chaos. To achieve his goal Satan is busy convincing men and women that there is no God. The world appeared randomly, by chance, out of nothing. There is no objective, transcendent morality guiding the Universe or guiding their lives. There is no distinction between good and evil, no distinction between men and women, no distinction between animals and mankind. All actions and decisions are subjective. Unconcerned about losing their souls, those who follow the dragon are trying to gain and control the whole world. For example, listen to the plan of atheist, Yuval Harari:
We humans should get used to the idea that we are no longer mysterious souls. We are now hackable animals…By hacking organisms, elites may gain the power to reengineer the power of life itself… This will be not just the greatest revolution in the history of humanity. This will be the greatest revolution in biology since the very beginning of life 4 billion years ago….Science is replacing evolution by natural selection by evolution via intelligent design… Not the intelligent design of some God above the clouds, but our intelligent design, and the intelligent design of our clouds: the IBM cloud, the Microsoft cloud … these are the new, driving forces of evolution.
(Yuval Noah Harari, Homo Deus, Random House)
In contrast to this worldview, which has replaced the love of the Creator God with the dystopian schemes of the powerful to genetically re-engineer those made in the image of God, the only way to reintroduce order into the chaos of this rebellious, fallen world, is to again hear God’s Word. Like Mary we must choose the good part.