🙏 Heavenly Father, we bow before your Word. We ask with humble and longing hearts, that You draw near to us to comfort and strengthen us. We know that Your Word reveals Your nature as well as it reveals ours. While we love Your revelation of Your nature, it is sometimes hard to face our own. Open our minds to see and to cherish Your wisdom; show us ourselves and show us our savior. We pray this in the name of our Lord, Jesus. Amen.
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve
9 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. 5 If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.
7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was going on. And he was perplexed because some were saying that John had been raised from the dead, 8 others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life. 9 But Herod said, “I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?” And he tried to see him.
Points to Ponder: And off they go; the disciples are on their first trial run. They are given awesome, yet limited, power and authority. They are told to go with nothing – no staff (nothing to lean on), no bag (nothing to collect souvenirs in), no food, no money, no extra shirt… (nothing that would compel others to them… no gimmicks and no ‘necessities’ either!) They are sent to proclaim the kingdom of God and if people don’t welcome them, then leave. (Lord, give us the strength and courage to do the same.)
Even Herod hears about all that was going on. It is here the Luke tells us the fate of John the Baptist as well as how people were trying to explain Jesus.
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
10 When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida, 11 but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.
12 Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.”
13 He replied, “You give them something to eat.”
They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.” 14 (About five thousand men were there.)
But he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 The disciples did so, and everyone sat down. 16 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. 17 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
Points to Ponder: And if our minds weren’t blown away by the earlier task of being sent by Jesus to proclaim the Kingdom without any food or money, Jesus takes them to the next level and commands them to feed more than five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish.
Notice that this section follows the disciples return from the task and the revelation of John the Baptist’s beheading. It begins with Jesus and His followers setting off to withdraw by themselves. I can understand that desire to withdraw and process these significant events. How often I want the solitude to digest all that life throws at me. But life rarely listens to our desires. Here their quest for some alone time, turns into a huge gathering. And Jesus, always submitting to the will of the Father, knowing that nothing happens outside of the will of the Father, welcomes the crowd, speaks about the kingdom of God, and heals those in need.
And a miracle of multiplication occurs – it is time for the disciples to learn by participation just what God can do. Notice it is the disciples who initiated this miracle. They tell Jesus that these people are going to get hungry, so He should send them away. He affirms their noticing of the crowd’s potential hunger, but then tells them to feed the crowd. 🤦♂️ God, who can speak a universe into being from nothing, has no difficulty turning 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish into enough to feed a crowd with a leftover basketful for each disciple. What an experience!
I imagine that the disciples could remember similar narratives of unending oil and multiplying bread from the recorded scriptures of the prophet Elisha (2 Kings 4:1-7 or 2 Kings 4:42-44). I can also imagine that if I were tested here with the disciples, that I just might have little faith. 😢 (Sometimes, I’m fearful of asking God for someone else’s needs because He just might say… You do it!)
Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah
18 Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”
19 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”
20 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.”
Points to Ponder: (Matthew 16:13-16, Mark 8:27-29, John 6:68 and more) Each of the Gospels confront us with this question. Who do you say I am? We can read the Gospels, but we must confess with our mouths that we believe Jesus to be God’s Messiah, the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, to be part of His Kingdom. All that implies can be overwhelming, but so is feeding 5,000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish! Jesus is our Lord and Jesus is God… and only God can open our eyes to see this, but we must submit willingly to His revelation… whether we understand it or not.
Jesus Predicts His Death
21 Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. 22 And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”
23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? 26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
27 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”
Points to Ponder: Tough teaching, but our opened hearts and history itself, confirms the truth. We know the fate of the Jesus – His death and His resurrection. We also remember His ascension to glory – reigning at the Father’s right hand forever. And we remember His promise to return. Keeping these things in mind helps us to digest v23-26. We must deny ourselves and take up our crosses to follow Him. For eternal life, we exchange our current worldly lives. We quit trying to ‘find ourselves’ here and like the bleeding-woman-turned-daughter, submit our lives to Him in order to discover our new identities. Like Paul explains later in Romans 1:16-17, we are not ashamed of the Gospel.
Verse 27 is that intriguing statement that suggests that some may avoid an earthly death. But no, I believe it is the foreshadowing of the next section! (Unless it is meant for future readers, like us, as a reminder that He will return. In that case, it is a harsh message. For when He returns, we had best be resolved in our faith.)
The Transfiguration
28 About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. 31 They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)
34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” 36 When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.
Points to Ponder: We get a glimpse of the Kingdom here. Moses and Elijah are there… representing the Law and the Prophets, but the Father speaks and tells the disciples to listen to Jesus – He is the chosen authority. It is interesting that the disciples recognized Moses and Elijah. It is also interesting that Peter wants to shelter there on the mountain with these giants of Israel’s history, but it is recorded that he didn’t know what he was saying!
Jesus has brought His inner circle of disciples into another dimension – one that transcends time and death. They get a glimpse of His glory, right after telling them about His upcoming death. In other books, both John and Peter draw on this experience as eyewitnesses to God’s coming Kingdom. (John 1:14, 2 Peter 1:16-18
Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy
37 The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. 38 A man in the crowd called out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. 39 A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him. 40 I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.”
41 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”
42 Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the impure spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father. 43 And they were all amazed at the greatness of God.
Points to Ponder: If you’ve ever experienced that mountain top spiritual moment only to be facing a demon the next day… you’re not alone. But Jesus’ response? Ouch! I like the version recorded in Mark 9:14-29, where the man asks Jesus if He can do anything, thus adding some context to Jesus’ response. Mark’s version also highlights that everything is possible for one who believes, where the man responds with the classic: “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
There are some things that scripture does not answer and we must wrestle with the questions. (That’s ok too… Jacob, the deceiver, is renamed Israel because he wrestled with God. (Genesis 32:28) Is it the man that is unbelieving? Is it the disciples that could not drive out the demon… even though they had success earlier? Luke does not give us an answer here. (Mark 9:19 and Matthew 17:17 also record Jesus asking how long He should put up with this generation.) 🤦♀️
Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time
While everyone was marveling at all that Jesus did, he said to his disciples, 44 “Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.” 45 But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.
46 An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. 47 Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. 48 Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.”
49 “Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.”
50 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”
Points to Ponder: So many seemingly disjointed statements here. Listen carefully… last time we heard this, was when we were told about being a lamp on a stand and that nothing hidden or concealed will stay that way. At this point in time however, the full understanding of Jesus’ fate is kept from His disciples… and their hearts are revealed. Without full understanding, they turn to pride and argue about who among them will be the greatest. I love that Jesus grabs a child to illustrate that the humble, the least, will be greatest. Perhaps this encourages us to pick up our cross… lay down our earthly lives and begin this new life again as a child.
Calling Jesus, Master, John reveals his reluctance to allow an outsider the privilege of being counted as one of them, in spite of his ability to drive out demons – one of the authoritative powers that Jesus gave to them. Jesus corrects John to break this tribal mentality. His Kingdom is about welcoming and encouraging others – inviting them to share in eternal life. It is our honest gratitude for saving us as sinners that prompts us to invite and encourage other sinners!
Samaritan Opposition
51 As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; 53 but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. 54 When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” 55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them. 56 Then he and his disciples went to another village.
Points to Ponder: The Sons of Thunder have not yet learned humility nor do they fully understand the love of God. From the transfiguration narrative, we know that Jesus is fully aware of His upcoming death, yet He resolutely sets out to fulfill what must take place – His substitutionary death as payment for our sins. This immense cornerstone of our theology is still hidden to James and John. They are ready to use/abuse the powers that Jesus has given them to destroy the Samaritans who don’t welcome them.
The Cost of Following Jesus
57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
59 He said to another man, “Follow me.”
But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”
62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
Points to Ponder: Counting the cost is a tenet of our faith. Many give lip-service to being a follower, but the Gospels, and history itself, make it clear that following Jesus can cost us everything. Here we see that family and homes should not be our first priority. Whether we call out to Jesus or He calls out to us, our response cannot be conditional. Loving God by following Jesus to His Kingdom, must be our first priority.
Waiting until you bury your father? That is a clever way to answer… I will, but just not yet. Jesus doesn’t let it slide…. Let the dead bury their own dead! Again, ouch! Jesus words calls us out of our own cleverness. The response in V61 to Jesus is more direct… I will, but first… Jesus tells him, and us, that when we hear the truth, is the time to respond.
This section gives us a reality check on our faith. We ask ourselves… Are we fans or are we followers of Jesus? There is a significant difference. These examples illustrate how people are attracted to Jesus, but they don’t really see their need for a savior. He is not their first priority and without that level of commitment, saving faith cannot begin. Notice that none of them express their own sin or need for repentance.
This section hurts my heart to read; it brings back Luke 6:46 (Why do you call me Lord and not do what I say?) and Matthew 7:21-23 (Depart from me, I never knew you.)
Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two
10 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.
5 “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.
8 “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.
13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.
16 “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”
18 He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
21 At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.
22 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
23 Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”
Points to Ponder: There is a lot here… it is happening. Jesus is resolutely heading to Jerusalem and He, Himself, appoints 72 to go ahead of Him. I’m pretty sure they are followers, not fans. He sends these 72 messengers ahead, not alone, but in pairs, they are to have that same resolute attitude, staying focused, for they are like lambs among wolves. Go together, find a welcoming house and stay there… don’t shop around! Eat what is offered… don’t look for alternatives. An attitude of contentment speaks positively about the importance of their purpose. They are empowered to heal the sick in order to glorify God and announce the Kingdom of God.
But they’re not to compromise… not to coexist, as we hear today. If they or their message is not welcomed, they are to warn the town of their coming judgment for rejecting God. We see the concept of Christians being ‘in Christ’ here in V16… listening to the messenger is listening to Jesus. Rejecting the messenger, rejects Jesus, and rejects the Father, who sent Him.
The ‘in Christ’, triune nature of our God, and the invitation of becoming part of this Holy community, is immediately extended in V18. The eternal nature of Jesus, the Son, is revealed. These messengers who are amazed at the submission of demons are now told that the real joy is their eternal salvation.
Jesus expresses his joy at this fulfillment and revelation of God’s redemption plan.
🐇 Why 72? (Or 70 as some translations have this?) This is a flashback to how the nation of Israel was formed with the elders to help Moses govern the nation (Exodus 24:1), and likely, the origin of the Sanhedrin.
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Points to Ponder: On this section Charles Spurgeon writes: ‘What the law demands of us, the Gospel produces in us.’ The law expert talks with Jesus with a perspective of legalism. (A heart of stone)The parable of the Good Samaritan illustrates the intention of the law. (A heart of flesh) Submitting to the gospel will change our hearts.
If you tend towards legalism, you have the head-knowledge of what is good and right according to God’s will. But Jesus has been telling us that we need to put it into practice…. Go and do likewise! We build our relationship in Christ, with others, through obedience and practical, experiential knowledge. This takes faith. And when a brother or sister takes that step, note the courage it took; celebrate and show your support.
At the Home of Martha and Mary
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Points to Ponder: This well-known story summarizes this section on priorities. There is nothing wrong with work… hosting… families… hobbies… sports… etc. All good things come from God. But clearly, spending time sitting at the Lord’s feet listening to what He says, is better.
When life gets crazy, take a minute to evaluate where you are spending your limited resources: time, treasures, and talents. If God is not a priority in these areas, ask yourself, why not? When Martha asks Jesus ‘if He cares’, we have the advantage of the big picture… He is heading to Jerusalem to die for her eternal life. Yes He cares! On the way, He will even resurrect her brother from the dead! But at this moment in time, the everyday tasks of life for Martha are overwhelming. Be sensitive, compassionate, and helpful for those lost in the moment.
The promise we see here is that Mary has chosen to spend time with Jesus listening to Him and IT WILL NOT BE TAKEN AWAY FROM HER. If you find yourself too busy to sit with Jesus, ask who took that time away. Apparently, it’s not Him! He created time… He’ll give you all you need. You must choose to take it, FIRST. We don’t HAVE TO spend time with Him, we GET TO! 💖
Summary: These chapters are action chapters. We see the disciples of Jesus committing to a new way of life – they are putting their faith into action. As we grow in our faith, we are helped by reading these stories, evaluating our own priorities, and asking ourselves about our own levels of commitment. Are we fans or followers? Do we have the ‘peace that surpasses all understanding’ with how we are living our Christian lives – even in the face of testing?
🙏 Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your Word that brings us new life. Search our hearts and reveal to us any areas that may be holding us back from spending more time in Your presence; from putting You first in our lives. Your faithfulness to call us, to love us, to redeem and restore us, is wonderful. Let us crawl off of the throne of our lives and humbly submit our earthly lives at Your alter so that we may find true, eternal life. You are worthy of all our praise. Amen.