Deficient Disciples

Deficient Disciples Luke 9:37-50

Have you ever been around someone who just doesn’t get it?

Like your teaching them or training them on something.

And no matter how many times you go over it the connection never gets made.

Sometimes your spend time and it’s like two steps forward an 4 steps back.

I imagine this is how Jesus feels with his disciples at times.

We will see this on full display through this morning’s text.

Truth be told, this is part of the Christian life.

We will never get where we are going before we die.

We are a work in progress.

The disciples are a work in progress.

This is why we describe the Christian life in three stages.

First, there is Justification.

This is where you acknowledge Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

You recognize your sinful state and that in your sin you are out of friendship with God.

This belief and trust in Jesus then leads to you being made right with God.

Jesus takes your sin and shame and carries it himself and gives you his right standing with the Father.

The next step, is the path that all Christians walk down.

It is the path of Sanctification.

Sanctification is a big word that simply means you are becoming more like Jesus.

For many of us this is where we spend the majority of our life.

We are pursing Jesus and becoming more like him.

The road to sanctification is not a straight path.

It’s more like a mountain with hills and valleys, twists and turns, and obstacles in our way.

But we don’t have to get too overwhelmed b/c we have some company.

First we have the Holy Spirit to guide us.

Then we have other believers to cheer us on and to keep us from wandering.

Finally, when the road to sanctification ends, we enter into glorification.

This is when we die and fall into the arms of Jesus.

Here’s one thing I love about God’s word.

He knows that we will spend the majority of our lives in the sanctification process.

And so we get to see this process in the disciples.

They aren’t the perfect followers of Jesus.

They mess up.

They have to learn.

They have to grow.

And even after following him for some time they still are deficient.

They still have gaps in their knowledge and trust in Jesus.

This morning we are going to examine some of their deficiencies.

We will see where they are lacking as they figure out this whole following Jesus thing.

This will be in four areas:

We will see their lack of trust v.27-43

Their lack of listening v.43-45

Their lack of humility v. 46-48

Lack of Focus v. 49-50.

Let’s ask the Lord to bless the study of his word.

Luke 9:37–43 (CSB)

37 The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him.

38 Just then a man from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, because he’s my only child.

39 A spirit seizes him; suddenly he shrieks, and it throws him into convulsions until he foams at the mouth; severely bruising him, it scarcely ever leaves him.

40 I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they couldn’t.”

41 Jesus replied, “You unbelieving and perverse generation, how long will I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”

42 As the boy was still approaching, the demon knocked him down and threw him into severe convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.

43 And they were all astonished at the greatness of God...

Lack of Trust

We need to make sure we understand that when Luke is writing his gospel account that these sections and stories aren’t in isolation.

They are linked together in an orderly manner.

I say that b/c we look at these stories in isolation, but they aren’t isolated.

In fact, Luke makes sure that he reminds us of the even that just happened.

In v. 37, we are told that they came down off the mountain.

What mountain and why were they there?

This is Jesus, Peter, James, and John coming down from the transfiguration.

The miracle of these 3 disciples of Jesus seeing him in the fullness of his glory and hearing from the Father.

Telling them to listen to Jesus.

When they come off the mountain, Jesus is met by a distraught father.

He has a son, an only son, that is suffering from Seizures.

Now we learn from Luke that this isn’t some medical issue, rather an evil spirit is causing the Seizures.

This man is begging Jesus to save his son.

This is the man’s sole heir.

His future.

The one to carry on the family name and inherit the family property.

Why is he begging Jesus?

B/c he asked the disciples but they weren’t able to.

This should be shocking to us as good readers of the gospel.

Remember back in Luke 9:1 “1 Summoning the Twelve, he gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases.”

So the disciples had already been able to cast out demons and heal the sick.

They traveled without Jesus on their own able to accomplish this.

But with Jesus just up the mountain they couldn’t.

They were impotent, powerless, and unable to cast out this demon.

I want us to understand Jesus’ response is one of frustration and borderline anger.

These men are going to be without Jesus shortly and here they don’t have enough faith to accomplish something they’ve already done.

That’s why Jesus’ rebuke is harsh.

Luke 9:41 “41 Jesus replied, “You unbelieving and perverse generation, how long will I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.””

Unbelieving and Perverse are interesting words that Jesus uses to describe this Generation.

This is meant to remind the reader of the Israelites of the OT.

Similar things were said about them when they lacked faith and trust in God.

Perverse doesn’t mean perverted as we are used to.

It means to twist the truth.

Jesus is addressing the Disciples as much as he is anyone else in this passage.

Now for sure he’s broadened it out to the entire generation, but he’s most heartbroken and frustrated with the disciples.

He’s teaching, training, and empowering them to continue his mission.

And even though he’s still with them they lack faith.

They don’t trust God to do what he’s already done.

That’s a silly position to be in, right?

Not trusting God to do what he’s already done.

But we happen to fall into that same trap.

So instead of trusting him, we start trying to do stuff in our own power.

Or even worse, we start believing that God is powerless.

We start thinking he powerless to save our loved ones b/c they continue in their own unbelief.

We think he’s powerless to heal

We think he’s powerless to help us overcome our temptations.

So we start taking matters into our own hands and then we end up making a mess.

Rather we need to rely on God b/c he’s not powerless.

In fact, his power never runs out.

He’s the only one who has the power to do them impossible, so he’s worthy of our trust.

And Can I tell you how much of an advantage we have today that the disciples didn’t have.

We have access to the HS.

He is living within us.

And when we trust in him he will use us to be his hands and feet in the world around us.

We only mess up when we try and wrestle the power away from him.

Jesus proved to them that he still held the power.

He held the power to rebuke the demon and cast him out.

And the people were astonished at what Jesus did.

They were astonished at the power of God.

I want us to understand that being astonished at the works and power of God does not necessarily lead to belief.

The chasm between being awed by God and trusting him is wide.

There were plenty of people that saw the works of God and didn’t believe them.

The same is true today.

So in order to believe in the message of the gospel our eyes have to be open not just to the works of God but also to the words of God.

Luke 9:43–45 (CSB)

43 ...While everyone was amazed at all the things he was doing, he told his disciples,

44 “Let these words sink in: The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.”

45 But they did not understand this statement; it was concealed from them so that they could not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.

Lack of Listening

After the miracle, Jesus uses this opportunity to teach his disciples.

Here, for the second time in 20 or so verses, Jesus talks about his death.

He wants to remind the disciples about his mission.

His mission isn’t to cast out demons.

His mission isn’t to heal the sick.

His mission isn’t to have people stand in awe of him.

His mission isn’t to win the masses.

His mission ends with his crucifixion and ultimate resurrection.

He tells them as much when he says “let these words sink in.

Another way to translate it is “put these words in your ears.”

Keep them there.

Don’t forget them.

Don’t neglect them.

Don’t ignore them.

This is what the Father meant when he said to “listen to Jesus” during the transfiguration.

The disciples are dense in their understanding.

This is why they must put these words in their ears.

b/c if they don’t continue to have them anchored in their minds and souls

They will quickly forget what’s most important.

They will never grasp the truth of What Jesus tells them.

The words reveal the heart of God in the salvation of many.

It doesn’t happen often, but I’m not the biggest fan of how this translation chooses to us “betrayed in the hands of men” instead of “handed over or delivered to the hands of men.”

Betrayed makes it feel less of a necessity than delivered over does.

But nevertheless, Jesus is going to die.

He came to die.

But here’s the thing.

The disciples didn’t and couldn’t understand what Jesus is saying.

I think this is why Jesus has to continually go back to reminding them of the mission.

It would easy for them to forget.

Jesus keeps doing miraculous things.

He keeps showing them the beauty, mercy, and grace of God.

So even though the destination is the cross, they can so easily forget it.

They observe the power of God in Jesus’ ability to cast out this demon and they can equate it to the power to avoid discomfort or even death.

But Jesus tells them that it’s his power and mission to go to the cross.

Luke is quick to let us know that this teaching flies right over their head.

Listen to what he says again.

Luke 9:45 “45 But they did not understand this statement; it was concealed from them so that they could not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.”

It’s like Luke is saying:

They didn’t hear it.

They couldn’t hear it.

They didn’t want to seek clarification either.

Why couldn’t they get it?

Remember they had their own perceived Idea of Jesus’ mission.

They wanted him to free them from the oppression of Rome and establish a new kingdom in Jerusalem.

They wanted a kingly messiah not a servant savior.

So what Kept them from truly understanding was their unwillingness or inability to listen to Jesus.

Now we do have to wrestle with the words, “it was concealed from them so that they could not grasp it”.

This seems to sound like they were divinely prohibited from understanding.

God was in some way blocking their understanding of what Jesus was saying.

There is something about the timing of their lack of understanding that is telling.

They wouldn’t be able to comprehend the fullness of Jesus’ mission until the resurrection and the sending of the HS.

But even with the divine Hiddenness of the fullness of the truth, they are still responsible for not seeking understanding.

They knew they didn’t understand and rather than asking Jesus they simply sat in their ignorance.

Maybe part of it was that they were afraid.

B/c if Jesus is truly going to die, then that would mean that they would have to as well.

To follow Jesus means that we have to listen to him.

We cannot have a listening problem.

Look, there are going to be times where you don’t like what he’s said.

You are going to think that he sounds crazy.

You are going to wish that he didn’t say that.

You are going to want to ignore his words.

We do this when we know that He has said we shouldn’t do xyz, and we do it any way.

We don’t listen when he says, that we must deny ourselves and follow after him.

We don’t listen when whatever he says is too hard for us.

But know this, Jesus is never going to tell us to do something that doesn’t contribute to our sanctification.

One of the ways we do this is to never take our eyes off of Jesus.

Jesus never took his eyes off the cross.

And he asks that we never do either.

When we take our eyes off of his cross then we miss the mission of Jesus.

We get distracted with the world around us.

If we take our eyes off of what Jesus came to do then we can justify our own disobedient behavior.

The disciples couldn’t understand Jesus b/c they took their eyes off of the cross.

They took their eyes off of his mission.

Listen to me, the cross of Jesus is central to our daily discipleship.

He’s called us to follow him all the way to the cross.

To take up our own cross and die daily.

Following Jesus can never be self-focused, it always has to be self-denying.

Just like Jesus took up the cross we must too.

Or else, we will get distracted from our participation in the mission he set before us.

I love what the Author of Hebrews wrote.

Hebrews 12:1–2 “1 Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, 2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Jesus went to the cross with Joy, knowing that it would lead to his glory.

and we must approach the cross the same way, knowing that it will lead to our sharing in his glory.

If we don’t keep our eyes focused on Jesus while bearing our own cross we will miss the mark and fall into the next deficient trap: a lack of humility.

Luke 9:46–48 CSB

46 An argument started among them about who was the greatest of them. 47 But Jesus, knowing their inner thoughts, took a little child and had him stand next to him. 48 He told them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me. And whoever welcomes me welcomes him who sent me. For whoever is least among you—this one is great.”

Lack of Humility

Just to recap.

Some of the disciples just got finished seeing Jesus in all his glory.

Talking with Moses, Elijah, and eventually the father.

Then Jesus casts out a demon.

He then goes on to tell them that he’s gonna die.

And then next words on their lips are this.

Who’s the best of us.

Who does Jesus love the most.

Who has the best gifting.

Who’s the most intelligent.

Who’s gonna have the greatest impact on the kingdom of God.

Which is the greatest among us.

There isn’t a more human thing than to hear something profound from the lips of Jesus, then go on to argue about who’s better.

I imagine that it was something like this.

Have you ever been around a person who always has to one up everyone else?

You caught a 3 foot bass.

But they caught a 5 foot one.

You graduated high school with a 3.0.

But they graduated with honors, got a full ride to the college of their choice and then was the captain and quarterback of the National Champions.

You just bought a new home.

They built theirs with their own two hands using nothing but mud and hay.

These type of people are insufferable.

And maybe they’re telling the truth.

Maybe they’re exaggerating the truth.

But regardless, every conversation is about them.

And how great they are.

They lack humility.

They see their value in what they do and what they’ve done rather than who Jesus is and what he did.

They are seeking greatness for themselves.

The disciples haven’t been listening to Jesus.

It wasn’t just a few days ago, that Jesus said to deny themselves.

And here they are trying to be the greatest.

Rather than carrying their cross, they are trying to climb to the top of mountain.

Luke gives us a little glance into the power and divinity of Jesus here.

He doesn’t tell us that Jesus hears them arguing, but that he knows their inner thoughts.

He knows how they think about themselves.

He knows the arguments they are going to use to prop themselves up.

But if we’re being honest, the disciples aren’t learning from Jesus’ example at all.

When has he tried to take all the credit and puff himself up over others.

He doesn’t instead he serves the least of those.

Jesus is truly the best in all things.

Yet he doesn’t use his status and stature to lord it over others.

For goodness sakes he’s willing to die for sinners.

He’s willing to lay down his life for those who will spit in his face.

This demonstrates the upside down values in God’s Kingdom.

Jesus uses the prideful hearts of the disciples to let them in on this truth.

He takes the hand of a child and tells the disciples that to be great they must be least.

Children held no real value in Jesus’ society.

But here Jesus is elevating this child and the welcoming of him as a key to the kingdom.

This kid could offer the disciples nothing.

He couldn’t elevate their status.

He couldn’t give them wealth and riches.

He didn’t hold any extrinsic value.

And Jesus tells the disciples that they must welcome him.

This is humility in action.

Demonstrating love, grace, mercy, and kindness to someone who cannot give anything back to you.

True greatness in the eyes of God comes when we take the lowest place, seeking no recognition for ourselves, but showing concern for the weak and the helpless.

Jesus didn’t seek greatness, so neither should we.

It’s a shame, mistake, and sin for us to try and construct our own kingdoms built upon our own merits.

So that we can feel good about ourselves.

So we can feel superior to others.

And you may be thinking that you don’t do that.

But anytime you choose selfishness instead of generosity, you are placing yourself above others.

Anytime you think that you are above helping someone out, you lack humility.

Anytime you avoid or bypass the opportunity to be gracious and forgiving, you are telling someone they aren’t worthy of forgiveness.

Jesus detests competition within the kingdom.

Let’s not forget that everything we have is a gift from him anyway.

Theologian J.C. Ryle once stated

“Of all creatures none has so little right to be proud as man, and of all men none ought to be so humble as the Christian.”

When people see us a followers of Jesus they shouldn’t see arrogant holy rollers, they should see humble servants who wish for all to repent and turn toward God.

I’ve seen it happen and I know that you have too, that there are those within the church that by their actions and attitudes think they are better than others.

Whether it be fellow church members or those on the outside.

Let us examine our hearts and make sure that this isn’t us.

My prayer is that we are marked by our love for others and our humility and not arrogance and self-righteousness.

When we start to think that we are better than others, we fall into the last trap of deficient discipleship: Lack of Focus.

Luke 9:49–50 CSB

49 John responded, “Master, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he does not follow us.” 50 “Don’t stop him,” Jesus told him, “because whoever is not against you is for you.”

Lack of Focus

John has a lack of focus on Jesus’ mission and message.

He sees someone who isn’t one of them doing mighty works.

and what’s Ironic to me is that they are doing what the disciples could not do.

Luke uses this event as a sort of bookend on the teaching of Jesus to the disciples in this section.

They were unable to cast out a demon, but someone who walked in the name of Jesus who wasn’t one of them, was casting out demons.

Rather than rejoicing in the power of God made manifest in this unnamed individual, John wants to confront them and tell them to stop.

That’s pretty ridiculous if you ask me.

John’s trying to fight the wrong enemy.

But what John doesn’t understand is that this group of disciples doesn’t have the monopoly on doing God’s work.

Jesus tells John to slow down and leave the man be.

Notice that the man isn’t casting out demons in the name of anyone or anything else.

He’s using the name and power of Jesus to accomplish these exorcisms.

He isn’t against the disciples he’s just distinct from them.

Now there are certainly those who stand opposed to Jesus, but this man isn’t one of them.

He’s doing the work of God.

But John wanted to build a fence around the disciples.

Wanting them to be the only ones who can be in the will of God and do the work of God.

This is akin to a church in a community saying they are the only ones who can do the work of God.

And as they see other believers and other congregations doing good in the name of God, they want to talk behind their back and undermine the good they are doing.

That’s one of the things I like about our church.

We have good relationships with the other congregations in the the community.

The women’s bible study that Corrie teaches on Wednesday Mornings has women from all different types of backgrounds.

Catholic, Methodists, Lutherans, and Baptists.

From Louise, Ganado, and El Campo.

It warmed my heart that during our backpack giveaway, we had people from all over come to help us make that ministry a success.

This is what the church should be.

We should be working together to promote the mission of Jesus.

To help those who are hurting and preach the gospel.

Our congregations should be more integrated than segregated.

We should not be trying to build our own kingdoms while fighting against one another, but we should be in fellowship and aiding one another.

Now we do need to be careful and wise when it come to cooperation with others, but if they are blood bought believers they aren’t our enemies.

If they are working for the cause of Jesus they are our co-laborers.

How do we avoid becoming deficient disciples.

Well first we need to know the traps that we can fall into.

We need to know that a lack of trust, listening, humility, and focus will cause us to not do the work that God has called us too.

And In order to clean up the areas where we are lacking, we must listen to Jesus.

We must live in submission to him, allowing him to work in us and through us.

We must trust in who he is and what he has promised.

We must imitate him in humility.

Not thinking ourselves greater than others.

We must also know that the way we do things is not the only way that God works.

God isn’t limited to our own boundaries and proclivities.

God uses who he wants how he wants when he wants.

If they are not hostile to the things of God then he will use them to proclaim the good news of the gospel.

Also, let’s be gracious toward one another.

We must recognize that we will all fall short.

That we will stumble and fall in one of these areas.

So when we see a fellow follower of Jesus collapse, let’s not stomp on him, but rather let’s lift him up and point him back to the grace, mercy, and forgiveness of Jesus.

We can’t be discipled alone, we need one another.

So let’s make sure that we are encouraging, rebuking, and challenging one another to grow in our relationship with Jesus.

If you haven’t given your life to Jesus, then you are not one of his disicples.

However, if you want to be he has made the way for you.

Believe that you are a sinner in need of a savior.

Repent of your sins Recognize that Jesus died to save you.

And follow after him.

He has died to set you free and restore you to right relationship with the father.

Will you trust him?

Let’s pray.