Disputes Within and Without

Luke 9:49–56 NKJV

49 Now John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us.” 50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side.” 51 Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, 52 and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. 53 But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. 54 And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?” 55 But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. 56 For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.

Our passage today appears to be in the context of the previous accounts which we have been looking at over the last fee weeks.

So let recap.

After Jesus comes back down from the mountain with Peter, John and James He was confronted with a father who had a son that was demon possessed. He complaint was that Jesus disciples were unable to deliver his son from the demonic spirit. Jesus answers “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?”

He had already called the twelve and empowered them by giving them authority over all demons in the beginning of this chapter. But lack of faith prevented them from being able to fulfil their calling. So Jesus delivers the boy from the demonic spirit.

You would imagine that after this subtle rebuke that they would be humbled, contemplative and self-reflective but instead they begin arguing over who would be the greatest in the kingdom of God. These are the twelve that Jesus has chosen to continue the ministry of preaching the gospel of the new covenant after He is gone and His time is running out, He’s already setting His face towards Jerusalem and the cross and the disciples are clearly not ready so we can understand the tone of Jesus remark “How long shall I be with you and bear with you?” They still have so much growing and learning to do. We see this spiritual immaturity revealed in our passage today. First we see John exclusivity.

Luke 9:49 NKJV

49 Now John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us.”

Again they have just been found wanting in their faith and unable to deliver the boy from the demonic spirit. Now John was in the mountain with Jesus so it’s possible that it was not him personally but still the other 9 that didn’t go up in the mountain even though they had been following with Jesus, called and commissioned by Jesus, they were struggling in their faith.

And here they saw someone else casting out demons in Jesus name. We don’t know who but not one of the twelve and probably not one of the seventy commissioned in the next chapter. But we could assume that they probably had heard Jesus teach and or had seen him casting out demons and healing the sick. But without being commissioned directly by Jesus they were casting out demons in the name of Jesus. So John took it upon himself to forbid him to do this. And when he tells Jesus we see His response in vs 50

Luke 9:50 NKJV

50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side.”

How do we deal with other Christians and other ministries that are outside our own church or fellowship? We have here a great teaching if we will receive it.

If other churches or other ministries are preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, then don’t forbid them. Now tend to often get into disputes over differing doctrines.

Romans 14:1 NKJV

1 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.

What are doubtful things?

I think it is beneficial to consider what are the essential doctrines of our faith. In other words what truths must one believe in order to be a Christian? We might say they must believe that they must believe that they are a sinner and that Jesus died on the cross for their sins and that He rose again on the third day. That would be essential. We might even say that a person must believe in the Trinity or the virgin birth. Important Christian doctrines yes but would it be possible for someone to have saving faith and not have any understanding of the virgin birth or the Trinity or baptism. I doubt the thief on the cross had any knowledge of such things. Important truth, yes but is it essential for salvation? Why is that important? Well because we may have genuine brothers and sisters in Christ who don’t believe some very important Christian doctrine. But even if we say these are essential doctrines for salvation we tend to, like John, be far more exclusive in our fellowship. There are many devout Christians who are brothers and sisters in Christ serving the Lord that we might be inclined to forbid or discredit their faith and service because they have different doctrines than us. That is not to say that what we disagree on is right or wrong but we should have a bigger understanding of the work that God is doing in the world through others without condemning them or forbidding them. Now it’s certainly worth noting that Jesus didn’t say collaborate with them or fellowship with them or unite with them so that you can together reach more people. No He just said don’t forbid them because if they are not against us then they are on our side.

In fact, It seems to me that the purpose of the gospel is better served through more smaller fellowships rather than less larger ones.

The next evidence of the spiritual immaturity of the apostles at this time is seen in their response to the village of the Samaritans

We see in verse 51 that Jesus has now steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem for His death. So rather than walking around Samaria as was the common practice, they go through it.

Jesus sent messengers ahead to organise lodging but they would not receive them.

How do we deal with those who reject Jesus altogether?

in vs 54 we see the approach of James and John the sons of thunder as Jesus called them.

Luke 9:54 NKJV

54 And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?”

Sometime we too may be inclined to want to call down the judgement of God on those who reject Christ. Perhaps we find the wickedness of this world so vexing that we just want God to burn it up. Maybe we fine ourselves wondering why God hasn’t done it already.

Romans 2:1–4 NKJV

1 Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. 3 And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

2 Peter 3:1–9 NKJV

1 Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), 2 that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, 3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

So Jesus response

Luke 9:55–56 “55 But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. 56 For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.”

In other words the spirit that would want what you suggest is not the Holy Spirit but another spirit. Even as Christians we may be of another spirit. That’s not to be possessed but we may be listening to the wrong spirit we must test the spirits whether they are of God or not.

Jesus did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save.

One day judgement is coming on the ungodly but until then we must preach the gospel. Our job is not to judge but to preach the gospel of repentance from sins and forgiveness through the blood of Christ.