Luke 9:51-62

Observations:

v. 51, Luke tells us that the time of Jesus’ “ascension” was drawing near, a notable emphasis on the completion of His purpose, rather than on the death aspect. Since it was drawing near, he was determined to go to Jerusalem

We have a major shift here, as Jesus’ Galilean ministry comes to a close and now Luke’s “Travel Narrative/Journey to Jerusalem” begins.

Luke takes ten chapters (Lk 9:51-19:48) to cover what Mark does in one.

vv. 52-53, He sent messengers to Samaritan village to make arrangements for Him, yet the Samaritans would not receive Jesus and His company because He was traveling towards Jerusalem.

The beginning of this transition begins with opposition from a certain Samaritan village

Jesus seeking hospitality from the Samaritans would’ve been viewed as scandalous from pious Jews

Important cultural/historical note of the relationship between the Samaritans and the Israelites

For the Samaritans, to go to the temple in Jerusalem for worship is to go to a rival to their worship on Mount Gerizim

The Samaritans occupied the country formerly belonging to the tribe of Ephraim and the half-tribe of Manasseh. The capital of the country was Samaria, formerly a large and splendid city. When the ten tribes were carried away into captivity to Assyria, the king of Assyria sent people from Cutha, Ava, Hamath, and Sepharvaim to inhabit Samaria (2 Kings 17:24; Ezra 4:2–11). These foreigners intermarried with the Israelite population that was still in and around Samaria. These “Samaritans” at first worshipped the idols of their own nations, but being troubled with lions, they supposed it was because they had not honored the God of that territory. A Jewish priest was therefore sent to them from Assyria to instruct them in the Jewish religion. They were instructed from the books of Moses, but still retained many of their idolatrous customs. The Samaritans embraced a religion that was a mixture of Judaism and idolatry (2 Kings 17:26–28). Because the Israelite inhabitants of Samaria had intermarried with the foreigners and adopted their idolatrous religion, Samaritans were generally considered “half-breeds” and were universally despised by the Jews.

Additional grounds for animosity between the Israelites and Samaritans were the following:

1. The Jews, after their return from Babylon, began rebuilding their temple. There was much animosity between Jews and Samaritans, initially sparked when the Jews returning from Babylon resisted Samaritan attempts to aid in the construction of the temple (Ezra 4). While Nehemiah was engaged in building the walls of Jerusalem, the Samaritans vigorously attempted to halt the undertaking (Nehemiah 6:1–14).

2. The Samaritans built a temple for themselves on “Mount Gerizim,” which the Samaritans insisted was designated by Moses as the place where the nation should worship. Sanballat, the leader of the Samaritans, established his son-in-law, Manasses, as high priest. The idolatrous religion of the Samaritans thus became perpetuated.

3. Samaria became a place of refuge for all the outlaws of Judea (Joshua 20:7; 21:21). The Samaritans willingly received Jewish criminals and refugees from justice. The violators of the Jewish laws, and those who had been excommunicated, found safety for themselves in Samaria, greatly increasing the hatred which existed between the two nations.

4. The Samaritans received only the five books of Moses and rejected the writings of the prophets and all the Jewish traditions.

From these causes arose an irreconcilable difference between them, so that the Jews regarded the Samaritans as the worst of the human race (John 8:48) and had no dealings with them (John 4:9). In spite of the hatred between the Jews and the Samaritans, Jesus broke down the barriers between them, preaching the gospel of peace to the Samaritans (John 4:6–26), and the apostles later followed His example (Acts 8:25).

v. 54, A strange response of James and John then come about, asking Jesus if He wanted them to command fire from the heavens to fall down upon this village and consume it

This does draw a connection to Elijah calling down fire upon the troops of Ahaziah, King of Samaria (2 Ki 1:1-17) (capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, not the Samaritans) and to him calling down fire from heaven to consume his sacrifice in contest against the priests of Baal on Mount Carmel (1 Ki 18:38).

Overall, this a symbolic allusion to the divine judgment against the enemies of God.

vv. 55-56, Jesus’ response is serious, strong and sharp, rebuking their indignant spirits, calling them out in their ignorance of how foolish they are acting. He clears up His mission once more to them, stating that the Son of Man did not come to destroy men, but to save them. He directed them then to another village.

Considering the relationship between Israel and the Samaritans, Jesus’ response here touches on God’s love for all people, regardless of ethnic or cultural background.

Exegetical Idea/Big Idea:

The new scenario is presented, where Jesus and His three disciples return from the mountain and are met by a large crowd and from their midst a man begs Jesus to look at his demonically tormented son, whom the disciples could not help.

The situation of the boy is tied to the unfaithful/perverse condition of the Israelites, a notably wearisome situation for Him. His supremacy over the supernatural, an important facet of the greatness of God, is at full display before the people

The inability tied with the ignorance of the disciples stir up a fearful reluctancy to inquire upon the Passion event that Jesus discloses in v. 44; it was for their ignorance and inability that Jesus must be delivered into the hands of men, for in His being delivered over, they would know His words were true through the aid of the Helper who would be sent (Jn 14:16, 26; Jn 16), and furthermore helped through Helper to live in obedience to the will of Christ (Rom 8:13; Gal 5:16)

Big Idea:

After the Transfiguration, the inability and ignorance of the disciples are exposed, notably after receiving the power and authority of their Master to exorcise demons and to heal diseases (Lk 9:1).

The supremacy of the Messiah, God’s Chosen One, is contrasted with the inefficiency of the Messiah’s chosen twelve.

His concluding words to the twelve are on the Passion, which points to a time where their ignorance and inability will be covered by His grace and remedied by the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Homiletical Idea

As Christians we must not let our own inability and ignorance to hinder us from coming to Christ. Let us not be reluctant to come before the God who invites us to reason together (Is 1:18) in our humble and needy disposition.

Let us partake in the ministry of the Holy Spirit, walking alongside by our Helper, putting to death the desires and deeds of our old ways, and putting on the new self (Rm 8:13; Eph 2:3, 4:17-19, 24; Gal 5:16).

As Christians, we are granted the opportunity to trade in the ignorance and inability of our old selves, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, for a new identity (2 Cor 5:17) that requires us to have a renewed mind (Rom 12:2) and a body presented before God as instruments of righteousness (Rom 6:13).

Liturgical Idea

What should we praise God for? (Rejoice)

What should we confess to God? (Repent)

What should we ask God for? (Request)

What should we lift up to God? (Sacrifice)

What should we live out for God? (Service)

Intro:

Recap:

Luke 9:37-45, After the Transfiguration, the inability and ignorance of the disciples are exposed, notably after receiving the power and authority of their Master to exorcise demons and to heal diseases (Lk 9:1).

The supremacy of the Messiah, God’s Chosen One, is contrasted with the inefficiency of the Messiah’s chosen twelve.

His concluding words to the twelve are on the Passion, which points to a time where their ignorance and inability will be covered by His grace and remedied by the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer

Read Luke 9:46-56

Head- What does it mean?

(15-20 min.)

vv. 46-56, The Inability and Ignorance of Jesus’ Disciples Pt. 2

vv. 46-48,

v. 37, The day following the Transfiguration, they all come down from the mountain, met by a large crowd.

vv. 38-40, From the midst of the crowd, a man pleads with Jesus to help his only son; his son is often possessed by a violent demon. The man took the boy to Jesus’ disciples, but they are unable to cast it out (notably after Jesus had given them the authority to do so).

The Old Testament often speaks of the tragedy of losing an only son who would receive the inheritance and carry on the family name

The symptoms here are similar to epilepsy, but this does not rule out demonization as the ultimate cause. Demons are often described as inflicting actual illnesses, including muteness (11:14), lameness (13:11), and madness (8:29). Nor are illnesses like epilepsy always considered demonic (see Matt. 4:24).

Summarize:

vv. 49-50,

v. 41, Jesus is quite miffed about this, and called out the people (disciples no doubt included) for their unbelief and perverted ways, speaking with a notable harshness, asking how long He shall be with them and put up with them. He then instructs the man to bring Him his son.

This phrase echoes Deuteronomy 32:20, which refers to Israel’s unfaithfulness and disobedience in the desert. Though the Israelites experienced the awesome power of God, they still demonstrated a lack of faith.

Mark 9:19 = Matt. 17:17 notes the same rebuke. Matthew, with Luke, speaks of the faithless and perverse generation, while Mark speaks only of a faithless one. All have the double question, though with minor verbal differences. All have Jesus commanding that the boy be brought to him, though Luke diverges from Matthew and Mark in wording the request (Matthew and Mark have φέρετε, pherete; Luke has προσάγαγε, prosagage).

v. 42, As the man does so, the demon attacks the boy, throwing him into a convulsion. Jesus rebukes the unclean spirit, heals the boy and gives him back to his father.

vv. 43-44, The crowds were amazed at the greatness of God clearly at work here. While the crowd was marveling, Jesus speaks strongly to His disciples, saying that His words better sink into their ears, as the Son of Man was to be delivered into the hands of men.

Notably, the mentioning of the Messiah’s divine appointment with suffering is mentioned again after the Transfiguration (Lk 9:31)

Summarize:

vv. 51-56,

v. 45, The disciples did not understand, and notably it was concealed from them by God, presumably, so that they would not understand. The disciples were too afraid to ask Jesus about the statement.

Interestingly, there appears to be an emphasis on the ignorance of the disciples, as Luke notes,

they did not understand Jesus’ statement

it was concealed from them

for the sole purpose that they would not perceive/understand the statement

From this inability to perceive, the disciples are filled with a kind of fear that keeps them from asking Jesus about His statement on the Passion.

Fear that hinders us from coming to Jesus (Lk 6:47) is not the will of God, but is a reluctance that extends from human frailty.

Notably the word noting the fear of the disciples, sourced in their ignorance of Jesus’ statement, is the same word noting the fear of the disciples as they were engulfed by the cloud at the Transfiguration. It was, in that immediate context, a fear connected to the ignorance being spoken by Peter (desiring to extend the stay of Moses, Elijah, and the glorified Jesus, despite the three just discussing the Passion to come); the fear that we are discussing is not a fear rooted in godly fear of Christ in His glory, but in a reluctance rooted in a kind of ignorance

Summarize:

Big Idea:

Heart- Do I buy it?

(15-20 min)

Open the discussion for any questions.

(Let group answer these questions)

What verses stood out to you and why?

What personal reflections did this reading trigger?

What should we praise God for? (Rejoice)

What should we confess to God? (Repent)

What should we ask God for? (Request)

What should we lift up to God? (Sacrifice)

What should we live out for God? (Service)

As Christians we must not let our own inability and ignorance to hinder us from coming to Christ. Let us not be reluctant to come before the God who invites us to reason together (Is 1:18) in our humble and needy disposition.

Let us partake in the ministry of the Holy Spirit, walking alongside by our Helper, putting to death the desires and deeds of our old ways, and putting on the new self (Rm 8:13; Eph 2:3, 4:17-19, 24; Gal 5:16).

As Christians, we are granted the opportunity to trade in the ignorance and inability of our old selves, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, for a new identity (2 Cor 5:17) that requires us to have a renewed mind (Rom 12:2) and a body presented before God as instruments of righteousness (Rom 6:13).

Hands- So What? How then should I live?

(10-15 min)

Walk with God: What does coming to Jesus with our inability and ignorance look like personally in your walk with God?

Keep Christ first: What does coming to Jesus with our inability and ignorance look like personally when we keep Christ first?

Keep sin out of your life: What does coming to Jesus with our inability and ignorance look like personally when you are keeping sin out of your life?

Personally,

It looks like crying out to God.

COVID testimony