Who do YOU say I am

Luke Chapter 9

LUKE 9:1-27

1And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. 2And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing. 3And He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, neither a staff, nor a bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even have two tunics apiece. 4”Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that city. 5”And as for those who do not receive you, as you go out from that city, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”6Departing, they began going throughout the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

7Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was happening; and he was greatly perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, 8and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen again. 9Herod said, “I myself had John beheaded; but who is this man about whom I hear such things?” And he kept trying to see Him.

10When the apostles returned, they gave an account to Him of all that they had done. Taking them with Him, He withdrew by Himself to a city called Bethsaida. 11But the crowds were aware of this and followed Him; and welcoming them, He began speaking to them about the kingdom of God and curing those who had need of healing.

12Now the day was ending, and the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the crowd away, that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside and find lodging and get something to eat; for here we are in a desolate place.”13But He said to them, “You give them something to eat!” And they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless perhaps we go and buy food for all these people.”14(For there were about five thousand men.) And He said to His disciples, “Have them sit down to eat in groups of about fifty each.”15They did so, and had them all sit down. 16Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed them, and broke them, and kept giving them to the disciples to set before the people. 17And they all ate and were satisfied; and the broken pieces which they had left over were picked up, twelve baskets full.

18And it happened that while He was praying alone, the disciples were with Him, and He questioned them, saying, “Who do the people say that I am?”19They answered and said, “John the Baptist, and others say Elijah; but others, that one of the prophets of old has risen again.”20And He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.”21But He warned them and instructed them not to tell this to anyone, 22saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.”

23And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24”For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. 25”For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? 26”For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27”But I say to you truthfully, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”

LUKE 9:1-6

Take nothing for your journey…

We have discussed in other studies how Jesus was both given (and gives) power and authority from God. Power is the ability, authority is the right. The two always go hand in hand with the absence of one undermining the other.

Look, for example, at the religious leaders of Jesus’ time. They claimed authority and granted authority by lineage. Yet Jesus confronts even his own family when they show doubt for his mission. His words are; “My mother and brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it [Luke 8:21].”

Christ’s authority is granted in the effectiveness of the works of life — not in lineage or education.

In this reading, Jesus says precisely what proof of authority he expects in his followers.

1. Power and authority over all the demons

2. To heal diseases

3. To proclaim the kingdom of God

Let’s look at some of the specific words for a fuller understanding of the “power” of Christ’s followers.

· Cure [G2323 Therapēuo] to cure and to serve

· Heal [G2390 Iamoi] to cure, heal and make whole

· Proclaim [G2784 Kerūssō] to proclaim (as in a herald) or to publish

Curing and healing, like power and authority, are intertwined. The root word for cure is similar to our word “therapy.” Consider the difference between a surgeon who “cuts out” a problem and a therapist who helps you work through the problem. A therapist can give you an excellent plan of care, but only the patient can act on it.

Two important descriptors for these words (cure and heal) are “to serve” and “to make whole.” A true healer is one that “serves you in becoming whole.”

The authority and power to proclaim is also contextually difficult for us to understand. We think it means someone talking from a pulpit or on a street corner, talking at those who are in pews or who are passing by. That’s actually the least common denominator of the word.

Again there are a couple of descriptors that would help us understand the heart of this term.

· A herald was a public crier who spoke on behalf of the king or emperor. They did not speak their own words; they spoke their “lord’s” words. In fact, the term, “using the Lord’s name in vain,” meant someone who used the king’s authority to speak her or his own words or to his or her own advantage — a fate punishable by death.

· Secondly, the word proclaim is similar to the word prophet [G4936 Prophētēs] in meaning. A prophet “forward claimed” the promises of God but also the people of God. To proclaim is to forward claim.

When we forward claim those lost or dislocated from purpose and meaning, we give them hope. Hope means more than words. To the hungry, hope (good news) is food. To the homeless it is a safe, warm place to stay. To the dislocated it is belonging and trust.

What happens from the preacher’s pulpit is empty if it is unaccompanied by actions of justice. Righteous words without just actions are self-righteousness at its worst and truly, “Taking the Lord’s name in vain.”

Will today find me acting with the power to respond to Christ’s authority. Will I be found curing, healing and proclaiming those in greatest need? Will I move from self-righteous pontificating to the humility of, “Serving others so they can be whole?”

Shake the dust off your feet

People who think others have offended them have frequently used this phrase. Actually, it is not properly used when I am personally offended. It is used when someone offends the character of God.

Shaking your feet of dust was the last act of a prophet upon leaving a town. A prophet does not slouch away. Shaking off the dust was a public act saying, “When the end comes, I don’t even want the dust of this town on my feet.”

Jesus takes this action against Nazareth [Luke 4:22-29].

It is Mark who tells us why Jesus castigated this town.

Mark 6:5-6a

5And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6And He wondered at their unbelief.

Nazareth preferred their Jesus to remain “familiar,” the well-mannered boy who grew up among them (but whose mother was also driven out from that town when her pregnancy became apparent). Their desire for “familiarity with the divine,” was what prevented the miraculous from happening among them.

The greatest error of any culture is to make our gods resemble us — remain familiar to us. These people wanted Jesus to be as miserable as they. They wanted another villager to share in their whining, not a healer to lead them.

How often to we see this institutionally when people gather around a copier or water cooler to complain about their situation. Those who offer suggestions or even ask, “What are you going to do about all these issues — besides talk about them?” Are usually shunned and find themselves disassociated from these “wise cynics” and “sarcastic humorists.”

They prefer grumbling about other people to addressing the issues of the day.

When we make Jesus familiar we make him impotent in our lives. When we make God into our image we only give the Creator the power to do what we want but not what we need. Rarely do the two match until we let God be God and align our wants with his will.

If God is not powerful in our lives then it is usually because we’re trying to force the Omnipotent God into our miniscule mindset.

LUKE 9:7-9

He kept trying to see him

Herod could have ordered Jesus to see him, he didn’t have to try. However, he’d wasted a lot of populist capital arresting and beheading John the Baptist. In a fit of lust he’d had a beloved prophet killed and now that decision was coming back to bite him.

Herod is a perfect example of a man whose wants become needs and whose needs become compulsions. He had lost control of himself, surrounded himself by yes-men and manipulators — like his wife/cousin — and was now haunted by his compounding errors.

It is quite possible that he was trying to see Jesus but did not want to be seen by Jesus, one more honest opinion to add weight to his overburdened conscience. Herod didn’t need any more truth.

How easy it would be to fall into the same trap as Herod. Trapped within our compulsions, caught within the web of our own lies, longing for truth but not to be truthful. The only freedom Herod had from his diseased life was the very man whom he feared most. Sadly, Herod’s response to his fear was not to confront it, but to lock it away and destroy it.

Within our fears lies so much truth. Usually our fears are tied to a loss of control even more than the fear of failure or death. Yet, what if life was not about control but about liberation? Ultimately, this is the gift of Christ. Everyone Christ encountered was given the opportunity to abandon the fear that most disabled them. For Nicodemus it was head knowledge, not heart knowledge, for Peter it was pride, for the rich young prince it was his possessions. What is it for me? What fear do I need to give up in order for Christ to exchange my need for control to embracing the liberating joy of Christ?

LUKE 9:10-11

Welcoming them…

Jesus retreats with his disciples to share the joys of their experiences. Along the way thousands began to follow him. They would overflow the paths and flood the hills around Bethsaida. There were the curious, the crippled, the diseased and mostly, the poor. This was his retreat time — the closest to a vacation or a summit Jesus would experience. No wonder the disciples try to chase the crowds away unfed and unwelcome.

Yet examine the response of Christ. Does he attempt to shoo them off? Does he seem angry they needed him? Does he seem frustrated by his lack of restful solitude?

We shouldn’t equate a contemporary vacation with this retreat of Jesus. Most people vacate because they are exhausted from work that either doesn’t engage them and/or is continually stressful. Jesus retreats with his disciples because he wants to spend time with them listening for a deeper sense of God’s call. The fact that these people follow Jesus on his retreat is just one more way Jesus hears God’s call.

Little causes more stress in our lives than living lives that don’t match our life’s calling. So many feel trapped in lives unable to share their true hopes or stifled in frustration buried in unfulfilling work. Any time we are unable to live in a manner preventing transparency or lacking purpose, life will always be incapacitating.

This is one reason so many pastors burn out as well. Rather than being energized by giving — as exemplified by Christ in this reading — they are overburdened by circumstances — as displayed by the disciples.

How do we prevent burnout to live seemingly tireless lives like that displayed by Christ?

1. First, make your work match your meaning. Build a career around the causes that move you and surround yourself with the people who inspire you.

2. Second, if you are unable to work in the area of your mission, make whatever you do into a mission. I had the honor two days of accompanying my father through his assisted living facility. He remains a great professor who spoke all over the world, but a care facility is not where he expected to live out his elder years. Yet his physical condition requires more care than living with a relative or independently could meet.

Does he pine away each day because his aging body has failed him? No, he had a smile for everyone he met and a compliment for anyone with a moment. One waitress called him, “our angel,” and truly, to many he was.

It’s not your position that makes your mission; it is bringing Christ to your situation that makes your life a mission.

3. Third, people don’t burn out from doing too much. They burn out from doing too much of the same thing. Redundancy and rigidity are the enemies of growth. We are most alive when we are most challenged. Homeostasis and comfort are way overrated in our culture.

4. Lastly, tune your radio station to God’s frequency every morning and play it all day. I’m not talking about listening to media all day; I am speaking of listening to the Creator all day, everyday. The only way to do that is to rise in the morning and give him your first moments. That alone will set the tenor of your entire day.

Christ was able to give so much because he was connected to God continually, his mission pervaded his life and he lived a transparent life and genuinely loved God’s people. What a model for our lives as well.

If you feel burned out, perhaps a vacation in not your best option. Find a way to love indiscriminately, without hitches or parameters. Find someone who is “worse off than you (for most of us that shouldn’t be hard),” and love that person like Jesus loved these “stragglers.”

LUKE 9:12-17

You give them something to eat!

While the apostles try to avoid involvement, Jesus sends them even deeper. This is a window into the way the Master trained his pupils. We are not allowed to run from need, we dive into it even when we feel we have no resources.

The only resource we need is Christ and the only place for us to deepen our dependence on him is when we give without ceasing. Jesus showed little concern for how few resources he had and how many people there were. He would give what he had until there was nothing left. Yet, true to form, when you give from Christ’s basket, there is always immeasurably more in the end then in the beginning.

Many of you know that one of my favorite sayings to the inmates in my chaplaincy was, “You can’t out give God but it is worth trying.”

When we give with abundance and joy, God always surprises us with the outcome.

It matters not if the bread and fish miraculously increased as some claim or more followers added to the basket from their own hidden stores, once they saw Christ’s example. What matters is that — in Christ — the benefits of giving always exceed the cost of withholding.

He blessed them and broke them

We should note that Christ does more than arbitrarily throw bread to the masses. This is no “first come, first served,” dash to the front of the line. He transforms chaos into order breaking the large mass of people into small groups of interactive communities. They would have to eat together while looking at their neighbor.

The strategy behind this cannot be underplayed. The master of human relations puts people into relationship where they would have to deny their neighbor to feed themselves. Poverty cannot withstand relationship. If we understood this, we would also understand that poverty is not just a resource issue, it is a relationship issue. By putting people into small communities, Jesus makes the hunger of one individual personal to the life of another.

Poverty and her twin sister of ignorance — prejudice — are helpless against relationship.

The work of our century is to continue the work of Christ; destroy poverty and prejudice by building relationships. We need to become leaders in forming relationships between those who have and those who do not. Moving those around us from the chaos of the masses to the engagement of community.

LUKE 9:18-22

Who do you say that I am?

He is the pivotal question of the Gospel and, to Christians, our lives. Who we say Christ is will allow our lives to be open to whom he says we are. Every person must come to this answer individually. I cannot answer for my children, nor them for me. I cannot answer for you, nor you for me.

Yet here we must be careful as well. We must realize that Christ is willing to be whom we name him. It is not in my right to condemn whom you name him or for you to condemn whom I name him. It is no different then offering someone a gift they do not accept. Since it is a gift, I cannot condemn them for not accepting it. I do not know their circumstances, I do not know their hurt or pain. I do not know if, as a child, they were manipulated by negative religious influences. I do not know if they feel unworthy of accepting the gift because of a brutally diminished sense of self-esteem.

Those who do reject a gift often do so because they do not know the giver or are unsure or fearful of making a commitment. If they better knew the giver, perhaps they could accept the gift more fully. Judging someone for not accepting a gift undermines the whole purpose of the gift.

This gift which we were freely given, we were also called to freely give; no conditions to us, no conditions to another.

If I judge someone because they don’t have the same response to Christ’s query that Peter did or I do, then I am taking possession of a gift that wasn’t meant for me. This is neither my gift to withhold nor my gift to unwrap.

Peter has the options of seeing Christ as a Prophet returned, a prophet renewed or a prophet to come. Or, he has the option to see Christ as a gift to the world and a gift to himself. The deeper Peter delves, the more Jesus will respond. It is not that the Lord holds back, it is only that he gives as we are able to receive. If you feed an overstuffed child, it’s going to come back on you somehow.

We would do well to remember the kindness of Christ in asking this question. How often do we try to force the gift on others or stuff our answer down other people’s throat? That response is not out of Christ’s love, it is out of our incompleteness. The receiver receives the giver as much as the gift. How do I make myself into a more compelling giver?

The Son of Man must suffer…

It was on this retreat, after experiencing the power of the first commission, after witnessing the feeding of the thousands and after naming Jesus as the Christ that a huge transition occurs. Jesus switches from his teaching ministry to his sacrificial ministry.

We can’t be sure when Jesus recognized the sacrificial aspect of his ministry. Did he know it from birth? Was it revealed to him as he studied scripture and felt his closeness to God increase? We can be sure Jesus did not step into the Jordan unawares. As previously mentioned, being baptized by John wasn’t just a religious statement; it was also a political statement. Roman and Jewish leaders alike were already monitoring John. Anyone drawing crowds the size of John’s would be suspect — and so would his supporters.

The Gospels tell us Jesus waited until after the beheading of John to announce his own final direction. It is dubious that John’s death revealed the direness of his own situation. Even a fool would see the handwriting on the wall. Every time he turned to Jerusalem the crowds grew and the ruling elite became increasingly hostile. Jesus didn’t try to make it easier for the elite either. The adulation of the crowd and the emptying of the temple traders only enflamed them.

One cannot say the disciples weren’t forewarned of Jesus’ ultimate death either. Time after time he tells them he has but one route and that is through death to the resurrection. He was opening the way for the broken to enter heaven and be restored not for the angels to come to earth and destroy.

Jesus must have further schooled the disciples when He tells them, in essence, “And guess what, you must deny yourself too!”

Though Peter could identify Jesus as his Christ personally, it would be much longer before he identified Jesus as The Christ eternally. He would still try to make Jesus his own Christ. He still sought to keep Jesus to himself. That was what Jesus would not tolerate. In that statement of possessing Jesus could be found the subtle influence of the master manipulator. Thus Jesus’ harsh response, “Get the behind me, Satan.”

Would we be surprised by Jesus’ sacrificial determination? The disciples heard it multiple times and yet seemed to lock out the sacrificial words for the heavenly ones.

What is my preferential deafness ratio? Do I get the message of sacrificial living as adeptly as I get the message of heavenly rejoicing? Do I see their sobering connection?

Are the sacrifices of service in my life equal to the rejoicing of happiness?

The way of Jesus is not the easy way. Anyone who offers us an easy path to joy with no cost involved is deceiving us. Joy without tribulation is the weakest form of pleasure. It is not that pleasure is in itself an enemy of the faithful, but we are called to a pleasure steeped in commitment and a joy replete with sacrifice. To flee sacrifice is to lose joy.

LUKE 9:23-27

For what profited a man…

Profit and loss. Some consider this to be the ultimate test of a business or a person’s life. What do I consider the ultimate balance sheet for my life?

We can be assured there is never a profit without an investment. Perhaps the richest man operates by much the same margin as the poorest man, it is just the size of their margin that differs. What matters is what we consider important to hold on to as our margin. If we “can’t take it with us,” what profit do we find worth forfeiting everything?

In my work, I’ve eulogized many people. I’ve heard death rattle the lungs of many a soul and been present to accompany many family members in their hour of loss. I’ve seen people argue at deathbeds and come together after years of brokenness. Money caused most of the first situations, memories most of the last.

I’m convinced all we have in our last hours are our memories. Those people we have loved and those we have used. I’m convinced of this so much that it is my primary advice to young couples. “Build memories, that is what will sustain you during your hardest times and your closing years.”

The most important memories are rarely expensive. Teaching a child to ride a bike, cooking a meal with one you love or watching the sunrise over the distance. Do not let the time pass without intentionally building memories. Do not leave them to chance. Amass your memories like they are your treasure.

Who will not taste death

We are a resurrection people. There are times this is easy to forget. As Jesus foresaw his own death and the despair of his followers, he also gives them the greatest hope they could ever hold. We are not bound by evil. We are also not bound by death. The evil that binds us in this life will certainly bind us in the next. Choices we make now harden and become pillars that sustain us or chains that bind us.

For Jesus, hell was the absence of God. It wasn’t a place; it was an attitude — largely of hubris — in which I act as if the whole of creation exists to meet my needs. Such an attitude prevents an individual (or group) from experiencing God, the Author of life.

M. Scott Peck said in his book, “People of the Lie (a very important book about the culture of narcissism),” that, “Evil is to live backward.” He talks about how we love things and use beings.

When we use beings to get things, we love what is dead more than what is living. God designed the things of this earth to help us sustain the beings of this earth while always keeping in my mind our responsibility for future ages as well. Dr. Peck refers to us as a culture of necrophilia’s, more in love with what is dead than what is living.

It is difficult to write this reflection as the US is recovering from a recent shooting that left twenty children and six educators dead at an elementary school in Connecticut. Fingers will point, blame will be laid at many doors but not enough people will stop to question their own acquiescence to a culture of death.

Christ tells us that even carrying around anger in our hearts is an act of violence [Matthew 5:22]. I think of that statement when I examine my own anger at others — especially the petty, self-righteous anger so many of us carry onto the streets of our towns and cities. We can be cherubic in our churches and demons in the parking lot. We may not play violent games or carry an assault rifle in our vehicle but we might watch reality shows where people are denigrated for their lack of talent. I might laugh at the cynical who offer no solution to their condemnation or tune my radio or television to shows that drive wedges of prejudice or antagonism between myself and a neighbor who might believe a different creed or have a differing opinion.

These are the “gateway drugs” of violence in our culture. Because they are not explicit forms of violence we might accept them, but they create a fertile ground for more hostile behaviors. The essence of violence is the subtle belief I can violate someone — emotionally or physically — in order to meet my wants. This narcissistic viewpoint is endemic in a culture that promotes rights without responsibilities.

The right to free speech must match with the responsibility to ensure it for others.

· The right to religious freedom must be accompanied by the responsibility of advocating for others beliefs — even if those beliefs are agnostic or atheistic.

· The right to bear arms must be accompanied by the responsibility of safety for the undefended citizens of our country — especially our children.

It would be far more effective if we were to change the tenor of the conversation from rights to responsibilities.

Once we’ve tasted the “Way of Jesus,” once we have drank from his living water, we won’t help but be repelled by a culture of death; to taste life is to be repelled by death. This happened to Matthew, Zacchaeus, the woman at the well, it happened to Francis of Assisi, Martin the Centurion and Mother Teresa.

Jesus’ attitude towards “things (possessions),” was almost a striking nonchalance. It’s almost as if he is saying, “Use it for the purpose of the kingdom [Matthew 22:15-19].”

It is not that Jesus rejects possessions; it is the way we use people to gain possessions. His caution is centered on people whose treasure possesses them {Luke 12:33-34].

In what manner do I contribute to a culture of death by loving my things more than God’s people? The question not only pertains to money, but to anything that could become a compulsion. Look at the three temptations of Christ: Do I use people to get satisfaction? Do I use people to get attention? Do I use people to protect my ideology? What is the “thing” I need to let go of in order to be free to follow Christ’s path?

Further on in Luke 12, Jesus tells us why to unencumber ourselves from a culture of death [Luke 12:35-36].

Let’s put death behind us, not just our eventual death, but also a culture of death. Let’s refuse to “taste death,” as our Lord so aptly puts it, by treasuring Jesus and the people he calls us to serve.

Let’s make it a habit to taste life now and for the rest of our eternity.

Christian “Followership” is Radical Abandonment

LUKE 9:51-62

[Lk 9:51] When the days were approaching for His ascension, He was determined to go to Jerusalem; [52] and He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him. [53] But they did not receive Him, because He was traveling 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 heaven and consume them?” [55] But He turned and rebuked them, [and said, “You do not know what kind 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 on to another village.

[57] As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.” [58] And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” [59] And He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” [60] But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.” [61] Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.” [62] But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

LUKE 9:51

When the days were approaching for His ascension, He was determined to go to Jerusalem.

For His ascension

Here is the focal point of Luke’s treatise. Luke’s Gospel is written so that it culminates in this statement: “He was determined to go to Jerusalem.”

Furthermore, Luke tells us, Jesus was not going there to martyr himself but, “For His ascension.”

From the other writers we know that it was not just one trip to Jerusalem, but a series of trips during the Feast days in the last year of our Lord’s earthly life. Yet, Luke does not want the power of Christ’s sacrificial journey to be lost on Theophilus (to whom this account is written). He doesn’t want his Gentile audience to get bogged down in Jewish tradition. He has one clear point: Jesus made the choice to go to Jerusalem and his singular purpose was for His ascension.

Jesus marched to Jerusalem as a radical (which means “root” in Greek) response to God. He had no doubts about what would happen to him there. He was headed for the cross [Luke 9:22].

Christ made a radical response to God and seeks a radical response from us. Our lives must be just as telescopically focused. Is there one resource we have that we shouldn’t put into this effort? Time, effort and money? Imagine the freedom and joy of using all of our resources and all of our abilities towards Christ’s universal purpose-the ascension of all of his children.

LUKE 9:52-53

[52] and He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him. [53] But they did not receive Him, because He was traveling toward Jerusalem.

They did not receive Him

There was an ancient history of hatred between Jews and Samaritans. Much of it stemmed from King Jeroboam, the first ruler of the Northern Kingdoms (Israel) after the passing of Solomon. He was concerned that if his people continued to go to Jerusalem for the Temple festivals and observances they might undermine his rule. So King Jeroboam stated; “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!” [1 Kings 12:28].

Jeroboam then made two golden calves resembling the mounts of the Canaanite pagan god BAAL and placed them on the mountains in Bethel and Dan. Then, he appointed priests from tribes other than Levi to offer sacrifices to these images. Eighteen kings sat on Israel’s (the northern kingdom) throne after Jeroboam, none giving up the golden calves.

Over the years, enmity increased especially for the Jewish pilgrims venturing to Jerusalem from other nations or from the north for religious festivals and observances. They would often cross east of the Jordan rather than deal with the hostilities that Jesus and his disciples experienced on this journey recorded by Luke.

The hostility of the Samaritans was well-matched by the Jews of the time who called them as “cross-breeding dogs.” Over time the prejudice and enmity deepened and their direct communication became increasingly bitter, moderated only by whatever empire ruled the region forcing the two people to live side by side.

LUKE 9:54-56

[54] 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?” [55] But He turned and rebuked them, [and said, “You do not know what kind 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 on to another village.

“Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”

When Jesus crossed into Samaria he understood something that his apostle’s prejudice kept them from seeing that these people didn’t hate Jesus, they hated Jewish nationalism. They hated a religion as it was expressed by its people. This is one of the greatest impediments to understanding between multiple cultures or religions: We always seem to compare the ideals of our own religion against the practices of others. The comparison is irrelevant and will always lead to prejudice. If we are going to compare, it should be ideals against ideals or practices against practices. In doing so, perhaps we would learn to respect each other and find the many beliefs and faults that we have in common. In turn, that would lay a framework for respectful communication instead of the prejudice we see so rampant today.

The response of James and John (also called the “Sons of Thunder”) is embarrassingly revealing of their attitudes. They are ready to pummel the village with a fiery meteor shower, all in the name of Jesus!

In a warped way, this does show the newfound faith of the Apostles that resulted from the power given them by following Jesus. All of this occurs after the twelve had been sent out successfully to cast out demons and heal the sick. They had also been enflamed by the beheading of John by Herod Antipas, they had seen Jesus feed the 5,000, and witnessed the Lord’s transfiguration. Their faith was undoubtedly at its pre-resurrection zenith.

However, they were dangerously wound up in a web of self-deceit and sin. We must remember, the primary word that Jesus used for sin meant, “missing the mar”‘ or “off course [G266 Hamartia].”

Following Jesus had gone to their head; it had become a privilege to them and something that put them above others. Even something that gave them the right to condemn and damn others.

Christianity doesn’t give us the right to judge others; it gives the insight to see our own sinfulness revealed!

“You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”

This is not a mild response on Jesus’ behalf. He turns upon his disciples and rebukes them fiercely [G2008 epitimao]. This word is used when Jesus called out unclean spirits, reproved nature’s storms and when our Lord castigated Peter for preventing his trip to Jerusalem: “But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter, and said, ‘Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.’” [Mk 8:33]

The statement that Jesus makes in this verse and the context in which he makes it is alarming; “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of…”

It obviously denotes that a spirit has prompted this statement by the Sons of Thunder and it clearly indicates that it is not the Holy Spirit. What is the identifying factor that shows these men are operating under the influence of an ungodly spirit? This statement says it all: “…for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”

A spirit of judgment, a spirit of self-righteousness, they forgot who they were before Jesus and used their relationship with the Lord to spawn a false pride.

Daily, I pray; “Lord, save me from myself. Keep me from embracing the spirit that is not from you, the unclean spirit of judgment and self-righteousness.”

This is the attitude condemned by Jesus whenever he sees it and in whomever he sees it. It doesn’t matter whether it is the Pharisees or his own followers; a judgmental spirit is not of the Lord.

LUKE 9:57-58

“The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

What Luke is doing in these verses is painting for us a picture of “Christian Followership.” He wants there to be no mistake that following Jesus leads to the Ascension — but through the cross. Luke wants us to know that this is Jesus’ determined march; it is his purpose and he will not be swayed. Jesus could not be clearer about this purpose than in these verses:

LUKE 9:22-26

[22] Saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.”

[23] And He was saying to {them} all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. [24] “For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. [25] “For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? [26] “For whoever is ashamed of Me and 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.”

Christian Followership is about loving others like Jesus loved us; radically! Christian Followership is about radical abandonment:

1. Of claims of self-righteousness and judgment

2. Of claims to home or place on this earth

3. And — we will see next — even claims to earthly ties and cultural mores that would distract us from Jesus

Jesus uses foxes and birds for a very specific reason. They were thought of as the freest of creatures, as if nothing held them bound. The desert fox is rather like a coyote in Western lore; a loner, howling at the moon, representing the “cowboy” spirit of freedom; “Nothing ties me down.”

Similarly, who thinks of a bird as earthbound or encumbered? Yet, Jesus tells this man even they have dens and nests — but the Son of Man doesn’t even have a pillow.

Why does Luke bring up these stories that seemingly distract from Jesus’ resolute march to the cross? Revealed in these statements are two men who want to follow Jesus and yet, Jesus seems to dissuade them.

In reality, Jesus is giving them the straight scoop. His teaching time is over, his days are numbered, he is going to Jerusalem to die (and then ascend) and those who go with him will be scattered throughout the world.

Yet, many of us followers do not act as if this is pertinent to contemporary times. We turn the page before these three stories of radical abandonment and drastic followership sink in. Jesus spoke the truth — Jesus IS the Truth — and that truth has not altered over the last two millenniums. We are still called to a followership that sees nothing of merit in the self-deceptive importance of this world, in the things of this world and in the ways of this world. We must be so unencumbered of this world that we are ready to follow Jesus even into self-abandonment, especially into self-abandonment!

We must still examine our possessions and positions and ask whether they do not possess us. We must look at them with God’s eyes — not our own or this worlds. What do I have that is not being put to work in the advancement of our Lord’s kingdom? What do I have that is only for my pleasure, my ego or my prestige? Could I leave it in a moment if it could be put to use building his kingdom? Then, why do I not do so?

To be a follower of Christ wasn’t just being radical 2,000 years ago. It is also being radical now. It is abandonment now. That truth did not change in a mere 2,000 years and it won’t change throughout eternity. To value God is to value what God values. His Son modeled what God values. Our Lord gave up everything for us and told us to give up everything for each other.

It is still radical abandonment.

LUKE 9:59-62

[59] And He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” [60] But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.” [61] Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.” [62] But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” (NAS)

“Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.”

This verse has been explained many ways. What is obvious is that the man’s father was not actually laying dead in a field somewhere or he would not have been talking to Jesus at all.

Another possible explanation was that the man’s father was very old and near death — the man wanted to care for him during his last days. This is doubtful, because Jesus always felt a “gut-wrenching” compassion for people in situations such as this; our Lord would have been far more likely to go with the man to visit his father than to call the young man to immediately leave him on his deathbed and proclaim the kingdom of God.

That leaves one final and most likely scenario. What the young man was saying (as politely as possible) was that when his father dies — he is next in line for a substantial inheritance. This was, in fact, the customary way to say; “When I get my inheritance — then I will devote my life to you.”

I hear that all the time! “If I had ten million bucks, I would give a million to charity.” “When I win the lottery, I plan on helping the homeless.”

Jesus’ response is the same to us as it was to that man; “Your SOMEday is TOday!”

It is not our money that God wants — it is our passion, our very lives. Not someday; TOday!

Jesus was not calling this man away from a compassionate relationship — he was calling this man away from the possessions and fixations of this world. If Jesus wanted money he would have picked it off Matthew’s table, he would have plucked it from the mouth of a million fish, he would have sent the disciples for more fish or he would have sold the bread to the five thousand instead of giving it to them. Jesus could have been the ultimate physician, world sage, government advisor or he could have turned Herod into a macaw and had him entertain guests for dinner.

Money is not God’s desire — we are! Jesus had no use for this man’s inheritance but he had a huge purpose for this man’s life, “Go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.”

All around Jesus, the dead were burying their dead. That is why Jesus came. To bring us life and to bring it abundantly [John 10:10]! Abundant life has nothing to do with inheritances, a place to lay our head or seeing revenge taken on those who believe differently than us. Abundant life is the honor we are given to, “Go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.”

How much do I need to do that TOday?

“No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

It is hard to understand this statement unless you have ever planted a long row of seeds. The message would be doubly pertinent to the people of Jesus’ day because every seed they planted was taken from the previous years’ crop and the next years’ table. It was one less kernel of grain you gave to your family in a life that was a breath away from starvation.

When a farmer planted his seed, he had to walk a straight line down the row. He would wait for the hot desert siroccos to blow and then he would walk straight into the wind throwing the seed in the air. It was the wind that would scatter the seed and keep it from landing in one clump (remember the story of the scattered seed in Luke 8). Despite the horrific dust in the field, he could not turn his face and waver either to the left or the right. That would cost his family precious seed — it might even cost them their lives — for there was no margin for error once the planting started.

Our planting has started!

There is no margin for error. Luke’s message is pristinely clear; Jesus would not be deterred from his Ascension, nor can we. We cannot afford distraction, there are lives being lost.

Radical Followership is this: We will not be distracted by self-importance, comfort or possessions. We have one great honor and one great purpose: “Go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.” We have one great joy and one great focus: “Go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.”

We must let go of anything that will distract us. Yet, we can count this as joy; for we do not give things up —we give things to! Give it all to God. Give it all to the mission. Give it all to our Lord’s great purpose: “Go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.”

Name one thing in the world that is worth more than a single redeemed soul.

Let us be radical followers of a radical Lord. Nothing we have is worth more than what he has to offer.