Bible Commentaries
Luke 9

Verses 1-9

Luk 9:1-9

Commentary On Luke 9:1-9

Galen Doughty

Luke 9:1-2 - Jesus gives the disciples power and authority to drive out demons and heal, but he sends them to first preach the Kingdom and then heal. Proclaiming the Kingdom was the first priority as it was with Jesus. See Luke 4:42-44. Healing and casting out demons were signs that the preaching of the Kingdom of God and the invitation to join it were true. The miracles validated the preaching and they cared for the people. They showed that the Kingdom was present and available for all who would come. Healing and casting out demons are both related to the consequences of sin and being under the rule of Satan and darkness. Jesus came to destroy the devil’s works and the healing miracles and the preaching of the Kingdom are direct evidence of the reality of his mission. Jesus is now giving his mission of proclaiming and showing the Kingdom to the disciples. That is also our job as a church. We are to do the same thing. Only Jesus could pay for human sin on the cross and guarantee our resurrection through his rising from the dead, but his mission of proclaiming, demonstrating and inviting people to God’s Kingdom we are to do as well. The difference now as opposed to when the disciples were doing it is the added message of forgiveness of sins in Jesus’ name.

Jesus had many disciples but he sent the twelve on the mission to preach the Kingdom and heal to do what Jesus did. In what way did he give them power and authority? Was it his own authority and thus they were using the name of Jesus to heal and cast out demons? How did he give them power? Did he extend the Holy Spirit to them on a temporary basis? Was it his own power? That doesn’t synch with what Luke tells us elsewhere that Jesus did his miracles by the power of the Holy Spirit. Were they equipped for their mission like we are today as Christians or were they equipped like Old Testament prophets? Was this a special time in between the Old Covenant and the coming of the Holy Spirit in the New? This passage raises a lot of interesting questions many of which do not have good answers! I think the best explanation is that he sent them out in his name and gave permission and authority to use his name in their work. The situation for us in mission is no different. We have the name and authority of Jesus for our work as well. The difference is that we also have the Holy Spirit as Jesus did.

Luke does not say specifically but Mark and Matthew report that Jesus sent them two by two, in pairs. Mission is meant to be done in teams and is not a solo endeavor! This makes sense, especially where the Spirit is involved. Plus Jesus says in Matthew 18 that wherever two or more are gathered there he is in the midst, and when two or more agree the Lord will answer our prayers.

Luke 9:3-6 - Jesus gives the disciples instructions in how to proceed. Basically he tells them to live off the hospitality of people who are receptive to the gospel. If the people do not welcome them then shake the dust off their feet when they leave as a witness against them. In other words the preaching and modeling of the Kingdom of God brings blessing now and salvation in the age to come for those who will receive it but judgment for those who reject it. Further, God will provide for his missionaries. If we are about the business of doing what Jesus told us to do he will provide for us. He also implies in his instructions that there will be those who reject their message and witness but there will also be those who receive it, just like the parable of the sower.

The disciples go do what Jesus told them to do, obeying him, and they are successful in preaching and healing many. When we do the mission Jesus gives us to do we will be successful. His power will be with us to accomplish that which he gives us to do. The disciples did not have this power in themselves it came from the Lord. The same is true for us today. They acted in faith and obeyed what Jesus told them. We can trust God to supply the power and ability.

The question arises about how to pray for the sick. Do we pray and ask God to heal, or should we simply pronounce healing in the name of Jesus, doing what the disciples did? The more I read the more I think we should boldly pronounce the healing, not in any dramatic way, but simply and straightforwardly expecting Jesus to respond and do what he told us to do. What has changed in his command and our mission in the last 2000 years? Nothing. What holds us back from doing as he did and doing as the disciples did? Just our faith and that is related to simply obeying Jesus and doing what he says and NOT qualifying it with our doubts or questions. The issue is simple: is Jesus’ command and mission to the disciples any different than the mission he gives to us today as his disciples or was it a once in a lifetime situation? The rest of Luke’s gospel and the book of Acts say there is no difference!

Luke 9:7-9 - Jesus’ ministry and his disciples’ ministry of preaching and healing attracted the attention of Herod Antipas. He was confused about who Jesus was and what people were saying. He had killed John and probably thought he had eliminated the Messianic fervor John’s ministry had stirred up only to find it even greater because of Jesus and what he was doing. The reports that he hears about Jesus are very similar to the reports the disciples give Jesus at Caesarea Philippi to Jesus’ query about who people are saying he is. All this leads Herod to try and see Jesus. Did he secretly try and hear him or did he try and invite him to the palace? Luke does not say, but this does set up Herod’s curiosity during Jesus’ trial that Luke reports about in chapter 23, when Herod demands that Jesus do some miracle for him.

Luke has already told us that the Pharisees have begun seeking ways to get rid of Jesus. Now he tells us Herod wants to know more about Jesus and what he is doing. Given the paranoid nature of the Herodian family it is reasonable to assume Herod Antipas feels threatened by Jesus. If he truly is the Messiah and the true king of Israel anointed by God then Herod’s days as king are almost over. No wonder in the end he wanted to get rid of him!

Verses 10-17

Luk 9:10-17

Commentary On Luke 10:10-17

Galen Doughty

Luke 9:10-11 - The disciples return and report all that they had done to Jesus; that includes Judas! Jesus knows how demanding ministry is and he takes them to a remote place to recover, to Bethsaida, which is east of Capernaum just to the north of the lake. Bethsaida is a little closer to the border of Herod Antipas’ and Herod Philip’s territory. Had Jesus gotten wind of Herod’s interest and was positioning he and the disciples for a quick escape if needed? We don’t know.

Jesus’ plan to take the disciples away for a little R & R is overwhelmed by the crowds who learned where he was and their need for healing and ministry. Rather than sending them away Jesus welcomes them, preaching about the Kingdom and healing all who were sick. Jesus continually tried to have a balance in his ministry and showed the disciples how to maintain that balance, but the first priority was to help people. When the needs were present Jesus responded. The disciples surely were learning that lesson because although they were elated about what God had done through them, they must have been weary from their ministry and needed time to recover and re-energize.

Luke 9:12-14 - Late in the day the disciples come to Jesus and try and get him to stop so that people can go and find something to eat. They explain to Jesus that they are in a remote place and there isn’t anywhere to find food and lodging. It strikes me as funny that now that the disciples have had a little experience in ministry and tasted some success they suddenly become experts in how to conduct ministry and they try and give Jesus some advice about what he needs to do! They don’t come with their concerns they come with advice because they now know better and it appears they think Jesus has just lost himself in ministry so much he can’t see the practical problems all these people have brought!

Jesus’ solution is simple; you give them something to eat. He turns it around and tells them to solve the problem since they are so concerned about it. The disciples explain they only have five loaves and two small fish and that is not enough. What does Jesus want them to do, buy food for the crowd? The other gospels tell us that they knew a year’s wages wouldn’t be enough to feed them all. Basically the disciples tell Jesus this is impossible! It is hilarious that they had just finished doing the impossible through the power and authority Jesus had given them and now they think they face a situation that even Jesus is unable to handle. As if to emphasize the point Luke reports that there were about five thousand men there in the crowd. He does not tell us the numbers of women and children, which presumably were there along with the men.

Were the disciples right? Was Jesus so preoccupied with preaching to the crowd and healing the sick that he forgot what time it was and the situation at hand? I don’t think so. I think he knew exactly what he was going to do but he wanted to test the disciples’ response to the crisis. He wanted to expand their faith!

Luke 9:14-17 - Jesus tells the disciples to have the people sit down in groups of fifty each. Why fifty? The only significant reference I can find to the number fifty as a group size is from Exodus 18:21 and Jethro’s counsel to Moses. One of the divisions he advises for judging the people is fifty. Did the Jews use that division in Jesus’ day? I do not know. Fifty may have simply been a practical number or it could have some sort of military significance as a unit of troops. If that is the case, the number would not have been lost upon the crowd! John’s gospel says that after the miracle the people wanted to make Jesus king. It is possible that the groups of fifty contributed to their fervor because it was related to a military number in Jewish thought and they saw Jesus as the one who would lead them to freedom as king. That however is only speculation.

The disciples get the people settled in groups of fifty. Jesus then takes the loaves and fishes, gives thanks, breaks them and gives them to the disciples to distribute to the people. The disciples simply distribute the miracle they do not produce the miracle, much like we do today. We are distributors of the Kingdom and its benefits to people we don’t produce them. That is exactly the role the disciples had when they preached and healed. It was Jesus’ authority and power that accomplished their mission through them. They simply distributed that power to the people in need. Jesus does the same thing here.

How the miracle happened none of the gospels tell us. Did the bread simply keep re-filling the baskets and the fish multiply? That seems the most likely scenario. The food never stopped until everyone ate and was satisfied! Then the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of the leftovers, one for each disciple. Were they hungry too? Of course and Jesus provided abundantly for their needs just as he had provided for the crowd. He is showing them if they follow him in ministry he will always abundantly provide and they do not need to worry. The disciples ate and were satisfied that night as well, just as they had been on the road. Whether ministering in a village or in front of thousands God will provide for the people and for us as Jesus’ disciples!

Verses 18-27

Luk 9:18-27

Commentary On Luke 9:18-27

Galen Doughty

Luke 9:18-20 - We know from Matthew and Mark that this is near Caesarea Philippi. Luke introduces this section by saying once when Jesus was praying, but this is after the feeding of the 5000. John reports the people wanted to make Jesus king after this miracle but Jesus withdrew. Caesarea Philippi is in the far north on the slopes of Mt. Hermon and is in Gentile territory but also in Herod Philipp’s territory outside the rule of Herod Antipas. Jesus may be cautious about Herod Antipas and what the Romans may have thought about the miracle and the talk of him being king. It wasn’t his time as yet to go to Jerusalem and Jesus may be trying to avoid a confrontation and let things calm down. Luke may not have included the place or the reasons behind Jesus going so far north because it would appear suspicious to a Roman official like Theophilus. That is only speculation and trying to tie together the different gospel accounts of the incident.

Jesus asks the disciples who the crowds are saying he is. They answer the same things as Herod Antipas did in Luke 9:7-9, John the Baptist, Elijah or one of the prophets come back to life. The people are not saying Jesus is Messiah as yet. They think he is John risen from the dead, which would have been miraculous, or Elijah, which also would have been miraculous or one of the prophets. They don’t have any categories within which to fit Jesus. He stirs their imaginations but is at this point different from their expectations of the Messiah.

When Jesus asks the disciples who they think he is Peter replies he is the Christ, the Messiah, of God! Peter makes the great declaration that Jesus is the Messiah. Luke reports this story in a little different way than the other two Synoptic Gospels in order to emphasize that Jesus’ Messiahship is different and though he is the Messiah his mission is first to be the Suffering Servant who will bring forgiveness of sins. It is all part of Luke’s realized eschatology of the Kingdom and his emphasis on the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Luke 9:21-22 - Jesus doesn’t tell Peter to not say that. He doesn’t scold him for being too enthusiastic. By doing so he affirms that, yes he is the Messiah. But then he warns them not to tell anyone. He goes on to give them the first prophecy of his suffering, death and resurrection. He will repeat this several times before they reach Jerusalem. Jesus is teaching them that all that the Scriptures say about him must be fulfilled, including his suffering and death. But he also introduces them to the concept that he will rise from the dead, which Isaiah details in Isaiah 53. Paul in Romans 1 will declare that it is the resurrection that proves Jesus is the Messiah. He will also have direct experience of that idea on the Damascus Road.

Did the disciples understand what Jesus was saying? No, it is clear from the rest of the gospel, and in the other gospels that despite Jesus repeating this teaching the disciples did not understand until after the resurrection and Jesus’ appearances to them. If he was the Messiah how could he be rejected and killed? It didn’t make sense according to what they knew of the prophecies of the Messiah. And if he was the Messiah wouldn’t the chief priests and elders proclaim him king, not kill him? My guess is they were elated when Peter makes his declaration and filled with joy and pride, and then immediately confused over Jesus’ teaching about his death and resurrection.

Jesus was being true to the Old Testament prophecies about himself saying he must be killed and on the third day rise again but the disciples had never put them all together in that way. In fact, no Jewish rabbi had. Jesus’ teaching about himself and the fate of the Messiah-Servant was unique. That is one of the chief reasons the disciples were not predisposed to believe in his rising after the crucifixion. Despite all Jesus taught them they didn’t see it coming.

Luke 9:23-27 - Jesus then continues and ties his death and suffering to anyone who wants to be his disciple. They must all take up their crosses daily and follow him. Jesus is saying we must die to ourselves each day, our agendas, desires, hopes, dreams, plans, sins, and need to be in control and submit them all to death and follow Jesus as Lord. In this way we are to lose our lives in order to find them in Jesus. This is all about Lordship and letting Jesus be Lord in our lives. Paul will later relate it to walking in the Spirit. Jesus in John 15 will relate the concept to abiding, remaining in him like the branch and the vine. Luke emphasizes the word daily in order to let Theophilus know the process must happen every day if we are to follow Jesus. We must submit ourselves daily to him and follow his desires, hopes, dream, agendas and plans for our lives. We must allow him to be in control and not ourselves. In that way we will find life.

Jesus tells them this saying at Caesarea Philippi for the first time. He will repeat it in other settings on the way to Jerusalem to different people. Luke adds some more detail of what Jesus told them that day. He says not to die to self and live to Jesus is losing your life. What good is it to gain the whole world (They are staying at a city named after a man who tried to do just that!) and lose one’s soul? What the world has to offer is nothing compared to what God offers. What the world has to offer cannot save you, only God can!

He then goes on to say if they are ashamed of the Son of Man before people so will Jesus be ashamed of them. How did this play out in Judas’ mind? Was he ashamed of Jesus or trying to control him? What is the difference, he would not submit to him as Lord? Jesus then says when he comes in his glory and the glory of the angels he will declare them as his own. Jesus actually introduces the whole of Christian eschatology to the disciples here at Caesarea Philippi. He, the Son of Man, the Messiah, will be arrested, tried and killed by the religious leaders and the Romans and then on the third day he will rise again. Someday he will come again with the angels to take up his Messianic reign on earth. Jesus shows them the already-not yet nature of God’s plan. It is in that context that he then tells the disciples that there are some present who will not die before they see the Kingdom of God. The only possible meaning of Jesus’ statement is the cross, the resurrection, the ascension and Pentecost bring in the Kingdom! He can’t be talking about the 2nd coming here. Therefore, after Pentecost the Kingdom will be already in the world but not yet complete. Eleven of the disciples would live to see that day! All of us who are alive now and believe in Jesus are living in that day too! The Kingdom of God is here now!

Verses 28-36

Luk 9:28-36

Commentary On Luke 9:28-36

Galen Doughty

Luke 9:28 - The eight days is after Jesus’ teaching about his passion and after Peter’s confession of Jesus as Messiah. If they were still around Caesarea Philippi then Mount Hermon is the best candidate for where the transfiguration occurs. Mark says they went up onto a high mountain. That detail alone points to Mt. Hermon. This is another time when Jesus takes Peter, James and John, the inner three, on a special mission just with him. They were included at Jairus’ house when Jesus healed the little girl. Now they are included here as Jesus goes up the mountain to pray. I don’t think the three had any idea what they were about to experience.

Luke 9:29-31 - As Jesus is praying he begins to change. His face and his clothes suddenly become as bright as a lightning strike. The veil that hides his true divine nature is removed for a moment and his divinity shines through. Jesus shines with the Shekinah glory of God!

Two men appear with him, Moses and Elijah. Moses the lawgiver and Elijah the prophet of revival and the prophesied forerunner of the Messiah. Both prophets are also miracle workers. They are the representatives of two of the major parts of the Hebrew Scriptures, the Law and the prophets. They too appear in what Luke calls glorious splendor, reflecting their status now in heaven with God, rather than Sheol, the shadowy world of the dead in the Old Testament. They speak with Jesus about his departure, meaning his death, resurrection and ascension and how he will bring it to completion in Jerusalem. Notice Luke says Jesus will bring his mission to completion; he will not be a victim of circumstances, he will be in charge. It is all part of God’s plan to save the world through Jesus the Messiah, God’s Son!

Was the transfiguration for Jesus or was it for the disciples? I think it was for both. Jesus needed encouragement to and confirmation to complete his mission and the two great prophets give it to him. Jesus must be the source of what they said to him, and he must have later told the disciples because they are sleepy and aren’t aware of all that is happening.

Luke 9:32-33 - The disciples are sleepy and not completely aware of all that is happening. When they wake up enough to realize what is going on they see Jesus’ glory and Moses and Elijah standing with him. How they know it is Moses and Elijah Luke does not tell us. Perhaps Jesus identified them or they were simply given supernatural knowledge to know these were the two great prophets.

Moses and Elijah begin to leave Jesus and it is then that Peter blurts out his statement about building three shelters, one for each man. Luke adds he did not know what he was saying. That is his editorial comment about Peter putting the three men on equal footing. Or it is a reference to Peter’s need to say or do something even though it was inappropriate because he was frightened and circumstances were out of his control. Whatever the case, Peter’s comments are foolish. Jesus is not equal to Moses and Elijah he is greater than either because he is the Messiah and God. Peter had confessed that fact eight days earlier and now it is as if he forgets it. Plus, building three shelters does no one any good at all. Was he thinking people would then make a pilgrimage to the top of the mountain to see Jesus and the two prophets? Whatever he was thinking wasn’t going to work!

Luke 9:34-36 - While Peter is proposing his goofy idea a cloud appears and envelopes them. The three are afraid as the cloud closes in. The cloud was similar to the clouds in the Old Testament that symbolize God’s Shekinah glory, like the ones that descend upon the tabernacle or the temple.

A voice comes from the cloud, the voice of God. He tells them that Jesus is his Son, the chosen one. They are to listen to him! God the Father is speaking to his Son and to the three disciples. He is greater than either Moses or Elijah. Jesus is greater than the Law and the prophets because he fulfills them and transcends them. He is God.

This is the second time Jesus has heard the voice of his Father from heaven affirming him as the Son. The first was at his baptism at the beginning of his ministry and now here at the transfiguration he speaks again to reaffirm him as he sets his face to Jerusalem and his death and resurrection.

When the voice had spoken, the cloud dissipates and the three are left with Jesus alone. Luke says the disciples keep what happened with Jesus to themselves. In fact Peter does not report it until years later in 2 Peter 1. Matthew and Mark tell us Jesus warned them not to tell anyone until he had risen from the dead, which they did not understand. Perhaps the silence is in response to Peter’s blunder or to the voice from the cloud; something that is so personal you don’t talk about it with anyone. Yet it confirmed Peter’s confession and said that God himself affirmed Jesus as his one and only Son and Messiah.

The transfiguration is a turning point for Jesus because soon after he sets his face to Jerusalem to finish his mission. But Jerusalem means the cross and Jesus needed the encouragement and confirmation so that he could finish the reason he came to earth.

Verses 37-45

Luk 9:37-45

Commentary On Luke 9:37-45

Galen Doughty

Luke 9:37-41 - A day later Jesus and the three have come down from Mt. Hermon, and a large crowd has already found them. Are these Gentiles because they are in the area of Caesarea Philippi or are they Jews because people have followed him or is it a mixed crowd? Luke does not tell us. It seems likely that most of the crowd is Jewish but that is only speculation.

A man in the crowd begs Jesus to heal his boy who is demonized. The demon throws the boy into seizures and he foams at the mouth. The symptoms sound like epilepsy but that is our modern medical knowledge reading back into the text. Luke reports the incident as demonic and Jesus treats it as such. The father is very concerned for his boy and says the demon is destroying him. He had brought him to the disciples but they could not drive it out. This had not been too long since Jesus had sent out the disciples two by two on their mission to preach the Kingdom and heal and drive out demons in Jesus’ name. They had been successful on their mission and returned with wonder at joy. Now however they have met with failure. What were they thinking?

It is clear from Jesus’ response what he is thinking. Jesus expresses frustration with the disciples and with the situation. He calls them the unbelieving and perverse generation. The description sounds a lot like Moses’ description of the children of Israel in Deuteronomy 32 at the beginning of the Song of Moses. He has described how faithful God is and then he describes Israel and says they are a warped and crooked generation for acting unfaithfully towards God. I think Jesus is describing the disciples this way. He sees them like ancient Israel and their unfaithfulness. His next line reinforces that fact. How long shall I stay with you and put up with you? The implication is he can’t stay with them in his present way forever. The cross and the resurrection await him and that is why he came. That is what Moses and Elijah reinforced with him on the mountain. Then as if he wants to focus on the situation at hand he turns to the father and says bring your son here. I sense Jesus’ frustration and compassion mixed up in his request to the boy’s father. You can almost hear it in his voice.

What is going through the disciples’ minds right then? Are they embarrassed, angry, hurt, ashamed? Perhaps all the above. What is going through the minds of Peter, James and John? Are they judgmental, shocked, ashamed for their comrades? Is there a hint of don’t you guys know who this is? How can you doubt the power of his name? You can’t believe what we just saw!

Luke 9:42-43 - While the boy is coming to Jesus the demon throws him into a seizure. Jesus simply rebukes the spirit and heals the boy and gives him back to his father. Luke’s description almost makes it sound like he thought there was a medical problem here along with the demon in the boy. Perhaps though, that is reading too much into Luke’s phrasing. The other Synoptic writers make it clear the boy’s condition was completely demonic in nature and that is how Luke sets up the story.

The crowd’s response and the disciples’ response point back to God. Luke says they were all amazed at the greatness of God. If this is a mixed Gentile and Jewish crowd then Jesus healing the boy points them all to the one true God. For the disciples they are reminded who Jesus is and where his power comes from. For Peter, James and John that reminder is especially powerful for they have just come down off the mountain having seen Jesus transfigured. I think Luke is reminding us who Jesus is. He can do what no one else is capable of doing because he is God.

Luke 9:43-45 - While everyone is marveling at what Jesus did, which Luke says in the earlier part of v.43 they attributed to God, Jesus uses that opportunity to teach his disciples about his passion. He turns to his disciples and says listen carefully. He tells them that he, the Son of Man, is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. This is the first hint he has given the disciples about what Judas will do. He has told them he will suffer, die and rise again, but nothing as yet about his betrayal. Was Judas already thinking about it, or had it even entered his mind as yet? Was this knowledge Jesus had recently acquired up on the mountain or had he always known of his betrayal because of the Scriptures? I think it is the latter, but now because of his experience on the mountain and because he is about to turn towards Jerusalem in order to complete his mission of salvation Jesus is letting the disciples know what will occur beforehand in order to prepare them.

They of course don’t understand what he is telling them. Luke says it was hidden from them. Is he implying that God is hiding this knowledge or is he simply saying they were too dense to connect the prophecies to what Jesus was teaching them? I think it is the latter; they can’t connect Jesus’ statements to what the prophets had said was going to happen to the Messiah, including his betrayal. The verb is a perfect passive participle which implies a past action whose affects still are going on in the present. It would take the incidents themselves and the coming of the Holy Spirit to give them complete insight into God’s plan. Plus their own expectations for what the Messiah was going to do and who he was clouded their understanding of Scripture and prevented them from taking it at face value; something we must guard against today. At any rate, their lack of understanding makes them afraid to ask Jesus about what he was saying so they remain ignorant and blind to what was going to take place. This is very significant because it sets up the whole premise that the disciples did not expect the resurrection and that it was only after the Spirit’s coming that they truly understood all that they had experienced with Jesus.

Verses 46-50

Luk 9:46-50

Commentary On Luke 9:46-50

Galen Doughty

Luke 9:46-48 - An argument arises among the disciples as to which of them was the greatest. This would not be the last time this happened. Luke even reports it happened on the night of the Last Supper.

The disciples are concerned about position, face, gravitas and perhaps even power and prestige. Jesus, knowing this brings a little child to stand next to him. Was this the child of one of the women who followed Jesus? Was this the child of someone in the crowd or one of the other disciples who were not of the twelve? It is impossible to know but it is an intriguing detail.

Jesus says whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me, in other words his Father in heaven. The implications are huge for children’s ministry as we welcome children into our midst we welcome Jesus and his Father. As we reject them we reject Jesus and the Father in heaven. Then Jesus delivers his punch-line: the greatest among you is whoever is least. That was upside down thinking and not what they had anticipated. Who was the least among the disciples; Bartholomew, James son of Alphaeus? Certainly it wasn’t Peter, James or John; they were Jesus’ inner three! Had they been the ones to start the argument? Jesus gives the disciples the Kingdom principle of servanthood. He came as a servant and humbled himself. They must do the same. The path to greatness in the Kingdom is not like in the world with its exercise of power and authority. The path to greatness in the Kingdom of God is to give up power, authority and position and serve others. Then you will be truly great! That is exactly what Jesus did in becoming a human being for us and dying on the cross. Jesus will reiterate that principle in a different way in the short parables to would-be disciples.

Luke 9:49-50 - John changes the subject here perhaps because he wanted to deflect attention to his debate with the others about who was greatest. He says we saw someone casting out demons in your name who doesn’t follow with us, he was not part of us and we tried to stop him. The issue for John is one of exclusivity. If the man is not part of our group of disciples then he must not be a disciple of Jesus. You have to belong to the "in group" to be part of our movement. Jesus replies, don’t stop him. If he is not against you then he is for you. In other words following Jesus and being his disciple even when Jesus was on earth was not an exclusive thing. If someone was successfully using Jesus’ name to heal and cast out demons then they are with Jesus, for no one could use his name successfully and not be submitted to him. His name is not magic. It is like the Jewish exorcists in Ephesus who tried to cast the demon out of the man using the name of Jesus whom Paul serves. They used the name without knowing the one to whom it belongs! You can conclude here that Jesus is implying faith in him is key not personal contact with him. The disciples will have to learn that lesson as well.

One could also take Jesus’ statement as saying if someone does not oppose Jesus he is for Jesus or can be considered an ally. I don’t know if that is what he is saying. You have to take his statement out of context in order to apply it that way and I think that would be a wrong interpretation. The context involves someone using Jesus’ name to do something Jesus would do but who is not a member of the immediate disciples of Jesus. I don’t think you can separate Jesus’ reply from that context.

Verses 51-56

Luk 9:51-56

Commentary On Luke 9:51-56

Galen Doughty

Luke 9:51-56 - This is the beginning of the Travel Narrative where Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem. It appears to be a major source of Luke’s gospel and contains much of the material that is unique to Luke, including most of Jesus’ most beloved parables. Bailley tried to show it was arranged in a precise chiastic structure. I am not sure I would go that far, but it does exhibit traits that show it was organized in a purposeful way. Whether this was the way Luke inherited the source or Luke himself shaped the material is impossible to tell.

The point of v.51 is that Jesus now sets his face to Jerusalem to finish his mission. This is what he had been talking about with Moses and Elijah on the mountain. The bulk of Luke’s gospel material is contained in his journey to Jerusalem. This marks a turning point in the gospel because now his ministry in Galilee is finished. His route appears to be through parts of Samaria and then down to the Jordan Valley to Jericho and then up the Jericho Road to Jerusalem. This must have been in the early spring and it is possible that Jesus uses a normal pilgrimage to Jerusalem for Passover as his cover for traveling to the city to finish his mission. His entourage may have had some of these trappings.

Jesus begins by going through a village of the Samaritans. He sends some disciples ahead of him to prepare the way, probably to make arrangements for food and housing for the night and to prepare the people to hear his preaching or receive his healing ministry. At the end of the travel narrative in Luke 19 he will send some disciples ahead of him to prepare the way to enter Jerusalem too. Here the Samaritans reject Jesus and do not receive him because he was going to Jerusalem. It is possible that Jesus’ entourage is similar to pilgrims going to Passover and that is why the Samaritans rejected him and did not show him hospitality. He had been among the Samaritans before and many had heard his teaching and experienced his healing ministry. To reject him now was a great insult. To refuse him hospitality was shameful and disgraceful. That is probably why James and John are so incensed about their rejection and want to call down fire upon the village! They express the character of the Sons of Thunder here! They think the village deserves the judgment of fire like Elijah or Moses did! How dare these half-breeds reject God’s chosen Messiah! Jesus’ response probably shocked them. He rebukes them! Another later ancient text adds the explanation about the spirit they exhibit and the saying that the Son of Man did not come to judge and destroy but to save people’s lives. The extra note fits the text but is not in the earliest manuscripts we have.

Jesus moves on to the next village to try and find someone who will offer them hospitality. He is rejected by the Samaritan village. He will be rejected by the leaders of the Jews in Jerusalem! Jesus knows some will reject him and some will receive him but he is going to Jerusalem to pay the price and punishment for all people’s sin. Upon him was the chastisement that made us whole and with his stripes we are healed, Isaiah said. Jesus will one day come in judgment to separate those who receive and reject him. But this time the judgment that should have fallen to each of us for our sin and rebellion against God will fall on God’s One and Only Son. Jesus will take the fire from heaven of God’s judgment for a sinful human race. That is why he lets pass the Samaritans’ insult. Much worse is to come and this is only the first installment! Retaliation is not in God’s plan; forgiveness is!

Verses 57-62

Luk 9:57-62

Commentary On Luke 9:57-62

Galen Doughty

Luke 9:57-62 - Jesus is going to Jerusalem and Luke now includes three would -be disciples and their responses to Jesus. The first comes and declares that he will follow Jesus wherever he goes. Jesus responds with a description of the difficulties of following him. He has no place to call home, no place to lay his head. Following Jesus is not going to bring him security and riches. It will bring him hardship and the likely absence of worldly things. I think of Paul and all he went through as an example. If the man believed Jesus was the Messiah then it is likely he thought power and riches and the like would be his when Jesus took up his Messianic throne. Jesus is going to Jerusalem to die and then rise again. Things are going to get much worse before they get better and he is trying to help the man realize this. Following Jesus means giving up our expectations of reward and fame. We need to be ready to go without. Following Jesus means personal sacrifice.

The second would-be disciple Jesus calls himself. He says directly to him follow me. The man calls him Lord, but then says first let me go home and bury my father. There are two possibilities in how to take the man’s reply to Jesus. First, his father has recently died and he as the son has family responsibilities to make the arrangements and take care of his mother and siblings if they are living. Or second, his father is not yet dead and he is saying I will follow you when I am released from my obligation to my father, who is the highest authority in my life. In either case he calls Jesus Lord and then tells him his father is a greater Lord. Jesus will have none of it. Let the dead bury their own dead is a cryptic way to say if you call me Lord then there is no authority higher in your life than me, not even your father! No half-way obedience and allegiance will work with me. Jesus then gives him a task; go proclaim the Kingdom of God. I don’t think Jesus is being cold or callous to the man’s duties to his family or his widowed mother. He is saying trust me. Go proclaim the Kingdom and I will take care of your family obligations. Plus, you can’t have it both ways. You can’t have your father as your highest authority and claim me as Lord. If I am Lord then I must be first. This was so countercultural because in that culture there was no higher authority in a person’s life than one’s father and family. Following Jesus means giving that up and truly putting him first. Jesus is not saying here that family and honoring one’s parents is not important or biblical. People twist this passage into saying you must leave your family and reject them to follow Jesus. He is saying they can’t be higher than his Lordship.

The third would-be disciple comes and declares he will follow Jesus and he too calls him Lord like the first one who came. This is probably a chiastic structure with the first and the last who come declaring their loyalty to Jesus and the middle one whom Jesus directly calls. In the first Jesus questions the veracity of the man’s commitment to following Jesus. In the second he challenges the father’s authority in the man’s life. Here he challenges the man’s family and their position in his life. The man states, I will follow you Lord, but first let me go say goodbye to my family. Jesus says you can’t put your hand to the plow and be looking back to what was. You have to look forward to where I will take you. If you can’t do that then you are not fit for service in the Kingdom of God! Either I am first, I am Lord, or something else is. Decide!

You can summarize the three mini-parables this way. Following Jesus involves personal sacrifice. Jesus must be the highest authority in a disciple’s life, even more than your father. Jesus and his family of disciples must be a higher priority than your own family. They are your forever family now. There are no "but firsts" in following Jesus!

Questions by E.M. Zerr For Luke Chapter Nine

1. What group did Jesus call together?

2. Over what did he give them power ?

3. For what did he send them ?

4. State the instructions on their preparations.

5. What about house to house canvas ?

6. If rejected, what demonstration should they make?

7. What would this mean to that household ?

8. Tell what they did beside preach.

9. What did Herod hear?

10. Why was he perplexed?

11. State the other rumors being spoken.

12. Why was Herod concerned about John?

13. On returning what did the apostles report ?

14. Where did Jesus take them?

15. Tell what Jesus did.

17. State the suggestion of the 12 as to the people.

18. With what suggestion did Jesus test them ?

19. What was their supply of food ?

20. How large was the crowd to be fed ?

21. What arrangement was had while eating?

22. What service preceded the eating?

23. How much remained?

24. State the question he asked the disciples.

25. What service were they performing at the time?

26. Tell their answer to his question.

27. What next did he ask?

28. Repeat the answer.

29. What did he then charge them?

30. Tell the prediction he added to the charge.

31. What is necessary to come after Christ?

32. Tell what losers are finders.

33. What is the answer to the 25th verse?

34. Of whom will Christ he ashamed?

35. In what glory will Christ come ?

36. What were some then living going to see?

37. Whom did he take with him a week later ?

38. Where did they go?

39. What change came over Jesus ?

40. Tell who talked with Jesus.

41. On what subject?

42. How were the apostles affected?

43. What did Peter propose ?

44. Tell what he said was good.

45. Why did he say all this ?

46. Tell what came over them then.

47. What was said ?

48. Compare this with that at his baptism.

49. After the voice who were present?

50. To whom did they make this vision known?

51. Next day who met Jesus?

52. State the request of one of the crowd.

53. What disappointment had he met with ?

54. How did Jesus describe that generation?

55. What then took place with the child?

56. Tell what amazed the people.

57. What prediction did Jesus make to his disciples?

58. How were they impressed with the saying?

59. On what subject did the disciples dispute?

60. Was it in his hearing?

61. Whom did he take for an object lesson?

62. State the comparison he made.

63. What person may be great?

64. What two persons must be received together?

65. Tell the report John gave.

66. Why had they forbidden it?

67. On what ground would Jesus suffer it?

68. To what place did he then turn his face ?

69. Whom did he send before?

70. Where was their work ended?

71. Why was there opposition here?

72. Who resented this treatment?

73. Tell what they proposed doing.

74. What example did they cite ?

75. Of what ignorance did he charge them?

76. Saying he had come for what purpose?

77. As they journeyed what did one man say?

78. State the reply of Jesus.

79. What excuse did another one make ?

80. How did Jesus reply?

81. And the next excuse?

82. Repeat Jesus’ reply.

Luke Chapter Nine

By Ralph L. Starling

Jesus gives the disciples power over diseases

And sends them out to do gospel preaching.

Those that are receptive they could stay with.

Others, they were to shake the dust from their feet.

Hearing about this Herod was perplexed and said,

“Could this be John risen from the dead?”

When the disciples reported what they had done

He took them to a desert place to be all alone.

When the people followed He willingly received them

And continued preaching to them about the Kingdom.

Those that needed healing, He healed them.

The disciples discovered they needed to feed them.

How could 2 fish, 5 loaves feed 5000 that easy?

We will have to go buy meat for these people.”

Jesus said, “Divide them into groups of fifty.”

Taking the fish and loaves, He blessed them quickly.

When they had eaten and all were through,

They collected the fragments, 12 baskets full.

Later, Jesus asked them, “Wo do they say I am?”

“Some say John, Elias, or a prophet risen again.”

Peter said, “The answer to that is not all that odd.

“You are the Christ of God!”

He charged them, “Tell no man this thing.

I will suffer many things and the be slain.”

He then told them to make up their mind,

To take up their cross and not be left behind.

“Whosoever tries to save his own life will lose it.

To lose his life for my sake is to save it.”

Eight days later they were on the Mountain.

As He prayed, Moses and Elias joined Him.

The disciples were tired and had gone to sleep.

What they saw when awake was hard to believe.

Peter was so moved he suggested 3 tabernacles.

One for Moses, one for Elias and one for Jesus.

Immediately a voice from the clouds above them

“This is my beloved Son, you hear Him!”

The next day they came down from the hill.

A man appealed for his son afflicted with a devil.

As they talked the devil threw him down.

Jesus rebuked the Spirit and the boy was sound.

The question arose and they were debating,

“Who among us is the greatest?”

Jesus said, “He that receiveth a child for my sake.

The least among you shall be great.”

John reported that others were casting out devils.

Jesus said, “Forbid them not, they are for us.”

Jesus was now setting His face toward Jerusalem.

He sent messengers to make ready for Him.

Those in Samaria refused to help them.

The disciples wanted fire to consume them.

He said, “The Son of Man has not come to destroy.

His mission is not to destroy but to restore.”

A passer-by said, “I’ll follow you anywhere!”

Jesus said, “Foxes have holes, nests for birds,

But the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.

To another He said, “Let the dead bury the dead.”