Thursday, October 30, 2014

Follow the Son of Man (Luke 9:17-50)

 Follow the Son of Man
Luke 9:17-50*
Key verse 44

Jesus’ disciples confessed that he was God’s Messiah. Jesus was happy, and the disciples’ hearts were fully set toward the kingdom of God that he was going to establish. After this, Jesus announced his suffering, death and resurrection to them. Two problems surfaced among the disciples  as formidable obstacles keeping them from entering the Kingdom of God. These two problems are embedded in the depths of men’s hearts and could not be taken care of easily. One was the fear of death and the other was the desire to rule over others. Jesus did not offer an immediate solution, but began to teach them kingdom principles. Actually, from this point on until Jesus entered Jerusalem, he taught them various things in order to deal with these two problems. But the ultimate solution was not in these teachings, but in his life-giving love. He expressed this love as these problems came to the surface.
In order to understand the setting of this story, I would like to recap the events that preceded it:
1.    Peter and all of the other disciples were convinced that Jesus was the coming Messiah and confessed him to be God’s Messiah. Through this confession, two things became clear: first, there formed a strong bond of trust between Jesus and his disciples, with Jesus as the redeemer and king and his disciples as his royal subjects; second, the hope and vision for the restoration of the kingdom was foremost in their minds. .
2.    But immediately after this confession, Jesus said that he must suffer,  die, and be raised to life in three days. Because Jesus put this in such strong terms,  his disciples could not challenge his will or plan. Fearing death, the disciples were thrown into doubt about Jesus’ kingship.  
3.    But Jesus, in order to support their faith, quickly promised that some of them would see the kingdom of God before tasting death. As he promised, Jesus took three of his disciples, Peter, John and James to a mountain where He was transfigured with heavenly glory,  along with  Moses and Elijah. Also, they heard the voice of God command them to listen to Jesus, His Son. This gave these three disciples a glimpse of heavenly reality. As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus told them not to tell anyone until the right time came, so they treasured this secret in  their hearts. 


A.    A boy on the brink of death  
As they came down to the village, they were met by a large crowd, including Jesus’ nine other disciples. Then, a man approached  Jesus and called out in a loud voice:
V38-40.  “A man in the crowd called out, "Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child.  A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him.  I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not".
When he brought his son, the boy’s arms and legs became spastic and rigid. He lost his balance and fell to the ground, hitting his arms and head. He became totally unconscious. His eyes were rolling from side to side and his mouth was full of bubbles,  saliva  flowing down from the corner of his mouth. This was the picture of impending death. All who were staring at this boy were scared  for this boy’s life. Simply, the boy was on the verge of dying. Its threat was so vivid,  powerful, and  fearful. If you see a man  convulsing, it is literally scary; it is like an unknown evil power is destroying the humanity of the person. Truly, death was at the door waiting for this boy.
This man’s son was in a very dismal condition. Convulsions happened so often, without any warning, coming at any time and in any place. If it happened in water or fire, death was the sure outcome. Also no one knew when it would happen. He could die while having a convulsion, which  meant that the family had to live in anxiety and fear  24 hours a day. This fear was expressed by his father: “It scarcely leaves him and is destroying him”. Actually, this boy’s life was at the door of death. Seeing the boy was to experience the unending threat of death. I have full empathy for the father and his anxiety.
So the father brought his boy to Jesus’ disciples, but they could not heal him. It is possible that, one by one, they had attempted to heal this boy, but what they did was not working. Not long before this, they had gone out to preach about the kingdom of God. At that time, they had driven  out demons, and healed many sick;  now, for some reason, their words of healing or exorcism did not work. Seeing their failure after multiple attempts, this man’s anxiety grew more and became  frantic over the boy’s condition.
I am sure that the fear was not just  the father’s, but also  the crowds shared the same fear for this boy. They all shared the same feeling of  helplessness over the power of death. This made a great dent in Jesus’ fame as the Messiah, because his disciples could not heal the boy. Truly it was a pitiful, sad, and hopeless situation, happening right before their eyes. “Is this the end of this boy’s life?” - This question might have gone through the minds of many who were watching this boy’s seizure.
At this time, instead of showing  compassion for the man and the boy, Jesus said something unusual:
V41.  "You unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "How long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here".
This was a sharp and biting remark about their unbelief and their way of life. These two words characterized the minds of the people that were involved in this event.
First they were unbelieving. Their unbelief was the cause of this failure of his disciples to heal the boy. Jesus rebuked their unbelief, which was their refusal to believe him, based on what he had demonstrated through his power. He had healed the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years, and raised a girl from the dead. In these, Jesus’ power and authority as the Son of God was fully revealed; yet, they refused to believe in him. This is the unbelief of the unbelieving generation!
“Perverse”  described their wrong attitude toward what was right. The same word is translated ‘to twist things’, ‘to turn’, ‘misleading’, and ‘crooked’. It is a mind that rejects what is obviously true, in favor of what they want to be true. We may say that this was unwillingness to accept the truth in light of  their own ideas,  purposes, and wills. We may say that they chose to believe their own understanding over what God had shown  them. By putting these two words together, Jesus simplified the characteristic of these people’s minds. Their unbelief was deeply rooted in or came from their ‘perverse’ mind that would not accept God’s truth. Some may call it skepticism, but, at its root, it was a rejection of God Himself who had demonstrated such power through Jesus. One thing was certain: the root of unbelief was deep and  could not be erased by seeing such miracles. This is particularly true regarding the power of death.
Who did not believe? Who was unbelieving and perverse? Jesus called all those that were present there, watching the boy seizing, ‘you’. Here ‘you’ is all-inclusive of  the crowd, the boy’s father, and the nine disciples. They were all  under the influence of an ‘unbelieving and perverse’ way of thinking. No one was exempt from this influence. So Jesus equaled ‘you’ as that whole generation.
Why did the nine disciples become a part of this unbelieving generation? They had confessed and  believed that Jesus was the Messiah. They had healed so many. But they had serious doubts about Jesus as soon as they heard that he was going to suffer and die. In their minds, the Messiah must not suffer or die.  They thought of death as the end of everything as far as Jesus’ work was concerned; so, if he  suffered and died, then they would have to rethink  Jesus and his work. Though he had demonstrated so much power, Jesus might not be the Messiah at all. Leaving this question unresolved, Jesus and three of his disciples went up on the mountain; the rest were at the foot of the mountain, waiting for his return. They thought over what Jesus had said, but there was no answer as to why he must suffer and  die. Their doubts deepened as they thought this over. This is when they met this boy and saw him convulsing. It was a powerful demonstration of the power of death by evil forces. Based on their past experiences, they  attempted to drive the demon out of this boy, but their power did not work. Their minds were hung up on the power of death. They could not overcome the power of evil that pushed this boy to the very edge.
Despite their previous experiences with Jesus’ power, even with such firm convictions and confessions, they were still under the power of death.
What about the father or the crowd? When Jesus sent out his 12 disciples, they went from village to village healing the sick and driving out demons, so it might not be an exaggeration to say that no one in the crowd had failed to see or hear of Jesus’ healing and power. The entire town,  all the surrounding villages, or even the entire nation had heard and knew of Jesus’ power as the Son of God, but, in facing the life-threatening seizure of this boy, they all dropped the ball! They all failed to express that faith. Likewise, that entire generation was under the power of death and was unable to overcome it, even with so many demonstrations by Jesus of his power over death. The depth of unbelief and perversion was so deep and it looked almost impossible to overcome. This posed a formidable dilemma for Jesus. He expressed his quandary in this way:
"How long shall I stay with you and put up with you?” (41b)
Even after doing so many miracles with love, they still failed to believe, how could Jesus help these people more? What else was left for him to do?
This was a very serious problem for Jesus because He came to save them. The root of their unbelief was so deep and  wide. This unbelief was particularly true concerning the power of death. It seemed that they would not accept  the power over  death that Jesus offered, no matter how much power he had demonstrated. Simply, all his miracles could not undo such unbelief. This was all the more evident in the nine disciples. So here comes a question: if Jesus had to do something more than what he had done, what would that be? What else could Jesus do for this unbelief? This was the question raised by his lament.
Knowing all these things, Jesus told the father to bring the boy. As the boy was coming, the boy fell into a seizure.
 “Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion”.(42)
Here was the full display of the threat of death again. It was a scary moment for the boy and for all who watched him. But what did Jesus do to him?
“But Jesus rebuked the impure spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father”.
Immediately upon Jesus’ rebuke, the demon left the boy and the boy returned to life. All the threats of death disappeared. This was another amazing display of Jesus’ power over death.
“They were all amazed at the greatness of God”.
They acknowledged this as the powerful work of God. But could this change their unbelief to belief in Jesus? Could the root of unbelief be uprooted by seeing such a powerful miracle?
But Jesus said something that was hard to understand; however, trying to understand  what  he said will give us  insight into what he was going to do for this dead-lock situation in his ministry.
“While everyone was marveling at all that Jesus did, he said to his disciples,  "Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men"”.
While the praise and amazement were still on their lips, Jesus said something very important to the disciples.
First, he said ‘listen carefully’. ESV says, “let this word sink into your ears”, so they must let this word sink in. In other words, their praise of God’s power may not be as meaningful after what Jesus said.
He said, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men." In order to unlock this intriguing remark, I will explore the meaning of the passage, phrase by phrase.
1.    Jesus called himself ‘the Son of Man’ He first called himself  this  when he announced his suffering, death and resurrection (Luke 9:21). Also, all  throughout the rest of the book, whenever Jesus mentioned  his suffering and death, he called himself ‘the Son of Man’. He was denying that any idea that he was not a son of man. Jesus looked like any of them, an ordinary man born of woman. In all aspects, Jesus was a son of man, but this was not all  he was. He was specifically the Son of Man that Daniel saw in his vision. Who is that Son of Man? What will he do?

Daniel 7:13-14 "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed”.


One like a son of man approached  God, “the Ancient of Days” and  was given authority,  glory, and sovereign power. All nations will worship him. His kingdom will be everlasting. Jesus is that Son of Man. In this way, Jesus  alluded to them that he would be given  authority, glory and sovereign power by God the Father. He is the Messiah!

2.    Jesus was going to be delivered into the hands of men. Here the original language carries a strong  purpose for Jesus/God  doing this. If we paraphrased this, it would be like this: “God is delivering the Son of Man into the hands of these men” or “God is now willing to deliver His Son, into the hands of men.” Jesus was saying that he would  give himself to these men willingly. God/Jesus had already determined to do this. Actually, He was already doing it  and the fulfillment was coming very soon. Jesus was going to be delivered into hands of men. He would willingly hand himself over to the vices of these people, as expressed in their unbelief.
If we put all these together, Jesus was saying these things: Though they were amazed at the greatness of God, they only saw in him as a son of man and  failed to believe He was the Son of God. Their hearts would not change and eventually they would  reject him. Yet in his will, according to God’s purpose, he was going to hand himself over into  their hands. This he was going to do, even though he was the Son of Man, who would receive all authority and power from God the Father and  establish the kingdom that would last forever.
Why? Jesus thought that this was the ultimate way to bring about faith in the Son of God. This was his final attempt  to break the fear of death sitting in the depths of men’s heart. This was His resolution in answer to the question that he raised in V41b.
This was such an amazing statement and  offer, but did they understand what Jesus was about to do? And was this the only way to impart faith to them?
V45. “But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it”.
They did not. There was a fear sitting deeply in the depths of their hearts. The cause of their fear was Jesus’ suffering and death. Death was beyond their ability  to understand.
In this regard, these disciples were the same as the crowd that feared the boy’s death. Though they had seen Jesus’ power over death, they would not give Jesus the credit worthy of the Son of God, the only one who could raise the dead to life. God has life and  is willing to give life, which He would do  through His Son Jesus. But none of these people were willing to accept  him and believe he was the one that came to give life. Jesus knew this and was willing to give his life for this unbelieving and perverse generation. In this way, Jesus could impart life to those who were under the power of death. So he had to suffer,  die, and  be raised in three days. Yet this understanding is a long time in coming.
The following two events reveal the people’s confusion regarding Jesus’ glory,  suffering, and death, but there was also a glimpse of hope among the disciples.
B.   I have power and I am the greatest (46-50).
I am the greatest.
V46. Soon after this event, there came an argument among the disciples about who was the greatest among them. Who brought up this subject? Was it Peter, John,  James,  Matthew,  Thomas, or Andrew? Why did they want to know who was the greatest? Most likely, this issue was brought up by one of the three who went up on the Mountain and saw the glorious Jesus. Matthew recorded that it was the two brothers, John and James (20:20). Though Jesus had spoken again to them about his suffering and death, this did not deter their hope in the coming Kingdom of God. They believed that Jesus would surely restore the kingdom,  despite  Jesus’ repeated predictions of his suffering and death. Because they were so sure of Jesus’ kingdom, they wanted to know what position each might take in it. Each wanted to have the best position of power under the King Jesus.
This is important in two ways:
The certainty of Jesus’ glory was the essential element of faith for them to get through any of life’s hardships. This faith works as an energizer and a source of strength. If they had not seen the coming glory, they would not be able to go through the hardships of life, such as his suffering on the cross.
Second, their competitive spirit is evidence of their desire for power and control over others. This was deeply disconcerting for Jesus, because they had no idea  what it meant to be great in God’s eyes. This was totally opposite to the kingdom principle.
Knowing this, Jesus told them how they could be great in God’s kingdom. he brought a little child before them and said this:
 “Then he said to them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me”.
Here was a little boy, maybe about 7 years old. He wore rugged clothes and unkempt hair, with dirty hands. The only thing he knew how to do was  to take something from others. He had no beauty, no charm, and no affable character at all. What could one gain from this little boy? Nothing! But if they welcomed this boy in Jesus’ name, they also welcomed him, and they also welcomed God. Here the meaning of ‘to receive’ is  the unbridled acceptance of someone in love. True greatness is not found in power but in  serving others like this boy. Jesus summarized his word in this way:
 “For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest”.
According to the world’s principle, the least one does everything for the great ones; he is to serve all the rest. In God’s kingdom, the least  is the greatest. This is the genuine love that God counts; it is the essence of His character. Those who have life-giving love are the greatest.
Through the next two events, the weaknesses of the disciples were revealed.  
I have authority and power over others.
 "Master," said John, "we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us."”
John seemed to be the most insightful man among the disciples. Just before this, he was taught that, in order to be considered great, he had to serve others. So he seemed resolved not to argue for the best position of power within the rank of Jesus’ disciples.
But John knew the particular love Jesus had for him. He was one of the three who went up on the mountain and saw heavenly glory where Jesus, Moses and Elijah were; he even heard the voice of God. John was certain of Jesus’ power and glory, despite  Jesus’ repeated announcement of his suffering and death.
In his mind, John was the most loyal follower of Jesus; he was in Jesus’ elite club or the king’s inner circle. No one, except this inner circle, should exercise the power of Jesus, their king. So John was one of Jesus’ secret confidants. He shared with Jesus the common goal of the kingdom of God.
I have had moments of such pride and ambition. I still am vulnerable to these temptations. I often demean those who have little understanding of the words of God, or of His will. I still have  a strong desire to keep the heavenly blessing  all for myself. But was this the purpose  Jesus had in revealing such truth to me?
Still his mind was high in this hope. He knew far more than the other nine disciples and he knew far more than anyone out there who had followed Jesus. How could he not be proud of this privilege?
So when he saw someone healing a man in Jesus’ name, John rebuked him and reported this to Jesus. He was very proud of what he did because he believed that he was fully with Jesus in all that he said. He was the defender and follower of Jesus’ cause. In this way, John expressed his undivided commitment to Jesus, no matter what hardship lay ahead of him.
Truly John had an intimate relationship with Jesus. He was one of Jesus’ most trusted disciples. But did Jesus give him such trust and revelation  for him to exercise his authority and power in such a way? Did he read the mind of his king Jesus correctly? Was this the mind of Jesus? Let’s find out what Jesus’ thought was on this:
"Do not stop him," Jesus said, "for whoever is not against you is for you."
Let’s go back and understand what happened. Someone drove out demons in the name of Jesus. This person apparently believed in Jesus’ authority and power. He was not one of the 12, for sure. Most likely, he was not one of the seventy-two disciples that Jesus sent out on a  mission either (Luke 10). But whoever he was, he was a man of faith. Think about what happened just a while ago. The nine disciples failed to heal the boy with convulsions because of their lack of faith. Here the difference is faith! Whoever he was and however he expressed his faith, he clearly had faith in Jesus.
Whoever he or she might be, if one has faith in Jesus, he is one of  us!
When one rejects Jesus, he rejects Jesus’ life and truth, rejecting the God who sent him to save. As long as one does not reject him, he or she has hope to know him more fully. He invites all of them to learn from Him and to have life.
John was to serve everyone with his knowledge and faith. He was to serve and  give. The power and knowledge that Jesus gave was not to exercise authority or to rule, but to serve so that others may have life and enter the kingdom of God.
Here Jesus taught two things: one has to welcome little ones in Jesus’ name. This is the way to welcome Jesus and to welcome God. Also, as long as someone is not against Jesus, then we are to consider them as one of us and welcome  and love them.
This is a radical shift in our understanding of  life. So far, we have lived to honor ourselves; we want to be great by doing more than others and by going ahead of others. When we have many under us, we feel great and  enjoy our authority and power over others. How can this be changed? Can we human beings change from life-taking-life to life-giving-life?
How could this truth be taught or implanted in the disciples’ hearts?
Let’s look back on what Jesus did: he  showed them love by healing many, one by one. Jesus loved them unconditionally. No one paid for his healing but he went ahead and served them. Such a life of serving the weak was the epitome of God’s love, but when this was not enough to bring about faith, Jesus would do even more for their sake.
Jesus was going to give himself for  unbelieving sinners, like this crowd. This was to impart faith and God’s blessing. This word was built upon the idea of serving and giving his life as a ransom for sinners.
In this way, we identified two weaknesses that must be rectified. How is this possible? They must follow Jesus as he  headed to Jerusalem to suffer and  die. This is what he meant when he said in Luke 9:23, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me”.
How is this  possible for those who are under the power of death? Through the faith that firmly believes in Jesus’ glory in His kingdom as shown through the life of John.
In the kingdom of God, there is no fear of death for all have overcome its power. Also there is no one who rules over others, for life-giving love is the essence of their being, as it is of God our Father is.
Follow Jesus and enter the kingdom of God for he has given his life into the hands of men! Then we will surely share in his glory and honor! 

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