Luke 9
When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. 5 If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.
7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was going on. And he was perplexed because some were saying that John had been raised from the dead, 8 others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life. 9 But Herod said, “I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?” And he tried to see him.
10 When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida, 11 but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.
12 Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.”
13 He replied, “You give them something to eat.”
They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.” 14 (About five thousand men were there.)
But he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 The disciples did so, and everyone sat down. 16 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people.
17 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
18 Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”
19 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”
20 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.”
21 Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. 22 And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”
23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? 26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
27 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”
28 About eight days after Jesus said this
, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.
30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. 31 They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.
32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)
34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” 36 When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.
37 The next day,
when they came down from the mountain,
a large crowd met him. 38 A man in the crowd called out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. 39 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. 40 I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.”
41 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”
42 Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the impure spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father. 43 And they were all amazed at the greatness of God.
While everyone was marveling at all that Jesus did, he said to his disciples, 44 “Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.” 45 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.
46 An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. 47 Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. 48 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. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.”
49 “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.”
50 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”
51 As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven,
Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; 53 but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. 54 When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?”
55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them. 56 Then he and his disciples went to another village.
57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
59 He said to another man, “Follow me.”
But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”
62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
Einstein wrote of reading the Gospels, as Jew, and seeing the pervasive personality of Jesus - alive and welcoming.
Christians will sometimes say the Bible is clique a series of phrases people say to bring comfort. They were raised up with Scripture and do things like turn to Buddhism when they have cancer. Why? We have neglected to really let the Word of God seep into us. This Great Salvation - we should not neglect.
In the middle of the passage is incredible loss.
Profound.
Jesus has 8 days of His life and this ministry had become - heal the sick and bring forth the Holy Spirit of God in the fullness of God. 8 days we will not see. The Gospel of John tells us John witnessed Jesus do so many things the world could not contain all the books. Buddhism? Gotama had some very important flaws. A similar story, my grandmother Anita was a lay minister in the Methodist Church for 42 years teaching a Bible Study; Anita said of course Buddhism and Confucius. Because the people of Confucius had no idea Jerusalem existed. Unaware - God wanted to live among His people.
Shroud image of Jesus as a boy, forensic study
What would the difference be in these people seeking God? They continually seek God, running after Him. Unknowing, never having been told of the Salvation and The Great Victory over death - Jesus Christ and the prophet Isaiah tell us God will be...Found.
Portraits of Christ from the sixth Century, compared with the face on the Shroud, have close similarities. And early Christian art before the 4th Century.
Grandmother Anita also said when she read Confucius - she usually found turned to the Bible to find corresponding Scripture. Grandmother had great love for Confucius - saying this was the journey of a man seeking His Lord.
Jesus speaks
after spending the night on the mountain. His Father has come to comfort Jesus to prepare Jesus for a massive, horrible ordeal. He looks at the generation unable to reach fully to God Almighty, saying
“You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you and put up with you?"
Can we fault Jesus for having this genuine emotion?
Jesus displays one of the important fruits of Galatians 5 - telling us the difference between being spiritually filled and in terrible, profound need of a Father's Love.
Jesus displays - His Love and in Truth, regaining Self-control - healing of a father and his only child.
"Bring your son here.”
What is Jesus bringing us today - as we return to the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls.
Jesus is bringing forth this -
Giving His believers authority - immediately - Jesus has expectations - Jesus expects His disciples to feed the people. (Jesus did not find out if they were Roman or Jewish first.)
Proclaiming the good news and healing people - everywhere
Jesus welcomed the people
Jesus fed the people until they were satisfied - never wanting them to be hungry.
Jesus was interested in the thoughts of the people and then centered on the person He was in conversation with.
Jesus was fully God - He was praying to Father God - with His Disciples - here in this Passage.
Jesus sees in this passage - twice people think reincarnation is possible. George Carlin was right - to do this someone is printing up souls - we have more people alive today than in the history of the world. Jesus does not agree with reincarnation.
Jesus does not come into life thinking life is here to reward Jesus. Jesus expects His disciples to want to give more than to receive. Jesus boldly says give back more than you hope God is going to give to you. Jesus did not have a real place to put His head. Remember with me, Jesus rebuked the people who just wanted the bread, the power, the acclaim.
The Fire of Judgment - Verse 54 - Jesus is not welcomed and still - Jesus rebukes us when we want to be or have the Judgment of God to Judge powerfully.
Bring your son here
Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.
Jesus tells us we over-think God. The situation is simple. God gathers us to Him. When you believe upon Jesus, the Son of God, God draws you tenderly to Him. You are the Child He runs to. Just as Jesus has given and given and given in this passage. Jesus says God is for you - He is not against you.
Father God, You said the Law is summed up with Love others as ourselves.
Abide. We want to abide in the awareness of Your Love. Please keep us and the ones we love in joy by thinking upon whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise - let us abide in this in You.
We thank You for Your forgiveness and Love for us past our transgressions. Thank You.
Prayer IS with You, Father, to simply be in Jesus. Father, You Give Generously Your Beautiful Love. Thank You. Amen and Amen.
♔ Lord Jesus Saves †
<><
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment