Luke

By Joyce Webb 2020

Chapter 9 Vs. 28-62

Vs. 28 About 8 days later, Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up into a mountain to pray.

As Jesus was praying, his face, his clothes began to be bright and shine.

Two men were talking with him–Moses and Elijah.

( Moses and Elijah lived in Old Testament times. Now here they were talking with Jesus.)

They were talking about Jesus doing God’s plan to die–in Jerusalem.)

Peter, John, and James had fallen asleep. When they woke up they saw Jesus talking to these two men. They saw the shining glory all around Jesus.

When Moses and Elijah began to go away, Peter said, “This is wonderful! We will make 3 places of honor here, one for you, Jesus, and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

As Peter was talking, a cloud came down all around them. The disciples became afraid.

Then a voice spoke from the cloud. “This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him.”

When the voice stopped, Moses and Elijah were gone and just Jesus was there.

(The disciples did not tell anyone about this for a long time. Much later they told others what they had seen.)

Vs. 37 They came down from the mountain. The next day, there was a big crowd around Jesus. A man called out to Jesus.

He said, Look at my boy. He is my only child. A evil spirit takes hold of him making him scream. Sometimes the evil spirit makes him have seizures and convulsions and foam at the mouth.

The evil spirit hits him and hurts him. I have to stay near him all the time to watch over him.

He said, “I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they could not do it.”

Vs. 41 Jesus said, “You people are stubborn and have no faith.

Bring him here.”

The boy came toward Jesus, but the evil spirit pushed him to the ground and he began having a seizure.

Jesus spoke to the evil spirit and the spirit left. The boy was healed.

The people were amazed as they saw what happened.

 

Vs. 44 Jesus said to his disciples–Listen to me and remember what I say.

The Son of Man is going to be betrayed.

The disciples could not understand what he meant. They were afraid to ask him about it.

Vs. 46 The disciples began to talk among themselves. They wondered who would be the greatest among them.

Jesus knew their thoughts. He brought a little child to his side and said, Anyone who welcomes a little child for my sake, that person also welcomes me.

Anyone who welcomes me—also welcomes my Father who sent me.

Whoever is the least among you is the greatest.

(Jesus means that a person who is humble and does not think he is “great”, has a better attitude than one a person who thinks he is “great”. “

Vs. 49 Another time—John said to Jesus, “Master, we saw someone using your name to cast out an evil spirit. We tried to stop him because he was not one of us disciples.”

Jesus said, Do not stop him. Anyone who is for us, is not against us.

Vs. 51 Jesus knew it was getting near the time for him to go back up into heaven. He started to go to Jerusalem.

He sent messengers ahead of him to the village in Samaria. They were to prepare a place for him to stay.

But the messengers were sent away. The people in the village did not want Jesus to come because Jesus was going to Jerusalem.

(The Jewish people and the Samaritan people were not friendly with each other.)

The disciples were angry with this. They asked Jesus, “Should we have called fire down from heaven to burn them up?”

Jesus told them, “No. You do not understand. Your spirit is not right. I have come –not to destroy men—but to save them.”

So they went on to another village.

Vs. 57 As they were going along, a man came up to them said, “Lord, I will follow you wherever you go.”

Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes to go into, and birds have nests, but I do not have a place that I call home. I am always moving from place to place.”

(Jesus wanted the man to know that following him would be hard. They would be moving from place to place all the time.)

Vs. 59 Jesus said to another man, “Follow me.” But the man said, Lord , let me go bury my father first and then I will come a follow you.

Jesus told him, “Let the dead bury the dead, go a preach the gospel”

(It is possible that what the man meant was—his father was not dead yet. That he wanted to wait until his father died, and the family inheritance was settled, then he would follow Jesus.

Also, there was the custom with the Jews— the Jews buried their dead the same day.

They often buried the dead in a cave. After a year or more, when there were just the bones left, then the bones were gathered up and put into a special stone box.

So the man going to “bury his father” may have meant this custom. Which meant that he would not be following Jesus for a year or two.)

Jesus said “Let the dead bury the dead.”

He was meaning, Let those who are dead spiritually and do not understand the importance of spiritual things—let them stay and take care of the dead. But you—go, now and preach the gospel to people.)

Vs. 61 Another time—a person said to Jesus, “Lord, I will follow you, but first I must go say good-bye to my family.”

(We do not know what this man meant. Maybe he meant he wanted to go back home and take care of his house and money and things, and then when all was taken care of, he would come and follow Jesus.

For both of these men–they were putting off the time of following Jesus. They had other things to do first. Later, when they had done what they felt they needed to do—-then they would come and follow Jesus.

Jesus is telling them—that following Him is more important than other things.

Waiting until it is a better time is not obeying God’s call.

Doing all the things we want to do first–is not obeying God’s call.)

Jesus said to him, “No man, once he starts to plow a field, but the looks back—is worthy of the kingdom of God.”