Luke 9:37-45 Demons and Greatness

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1 Luke 9:37-45 Demons and Greatness LESSON FOCUS: We are like the disciples who are not yet ready to fully understand the Kingdom of God. We need to continually journey with Christ toward the cross so that we might have our eyes opened to the way of the Kingdom. LESSON OUTCOMES: Through this lesson students should: 1. Understand that the disciples are a work in progress. 2. Understand that the Kingdom that Jesus brings is upside down. 3. Seek to engage in practices that will help them begin to understand the upside down nature of the Kingdom of God. CATCHING UP ON THE STORY: Luke s narrative is picking up steam. Not only is Jesus doing amazing things throughout the countryside, so are his disciples. They have been dispatched throughout the countryside to bear witness to Jesus coming Kingdom. They have taken nothing with them, no bag, money or food. In total dependence and reliance upon divine provision, they have had their needs met and they have met the needs of others. The Good News is proclaimed; diseases are cured. Meanwhile Herod (not the same one that tried to have Jesus killed as a baby) is perplexed at this man and his followers who are making so much news. He even seeks to catch a glimpse of Jesus, as he had with John the Baptist. Herod, it appears, is unsuccessful. He will have to be content with watching from a distance as Jesus begins to establish his true and rightful Kingdom right smack dab in the middle of his kingdom. Jesus next act, feeding the five thousand, must have terrified Herod. The job of kings and rulers is to provide bread. Anyone who can feed five thousand people is a potential threat. Luke, as he weaves his narrative together, understands the pressures that are beginning to build against Jesus. As Jesus and his disciples become more known, as their deeds which usher in the Kingdom of God become more public, so does the resistance against Jesus. Jesus sees the writing on the wall. Soon enough, he will be completely rejected by Israel s elders, their chief priests, and those skilled in the law. Jesus knows he will be killed, but he also knows he will rise again. While predicting his own death and resurrection, Jesus takes the time to further instruct his followers on how his Kingdom operates. It is an upside down Kingdom. Those who seek to save their lives will lose it. Those who give freely of their lives will find that they have lost nothing at all. As if to punctuate what Jesus has just said, Jesus and his inner circle of Peter, James, and John, travel up a mountain to pray. Whenever Jesus goes up a mountain something spectacular happens. This time, 1

2 Jesus is transfigured and we hear the voice of God proclaiming that they should listen to Jesus, God s chosen one, his Son. LUKE 9: On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. 38 Just then a man from the crowd shouted, Teacher, I beg you to look at my son; he is my only child. 39 Suddenly a spirit seizes him, and all at once he shrieks. It convulses him until he foams at the mouth; it mauls him and will scarcely leave him. 40 I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not. 41 Jesus answered, You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here. 42 While he was coming, the demon dashed him to the ground in convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. 43 And all were astounded at the greatness of God. Jesus Again Foretells His Death (Mt 17:22 23; Mk 9:30 32) While everyone was amazed at all that he was doing, he said to his disciples, 44 Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into human hands. 45 But they did not understand this saying; its meaning was concealed from them, so that they could not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying. THE TEXT: The section we are considering today, Luke 9:37-51, begins a fresh narrative section. While it is a new section, it is intimately connected to the narrative that has gone before, the Transfiguration, and it prepares the reader for Jesus long journey toward Jerusalem. In a way, this short section is a pivot point for the Gospel of Luke. Jesus will now concern himself with preparing his disciples for what will soon come. Just as Jesus sent the disciples out to proclaim the good news and to heal and cast out demons (9:1-6), so they will, out of necessity, be sent after Jesus death, resurrection, and ascension. What is clear from this short section is that the disciples have much to learn if they are going to find themselves prepared for Holy Week. We too, as we move through Lent toward Good Friday, have much to learn. My Only Child! Luke 9:37-43 The very next day after Jesus and his inner circle descend from the mount of transfiguration they are confronted by large crowds. In Luke, these large crowds are almost always present. It is as if they were waiting for Jesus to come down off the mountain. As Jesus and the disciples begin to move on from the mountain, they are confronted with a man from the crowd. As Luke paints the picture, it seems that Jesus and the disciples are making their way through the crowd when a man, who fears that Jesus will pass by without caring for his need, shouts to Jesus for help. He is desperately trying to be heard over the din of the crowd. This man is the father of a boy who is demon possessed. We can imagine that the father has already attempted, several times, to have his son healed. His latest attempt, as were all the previous attempts, was unsuccessful. What makes the man s plea heart-wrenching is that this is his only son. If his son cannot be returned to wholeness there will be no one to carry on the family line. The man s future rests on the healing and restoration of his only son. We also hear a detailed account of the boy s problem. We are told that, without notice, the boy is seized by the evil spirit and he begins to shriek. The boy begins to foam at the mouth and it mauls him. This vivid description is meant to elicit compassion and sympathy in Jesus (and in us too). We 2

3 might look at this description and identify the boy s problem as epilepsy. Indeed, it may be that, but spending too much time discussing what actually causes the boy s problem would be to miss the point of the episode. This last attempt to have the demon cast out of his son was done by the disciples, and it failed. Keep in mind that at the beginning of the chapter we are told that the disciples have been successful in situations like these in the past. They have been given authority over all demons (9:1). What makes the difference now? Upon hearing that his disciples were unable to take care of this man s son, he immediately chastises them with some language that is rather reminiscent of the Old Testament. You faithless and perverse generation In language that sounds a lot like Deuteronomy 32:4-5, Jesus compares the disciples to the nation of Israel during the Exodus story. While God, in the Exodus event and following, is ultimately faithful, Israel proves herself, through her unfaithfulness, unable to enter into the Promised Land. The connection that Jesus makes here is that the disciples, despite all that they have witnessed and done (healing the sick, casting out demons, the Transfiguration, feeding the five thousand) still do not have enough faith and are not ultimately prepared for what is to come. The disciples are just not yet ready (Green, 389). After Jesus chastises the disciples he turns toward the man and makes his way toward the boy. As he is moving toward the boy the demon dashes him to the ground in a fresh fit of convulsions. Jesus, in an act of faithfulness, rebukes the spirit, leaving the boy healed. The crowds, who have witnessed this entire event, stand in awe at the greatness of God. Jesus Foretells His Death: Luke 9:43-45 As the narrative moves on, we can imagine Jesus turning away from the crowd with their jaws on the ground, as he begins to walk with his disciples toward their next destination. Perhaps they have moved a little out in front of the crowd, who are not going to leave Jesus alone, when he turns to the disciples and utters words that every parent or person who has ever tried to instruct or guide students have said, Let these words sink into your ears. At this point, Jesus knows that his disciples, while they are making progress, are having a hard time comprehending the true nature of his mission and the Kingdom he brings. Consequently, they are failing to comprehend the nature of their own formation as well. They have not, and will not for some time, understand that Jesus is going to be betrayed and handed over into human hands. In the light of verses there can be no mistake about what Jesus means. What makes this statement so shocking at this point in the narrative is that it rests up against a powerful act of healing and release. The crowds, who are so important in Luke s Gospel, are with Jesus. They are amazed by his power and the greatness of God. What Jesus is pointing to, however, is that his faithfulness includes not only healing and release but suffering and death. The Kingdom that Jesus is bringing does not end with Jesus on the throne in Jerusalem, as they most certainly were hoping; it ends with Jesus on the throne in heaven by way of the cross. Betrayal and suffering were not part of the script for the disciples. Thus, as verse 45 tells us, they do not understand what Jesus is saying. They are blind to see the true nature of the Kingdom, which leads them to fear to ask any more about it. The disciples are just not yet ready. 3

4 No! I m the Greatest! Luke 9:46-48 Luke does not give us a time or location marker at the beginning of verse 46, but we can assume that this argument comes close on the heels of the healing of the demon possessed boy and Jesus statements about his death. This vignette is placed specifically to highlight the disciples continual failure to grasp Jesus mission and Kingdom. As they are on their way, an argument breaks out between the disciples. In all honesty, in the Greco-Roman milieu that the disciples inhabited, conversations like the one that follows were commonplace. Individuals were very much concerned with their relative status in society. Much of common behavior was calculated to ensure that an individual acted in accordance with their place in society. It was fitting for disciples of a great teacher and healer like Jesus to wonder about who might end up being Jesus right hand man (Green, 391). While these types of conversation might have been normal (and might still be normal for us today), Jesus, to this point in the narrative, has gone out of his way to turn those notions upside down. We only have to back up to 9:24 to witness this, For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. Jesus Kingdom is upside down. Jesus, who perhaps has not heard their conversation but knows what s going through his followers heads, interjects into the argument. They are apparently not alone as Jesus finds a child and uses him or her as an object lesson. Jesus draws the child near to his side and says, Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me. Here, the notion of welcome has nothing to do with having the faith of a child, but has everything to do with offering honor, hospitality and inclusion to those who are of little or no account. Children, in Jesus day, belonged to the realm of women. They were little more than property and were regarded as of little value. In an honor and shame oriented society like the disciples, you only honored and offered hospitality to those who could return the favor. Children could not return the favor. Obviously, this idea is foreign to us. We love, honor (maybe sometimes a little too much!), and protect our children. Jesus point is clear. Whoever welcomes a person or group of persons who have absolutely no ability to return the honor or hospitality given, welcomes Jesus and by extension God the Father. For, Jesus says, in my Kingdom those who have nothing to give are the greatest. The disciples have been caught up in Jesus power, his ability to heal and provide from nothing, and have missed the upside down nature of the Kingdom Jesus is bringing. The disciples are just not yet ready. SO WHAT? Before we get too hard on the disciples for being so slow to learn the true nature of Jesus Kingdom, let us place ourselves in their shoes. After this passage concludes, Jesus will begin to set his face toward Jerusalem. The majority of the narrative that takes places as Jesus journeys toward the cross centers on the disciples preparation for Jesus death. The long journey, as it was for Israel, is needed for the disciples to become fully ready for their mission post resurrection and ascension. The worldview that formed the disciples, which shaped how they understood the way things were supposed to work, will take some time to dismantle. Part of Jesus mission was to help the disciples see the world with new eyes, eyes that were able to 4

5 properly focus on the things that are important to God s Kingdom. If, at the beginning of their journey with Jesus, the disciples were not yet ready to understand fully Jesus Kingdom, we too, at the beginning of our journey, are not yet ready. That is one of the reasons we observe Lent every year; we are not yet ready for what takes place at the cross and at the resurrection. We are unable to see God s Kingdom for what it is, an inversion of our world s priorities. This inability to see Jesus Kingdom for what it really is was not permanent for the disciples. As they moved toward the cross with Jesus their eyes slowly began to open. As they witnessed the glory of the resurrected Christ they began to understand the hope that comes through suffering. As they waited and prayed after the ascension they were filled with the Holy Spirit which empowered them to go out and bear witness to God s upside down Kingdom. If the disciples inability to see Jesus Kingdom for what it really is was not permanent, our blindness does not have to be permanent either. Our prayer is that, as we journey toward the cross with Jesus this Lent, our eyes will be opened to see, to participate in and to bear witness to God s upside down Kingdom. May we welcome and honor those of no material value to us and may we have faith. May we be ready for the Kingdom of God. PRACTICES FOR LENT: This week engage in one or more of the following practices: 1. Sit at the entrance to Children s Hospital and pray for those who pass by. Perhaps prepare small gifts (cards, flowers, stuffed animals) for those entering or leaving the hospital. 2. Read through the entire Gospel of Luke. Identify places where Luke turns some social or religious custom upside down. Share with your group next week. 3. Send a card or letter to someone who is incarcerated. 4. Intentionally place yourself in lowly places throughout the week. For instance, allow others to wait in line in front of you at the store. If you receive a compliment at work, give the credit to someone else who had a part in the endeavor. 5. Have someone over for dinner at your house, someone who would or could never invite you over to their house. Feed them steak. Break out the fine china. CRITICAL DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. What does God look like in this text/who is God in this text/what is God doing in this text? a. God s faithfulness and power are on full display as he heals the demon-possessed boy. At the same time, Jesus proclaims that his power is not power as we often want to understand it, but power that is made complete by-self sacrifice and suffering. 2. What does holiness/salvation look like in this text? a. Holiness looks like honoring those who have no ability to 5

6 honor us back. Holiness looks like being the last in line and the first to give up what we have. 3. How does an encounter with this story shape who we are and who we should become? a. We often do not realize the ways in which our society has shaped our understanding of how the world is supposed to work. We have very clear ideas about these things that need to be reworked. This passage should call us to ask God to help us see how much we are not ready for God s Kingdom. Our prayer should be that God, through the power of his Holy Spirit, would open our eyes to see the world as it should be. SPECIFIC DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Read the text aloud. Then, read the text to yourself quietly. Read it slowly, as if you were very unfamiliar with the story. 1. Why does Luke give us such a full description of the demon-possessed boy s condition? 2. Have Jesus disciples previously been able to cast out demons? Why are the disciples unable to cast out this demon? What is different this time? 3. Why does Jesus call the disciples a faithless and perverse generation? Deuteronomy 32:4-5 sounds similar to Jesus words here. Why would Jesus make a connection between Israel s unfaithfulness after the Exodus and on their journey toward the Promised Land and the disciples unfaithfulness? 4. After Jesus cast the demon out of the boy we are told that the crowds were all astounded at God s greatness (verse 43). Why, after a show of great power like this, does Jesus then go on to talk about his forthcoming betrayal and death? Why aren t the disciples able to understand what Jesus is getting at? What is Jesus getting at? 5. Why do the disciples have an argument about who is the greatest? Jesus obviously believes they should not be having this argument. How does he correct their behavior? 6. Children weren t viewed in an altogether positive light as we view them today. They had no ability to return honor or hospitality. Why would Jesus instruct his disciples to welcome and honor children in the same way they would have welcomed and honored a very important person? What does this say about the nature of the Kingdom of God? 7. Who are some people you might be able to welcome and honor in the way that Jesus recommends in verse 48? How might you do so? Make plans to do so. Works Cited: Joel Green, The Gospel of Luke, New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997). 6