"If by the Finger of God" Luke 11:14-28

Jesus delivers a man from a demon that had robbed him of his ability to speak and left him feeling isolated. Jesus drives the demon out so that the man was able to openly speak. Now he could audibly express himself about all he had experienced and was holding inside. That this formerly mute man was enabled to speak overwhelmed the crowd with amazement (11:14). Yet, some in the crowd opposed Jesus. Some claimed that the miracle was a ‘demonic deception’ and others tried to pressure Jesus into showing a sign from heaven. They wanted evidence that the miracle was from God, but spectacular sign could they agree was actually from heaven (11:15-16). He had opened blind eyes, enabled the deaf to hear, the mute to speak, the sick were healed and he had even restored life to the dead.  

The evil spirits obeyed Jesus, but those opposing Jesus claimed he was in league with the ‘Prince of Demons’ (‘Beelzebul’; ‘Lord of Flies’ became a name for the ‘satan’). They sought to discredit Jesus by claiming that the devil was at work through Jesus. Yet, as Jesus said, if the devil opposed his own troops then the devil was already a defeated foe. Also, if their own Jewish exorcists were not being empowered by ‘the satan’ then why accuse Jesus of this? But, Jesus made it clear that if he was liberating captives ‘by the finger of God’, then the ‘Kingdom of God’ was being manifested through him. The phrase the ‘finger of God’ looks back to the mighty works God did through Moses. When Pharaoh’s magicians couldn’t duplicate Moses’ work, they acknowledged that it was the ‘finger of God’ (Exodus 8:19). In his own saying, Jesus presents himself as the ‘stronger man’ who was tying up the demonic strong man and was robbing his possessions by liberating those captive to demonic power.

His opponents were biased and Jesus knew they were just putting a negative spin on the miracle. Clearly they were out to undermine Jesus’ ability to restore life and health and to justify their own inability to heal. Why not delight in the restoration of this man who had been unable to speak? They claimed that Jesus was setting captives free only as a way of deceiving people. Evidently, Jesus was casting out demons and enabling the mute to speak in order to corrupt Israel’s faith and lead people away from God or so they implied. They were obviously desperate and were reaching for whatever they could in order to discredit Jesus’ growing influence.    

Jesus made it clear that a country at war with itself was ruined and a house divided would collapse. If satan was working against himself, then his ability to oppose God’s life-giving purposes was over.  However, if Jesus was liberating captives and restoring people to community by the ‘finger of God’ than Jesus was ushering in God’s kingdom! This was true in the case of Moses and those opposing Jesus were like Jannes and Jambres the Egyptians sorcerers who opposed Moses. When they failed to reproduce Moses’ work, they admitted that it was the work of the ‘finger of God’ (Exodus 8:19). Like Moses, Jesus was bringing about a new and even more grand Exodus and God’s kingdom was being manifested. Those opposing Jesus were opposing God and making matters worse for themselves (Exodus 8:19, 2 Tim.3:8, 11:17-20, 11:24-25).

The real explanation for all this was that Jesus was empowered by God and he was stronger than the demonic strong man. The devil was the fully armed strong man holding captives under the influence of his oppressive grip.  But before their very eyes the stronger Jesus was dismantling the devil’s strongholds, plundering his possessions and liberating people by the power of God. Jesus went on to make it clear to his disciples that there can be no neutral ground in this spiritual war. One has to choose to gather on the side of the gracious work of God at work through Jesus or one ends up trying to undermine and discredit Jesus’ work (11:21-23).

The liberating God of the Exodus was working in an extraordinary way through Jesus. Jesus had set his face towards Jerusalem to fulfill his 'Exodus' (departure) and establish God’s reign (Exodus 9:31). Jesus tells the story of an evil spirit that was driven out, but was unable to find a new home so it returns to its former abode. It’s now sweep clean so the spirit takes seven other wicked spirits and they take that place over again. If those delivered fail to realign themselves with Jesus and his kingdom they will end up under an even more powerful enslaving influence. This seems to take on corporation application since Luke (See also Matthew 12:43-45) goes on to talk about ‘this wicked generation (Luke 11:29-32)’. It appears that both Luke and Matthew are applying this saying to the Jewish nation as a whole. Jesus’ exorcisms heal many individuals, but Jesus has a wider aim in bringing about God’s eternal kingdom, for Israel and for the world. Unless Israel is ‘cleansed’ with Jesus enthroned as Lord and God dwelling among them by his Spirit, then they’ll be subject to even greater evil.

While Jesus was saying this a woman calls out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you!” There is. However, an even greater privilege available to all persons. All who hear God’s Word and commit to apply it existentially in their own lives are blessed of God!”  What a privilege to be the mother of such a son and surely Mary was blessed. Yet, Jesus quickly turns the saying around into both an encouragement and a warning (See also 8:21). While there is only one Mary, blessed rather are all who hear the word of God and who respond to it with obedience.  The word of God is at work through Jesus which requires our hearing and our obedience. (11:27-28)

"Give us each day... Luke 11:1-13"

The Backstory:  The Israelites were living in their land but under Roman rule and they longed for their Messiah to come and restore the kingdom to Israel. God sent them Jesus, who was announced by John the Baptist, anointed by the Spirit at his baptism, and affirmed to be God’s Son by the voice from heaven. Jesus overcame the devil’s temptations, and in the power of the Spirit he preached ‘good news’ and he cast out demons, healed the sick, cleansed lepers, feed the hungry and even raised the dead. He gathered a new 12 around himself designating them as his Apostles. When they recognized his identity as God's Messiah Jesus told his disciples that he would suffer, be killed and on the third day raised to life. This didn't really make sense to them, yet Jesus proceeded to Jerusalem to bring his ‘Exodus’ to fulfillment. Jesus sought to impart to his followers what they would need to know to follow Jesus and to be useful in the expansion of the kingdom that Jesus was bringing about through his death and resurrection.    Luke 11:1–13 

Jesus finished praying and a disciple asked him to teach them to pray as John had taught his disciples (11:1). Jesus regularly prays and to follow Jesus his disciples want to be taught to pray as Jesus did. Jesus advised them to pray to God as their Father, and to pray that God’s name be honored and for his kingdom to come. They were also to ask for daily bread, daily forgiveness and daily protection from temptation (11:2-3). Jesus was warning his disciples that they are in a kingdom battle and daily they were in need of God’s grace, his provisions and his protection.  

To encourage them to pray Jesus tells them to imagine that they needed to provide hospitality for a visiting friend, but that they had no bread. Hospitality was and is an important Middle-eastern cultural value. They go to a friend for bread to provide for their visiting traveler, but their friend won’t get up and give them what they need. Jesus says that even if he won’t give the bread because their friendship he will provide the need because of your boldness in asking. But this story goes beyond cultural expectations and is about boldly asking for needs consistent with Christ’s kingdom. The story is tied to Jesus’ exhortation for them to pray in daily dependence and to do it boldly and persistently. (11:4-8)

Jesus exhorts his disciples to ask to receive, seek to find and knock until doors are opened. Moreover, he encourages them that persistent asking, seeking, and knocking will result in receiving, finding and the opening of doors. This exhortation and promise is followed by another important encouraging statement. “What father if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake, or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” (11:9-11)

Luke finishes this episode with Jesus encouraging them that even when sinful fathers are asked by their sons for fish or eggs they wouldn’t give them a snake or scorpion instead. No, even sinful human fathers know how to give good gifts to their children. How much more will God our heavenly Father, who knows what we need, willingly give us the good we need. Luke's version of this prayer ends with the promise that God will not withhold himself from his sons and daughters; he gives the Holy Spirit.  

So in Luke’s version of the Lord’s Prayer when asked how to pray (11:1), Jesus gives five essential requests. Addressing God as Father, we are to request that God’s name be honored and that his kingdom would come (11:2). Then requests are to be made for daily bread, for the forgiveness of sins and protection from temptation (11:3–4). We are to consistently pray for the honor of God's name of and for the advancement of Gods' reign (11:2c).  Each day we are to ask for daily bread, daily forgiveness and daily protection against evil (11:3-4). Seeking and finding forgiveness implies the responsibility to forgive others. Lastly, to request that we not be led into temptation is like praying, ‘Do not bring us to the time of trial’. Without God’s gracious protection in trials we're sure to fall into temptation.  

Only Luke tells this short parable (11:5–8) about a man whose midnight visitor needs bread. He goes to another friend’s home and boldly requests until he gets up and supplies his needs (11:8). The reluctant friend fulfills his cultural obligation because of his friend’s bold, shameless persistence in asking. Our gracious God, by contrast, encourages us to pray persistently because God is not reluctant to give what we need. Jesus exhorts his disciples to ask, seek and knock because God is the good giver of good gifts. In fact, God will not withhold himself  (his Spirit) from those who diligently seek him (11:9–10).

Here God is a friend and a Father, while he has his children around him he is not in bed and asleep. The friend outside has a problem, and the sleeping friend can help if he is willing. The practice in the ancient Middle East was such that if a traveler was in need of food and shelter one was culturally obligated to provide it. The friend outside knows that the friend inside would help if the roles were reversed. God, however, isn’t a sleepy friend. Jesus is encouraging a bold asking, a persistent knocking and a search that refuses to give up. 

Luke’s version of the 'Lord’s Prayer' is no routine formal prayer; it’s not a going through the motions or a ritual. There are dark powers at work in our world and we are in a struggle through prayer—for the coming kingdom and for whatever else we need. This is a planned, disciplined and persistent prayer for our good Father to provide what we need in our struggle. Effective prayers need the same determination that we would use to wake a sleepy friend to help when we’re in a difficult spot. Yet, God by contrast is a good and caring Father. God will give good gifts to his children. Even sinful Fathers will their children nutritious food when asked and something poisonous. God is a good God who knows what we need and gives us what is good for us. 

In the Exodus, God as a Father rescued Israel his firstborn son out of slavery in Egypt. To call on God as our ‘Father’ is to call on the liberating God of the Exodus. Moreover, Jesus was bringing his ‘Exodus’ to fulfillment and on the way he promises bread for the hungry, forgiveness for sinners, and deliverance from evil. These are themes that we find being brought about by Jesus in Luke gospel (5:24, 7:48-49, 8:26-39, 9:10-17, 9:37-43). Here in this story, Jesus is heading to Jerusalem and to the cross and on the way Jesus teaches his disciples to talk to their Father. It is through prayer that they and us today will experience God, see his kingdom advance and be able to meet the needs of people. 

Better Listen (Luke 10:38-42).

Luke 10:38–42

Backstory: Jesus had been announced by John and confirmed to be God’s Son by the voice from heaven. He was ‘anointed’ by the Spirit to preach the gospel of the kingdom and liberate captives. He gathered a ‘new twelve’ around himself designating them as his disciples. They heard Jesus’ preaching and they witnessed his authority over demons, over sin and sickness and he had even restored people who had died back to life. They recognized Jesus’ Messianic identity, but were apparently blind to his need to suffer, be killed and rise again. Jesus set his face towards Jerusalem to bring his ‘exodus’ to fulfillment through his ‘cross and resurrection’ (Luke 9:31). In a previous story Jesus had rebuked his disciples for wanting to call down fire on Samaritans (9:54). He also told a story in which a traditionally 'hated Samaritan' rescues a ‘wounded Jew’ in true neighborly love (10:25-37). The kingdom that Jesus was bringing about was breaking out from the traditional Jewish boundaries. 

In their travels Jesus enters Bethany (John 11:1), a typical small village, where a woman named Martha welcomed Jesus into her home. Martha’s sister was sitting beside Jesus and she was listening to everything that Jesus had to say. However, Martha was distracted and pulled away from Jesus because of the pressure she felt to make all the various preparation and chores. Then Martha goes up to Jesus, and Martha accuses Jesus of not caring about her. Moreover, she tells Jesus to tell Mary to help her (10:38-40).

But why is Martha letting herself be pulled away from Jesus and get burdened down with the various preparations she had to do? How is it that her sister, Mary, was sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to Jesus and leaving the serving to her sister? Isn’t cooking food, preparing your house for guests and showing hospitality and serving Jesus commendable? Why is Mary sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to Jesus better than Martha serving Jesus? Martha had a good thing. She had opened her home and welcomed Jesus in and she was serving Jesus! Surely, she would have received Jesus’ blessing of peace (10:5). She was showing hospitality and serving Jesus and she is to be commended for that.

It, however, seems that Martha’s preparations distracted and drew her away from Jesus. So we find Martha full of anxiety and worry. So the overly anxious Martha approaches Jesus telling him, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” The Lord gently but firmly reproves her and addresses her saying, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary had chosen what is better, what is essential, and it won't be taken away from Mary! (10:40-42)". So, what was going on inside Martha.

First, we learn that Martha’s serving of Jesus distracted her from Jesus (10:40a). Secondly, we find Martha accusing Jesus of not caring about Martha (10:40b). Then she complains of all the work she had to do by herself and that it wasn’t fair for Mary not to help (10:40b). Martha tells Jesus what he needs to do in order to remedy this unjust situation (10:40b). Martha wants Jesus to make Mary help Martha and this would take Mary away from Jesus (10:40b). Then Jesus tells Martha she was worried about many things (10:41b). Jesus in a roundabout way was telling Martha that what she was doing was fine, but that it wasn't actually necessary (10:41b). Jesus hadn't told her to do it and it wasn't the thing that was actually needed. The serving of Jesus is noble and honoring work but in this case Martha was too busy trying to serve Jesus to sit and listen to Jesus (10:41). Martha was listening to Jesus and Martha even wanted to take this away from Mary!  

When it comes down to it, Martha was too busy serving Jesus to sit and listen to Jesus (10:40, 42). Mary’s serving was a good thing, but ceased to be a good thing when it ended up distracting Martha listening to Jesus. The listening to Jesus is more essential than serving Jesus. Her serving Jesus ended up pulling her away from being present with Jesus. While Martha was doing what was ‘right culturally’, Jesus hadn’t actually told Martha to do it. What Martha was doing was not actually necessary to Jesus. Jesus would only be there a short time and being present with Jesus and listening to Jesus was the thing that was needed. Serving is good and listening is good, but serving without listening becomes a problem... sitting and listening to Jesus is better. Serving without listening is not good, listening then serving is better! 

Being busy serving Jesus without listening to Jesus is a challenge for anyone to ministry. This is important, however, there is more going on here as well. Remember that Jesus tells a story of a despised Samaritan as an example of a loving neighbor. Also Jesus is moving, though not in a straight path, towards his death and resurrection in Jerusalem. In this story Jesus is crossing over some traditional cultural distinctions between men and women. What is at issue here is not really about the chores and preparations. The preparations are important, but they’re not the most important thing. Why find Martha playing the traditional culturally acceptable woman's role, but Mary was doing something radically alternative.

Mary crossed a Jewish cultural boundary by sitting down among the men. She sat down beside Rabbi Jesus. Mary was sitting at his feet in the way that Saul of Tarsus sat at the feet of his mentor Rabbi Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). This meant that Saul was being mentored as a devoted follower of Gamaliel. This means that Mary sitting in a place reserved for men and she was positioning herself as a devoted disciple of Rabbi Jesus. Mary was listening to follow Jesus with all her heart, soul, strength and mind and Jesus was more than happy to do so. Mary, according to Jesus, was doing the necessary thing.  

Now Martha’s complaints and demands about the preparations shows that her serving was a distraction. Martha’s adherence to cultural expectations distracted her and left her overly anxious. Mary, on the other hand, chose to do what was counter-cultural and Jesus said that what Mary did was better. Mary sat in the presence of Jesus and she was listening intently. Martha was distracted, and wanted to pull Mary away from Jesus as well! So the story depicts Jesus’ inclusive and expanding kingdom. As Jesus travels towards his ‘cross and resurrection’ we learn of a ‘hated Samaritan’ who is the picture of true neighborly love. Then in this story we learn of a woman who sits at Jesus’ feet as a full-fledged disciple of King Jesus! 

'Having Compassion and Doing Mercy!'

Luke 10:25-37

Here in the section of Luke 10, Luke tells us of an encounter between Jesus and a man who is a lawyer or an expert in the law. 

1) What might we learn about this lawyer from what he does and says? (Luke 10:25)

The man was bold to stand up among the crowd and was willing to ask Jesus a question. However, he wasn’t asking to learn. Rather the man, we are told, was testing Jesus. He asks Jesus what he must do to inherit ‘eternal life’. He wanted to know what people should do to be in God’s favor and to inherit and live under the blessing of God in the age to come when Messiah comes and brings an end to the present evil age and ushers in the ‘age to come’ or the Messianic age. What do I have to do to be a faithful Jew so that Messiah will come and how can I make sure I will experience the favor of God, now and forever, when Messiah ushers in the Messianic age.  

2) What can we learn from Jesus’ response to this lawyer or law-expert?  (10:26)

Jesus flips it back on the lawyer. Essentially, Jesus telling this man that he is a trained so-called expert in the law. What then does the law say about your question? You’re trained in the law as a so-called expert what is your understanding of what the law says?

3) The lawyer summarizes the law (Dt.6:5, Lev.19:18). What can we learn from the dialogue that results between Jesus and the lawyer?  (10:27-29)

This trained scholar knew full well how to summarize the law. He knew he was to love the Lord, the God of Israel, from the heart with his whole soul and mind and with everything he could gather from within himself. He also knows he was responsible to love his neighbor as himself. He knew this and stated a common summary of the law that Jesus himself used at times (Matthew 22:37-40, Mark 12:29-31). So Jesus tells that he had answered correctly, but the man wants to find a loophole and ‘justify himself’. The lawyer asks Jesus to further define ‘neighbor’. In other words, the man wants to know who he is actually responsible to love as himself.  

4) Jesus tells the ‘Parable of the Good Samaritan’. (10:30-37) What can we learn from the ‘Priest and the Levite’? (10:31-32)

Jesus tells a story of a Jewish man who while traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho was attacked, stripped of his possessions, beaten and left for dead on the road or the ditch. Then Jesus tells of both a ‘Priest and a Levite’ who look to themselves and not to the hurting man. Remember that this man is coming from Jerusalem and would have been a fellow Jew who had been robbed, beaten and left for dead. Neither the ‘Priest or the Levite’ can see past their own concerns. They fail to look through ‘a window’ to the man heart and life of the dying man. They look in a mirror and they only see their own concerns and fears. They both ask themselves what will happen to me if I seek to help this man. The most likely conclude that they would be made ceremonially unclean and to care for the man would put them both at risk of being attacked by robbers themselves and so the choose to look the other way and pass by the ‘dying man’.  

5) What can we learn from what the Samaritan does? (10:33-35)

However a Samaritan who was considered the enemy of the Jew came to where the man was (Luke 9:54, John 4:9). Also note that Jesus’ own disciples, James and John, wanted to call fire down from heaven and punish a Samaritan village that didn’t welcome Jesus into their town because Jesus was headed to Jerusalem. Samaritan, by contrast, looks through ‘a window’ into the life of the dying man and thinks that this man will die if I don’t help him. The Samaritan sees the dying man and his heart went out to the man with compassion. He gave him first aid, disinfecting his wounds with wine and oil and bandaging them at his own expense. The wine, oil and bandages cost him money and took the time to help and even put himself at risk. Then he had to lift the man up onto donkey and took the man to an inn where at his own expense he cared for him through the night. In the morning he gave a couple of day’s wages to the innkeeper and asked him to take care of the wounded man. He gave the innkeeper a couple of days wages and promised if the innkeeper had to spend any more money caring for the man the Samaritan would repay the innkeeper when he returned. This Samaritan went way out of his way and at his own expense took care of a dying Jew who would have been considered by most in that day as his enemy.

6) How does the story apply to the Jewish lawyer? (10:36-37).

Jesus asks the lawyer which of the three, the Priest, the Levite or the Samaritan was a neighbor to the man attacked by robbers. Jesus doesn’t define who the lawyer’s neighbor was; rather he tells a story that depicts what being a neighbor looks like. Ironically, it was he despised Samaritan who was a neighbor to a Jew who under other conditions would have rejected any interaction with a Samaritan. It was the despised Samaritan who treated the ‘dying Jew’ with compassion and in a neighborly way. The Jewish scholar had to admit that it was the Samaritan who should mercy and that the Jewish Priest and the Levite who looked away and passed by their fellow Jew.  

7) How does the story apply to us? (10:36-37).

First Jesus asked this lawyer questions to open him up and to seek to understand him. We are to ask and listen to understand others.

Secondly the man knew what to do to get on and stay in God’s favour! He was to obey the Law of Moses which at its core it was about ‘loving God and neighbour as self’. He knew what to do; the problem was in the doing of the thing. Moreover, none has or can do this consistently and truly from the heart. This lawyer and everyone else ‘falls short’ of loving God with other as self. We can exclude people, tribes, races or classes of people from the category of neighbour. We are responsible to love all people and we’re not to demonize and exclude people and groups. We all ‘fall short’ and to ‘inherit eternal life’ we’re going to need a ‘saviour to save us from our sins’. Jesus was despised and rejected for us. He was beaten and left for dead, like the Jew in the ditch, in our place on the cross and for our sins.

We need Jesus to ‘die for our sins’, but we also need his ‘righteous life which he lived for us’ in our place on our behalf. Jesus is also the ‘truly other-centered loving and good Samaritan’ who lived a perfect life of loving obedience to God and neighbour. We are to look in faith to Jesus who lived and having conquered ‘sin and death’ for us he gives us ‘new resurrected life’.

Then having embrace Jesus as our ‘suffering servant and conquering king’ we are to seek to love others, even the ‘outsider and the outcast’ as we love ourselves. We are to love even those opposed to us! Why should we do this? We are to love others because that is what Jesus has done for us and when we to reflect him, especially when we love those who can never repay us. We are to love with our others at a personal cost to ourselves, in terms of time and resources, and when we do this we are actually doing it to our Lord Jesus (Luke 9:48, Matthew 25:45).  

'A Plentiful Harvest among wolves'

 Luke 10:1–24 

The Lord appointed seventy followers to send them out, two by two, into the towns ahead of him. The seventy is reminiscent of the 70 of Jacob’s family that had gone down to Egypt and Moses’ 70 elders (Ex.1:5, Num.11:24-25). Jesus told them that the harvest was plentiful but the harvesters were few. They were to pray to the Lord of the harvest to ‘raise up’ workers for his harvest field.  Jesus was sending them out like ‘lambs among wolves’ and they weren’t to bring a ‘purse, or a bag or additional sandals’. Here there’s a greater sense of urgency then when Jesus had previously sent out his twelve disciples (Luke 9:1-6). Jesus is heading to Jerusalem and the cross and so the opportunity to respond to Jesus and his kingdom message is now. The urgency is also seen in that the seventy weren’t even to stop and greet people on the road.

Jesus tells them to enter a house and say ‘peace to this house’. If the head of that house was a man of peace then their peace would rest on that house, but it not their peace would return to them. But once they found a house to stay they were eat and drink what they were offered and not move around from house to house. When a town welcomed them they were to heal the sick and proclaim the “Kingdom of God”.  If a town wouldn’t welcome them, they were to wipe the dust of that town from our feet as a warning against that town and they were to tell them that the ‘kingdom of God had come near’. (10:5-10)

Jesus said it would be more bearable on ‘that day’ for Sodom than for the towns rejecting Jesus.  Jesus pronounced a ‘Woe’ on Chorazin and Bethsaida saying that if Tyre and Sidon had seen the miracles they’ve seen than Tyre and Sidon would have repented and therefore it will go better for them at the judgement then these towns that have seen the miracles but have failed to respond to Jesus. Towns like Capernaum, would not be ‘lifted up’ but brought down on the ‘day of judgment’. So there is an ‘urgency to respond’ to King Jesus and there is this ‘pending judgment’ for rejecting Jesus. (10:12-15)

Earlier in Luke we have Jesus telling the twelve that to welcome a little child in Jesus’ name is to welcomes Jesus; and to welcome Jesus is to welcome the one who sent Jesus. In fact the least disciple would be the greatest (Luke 9:48). Here Jesus tells them that to listen to the seventy was to listen to Jesus, but to reject the seventy was to reject Jesus. Moreover, to reject Jesus was to reject the Father who had sent Jesus (Luke 10:16). Again we get this sense that to receive or reject the representative is to receive or reject both Jesus and the Father who sent Jesus.  

Then ‘the seventy’ returned rejoicing that the demons had submitted them in Jesus’ name.  Jesus said he had seen Satan fall like lightning and that he had given them ‘authority to overcome the power of the enemy’. However, Jesus told them that they should actually be rejoicing that their names were written in heaven. In this story the healing of the sick and the liberation from the demonic is integrated into Jesus’ kingdom proclamation. Yet, at the same time there is this greater enduring sense of joy in becoming a ‘citizen of heaven’ through identification with King Jesus.

Then we have Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, praising his Father, the Lord of heaven and earth. Jesus says that the Father was pleased to hide these things from the ‘wise and learned’ and reveal it to little children. Then Jesus talks about no one knowing the Son except the Father, and no one knowing the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal the Father.’ In other words, the Father has this ‘unique and intimate knowledge’ of Jesus, but Jesus ironically has the ‘equivalent unique and intimate knowledge’ of the Father. Jesus also says that no one knows the Father unless Jesus reveals him (10:17-22). These are extraordinary claims about the ‘equality and exclusivity’ so that we can deduce that Jesus is both equal with the Father, and exclusive revealer of the Father!

Then Jesus tells his disciples in private that their ‘eyes and ears were blessed’. They were seeing and hearing what many prophets and kings had wanted to see and hear but were unable to see and hear. What did they see? They saw King Jesus (10:23-24); the long anticipated Messiah, but the story tells us he was much more. First response to Jesus is urgent and central to the coming judgment. Two, receiving Jesus’ representatives and their message is identification with King Jesus. Thirdly, King Jesus represents and reveals the Father because Jesus has this equality with the Father. Jesus claims that ‘his knowledge of Father was equivalent to the Father’s knowledge of him (10:22). In other words, Jesus had the exclusive prerogative to reveal the Father because this story reveals that Jesus is not only the Messiah, but the ‘Divine Messiah’!   

"Fit for Service in the Kingdom"

Luke 9:51–62

Jesus is aware of a transition in his mission. As 'God’s Anointed'Son, he had gathered a ‘new twelve’ around himself. He was preaching the kingdom and his disciples had now recognized his ‘Messianic identity’. Now Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem where he would fulfill God's purpose.  Here Jesus sends messengers into a Samaritan village to prepare for his arrival, but these Samaritans refused to welcome Jesus since he was heading to Jerusalem. A Messiah who would set up his kingdom in Jerusalem was not what the Samaritans were interested in (John 4:19).

James and John see this and want to call down the vengeance of God upon them and make them pay. The want to put themselves in the place of Elijah (2 Kings 1:19-12), when God was opposes an Apostate king in Samaria. Contrary to this, Jesus had come to reconcile them to God and one another (Acts 1:8). On their previous mission through Israel when a town rejected them they were to ‘shake the dust from their feet’ and move on. So Jesus rebukes them and simply moved on to another village (Luke 9:5, 52-56).  

As they walked along the road, Jesus encounters a man who claims to be willing to follow Jesus anywhere. The man says, “I will follow you wherever you go.” But Jesus has ‘no abiding home’ in this world and was on his way to Jerusalem to suffer and die. Jesus tells the man, “Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”  Jesus tells another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus tells him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” (9:57-60).  This man wants to wait until his father dies and is buried before following Jesus. Jesus has what comes across as a ‘rather harsh’ response for him. But commitment to Jesus must surpass all cultural and familial commitments.  For Jesus the time to proclaim the kingdom is now! If the kingdom has come and the king is here then ‘Lord wait’ is an inconsistent and unacceptable statement.

Still another man said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.” This man tells Jesus that he wants to follow Jesus., “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God” (9:60-62). This is reminiscent of Elisha’s call to follow Elijah. Elisha went back and said goodbye to his family. However, it was not a prerequisite to his following Elijah. Moreover, Elisha slaughtered his oxen, burned his plowing equipment, cooked the meat and gave it to the people. He accepted the call and he went and said ‘goodbye’ and never looked back.  He said goodbye to his family and then went and followed Elijah, but he also forsook all. You cannot plow a straight furrow in a field if one is looking back. This man needs continue to follow Jesus on the road to Jerusalem and not turn back and do something else.

The disciples had fought over who was the greatest and had even tried to stop a man freeing the demonized in Jesus’ name. They have recognized Jesus’ Messianic identity, but their ambition was hindering their usefulness in God’s kingdom. Now Jesus moves out towards Jerusalem, but this is no mere trip in remembrance of Israel's ‘Exodus. Jesus must go to Jerusalem in order to ‘fulfill’ a ‘new exodus’ that will culminate in his ascension into heaven (9:31, 51).

As they start out, Jesus went directly to Jerusalem through Samaria and sent out messengers ahead (9:52) into a Samaritan village to make preparations. Jesus disregarded the quarrel between the Jews and the Samaritans (John 4:9), and extended his hand of friendship.Yet, because Jesus was traveling to Jerusalem they refused to welcome him (9:53). James and John want to call down the judgment of God upon them (See 2 Kings 1:10–12). But Jesus turned and rebuked them. Then Jesus addresses those who claim to want to follow him. Jesus addresses a man who claims he will follow Jesus wherever Jesus goes (9:57). But, Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem and a ‘Roman cross’ and exhorts the man to consider the cost of following him.  Another man, who calls Jesus ‘Lord’ wants to first go and bury his father (9:59) and the other wants to first say goodbye to his family (9:61–62; compare 1 Kings 19:19–21). Yet, for Jesus, to follow him cannot be secondary to any cultural or familial obligation. Jesus’ reply indicates that nothing can be of a higher priority than following Jesus. Jesus calls us to a single-minded and unwavering devotion to his Lordship. No racial distinction or cultural or familial obligation can supersede service to King Jesus. This is what it means to be 'fit for service' in the Kingdom of God, both back then and today.

 

 

“Down from the Mountain”

Luke 9:37–51

In this section of his gospel, Luke strings a series of short encounters with Jesus together to clarify the path by which Jesus will glory God and restore God’s reign. Each of these events or encounters highlights the majesty of Jesus and is contrasted with the failures of his disciples.

First we are told that Jesus, Peter, James and John come down from their mountaintop experience. The three were given a glimpse of Jesus’ majesty. Jesus’ face had changed so that it shined like the sun and his clothes became bright like lightning (Mt.17:2, Lk 9:29). Moses and Elijah had appeared talking to Jesus about his 'departure or Exodus’ that would be fulfilled in Jerusalem. A cloud covered them and a voice confirmed that Jesus was God’s unique son to whom they were listen.

At the foot of the mountain a large crowd meets Jesus. From the crowd a man cries out, “Teacher, I beg you to help my only son. A spirit seizes him; he screams, then he shakes and foams at the mouth. The spirit rarely leaves him and it is destroying him.” The man had begged Jesus’ disciples, but they had failed to drive the demon out. We get a sense of the ‘powerlessness’ of the disciples which is contrasted with the power of the demon who seizes the boy, it rarely leaves him and its destroying the life of this man’s ‘one and only’ son.  

Surprisingly, Jesus renounces that present generation as ‘unbelieving and perverse’ (See Deut. 32:20). He appears 'weary and even frustrated with them' when he says, “How long must I put up with you? Bring me your son.” The demon throws the boy to the ground, but Jesus rebukes spirit, heals the boy and restores him to his father.  Now the destructive power of the demon is contrasted with the far greater power of Jesus to liberate the boy and restore him to his father. The crowd is amazed at the ‘majesty or greatness’ of God. The demonic power is overcome by the power of Jesus which depicts the ‘greatness or majesty of God’. Peter, James and John had seen in Jesus on the mountain something of the 'majesty of God' and now that same 'majesty' is witnessed by the crowd in Jesus’ healing of the boy and restoring him to his father (Luke 9:43, 2 Peter 1:16-18).

As the crowd marveled at what Jesus did, which far surpassed the power of the demon, Jesus instructed his disciples. Peter, James and John had been told by the ‘Voice’ from heaven to listen to God’s Son, Jesus. Now Jesus tells them to listen carefully as he tells them that, “the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the human hands” (Lk.9:35-36, 44-45). Yet again, they hear his words at one level but fail to understand at another. Having failed to deliver the demonized boy, the disciples now fail to comprehend the meaning of Jesus’ statement about his betrayal. The meaning remained hidden from them. Evidently, they were thought they would look ‘small and foolish’ because they were afraid to ask Jesus to help them understand what he meant.

In Luke's gospel after their failures to understand Jesus' statement about his betrayal we find the disciples 'caught up' in an argument. Even after their failures they are, of all things, arguing over which of them would be the greatest. Who will be the 'big man’ among them and Jesus is clearing aware of what they arguing about (9:46-47). In contrast Jesus confronts them with what he considers the ‘true path of greatness’ in God's kingdom! To make his point Jesus takes a little child and has the little child stand beside him. Jesus tells them that to welcome a ‘little child’ in Jesus’ name is to welcome Jesus and to welcome Jesus is to welcome the one who sent Jesus. According to Jesus this is the way of greatness. The 'least will be the greatest' and to be big you have to 'treat the small and insignificant' as 'big and important'. To welcome those otherwise considered insignificant is 'welcome Jesus and the Father who sent him' and this is the path of greatness. Greatness is evidenced in our care and concern for those who can never repay or elevate us in the eyes of others. In other words if we want to be ‘big’ we must become ‘small’ (9:48).

Their failure to understand Jesus’ way of greatness blinds them to the ‘way of the cross’ and therefore the resurrection.  They have been hand selected by Jesus, but they want to be superior to their own brothers. Then the ‘Apostle John’ speaks to Jesus about someone outside their group who was casting out demons in Jesus’ name. This man was doing what the disciples had been doing, but were incapable of doing in the incident with the father's only son (9:1, 40). Because this person wasn’t ‘one of them’ the disciples had tried unsuccessfully to stop him. They failed to comprehend the Jesus’ death. They had failed to understand 'the way of greatness' Jesus had laid out for them and now we are told that the disciples had opposed someone who was successfully driving out demons in Jesus’ name. Jesus tells them, “Do not stop him,” and went on to say, “Whoever is not against you is for you.” They needed to delight in those doing the work of liberating the oppressed in Jesus’ name’. They were to glory in the fact that people were being 'set free' in the name of Jesus! Again they are more concerned for their own status and power than the glory of Jesus and the good of others. 

Now with this in mind, Luke’s gospel now takes a dramatic shift towards the advancement of Jesus’ kingdom purpose. Jesus resolutely sets out now for Jerusalem. Having revealed to his disciples his true identity as the ‘Son of God’ and after their experience on the ‘Mount of Transfiguration’ Jesus now sets his path towards Jerusalem and the cross. It is the path of glorification for Jesus will come through the humiliation of the cross. This is the path by which Jesus will bring to fulfillment the ‘New Exodus’ in Jerusalem.  

As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.  (Luke 9:51)

 

The Cloud and the Voice (LK 9:28-37)!

The Story of Jesus: The people of Israel were living under Roman rule and they were crying out and longing for God to send an 'anointed king' to rescue them. Jesus, not what they had expected, who was announced by John the Baptist, anointed by the Spirit and confirmed to be the ‘Son of God’ by the voice from heaven at his baptism (Luke 3:22). Jesus was led into the wilderness where he overcame the devil’s temptations and he came back in the power of the Spirit proclaiming the ‘kingdom of God’. He gathered a new twelve around himself. Jesus demonstrated his power and authority over demons, over sin, sickness and even death itself. In the previous story in Luke, Peter confessed that Jesus was the ‘Christ of God’. Jesus told them to keep quiet about this and further confused them by saying that the, “Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” He also told them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me (9:22-23).

The story of the ‘Transfiguration of Jesus’ follows the story of ‘Peter’s confession’ in each synoptic gospel. Mark and Matthew say it happened six days after Jesus spoke of the ‘coming kingdom’. Yet, Luke says it was “about eight days” later, so they may have set out six or seven days after the saying and they may have started to climb the mountain on the eighth day. The six-day reference may be to draw a parallel between the transfiguration and Moses preparing to receive the law on Mount Sinai.

So in the ‘transfiguration story’ Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and went up onto a mountain. This was a significant climb since Matthew and Mark say it was a ‘high mountain’ (Mt.17:1, Mk.9:2). Luke’s exclusively emphasizes Jesus taking Peter, James and John up the mountain to pray and that Jesus was praying when ‘his glory’ was revealed (Luke 9:28, 32). As he prayed the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning (Luke 9:29). Matthew says Jesus’ face shone like the sun. Both Matthew and Mark tell us Jesus was ‘transfigured’; a word from which we get the word ‘metamorphoses’.  Peter and John testify elsewhere (2 Pet. 1:16–18; John 1:14) of the ‘transfiguration’ as a revealing of Jesus' divine nature which was concealed during his earthly ministry. Here his disciples get a glimpse of the “brightness of His glory” (Heb. 1:3) to be revealed when he would come in Father’s glory and of the holy angels (Luke 9:26, 29, 21:27).

Luke then tells us of two men, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glorious splendor.  They spoke about Jesus' departure, or his ‘Exodus’, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. Peter and his companions ‘awake’ from their sleep to see Jesus’ glory and Moses and Elijah standing with Jesus. They see Jesus’ glory in continuity with Moses, Israel’s great deliverer and law-giver, and Elijah, Israel’s great prophet. God used Moses to form Abraham’s children into a nation and Elijah was at the beginning of a series of prophets calling for Israel’s renewal. The far greater Jesus brings bring these traditions together in a ‘New Exodus’ to be fulfilled in Jerusalem. So they get their eyes opened to God’s true King who will bring God’s reign into realization in his death, resurrection, and ascension all of which will be fulfilled in Jerusalem (9:31).

As the men, Moses and Elijah were leaving Peter said to Jesus, “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.” Luke tells us that Peter didn’t know what he was saying. Jesus had told them how Jesus must suffer many things, be rejected and be killed. Jesus also said that his followers must ‘take up their cross daily’ and follow Jesus. That was heavy and almost incomprehensible message for the disciples. Now Peter was with Jesus, Moses and Elijah and he didn’t want them to prolong the wonder of the moment and so he wanted to build three shelters. However, Jesus was not equal among Moses and Elijah, but that Jesus stood alone in unique relationship with God. Jesus was the one to restore God's reign and bring a reconstituted Israel formed around him to fulfillment. The 'Shekinah Glory’ witnessed by Moses and manifested in the tabernacle and in Solomon’s temple was clearly present in Jesus (9:32, Ex.40:34-35, 1Kings 8:10-11)!

Then while Peter was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. Then a voice from the cloud, said, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” They tremble like Israel at Sinai and the voice from heaven affirms what was previously said at Jesus’ baptism. Luke emphasizes that Jesus is God’s Son, God’s chosen one and that the disciples must must listen to Jesus! Then after the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. This corresponds with the previous story but here what Peter and his companions failed to comprehend from their dialogue with Jesus, they are now learning by experience. Now as previously instructed (9:21), the disciples kept this to themselves, and told no one at that time what they had seen. The story concludes when the next day they came down from the mountain, and the met a large crowd (9:37).

Luke depicts that through prayer Jesus' glory is revealed and the eyes of his disciples’ were opened to see Jesus’ glory. His appearance and his garments were illuminated and Moses and Elijah, representing the law and the prophets, appear with Jesus. They speak about Jesus' departure (exodus). What Jesus had previously told his disciples would be fulfilled in Jerusalem (Luke 9:22). While Peter wanted to construct shelters and prolong the visit, the story comes to a climax when the cloud (God’s presence) covers them and the voice affirms what had previously been said at Jesus’ baptism (3:22). That Jesus is God's Son is here directed to Jesus’ disciples who had confessed Jesus to be Messiah. The voice confirms Jesus' unique Sonship who ends up alone in the disciples sight. Jesus is God’s Son—and while the way the kingdom would come (cross, resurrection) and the disciples own kingdom role (self-denial, cross-bearing) still didn’t make sense to them, what was clear was that they were to listen to God’s Son, Jesus! 

The 'Christ must Suffer...'

Luke 9:18–27

Here Jesus is praying in private with his disciples. Then Jesus engages them with this question, “who do the crowds say I am?” Luke has already told us how Herod Antipas was perplexed when he heard some saying that Jesus was John raised from the dead, or that Elijah had returned and others that an old prophet had returned from the dead. The disciples confirm that that the crowds were saying what Herod had heard. So the consensus was that Jesus was an extraordinary miracle-working prophet, that had some mysterious and miraculous origin. But Jesus wanted to know just exactly who his own disciples thought he was. Peter steps up and confesses that Jesus is the ‘Christ of God’; the Jewish Messianic king. In first century expectations the Messiah or Christ would be a ‘anointed king’ who would throw off Roman rule, renew the temple worship and restore God’s just rule to Israel (9:18-20).  

In response to Peter’s confession Jesus forbid that they should tell anyone about this. He e explained that the ‘Son of Man’ must suffer many things, be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law. He went on saying “he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”(9:21)

Jesus tells them he must suffer, be rejected and killed, then be raised. Matthew’s gospel highlights their failure to understand the ‘necessity of his death’ and how they missed that he would ‘rise again in three days’. Here Jesus tells them that all who follow him ‘must deny themselves and take up their cross daily’. They would have been shocked by Jesus telling them that he ‘must suffer and die’ and shocking as well would be that they 'must deny themselves’ and be prepared to be executed on a day to day basis (9:22-23).

He went on saying, ‘whoever wants to save their life will lose their life’. On the other hand, 'whoever loses his life for Jesus would save their life’. Jesus disciples were to forsake any commitment to self-preservation, and be prepared daily to embrace the implement of their own public execution. The cross was Rome’s weapon that instilled fear and intimidated people into a passive submission to Rome. So self-denial is at the heart of following ‘King Jesus’ and his ‘way of salvation in Christ’.  In fact, it would be of no value to gain the whole world and lose one’s soul or their very self (9:24-25).

In addition, Jesus exhorts them to be ‘unashamed of him his words’. When the 'Son of Man’ would come in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels he would be unashamed of thase who were unashamed of Jesus. The would include being unashamed of Jesus' sufferings and his death on a Roman cross that would precede his ‘resurrection' on the third day.  Jesus concludes by assuring them that ‘some standing there’ would see the kingdom of God before they tasted death! Not all of them, but some of his disciples there before him not die before seeing the ‘kingdom of God’ (9:26-27).

Jesus was concerned about their understanding of his identity and role in God’s kingdom purpose. Jesus had a sense of his unique identity when at 12 years old he was at the temple with the Jewish elders. His ‘Messianic identity’ was later confirmed by the voice from heaven at his baptism. But, he didn’t go around saying, ‘I’m the Messiah’. His role as Messiah was so different from common expectations that even John the Baptist was confused about Jesus. Jesus needed time to impart the true messianic role and the meaning of his life to his chosen disciples would would carry his message. 

Now, to Herod and to the crowds Jesus was a prophet, whose miracles far exceeded any other prophet. To them Jesus was a prophet somewhere on the continuum from Elijah to John the Baptist and had likely come back from death. Some said he was Elijah, who according to Malachi 4:5 would return before ‘the great and terrible day of the Lord’. Either way, Jesus would usher in some great act of God to radically alter Israelite society and overthrown the rule of Herod and the Romans.  Furthermore, Jesus was proclaiming God’s kingdom would come in dramatic way in his own near future.

Jesus was very different than his disciples’ expectations, but they did recognize him as the Messiah. Not only had Jesus manifested his authority and power over everything seen and unseen, but he had even enabled his disciples to experience that power working through them. This was a revolutionary taste of the sovereign rule of God that Jesus was bringing about. Jesus tells the twelve of his pending death, and that they must be prepared to face their own humiliating demise as well. This wouldn't have confused the twelve and wouldn't seem to them to be 'good news'. When God’s kingdom breaks into the present they were not to seek to save their own lives, but be prepared to lose their lives. 

Jesus had asked who they thought he was and as soon as they acknowledge him to be the Messiah he tells them of the necessity of his death. Jesus then challenged them to consider that following him would be an all or nothing proposition. These were such surprising truths that Jesus made them known to his disciples in the context of prayer!

Power and Partnership (Luke 9:1-17)

In this story Jesus gives his twelve hand-selected disciples his power and authority over demons and diseases.  Jesus sends them out equipped with his power to preach the kingdom and heal the sick (9:1-2).  They were to trust God because Jesus instructed them to take no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, and no extra shirt on their journey. They were to find a house and stay there until they left that town. If a town failed to welcome them, they were to shake the dust from their feet as a testimony against them. This is what Jews were known to do when returning from Gentile areas. Jesus was pushing them to exercise his authority and to trust God’s provisions. God would provide for them through the generosity of those to whom they were bringing their kingdom gospel. So off they went from village to village, preaching the kingdom and healing the people (9:4-6). Jesus wouldn't be physically with them, but his authority and power would be operating through them.

Herod Antipas, who ruled Galilee, heard about the exorcisms and the healings and he was perplexed. Jesus had avoided Herod, but now with his disciples expanding Jesus’ mission Herod must have been feeling threatened. Herod was curious and perplexed. Who was causing this commotion? Was this John the Baptist returned from the dead as some said? Was this Elijah reappeared or an old prophet raised from the dead? Herod had beheaded John, so he wanted to know what was up and he tried to see Jesus (9:7-9).

When the apostles returned from their trip they were anxious to tell Jesus what they had done. So they withdrew to the town of Bethsaida. Both atthew and Mark tell us they went by boat and that the crowd found out about this and they were waiting for Jesus when they arrived. Jesus welcomed the crowd and preached to them. He also healed all those who were in need of healing. Jesus wanted time with his disciples, but he was happy to minister to the crowd and this continued until late in the afternoon (9:10-12).

Then the twelve tell Jesus, a bit overconfident after their journey, send the crowd away to find food and lodging. They were in a remote place and they couldn’t accommodate the crowd or feed them considering they only had five loaves of bread and two fish. But Jesus tells the twelve to give the crowd food to eat. They know they don’t have enough food for the crowd unless they buy some food and John tells us that it would have taken eight months wages to buy enough for everyone in the crowd just have a bite (John 6:7).    

Jesus tells his disciples to feed the 5000 plus people. This sounds like Elisha telling his servant to feed 100 men with 20 small loaves of bread (2 Kings 4:42-44). Gehazi didn't think it was enough, but they all ate and were satisfied. Now this crowd was at least 50 times larger and they only had five loaves. Jesus tells his disciples to seat the crowd in groups of fifty. So there were 5000 men plus organized into 100 plus groups of 50 each. Jesus simply takes what they had, thanks God, blessed and broke it. He gives it to his disciples to give to the people and miraculously they all had enough and were satisfied. There were even twelve baskets of leftovers for the disciples. Some of the terms here remind me of when when Moses’ father-in-law told Moses to select capable men and divide the people into groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens (Exodus 18). The capable men were given oversight to elevate some of the work that was weighing on Moses. Clearly, in this story we find Jesus beginning to transition responsibility for his ministry to his own chosen disciples.  

Jesus’ disciples were to engage in Jesus’ kingdom building work. So we find Jesus empowering his closest followers to participate in proclaiming God’s kingdom and healing the sick. They were to rely entirely on the provision of others, although this particular trip wasn’t necessarily the only New Testament model. In Acts we find the early church selling property, pooling their resources, and carrying provisions. What we can learn from this is that all of Jesus’ followers everywhere need to trust God to provide for and empower their kingdom work.  

They lacked the food or the money to buy enough food for the crowd. But Jesus wanted them to trust God just as they had trusted God on their mission trip. They give Jesus the food they had and Jesus thanked God, blessed it, broke it and gave it to his disciples to distribute to the crowd. Moreover, Jesus multiplied what they had so that crowd received their fill and were satisfied! Then at the end of the day there were even twelve baskets of leftovers for the disciples. Luke describes this feeding in the words normally associated with the Lord’s Supper. So in the story Jesus empowers his disciples and enables them to meet the needs of people as part of Jesus' kingdom work (9:12-17).