Luke 9:51-61 Bible Teaching

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Okay so let’s read our text for today:

Luke 9.51-
November 3rd 2019
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Luke 9:51 And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,
52 And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.
53 And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.
54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.

57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

And back to verse 51:

51 And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,

The Greek term for “that he should be received up,” means when He should be removed from a lower place (earth) to a higher one (heaven).

In the face of this I had a sudden epiphany that might assist us in understanding Jesus the Man and His relationship to His Father.

Take a listen – either Jesus was not a “person-God” before the incarnation OR there was a pre-mortal existence of all people. Let me explain:

If Jesus was a person of the Godhead
prior to the incarnation – you know, Father, Son and Holy Spirit – three in one, and that PERSON came down from eternity and took on a body of flesh and blood, He as our mediator and as a person, had a mind, will and emotion that was clothed in flesh.

And if He engaged with humanity as a pre-incarnate, co-eternal, co-equal PERSON with an eternal mind will and emotion (because that is what persons with personality have) by assuming flesh and that pre-incarnate person-God was inside of that flesh making choices, then His experience and challenge in flesh was a much different experience then ours – unless we too came into our flesh from a pre-mortal existence and also assumed flesh.

In other words, the very idea that Jesus was eternally a person, suggests that if He was going to undertake the human experience as we undertake it, then we too must be preincarnate persons.

This would make His experience like our experience, qualifying Him as Savior.

However, IF what became incarnate in “Jesus of Nazareth, born of a woman, born under the Law,” was the Logos of God, His Word, and NOT a spirit person, but the characteristics of God without personhood, then His incarnation and life and atonement would and could be far more equal to ours – as we are Spirit, mixed with flesh to make our souls and He is non-Person Spirit mixed with flesh, overcoming the same.

As the Word of God before the incarnation God exited heaven, but in the incarnation, the Word became a “He, Him, Jesus;” and “He, Him, Jesus” picked up something that was not permitted back up in heaven – a body of flesh and the human soul (mind will and emotion) that inhabited it – unless it was righteous.

So when we read here that

And it came to pass when the time was come that he should be received up,

What we might say is:

God’s Word went down to earth, leaving the heavenly home and glory which His living word had for eternity, and was clothed in flesh, becoming a man, a second Adam, and being of God’s only Son with mind, will, and emotion. And He lived a life like we live a life, and then afterward God’s word prepared to return to God who gave it – but this time, He would return with a body and a soul of the Man Jesus – which was a creation of God’s Word and Mary – and having overcome all things, was accepted at the right hand of the Father.

In any case, because he knew that it his time to be taken up approached, Luke adds:

“ he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,”

We might see this as Jesus had his mind on getting to Jerusalem where He would be taken up instead of seeking to hang out with the Samaritans.

The time appointed for him to remain on the earth was about to expire and he resolved to go to Jerusalem to die and then, finally, be taken up victoriously to His father. Can you imagine the anticipation?

From this we can see that Jesus offered up a voluntary offering of Himself. He chose to go to Jerusalem and be killed.

52 And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.

Interestingly, the original word is angels here translated messengers and if you want to be a literalist, we would have to interpret it that way.

Of course, anggelos, does not always mean heavenly angels, and here it most likely means His apostles.

What did they do? They went before him to “make ready.” To prepare a place, get lodgings, food. (verse 53)

53 And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.

They did not receive him meaning the did not greet him hospitably or receive him with kindness or graciousness.

Why?

“Because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.”

One of the disputes that existed between the Jews and Samaritans was related to the two temples between them.

The Jews contended that it should be at Jerusalem – and when Jesus sat with the woman at the well He agreed with this interpretation.

But the Samaritans believed that the proper temple was their own which was on Mount Gerizim.

In addition to this, the Jerusalem Jews looked down on the Samaritans with great distain.

It could have been that they had heard of the miracles of Jesus did and perhaps that he was believed to be the Messiah. Maybe they had the expectation that Jesus would enter their city and reveal to them that they were all okay, that their temple was acceptable, and that He considered them their own.

But they didn’t read this in his face – they read that He was preoccupied with getting to Jerusalem – this may have appeared to them to be a rejection, and this rubbed salt into their already opened wounds.

Of course, Jesus did love the Samaritans, and would ultimately lead his apostles to them by the Spirit to teach – and they would have great success there, but the time was not yet.

And because it was not yet, the Samaritans were insulted.

From the story we see firsthand that human beings, especially in established cultures, are greatly prone to prejudice IF a message or messenger is not completely respectful to their persons.

We are too arrogant to open up to something or someone that does not play by the rules of our world.

Because of this foundational truth, we are also able to generally agree that most of us want religious beliefs to conform to our desires and beliefs, to our wants and culture, and that teachers ought to please us rather than the truth.

So that is one really important observation found in this situation. But what we read next is more (verse 54)

54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?”

So here we have Jesus who has a mission to do the will of the father – and His mind appears to have been focused on this.

Then we have the Samaritans reacting to His mindset negatively, in the flesh, as they did not receive him with kindness and hospitality.

And then we have two of His apostles witness this, and their response is different than the Samaritans because it’s WORSE! How? The Samaritans had attitude, the Apostles wanted blood. What a lesson here.

Last week we ended off where John saw a man casting out devils in Jesus name and in the same spirit that he had in Samaria, but lesser, commanded the man to stop – because he didn’t walk with them – their group.

Here, John and James took this attitude to a new level – and using the scripture to justify their hearts desires – asked Jesus if they should call down fire from heaven LIKE ELIJAH DID – to wipe the Samaritans out!

James and John were called, Boanerges –sons of thunder–probably on account of their zeal. And as a means to justify what was nothing more than bloodlust – we all have it – they cited an example from 2nd Kings 1:10-12 where the prophet Elijah
Calls down fire from heaven to consume three captains and 150 men.

Interestingly, I think that this occurred in Samaria. And so perhaps James and John felt a similar punishment should befall these impolite Samaritans in their day.

But listen to what Jesus says in response to their question at verse 55:

55 But He (meaning Jesus) turned, and rebuked them, and said, “Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.”

What did Jesus mean? To me only one thing – they were operating by a force or driven by a spirit that was not of God.

And if it was not of God, it was of either Man or the Devil. Interestingly, Jesus tells them that were not even aware of what drove them, of what manner of spirit in them would cause them to suggest such a thing.

It really fascinating because they did have scriptural precedence for the suggestion, didn’t they? But Jesus over-road that standard right away, which I think teaches us that just because something is in scripture does not make it right in a different age.

There is a Spirit that guides to love, which is what Jesus was operating by, and what we operate by as His disciples, and even though we can justify ourselves by the written word does not mean that we are being guided by Him.

Jesus then adds

56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.

You are my disciples. You are following and learning of me. What did I come to do, Jesus indirectly asks, kill men or save men?

And so we must ask ourselves – what is our aim in the faith? To kill and destroy or use any means necessary to save?

I say to save . . by love . . . through faith as manifested in the fruit of the Spirit.
It’s hard to not want to call down fire from heaven, but if Jesus didn’t do it, I am guessing we shouldn’t either. (Verse 57)

At this point we are presented with three little vignettes which are all orbiting around following Jesus.

Because of this it SEEMS – seems, like Jesus and/or his apostles were encouraging others to follow him. Lets read them beginning at verse 57:

57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

In Matthews account this man is described as a “certain scribe.”

What motivated this scribe to say this to Jesus is not known but Jesus response, which are often based on knowing the heart of the person involved, suggests that perhaps the scribe thought that there was comfort or even wealth available in the growing movement Jesus led.

It’s conjecture but one that has possibilities. Whatever the cause (it could just be Jesus meeting an overzealous comment of devotion with the reality of following him too) Jesus replies

58 And Jesus said unto him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.”

In other words, you will, certain scribe, do better following the lifestyle of foxes and birds than me.

In and of itself, this reply really sets the tenor of our Lord and Saviors earthly life and focus and wisdom suggests that His disciples would do well to embrace somewhat of the same approach to worldly allegiances.

After being presented with that situation we are presented with another. (verse 59)

59 And he (Jesus) said unto another, “Follow me.” But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

Matthews account records this event in a different order – one that does matter though the same words are delivered.

Here in Luke Jesus first tells the disciple “to follow him,” and the man says, “Let me go bury my father.” But in Matthews account we read that a disciple said,
“Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.” And then Jesus replies, “Follow me and let the dead bury the dead.”

Not a big deal, but a difference. In any case this was a disciple who was either asked to follow Jesus or asked Jesus before something took place if he could first go and bury his father. (verse 60)

60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

Matthews account says nothing about going and preaching the Kingdom of God but both have Jesus responding:

“Let the dead bury their dead.”

I submit to you that the word dead is used differently here by Jesus. The second dead refers to the mans father, who had died physically and needed burial.

The Jews demanded a quick burial in fact so the pressing nature of this mans request was legitimate.

But the first dead Jesus uses refers to the Hebraism of considering some things and or people completely divorced from oneself. We understand this when we hear that someone says, “you’re dead to me.”

We see this in Paul’s writings as he says:
We are to be “dead to the world” and “dead to the law” (Romans 7:4) to that we ought to “be dead to sin” (Romans 6:11).

What Jesus was saying, of course, is that those who are spiritually dead, whose kingdom is of this world, are plentiful and are there to bury those who have physically died – let those dead to me bury their dead.

How can I say this? Because Jesus came to preach the kingdom of God, and nobody would even see the Kingdom of God unless they were spiritually born from above and made alive.

Those who cared not for the kingdom and its admission policies were as if dead to the Kingdom which Jesus came to bring, and this is clearly evidenced by Him saying this to the man.

While it sounds harsh, it emphasizes the timing of the Lord’s ministry – the harvest was upon them but relatively speaking, the time was short.

Let the dead bury their dead, you go and preach the Kingdom of God – that activity is far more expedient all things considered.

61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.

In this situation, a person agreed to follow Him, committed to it, but requested that Jesus would first let him or her go and say farewell to those which were at his house.

He does not say his wife, or children – so it could have been his friends or it could have simply meant, “let me go and set things in order at my house and tell everyone what I am doing and where I am going. Jesus response to this was:

“No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Again, and the way I see it, Jesus was discerning the heart of the man, and knew that what he was really saying was:

I have not fully committed to this in my heart. The things of my life are too important to me and that this person would spend time looking back to what was, yearning perhaps for their former life.

And this is the case with any of us in our choice to follow the Lord. To actually genuinely follow Him requires a decision – a personal decision from the heart.

There is an important insight provided hear which suggests that while God calls, and God strengthens, every person has to make the choice – sometimes more than once – sometimes daily, if they are going to actually leave their former lives behind.

Jesus, in saying this, may have simply been testing the resolve of the person – sort of like he did with the rich young ruler when he told him to go and sell all he had and give to the poor and follow him.

These things appear to be Jesus going to the tap root issues of individuals and are not to be taken literally as instructions for all of us but to represent true commitment.

Hot or cold, but the lukewarm his will spit out of his mouth.

I am of the personal opinion that all human beings, in and over the course of their lives, are presented with daily decisions like these to follow Christ and all of us have a variety of different pre-existing situations, drives, hopes, desires, wants, interests, reliances – that we all have to decide on whether we will seek first the Kingdom of God . . . or not.

Believer and not – we are all constantly making the choice, and in essence through our choices we are creating our eternities individually.

I honestly believe that this is the grand scheme in the meaning of life. God grants all life. He presents all of us with various situations, desires, disabilities and strengths.

And he says: Follow me.

And every single one of us are left with the decision on IF we will do this, and then how we will do this, in conjunction with the leading of the Spirit and our choice to submit.

I do not think that there are punishments for failing to choose God, I think that there are simply rewards for those who do so in part because the choice requires sacrifice and suffering.

So, the point is NOT about burying dead parents or not, its not about selling all we have, or being in a ministry where we have no place to rest our heads – these are representational and provide examples of putting ones hand to a plow (which then requires looking forward as a means to plow in a straight line) but looking back.

So that wraps up chapter nine – let’s dip our toes in chapter 10 – beginning of course at verse 1

Luke 10:1 After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.
2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest.
3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.
4 Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.

I do not think it is any mistake that back in chapter nine we read of the three instances where Jesus was telling disciples to follow him and was given three excuses for delay.

In my estimation those situations occurred as he was appointing these seventy that he sent out before Him, two by two, into every city that He would visit.

So back to verse 1.

After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.

After the events that Luke has recorded in the previous chapters, the Lord appointed “other seventy also” (meaning, in addition to the Apostles that he had called).

We know that the apostles were to be with him, to be taught of him and to witness his miracles, sufferings, death, resurrection and ascension.

They were then to take all they had seen to all of Judea as a means to share the Gospel and gather the Bride out from the faithless.

But these seventy were sent out to preach immediately and most importantly, in the cities where Jesus was about to enter.

They were appointed for a temporary object. They were to go into the villages and towns, and prepare the way for his coming – similar to John the Baptist.

Why seventy? The number seventy was a favorite number among the Jews.

According to Genesis 46:27 The family of Jacob that came into Egypt consisted of seventy. The number of elders that Moses appointed to aid him was the same according to Numbers 11:16,25.

The great council of the Nation (called the Sanhedrim) was composed of the same number.

So to me it seems that the Lord, following in on this practice of using or calling seventy appointed the same number – 35 groups of 2 – to go out.

It is believed that this appointment was temporary, even though our LDS friends have made it seem like a permanent office Jesus established.

The reason Jesus sent them out two by two seems obvious – protection and the like – but I see nothing to suggest that there was any other reason for this. And prior to sending them forth (verse 2)

2 Therefore said he unto them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest.”

The harvest, which is an appeal to some really beautiful imagery, is truly great, Jesus says.

The harvest of what? Souls. What souls? Specifically, Jews. From where? Judea, where Jesus was laboring. All of Israel, really. And then the line

“But the laborers are few,” giving us the picture of fields ready to be threshed but not enough people to thresh them and to bring them into the barn.

Again, it seems like Jesus is saying this in the face of the three excuses that he was given in the last verses of chapter 9. And so he adds

“pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest.”

Who is the Lord of the Harvest? God is the Proprietor of the great harvest of the world, and he is the one who will draw people from the heart to enter in and help. So Jesus tells them to pray that God will send more.

And then, to those whom God did call, Jesus then instructs them, saying:

3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.

To round out His allusions to the animal world, Matthew 10:16 has Jesus say

“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.”

In the end he depicts the world to which they are about to enter as filled with wolves, and that they are like sheep among them, so therefore they need to be wise as serpents but harmless as doves.

“Wolves” verses “sheep, serpent, dove -people.”

In a world of cold blooded hungry wolves, harmless innocent sheep will not automatically be protected. Did you notice that this was not the case? That Jesus did not tell them: “Because you are on my errand you will not be harmed as innocent lambs.” He put the onus for their well being on them, telling them to be wise as serpents but harmless as doves.”

Though historically serpents have always been an emblem of wisdom and cunning,
Jesus was probably referencing the serpents wily-wise nature in escaping danger.

In other words, use caution and wisdom in your engagement with the waiting world.

But he adds, and be harmless as doves.

It’s quite the combination when you think about it. Serpents alone, even in their wisdom and speed, are frightening and people will seek them out to kill.

But the dove is an almost universal symbol of peace and love, and few would kill it with the same ferocity as they would a snake.

So escape quickly from danger but be see as harmless, not a threat in the least – in doing so you will be protected as sheep amidst wolves.

And he adds out last verse for the day:

4 Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.

In 2nd Kings 4:29 there is a story told of a Shunnamite woman whose son went to the fields and while there cried, My head, My head! And he died. And his mother went quickly to Elisha and told him about this and there we read a great story that is not only a type for what Jesus will do in the life of people dead in sin, but echoes the very advice Jesus gives to these seventy when he says, “salute no man by the way.” This is what is says in
2nd Kings 4:29 T

“Then he (Elisha) said to Gehazi (who was his servant), “Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again:

Why? Salutations in the day were long and protracted, they took up time, and time was of the essence her – as it was when Jesus sent His seventy out to the harvest. And Elisha continued to his servant

and lay my staff upon the face of the child.
30 And the mother of the child said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her.
31 And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked.
32 And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed.
33 He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD.
34 And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.
35 Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.
36 And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son.
37 Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out.

This was the goal Jesus had in mind when he would follow those seventy into the cities – to bring people back to life. And just like Elisha said to his servant, do not salute any man, Jesus gave the same instructions to his seventy, reminding them the harvest is at hand, time was of the essence, and to even stop to make salutations with other would be off the mark of what they were supposed to do.

Let’s end there.

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