Power and Authority

Hello everyone.

Luke 9 begins with Jesus bringing the Twelve together and giving them authority and power.  We have seen throughout Luke that Jesus is the one who has the authority and the power. Satan had claimed that he had the authority and the power and could give it to whomever he wanted. (Luke 4)  But, it appears that Satan was in error, as we see Jesus giving authority and power out to others. 

One of the powers that Jesus gives is to cast out demons.  Jesus is giving away the power over Satan’s minions to ordinary fishermen. Δύναμιν καὶ ἐξουσίαν (Dynameem kai Exousian)- which means "power and authority." Having authority means that you have the right to do something.  Having power means that you have the ability to do something.  Jesus is giving both of things to his apostles. These naturally go together, but having the authority to do something only really matters if you have the power to back it up.  

Luke also mentions that he gives them the power to heal diseases.  So we can see that Jesus is passing along some of the powers that have been drawing crowds wherever he went.  The one thing that isn’t mentioned here is Jesus making them dynamic teachers. This was another thing that drew large crowds to Jesus. That doesn’t mean that they didn’t preach and teach.  They were sent out to teach.  Verse 6 says that they went through the villages proclaiming the good news.  I am sure that they did great, but it is unlikely that they possessed Jesus’ unique dynamism. 

His instructions to them are interesting.  I think that this is not a universal message for those who preach and teach about Jesus, but apply to this particular mission. They are told to take nothing with them.  No walking stick. No bag. No food. No money. No change of clothes.  They are going to have to be totally dependent on God on this journey. They are also instructed to stay at the same house for the length of their stay in a town.  They will have trust in God for hospitality as well. 

In towns that did not accept them, they were to shake the dust off of their feet as a sign against that town and move on.  Again I think that this was part of the specific instructions given at that time for this mission.  I don’t think that would want to reject entire towns, or even certain people and never reach out  to them again. 

So, having been instructed by Jesus, the disciple left on their mission of going from village to village,  preaching and healing. Their ability to perform miracles backed up their message.  What was their message? Likely, their message was similar to the message Jesus started his ministry with - God’s kingdom was near, so they should repent. Mark 6:12 says that they went out and preached that people should repent. 

The shaking the dust off of the feet was symbolic that a refusal to repent would bring God’s judgment. Darrell Bock mentions that the shaking of the dust off of one’s feet was a gesture done by Jews upon leaving pagan territory, as a way of removing ‘uncleanness.” (Bock, 817)

Luke inserts here that all that Jesus has been doing catches the attention of Herod.  Herod, who has had John the Baptist beheaded, is reminded of John by hearing about what Jesus is doing.  The news that he was hearing about Jesus made Herod want to see him.  Some people are claiming that Jesus was John, returned from the dead, or Elijah or one of the prophets of old returned from the dead. Herod, like so many others, is trying to figure out who Jesus was.  There were lots of theories.  So for now, Herod’s attitude toward Jesus is one of curiosity.

Then in verse 10, the apostles return form their mission, sharing all that they had done with the authority and power that Jesus had given them. In the parallel passage in Mark 6, it says that on this mission they successfully cast out demons and healed the sick. (Mark 6:13.) Imagine the joy with which they reported their successes to Jesus.  They couldn't fail on this mission, because they had been given power and authority by the one had it all - Jesus. 

Tom 

She is Sleeping

Hello everyone.

In my previous post, I started the exegesis of Luke 8:40-56. It tells the story of two miracles performed by Jesus after returning to the Isrealite side of the lake. Upon arrival there, Jesus is met by Jairus, a local synagogue leader, whose daughter was very sick.  Jairus came to Jesus in desparation, and Jesus afrees to go with him.  Everything stops however, when a woman secretly appraoches Jesus, beleiving that simply touching Jesus' clothing would bring her healing. 

She was right. So now with the woman taken care of, Jesus can turn his attention back to Jairus. But as Jesus is finishing up, someone comes from Jairus’ house and tells him that his daughter has died and that he should not trouble the teacher any further. Jesus basically ignores the statement and tells Jairus to “just have faith.” 

Jesus' statement to Jairus is interesting.  He has just been informed that his daughter is dead.  To Jairus, like most people, thought that it was too late.  Death is something people do not come back from, but Jesus assured him that she would be healed.  Could his daughter be healed from ‘dead’? Jairus is going to find out.  Being with Jesus does not follow the conventional rules and his daughter would live. 

When he gets to the house, Jesus announces that the girl was not dead, but sleeping. Luke says that the crowd laughs, which seems like an odd reaction for a group of mourners. Jesus ignored them. Mourners were called in only when someone is dead.  So it seems that these people were not particularly close to Jairus and the family, just people brought in to mourn.  This might explain the dramatic shift from mourning to laughing. 

Jesus takes only the parents, Peter, James and John with him.  Only they are allowed to witness the miracle. Going into the room where the little girl lay dead, Jesus takes her hand and tells her to get up. Luke records that her spirit returned to her and she got up.  Jesus then commands them to feed her, and then commands them not to tell anyone what had happened. The crowd of laughing mourners, however, knew that the girl was dead, and were bound to notice that she was now alive. 

Jesus, the one who came into the situation with all authority, had effectively silenced the scoffers. 

Tom 

A Stolen Miracle

Hello everyone.

Today I will continue my exegesis of Luke 8 by looking at the verses 40-48.  This section of Scripture tells two stories.  It begins the story of Jairus' daughter and tells the story of a woman who suffered from bleeding for twelve years.  In this post, we focus mostly on the woman, and save much of the story of Jairus and his daughter for next time. 

If you remember, Jesus had crossed the lake, healed a man possessed of many demons and then returned to the other side. Crowds were waiting for Jesus there.  I’m not sure how long his journey to the opposite side of the lake was, but his absence was noted on the Jewish side of the lake and they were anticipating his return. 

When he returned, a man named Jairus was waiting for him.  Jairus was the leader of the local synagogue. Jairus seems like an unlikely person to be waiting in the crowd for Jesus, since most of the religious leaders were at odds with Jesus. Jairus had a difficult situation that brought him to Jesus.  His twelve-year-old daughter was dying, and he came in desperation. He came and begged Jesus to go with him and heal his daughter. Jairus had a combination of faith and humility that seemed to be absent in most of the religious leaders that Jesus dealt with.  Most of the Pharisees and teachers of the law would not turn to Jesus, even in desperation. Jesus agrees to go with Jairus, but the crowds were heavy and pressed around Jesus.  

A woman was there who had been dealing with a bleeding issue for twelve years, and no one had been able to help her, even though she had poured all of her money into this situation. Ironically, Jesus was on his way to heal a twelve year old girl, when he encounters a woman with a twelve year old problem. Lev. 15:25 says that if a woman has blood flow beyond her period, she is unclean for the duration. Also, any bed she sleeps in, or chair she sits in or anyone who touches her. So, this woman had been “unclean” for twelve years. She had sought a remedy for her situation and had spent all of her money seeing doctors, but the situation had not gotten any better. Her uncleanness puts her outside of the normal fellowship.  No one would touch her because it would make them unclean as well. 

She is taking a big chance touching Jesus' clothes, because she is making his clothing “unclean,” and by extension she is making Jesus unclean. The good news for her is that Jesus supersedes all of the clean/unclean rules.  Rather than Jesus, who was 'clean', being made "unclean", Jesus makes the unclean, clean. He is the rules, in reverse. 

Luke doesn’t tell us what the woman is thinking, but Mark gives us some insight into her thoughts. “If I can just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” (Mark 5:28)  The woman is basically trying to steal a miracle, getting a healing without Jesus even realizing it.  Why did she think this plan would work?  I don’t know.  I have to admit that if she had revealed this plan to me before she tried, I would be very skeptical that it would work.  But it did work. 

One might ask, “why so secretive?”  Why not just approach Jesus and ask him for healing?” I suspect that the woman very embarrassed by her situation, and may have been concerned that Jesus would refuse because of her unclean status. Whatever the thinking behind it, her plan worked and her bleeding stopped immediately. It also apparently stopped Jesus in his tracks.  He was on his way to Jairus’ house to heal his daughter when this happened. Jesus, feeling the power go out, stopped everything to find out who touched him. 

I suspect that Jesus knew all along who it was. Being the prophet that he was, it seems likely that he did. With crowds all around him, Jesus asked anyway.  Peter points out that lots of people were touching him, as he was being swarmed by the crowd. Eventually the woman, realizing that she would not be able to hide, came forward. I am not sure what she was expecting or what she was so afraid of, but Jesus blesses her for her faith. Calling her "daughter,” and telling her that her faith had saived her. (verse 48.) Jesus treats her as a family member because of her faith.  Remember who Jesus said, earlier in this chapter, were his family? "Those who hear the word and obey it." (Luke 8:21.) 

Now that her faith had saved her, Jesus tells her then to ‘Go in peace.” Darrell Bock says (Bock, 799.) that peace is not an internal subjective feeling. It is a state that exists between the woman and God because of her faith. This had to be a great comfort to a woman who had been ceremonially unclean for twelve years. We, too can "go in peace" as close relatives of Jesus when we act in faith. 

Tom

     Darrell Bock, Luke, Volume 1 - 1:1-9;50, Grand Rapids, Mich. Baker Academic. 1994. 

Legion

Hello everyone,

In Luke 8:26-39 we read about what happens when Jesus crosses the lake into Gentile territory. It is a story that we are probably all familiar with.  Jesus encounters a man who is inhabited by many demons.  Remember that the disciples have just seen an incredible miracle, watching Jesus rebuke a storm.  Now they are going to see another incredible miracle, as Jesus casts out a legion of demons from one man.

When Jesus' boat pulls up on the other shore of the lake, he is met by a man with overwhelming need.  He is living completely out of control.  He lives among the tombs, and runs around naked.  The townspeople had not been able to contain him.  They had tried to chain him, but he broke the chains. (Verse 29) It seems that the demons had taken full control of the man. Alfred Edersheim says this in regard to the demon-possessed man, "The demonized are incapable of separating their own consciousness and ideas from the influence of the demon, their own identity being merged, and to that extent lost, in that of their tormentors." (Edersheim, 419.) 

The demons are so much in control that when Jesus asks the man’s name, it seems that it is the demons who respond, saying that their name is Legion.  Luke explains that he was called that because he was inhabited by many demons.  Mark records that the response was “My name is Legion, for we are many.” (Mark 5:9) It seems that the demons were in charge, and they were the ones who were talking to Jesus through the man, rather than the man speaking himself. 

The possessed man, although clearly under the control of the demons, falls down in front of Jesus.  The demons recognize Jesus' authority. They make a bazaar request from Jesus.  In spite of the fact they constatnly tortured their victim, they beg Jesus not to torture them. While they recognize Jesus' authority, they really don't understand him at all.  Torture is not on Jesus' agenda, even for demons.  His desire is simply to drive them out so that they will stop torturing this poor man,   In fact, Jesus was quite obliging to the demons.  Not only does not torture them, but when they ask him to go into the nearby herd of pigs, he allows it. 

The name Legion certainly implies that there were many demons inside the man.  Even though Luke doesn't give a number, Mark tells us that there were around two thousand pigs on the hillside that ran down into the water and drowned.  If we assume that there was a demon per pig, we would conclude that there were well over a thousand demons in the man.  So the battle was one (Jesus) against a thousand or more (the demons).  Jesus won easily. The demons understood from the outset that it was Jesus who had all of the power and all of the authority here. 

As mentioned previously, the demons are trying to avoid going into the Abyss, and beg Jesus to allow them to go into a nearby herd of pigs. Jesus allows it, but when they enter the pigs, the whole herd rund down the hill and drowns themselves in the lake. Now, according to petpigworld.com and several other websites. Pigs can swim.  So these possessed pigs chose drowning over demon possession.

After the pigs have run into the water and drown themselves, the swineherds run off to the town to tell people what has happened and the people come to see.  When the townspeople arrive, they see a couple of things.  First, there is no more herd of pigs.  Second the formerly demon-possessed man is clothed and in his right mind.  The man who demons had made so strong that he could break chains was now a normal rational man. 

One would think that they would be relieved and grateful.  Their response however, was one of fear. It would seem that Jesus’ healing of this man would lead to a different response than what it received from the people of the Gerasenes.  In fear, they asked Jesus to leave. To me, it seems that if Jesus could overpower and cast out a thousand or so demons, that I might want him to perform some miracle for me. That is not their thinking though, and they ask him to leave. 

Just like with the demons, Jesus is very obliging.  He leaves. Jesus is not one to hang around somewhere where he is not wanted. However, the man formerly known as Legion begs Jesus to go with him.  Ironically, Jesus has granted the wishes of the demons and of the townspeople who ask him to leave, but this man who wants to go with Jesus, is declined.  Jesus tells the man to go home and tell what God had done for him. The man goes beyond what Jesus asks of him.  He not only goes home, but declares what Jesus had done for him throughout the home city.  

Jesus travels across the lake, through a storm, encounters one situation, in which he rescues one man, then leaves and goes back to where he started.  It seems like a lot of trouble for one man, but Jesus was willing to do all of this for one person. 

Tom 

Jesus, He will Fix It

 Hello everyone.

It has been a while since I have written anything.  The new school year has started and it has kept me pretty busy.  I starting to my school year legs under, and I hope to write more.  Any way, today I will continue my exegesis of Luke 8.  It tells the story of Jesus and how he calmed the storm.  Here is my translation: 

22 One day, Jesus got into a boat, along with his disciples.  He said to them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake. So they set out for the other side.  23 As they sailed, Jesus fell asleep. Then a storm, with gusting winds came across the lake. It began to swamp the boat and place them in danger. 

24 They came to Jesus and woke him up, saying, “Master, we are about to be destroyed.” Getting up, Jesus rebuked the wind and the waves. Everything stopped and it was calm. 25 Then he said to them, “Where is your faith?” In fear and amazement they said to one another, “Who is this then, that he can command the wind and the water, and they will obey him?” 

One day, Jesus decides to cross to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.  (Luke refers to it as the lake.) So Jesus and his followers get into a boat and cross over to the other side.  This other side of the lake is Gentile territory. We might be surprised that Jesus would want to go there, since he has said in Matthew 15:24 that he came for the lost children of Israel. However, we do understand that Jesus' desire was for all people to know God and we know that his appeal is universal. Jesus is taking this trip into Gentile territory. He doesn’t stay very long, but the point is that he does go there, subtlely telling us that his plan to for all people, not just Israel. 

While crossing the lake, Jesus falls asleep on the boat.  As he sleeps, a sudden storm rises on the lake and it appears that the boat that they are in is about to be swamped with water and sunk. Luke says that they were ‘in danger.’ We are talking about men, several of whom were professional fishermen,  therefore used to being on the water. This was likely not their first storm, but it was a fierce storm and it appears that while Jesus slept, they were in real danger.

The disciples do two things. One is the wrong thing and the other is the right thing. First, they panic.  This is the wrong thing to do.  Jesus later chastises them for their lack of faith. But then, they go to Jesus with their problem.  This is the right thing to do.  Like the song says, “My Jesus, He Will Fix It.” 

Jesus calmly gets up and rebukes the wind and the waves.  The Greek word Luke uses here is ἐπετίμησεν (epetimasen) does mean "rebuke."  Jesus rebukes air and water. With with we see again the far-reaching extent of Jesus’ authority.  Even nature obeys him.  The wind. The water. It doesn’t matter.  When Jesus says that he has ALL authority, he is not joking.  His authority does extend over everything.In a storm, water is unruly and can be impossible for us to control.  The fact that Jesus was able to do it so easily is very impressive. 

So what is the lesson here? The apostles saw and were amazed.  We can too, because, we all face many storms.  When they come, do we panic, or does our faith allow us to remain calm as we take the storm to Jesus? Jesus may not fix it immediately like he did this one, but that does not mean that he is not in control.  He will work it out.  Out task is to trust him. 

Tom 

Let it Shine

Hello everyone.

Luke 8:16-21 tells two stories quicky.  In verses 16-18, Jesus talks about light.  Then in 8:19-21, Luke relates a story regarding Jesus and his family. So in the first of the stories in this passage, Jesus tells a proverb regarding light. (Verse 16) He says the same proverb again in Luke 11:33.  Verse 16 says "No one lights a lamp, then hides it in a jar or under a bed. Rather, they place it on a lampstand, so that those who come in can see the light." The point he is making here is obvious.  You don’t light a lamp and then hide it.  A hidden light serves no purpose.  Instead, lights are placed in such a way to illuminate as much of the room as possible. 

There are different ways to look at Jesus' proverb here.  In Matt. 5:16, Jesus tells his followers to ‘let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven. It is possible Jesus is saying this so that his disciples as a plea for them to show their light. Within the context of Luke 8, coming right after the parable of the sower, the light could be the word of God.  This also makes sense.  Either way, it is we, the followers of Jesus, who are the ones to let it shine. 

Jesus also uses the light in this passage to talk about how light exposes things.  In verse 17-18a, Jesus says, "All that is hidden and invisible will be made known, and all of the secrets will be brought into the light. Therefore, pay careful attention to how you listen." Things that can be hidden in darkness, are exposed by the light. Jesus tells his hearers that everything hidden and seemingly invisible will be brought out into the light.  Because of this, Jesus warns us to be careful how we listen to the word.  We want to make sure that we are obedient, since everything will be brought out into the light eventually. 

We want to make sure that we respond to Jesus’ words.  The rest of verse 18 tells us that to those who are obedient, more will be given.  Meanwhile, those who do not obey, will lose what they have.  God will bless those who are obedient to His word.  

Jesus continues to stress this point. In verses 19-21, his family has come to see him, but are forced to wait outside because of the size of the crowds.  When the message comes that his family was there, Jesus looks around at those who are with him and who are obedient to his word, and says that the members of his family are those that are obedient to his word.  

In two short stories, Luke relates a great about the benefit of obedience to Jesus.  As we let our light shine through obedience to Jesus, we add to our blessings (verse 18) and we become members of his family. (Verse 21)

Tom 

Beautiful and Productive

Hello everyone.

Today's post is from my exegesis from Luke 8:4-15. Over the years, you have probably heard numerous Bible discussions or lessons on the topic, as it is Luke's telling of the Parable of the Sower (although you probably heard lessons on Matthew's version of it.)  We know that Jesus drew big crowds wherever he went, and he often spoke to the crowds in parables.  Most of his listeners did not get to hear the explanation of this parable. Jesus explained the meaning of the parable only to his disciples.  We, however, are fortunate, as the parable and its meaning were written down for us.

Living in an agricultural society, Jesus listeners would immediately be able to picture the story of a farmer scattering seed, but for some in the crowd, this parable, without its explanation, is just a nice story about a farmer and some seeds.  While the meaning of some Jesus' parables is obvious, the meaning of this one only becomes clear when you understand that the seed in the story represents the word of God.

Afterwards, the disciples ask Jesus the meaning of the parable and he tells them, informing them that they will be clued in the mysteries of the kingdom of God, secrets that most of the crowd would not be let in on. Here is what he says in verse 10: “it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to them, I speak in parables, so that,  They see without seeing, and hear without understanding.”

So why would Jesus say this?  It seems that Jesus states that he was not sharing with the crowds the mysteries of the kingdom of God, so that they could see or understand. That doesn't seem very Jesus-like.  So is going then? 

This statement from Jesus alludes to Isaiah 6:9-11. It says, “Go and tell these people, ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.  Make the heart of this people calloused, make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”  According to Darrell Bock, Jesus was speaking to an obstinate nation that was facing judgment, just as Isaiah had been. But, the opportunity for repentance and reconciliation was always there. Instead, his listeners should take what Jesus says and reflect on it, learn from it and put it into practice. (Bock, 727.)

So how does Jesus explain the parable.  Again, the key to understanding the parable is knowing that the seed represents the word of God. Each soil represents a different kind of heart:

• The path is the hard heart and the word of God is never received. Those hearts along the path hear the word, but it stops there.  There is no response to it. 
• The rocky soil is the heart that is shallow and the word of God cannot develop deep roots and quickly withers and dies. Luke, attributes the death of the plant to its inability to get moisture. This heart runs away from God when things become difficult. 
• The thorny soil is the heart that is distracted by the worries of life and is rendered unfruitful.That person’s faith is still alive, it is choked however, and left unable to bear any real fruit. 
• The good soil is free from the hardness, shallowness and distractedness of the other three and receives the word and bears much fruit. 

The thorny soil is important to talk about, because it is likely the one that we can most easily identify with.  Weeds can grow up and dominate a fruit-bearing plant, sucking the moisture and nutrients out of the soil, making it very difficult for the plant to get enough nutrients to produce fruit, even though the plant itself still lives. Likewise, it is very easy to get pulled into all of the concerns of this life.  The good soil, the one we all want to be, is not focused on all of these distractions, but is focised on God and is intent on producing the Spirit’s fruit. 

As for the good soil. It is described in the Greek with these two words. Καλῇ (kalay) and ἀγαθῇ (agathay).  Both are words that are often translated as ‘good.’ Jesus uses both of these words to describe the hearts of the good soil. The Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament offers these words in definition of Καλῇ: beautiful, handsome, fine, good, noble, praiseworthy.  It offers these words for ἀγαθῇ: useful, beneficial, productive, good. 

I translated Jesus' description of the good soil in verse 15, like this: "But the seeds that were in the good soil, those are the ones who have hearts that are beautiful and productive, who hear the word, hold on to it, and by perseverance, produce much fruit." 

What does a person with a beautiful and productive heart do when they hear the word? They obey it and they persevere. Perseverance is key here.  Fruit-bearing is not easy. Generally, when you plant a seed, you don't have fruit the next day.  It takes time and work. So, for you beautiful-hearted people out there, Stay beautiful, and don't give up, because if you persevere, you will have an abundant harvest. Jesus said. 

Tom 

      Darrell Bock, Luke: Volume 1: 1:1-9:50, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Baker Academics, 1994.