Study 21. Luke 9:1-17

Notes:

'Tetrarch' is a technical term only Luke uses among the Synoptic writers. Herod was one of 4 rulers over the previous territory of Herod the Great.

 

Herod's conscience was perhaps troubling him when he thought of John the Baptist. So he wanted to see Jesus for himself, perhaps to check up on whether he was John

9. How was the mission of the Twelve related to Jesus' own mission? (compare 7:22, 8:1, 9:2)

Jesus healed (the blind, lame, lepers, deaf), raised the dead and preached the good news to the poor (7:22). He proclaimed and brought the good news of the kingdom of God through cities and villages (8:1). 

Now He sends the twelve to proclaim the kingdom of God (i.e. the gospel) and to heal (9:2, 6). The disciples perform the same mission. This is training for when He has gone. He empowers them, gives them authority (likely, temporariiy, cf. 9:40) and sends them out. 

'Power' is to have the ability/capicty to accomplish a task, 'authority' is to have the right/legitimacy to do it.

Jesus 'called the twelve together'. We should not think that the disciples were together all the time. Some of them had homes and families in Capernaum and we need not doubt that they spent some of the time at their homes. (Morris)

 

10. What attitudes to needy people does Jesus model for His disciples (see 9:11-13)

 Jesus could have legitimately been upset at the crowd's expectations. They had followed him (and even gone ahead of him (Mk 6:33). But He 'welcomed' them and continued His ministry of preaching and healing (v.11).

He is open to need and does not lose His composure.

How do we know when to keep labouring for the kingdom and when to pause for rest and reflection (see 9:10-11)? How do we deal with the seemingly endless needs of people around us?

1. The availability of our own resources of time, energy and material

2. The leading of God

3. The duration of a commitment

4. Times to spend in intimacy with God

5. The need to do something sustainable in the long term

6. The need not to compromise on personal relationships 

 

11. The disciples had taken no provision for food or shelter on their practice mssion (see 9:3), but their needs had been met. What shoold the disciples have learned from their experience?

God will provide sympathetic people. They had yet to know that God can provide food in the wilderness out of practically nothing.

 

12. How does the feeding of the five thousand reinforce the lesson the disciples should have learned (see 9:16-17)?

Barley loaves are specified in John. This was the food of the poor. The people ate till all were satisfied - they had a full meal and not simply a token. Though there was abundant supply there was to be no waste. 12 basketfuls is likely symbolic of the institution of the new people of God.

Once again, Jesus exceeds all expectations.

13. Put yourself in the place of the disciples in 9:1-17. How are the lessons they learned also the lessons you could apply?

Jesus will provide our needs when we follow His orders.

He multiplies what we surrender 

We can do great things when we receive His power and authority.

 

 a. Why were preaching the kingdom and healing the sick both parts of the Twelve's mission (see 9:2)? (Consider 4:18-19, 5:17-25)

They were to be concerned with people’s bodies as well as their souls.

b. Why did Jesus command the Twelve to conduct their mission as in 9:3-5?

They are to concentrate on the task in hand, not on elaborate preparations. In fact they are to forgo even what would have been regarded as normal preparations for a journey. God will provide what they need and they are to trust him for it, a trust which they later agreed was vindicated (22:35). (Morris)

The prohibtion not to change abodes may have been to stop them from seeking better housing.

 

the dust of Gentile lands carried defilement, and strict Jews are said to have removed it from their shoes whenever they returned to Palestine from abroad. The disciples’ shaking of the dust from their feet was a testimony against them. It declared in symbol that Israelites who rejected the kingdom were no better than the Gentiles. They did not belong to the people of God. For the practice cf. Acts 13:51.

The apostles obeyed. They went through the villages, which points to a country tour. Luke does not go into detail, but says that they preached and that they healed. That they did it everywhere shows that between them they covered a lot of ground. (Morris)

In what general ways does the disciples' mission apply to all Christians?

We are now continually empowered by the Spirit and commanded by Jesus' Word.

 

 

We also celebrated Joyce's birthday!