Luke 9

<Meditation>

Verses 1-2: Jesus called the twelve disciples and gave them power and authority to drive out demons and heal diseases. The purpose of granting this power and authority was to “proclaim the kingdom of God and heal the sick.”

Verse 11: It states that Jesus gathered the crowd and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, healing those who needed it. It seems that He healed as He saw fit, out of compassion.

Verse 22: This verse aligns with the definition of the gospel that I learned from church — “The Son of Man must suffer many things, be killed, and be raised on the third day.” However, my current understanding of the gospel is “knowing that God exists, and by believing that God sent Jesus, we come to understand what God is doing.”

Verse 27: “Some of those standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.” What could this mean? This implies that the kingdom of God is not something we can only see after death but something we can see now. (It seems that the kingdom of God is neither bound by time nor space). However, in other places, Jesus did speak of the kingdom of God with spatial meaning, so it appears that the kingdom of God has a more complex meaning than I currently understand. (It may be a combination of location, time, concept (spiritual) … a complex meaning.)

Verses 30-36: Luke records the Transfiguration where two men (Moses and Elijah) appeared and spoke with Jesus. Peter, James, and John, who had fallen asleep, awoke and also saw Moses and Elijah. During this, Moses and Elijah spoke of “the departure that Jesus would accomplish at Jerusalem.”

Verse 35: A voice from within the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to Him.” Finally, verse 36 mentions that the disciples told no one about what they had seen at that time. (Perhaps Jesus told them not to share it because it wasn’t the right time.)

Verses 49-50: This part is interesting. It seems that there were people at that time who drove out demons in Jesus’ name, performing such miracles independently of Jesus’ disciples. When the disciples reported this to Jesus, He said, “Do not forbid them, for whoever is not against you is for you.” This seems to suggest that as long as there is no opposition, we should work together for the kingdom of God. (This could mean that all those who believe in God’s work, even those we consider heretics today, are on the same side as us as long as they do not oppose our work for the kingdom of God.)

Verses 54-55: Here we see James and John being rebuked by Jesus. Reading the context, it seems that having experienced the authority and power they received to drive out demons and heal the sick, they became proud, and thus Jesus warned them.

Verse 60: “Let the dead bury their own dead.” (What could this mean — letting the dead bury the dead?)

Verse 62: “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back (hesitates) is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

<Application>

Day 32 – Luke 9