Luke — Chapter 9
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1Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.
2And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
3And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece.
4And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and thence depart.
5And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them.
6And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where.
7Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him: and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some, that John was risen from the dead;
8And of some, that Elias had appeared; and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again.
9And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him.
10And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done. And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.
11And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing.
12And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said unto him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place.
13But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people.
14For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company.
15And they did so, and made them all sit down.
16Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.
17And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.
18And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am?
19They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again.
20He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God.
21And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing;
22Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.
23And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
24For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
25For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?
26For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.
27But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.
28And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray.
29And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.
30And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias:
31Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.
32But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.
33And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said.
34While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud.
35And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.
36And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen.
37And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill, much people met him.
38And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child.
39And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him.
40And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not.
41And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither.
42And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.
43And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wondered every one at all things which Jesus did, he said unto his disciples,
44Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.
45But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying.
46Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest.
47And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him,
48And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great.
49And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us.
50And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.
51And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,
52And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.
53And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.
54And 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?
55But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
56For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.
57And 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.
58And 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.
59And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
60Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
61And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
62And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
1And he called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.
2And he sent them forth to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
3And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staff, nor wallet, nor bread, nor money; neither have two coats.
4And into whatsoever house ye enter, there abide, and thence depart.
5And as many as receive you not, when ye depart from that city, shake off the dust from your feet for a testimony against them.
6And they departed, and went throughout the villages, preaching the gospel, and healing everywhere.
7Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done: and he was much perplexed, because that it was said by some, that John was risen from the dead;
8and by some, that Elijah had appeared; and by others, that one of the old prophets was risen again.
9And Herod said, John I beheaded: but who is this, about whom I hear such things? And he sought to see him.
10And the apostles, when they were returned, declared unto him what things they had done. And he took them, and withdrew apart to a city called Bethsaida.
11But the multitudes perceiving it followed him: and he welcomed them, and spake to them of the kingdom of God, and them that had need of healing he cured.
12And the day began to wear away; and the twelve came, and said unto him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages and country round about, and lodge, and get provisions: for we are here in a desert place.
13But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more than five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy food for all this people.
14For they were about five thousand men. And he said unto his disciples, Make them sit down in companies, about fifty each.
15And they did so, and made them all sit down.
16And he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake; and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.
17And they ate, and were all filled: and there was taken up that which remained over to them of broken pieces, twelve baskets.
18And it came to pass, as he was praying apart, the disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Who do the multitudes say that I am?
19And they answering said, John the Baptist; but others [say], Elijah; and others, that one of the old prophets is risen again.
20And he said unto them, But who say ye that I am? And Peter answering said, The Christ of God.
21But he charged them, and commanded [them] to tell this to no man;
22saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up.
23And he said unto all, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
24For whosoever would save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
25For what is a man profited, if he gain the whole world, and lose or forfeit his own self?
26For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in his own glory, and [the glory] of the Father, and of the holy angels.
27But I tell you of a truth, There are some of them that stand here, who shall in no wise taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.
28And it came to pass about eight days after these sayings, that he took with him Peter and John and James, and went up into the mountain to pray.
29And as he was praying, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment [became] white [and] dazzling.
30And behold, there talked with him two men, who were Moses and Elijah;
31who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
32Now Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: but when they were fully awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.
33And it came to pass, as they were parting from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah: not knowing what he said.
34And while he said these things, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud.
35And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my Son, my chosen: hear ye him.
36And when the voice came, Jesus was found alone. And they held their peace, and told no man in those days any of the things which they had seen.
37And it came to pass, on the next day, when they were come down from the mountain, a great multitude met him.
38And behold, a man from the multitude cried, saying, Teacher, I beseech thee to look upon my son; for he is mine only child:
39and behold, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth, and it hardly departeth from him, bruising him sorely.
40And I besought thy disciples to cast it out; and they could not.
41And Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and bear with you? bring hither thy son.
42And as he was yet a coming, the demon dashed him down, and tare [him] grievously. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.
43And they were all astonished at the majesty of God. But while all were marvelling at all the things which he did, he said unto his disciples,
44Let these words sink into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered up into the hands of men.
45But they understood not this saying, and it was concealed from them, that they should not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.
46And there arose a reasoning among them, which of them was the greatest.
47But when Jesus saw the reasoning of their heart, he took a little child, and set him by his side,
48and said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this little child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same is great.
49And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out demons in thy name; and we forbade him, because he followeth not with us.
50But Jesus said unto him, Forbid [him] not: for he that is not against you is for you.
51And it came to pass, when the days were well-nigh come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,
52and sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.
53And they did not receive him, because his face was [as though he were] going to Jerusalem.
54And when his disciples James and John saw [this], they said, Lord, wilt thou that we bid fire to come down from heaven, and consume them?
55But he turned, and rebuked them.
56And they went to another village.
57And as they went on the way, a certain man said unto him, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
58And Jesus said unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the heaven [have] nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
59And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
60But he said unto him, Leave the dead to bury their own dead; but go thou and publish abroad the kingdom of God.
61And another also said, I will follow thee, Lord; but first suffer me to bid farewell to them that are at my house.
62But Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
1After Jesus called the twelve together, he gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases,
2and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
3He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, and do not take an extra tunic.
4Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave the area.
5Wherever they do not receive you, as you leave that town, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”
6Then they departed and went throughout the villages, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.
7Now Herod the tetrarch heard about everything that was happening, and he was thoroughly perplexed because some people were saying that John had been raised from the dead,
8while others were saying that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had risen.
9Herod said, “I had John beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” So Herod wanted to learn about Jesus.
10When the apostles returned, they told Jesus everything they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew privately to a town called Bethsaida.
11But when the crowds found out, they followed him. He welcomed them, spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and cured those who needed healing.
12Now the day began to draw to a close, so the twelve came and said to Jesus, “Send the crowd away, so they can go into the surrounding villages and countryside and find lodging and food because we are in an isolated place.”
13But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They replied, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all these people.”
14(Now about 5,000 men were there.) Then he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.”
15So they did as Jesus directed, and the people all sat down.
16Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven he gave thanks and broke them. He gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.
17They all ate and were satisfied, and what was left over was picked up—twelve baskets of broken pieces.
18Once when Jesus was praying by himself and his disciples were nearby, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”
19They answered, “John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others that one of the prophets of long ago has risen.”
20Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”
21But he forcefully commanded them not to tell this to anyone,
22saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”
23Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.
24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will save it.
25For what does it benefit a person if he gains the whole world but loses or forfeits himself?
26For whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
27But I tell you most certainly, there are some standing here who will not experience death before they see the kingdom of God.”
28Now about eight days after these sayings, Jesus took with him Peter, John, and James, and went up the mountain to pray.
29As he was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became very bright, a brilliant white.
30Then two men, Moses and Elijah, began talking with him.
31They appeared in glorious splendor and spoke about his departure that he was about to carry out at Jerusalem.
32Now Peter and those with him were quite sleepy, but as they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.
33Then as the men were starting to leave, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three shelters, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he was saying.
34As he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.
35Then a voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him!”
36After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. So they kept silent and told no one at that time anything of what they had seen.
37Now on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a large crowd met him.
38Then a man from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son—he is my only child!
39A spirit seizes him, and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions and causes him to foam at the mouth. It hardly ever leaves him alone, torturing him severely.
40I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not do so.”
41Jesus answered, “You unbelieving and perverse generation! How much longer must I be with you and endure you? Bring your son here.”
42As the boy was approaching, the demon threw him to the ground and shook him with convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.
43Then they were all astonished at the mighty power of God.But while the entire crowd was amazed at everything Jesus was doing, he said to his disciples,
44“Take these words to heart, for the Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men.”
45But they did not understand this statement; its meaning had been concealed from them, so that they could not grasp it. Yet they were afraid to ask him about this statement.
46Now an argument started among the disciples as to which of them might be the greatest.
47But when Jesus discerned their innermost thoughts, he took a child, had him stand by his side,
48and said to them, “Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me, for the one who is least among you all is the one who is great.”
49John answered, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he is not a disciple along with us.”
50But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him, for whoever is not against you is for you.”
51Now when the days drew near for him to be taken up, Jesus set out resolutely to go to Jerusalem.
52He sent messengers on ahead of him. As they went along, they entered a Samaritan village to make things ready in advance for him,
53but the villagers refused to welcome him because he was determined to go to Jerusalem.
54Now when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to call fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”
55But Jesus turned and rebuked them,
56and they went on to another village.
57As they were walking along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
58Jesus said to him, “Foxes have dens and the birds in the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
59Jesus said to another, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
60But Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
61Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say goodbye to my family.”
62Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
1He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.
2He sent them out to preach God’s Kingdom and to heal the sick.
3He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey—neither staffs, nor wallet, nor bread, nor money; neither have two coats each.
4Into whatever house you enter, stay there, and depart from there.
5As many as don’t receive you, when you depart from that city, shake off even the dust from your feet for a testimony against them.”
6They departed, and went throughout the villages, preaching the Good News, and healing everywhere.
7Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him; and he was very perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead,
8and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again.
9Herod said, “John I beheaded, but who is this, about whom I hear such things?” He sought to see him.
10The apostles, when they had returned, told him what things they had done. He took them, and withdrew apart to a desert region of a city called Bethsaida.
11But the multitudes, perceiving it, followed him. He welcomed them, and spoke to them of God’s Kingdom, and he cured those who needed healing.
12The day began to wear away; and the twelve came, and said to him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding villages and farms, and lodge, and get food, for we are here in a deserted place.”
13But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we should go and buy food for all these people.”
14For they were about five thousand men. He said to his disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each.”
15They did so, and made them all sit down.
16He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to the sky, he blessed them, and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.
17They ate, and were all filled. They gathered up twelve baskets of broken pieces that were left over.
18As he was praying alone, the disciples were with him, and he asked them, “Who do the multitudes say that I am?”
19They answered, “‘John the Baptizer,’ but others say, ‘Elijah,’ and others, that one of the old prophets is risen again.”
20He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”
21But he warned them, and commanded them to tell this to no one,
22saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up.”
23He said to all, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.
24For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever will lose his life for my sake, the same will save it.
25For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits his own self?
26For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed, when he comes in his glory, and the glory of the Father, and of the holy angels.
27But I tell you the truth: There are some of those who stand here, who will in no way taste of death, until they see God’s Kingdom.”
28About eight days after these sayings, he took with him Peter, John, and James, and went up onto the mountain to pray.
29As he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became white and dazzling.
30Behold, two men were talking with him, who were Moses and Elijah,
31who appeared in glory, and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
32Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they were fully awake, they saw his glory, and the two men who stood with him.
33As they were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let’s make three tents: one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah,” not knowing what he said.
34While he said these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered into the cloud.
35A voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him!”
36When the voice came, Jesus was found alone. They were silent, and told no one in those days any of the things which they had seen.
37On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great multitude met him.
38Behold, a man from the crowd called out, saying, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child.
39Behold, a spirit takes him, he suddenly cries out, and it convulses him so that he foams, and it hardly departs from him, bruising him severely.
40I begged your disciples to cast it out, and they couldn’t.”
41Jesus answered, “Faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.”
42While he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him violently. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.
43They were all astonished at the majesty of God. But while all were marveling at all the things which Jesus did, he said to his disciples,
44“Let these words sink into your ears, for the Son of Man will be delivered up into the hands of men.”
45But they didn’t understand this saying. It was concealed from them, that they should not perceive it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.
46There arose an argument among them about which of them was the greatest.
47Jesus, perceiving the reasoning of their hearts, took a little child, and set him by his side,
48and said to them, “Whoever receives this little child in my name receives me. Whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For whoever is least among you all, this one will be great.”
49John answered, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he doesn’t follow with us.”
50Jesus said to him, “Don’t forbid him, for he who is not against us is for us.”
51It came to pass, when the days were near that he should be taken up, he intently set his face to go to Jerusalem,
52and sent messengers before his face. They went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, so as to prepare for him.
53They didn’t receive him, because he was traveling with his face set towards Jerusalem.
54When his disciples, James and John, saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from the sky, and destroy them, just as Elijah did?”
55But he turned and rebuked them, “You don’t know of what kind of spirit you are.
56For the Son of Man didn’t come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” They went to another village.
57As they went on the way, a certain man said to him, “I want to follow you wherever you go, Lord.”
58Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
59He said to another, “Follow me!” But he said, “Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father.”
60But Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead, but you go and announce God’s Kingdom.”
61Another also said, “I want to follow you, Lord, but first allow me to say good-bye to those who are at my house.”
62But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for God’s Kingdom.”
Summary
Jesus sends the twelve on mission, feeds five thousand, draws Peter's confession, is transfigured in glory, predicts His death, and sets His face toward Jerusalem — teaching that following Him requires daily cross-bearing.
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
- Bethsaida (v.10): A fishing village on the northeast shore of the Sea of Galilee. The 5,000 were fed in a desert place nearby.
- The mountain of Transfiguration (v.28): A high mountain where Jesus was transfigured. Likely Mount Hermon near Caesarea Philippi.
- Jerusalem (v.51): "He stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem." This verse marks the turning point — Jesus begins His deliberate final journey south.
- A Samaritan village (v.52): Jesus was rejected while passing through Samaria on the way to Jerusalem.
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik examines the sending of the twelve, the feeding miracle, Peter's confession, the Transfiguration, and the three would-be followers.
- Charles Spurgeon: Sermon: "The Daily Cross" on v.23 (MTP Vol. 10, No. 570) "Take up his cross DAILY. Not once — daily. Every morning you wake up and choose again: deny yourself, take up the cross, follow Him. It is not a one-time decision but a daily discipline. The Christian life is not a sprint; it is a daily march." Sermon: "No Looking Back" on v.62 (MTP Vol. 22, No. 1303) "No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom. The ploughman who looks back makes crooked furrows. The disciple who looks back makes a crooked life. Forward — always forward — that is the only direction for the follower of Christ."
Reflection
- 1. "Take up his cross daily" (v.23). Luke adds "daily" — this is not a one-time decision but a daily discipline. What does taking up your cross look like TODAY — this morning, in your specific circumstances?
- 2. "He stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem" (v.51). Jesus knew what awaited Him and went anyway — with resolve, not reluctance. What difficult thing is God calling you toward that you need to face with the same determination?
- 3. James and John wanted to call fire on the Samaritans who rejected Jesus (v.54). Jesus rebuked them — "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of" (v.55). When people reject you or your faith, is your instinct retaliation or grace? What spirit are you operating from?
- 4. The three would-be followers each had a "but first" (vv.57-62). What is your "but first" — the condition you've placed on following Jesus fully? What would unconditional commitment look like for you?
- 5. Jesus sent the twelve with "nothing for your journey" (v.3) — no staff, no bag, no bread, no money. He wanted them to depend entirely on God's provision. How dependent are you on God, or have you built so many safety nets that you don't need faith?
- 6. Peter confessed "The Christ of God" (v.20) — and immediately Jesus predicted His suffering and death (v.22). The Messiah is a suffering Messiah. How does the reality of a suffering Savior challenge your expectations of what following Him should look like?
- 7. "Whosoever will save his life shall lose it" (v.24). The man who plays it safe, who protects himself at all costs, who avoids risk — loses everything. Where are you playing it too safe with your faith?
- 8. "The Son of man hath not where to lay his head" (v.58). Following Jesus may mean giving up comfort and security. Are you willing to follow Him even if it costs you material comfort? What would that look like?
- 9. "No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom" (v.62). What are you looking back at — a former life, a past relationship, a previous comfort — that is keeping you from moving forward with Christ?