Saturday, October 3, 2009

LITN IX, Verses 37 - 62

37. The next day, a crowd of needy people was waiting for them at the foot of the mountain.

38. As they approached the throng, a man from the crowd shouted out, “Lord, please have mercy on my only son!

39. He has a terrible condition...a harassing spirit that causes severe, epileptic-type seizures which manifest, frequently…and when they do, he foams at the mouth and convulses...and this thing won't leave him alone.

40. I brought him to Your disciples to see if they could help him, but they weren’t able to do a thing for him."

41. Frustrated, Jesus answered, “Oh, you unbelieving, clueless, and backward generation! How long am I supposed to demonstrate dominion before you? How many miracles is it going to take before you realize the power that you already have?! Bring him here to Me.”

42. But while he was coming, the spirit threw him down and convulsed him. So Jesus calmly told it to stop showing off, and then expelled it. He also healed the boy of any physical damage caused by the manifestations, and restored him to his father.

43. Everyone there was astounded at this amazing demonstration of God's obvious power. But while they were all marveling at everything Jesus was doing, He turned to His disciples, seemingly unaffected by the amazement of the crowd, and said,

44. "Listen, you must comprehend this...the Son of Man is about to be betrayed and turned over into the hands of carnal men."

45. But they weren't able to grasp it...it was as if it was kept hidden from them so that they couldn't understand...and on some level they were afraid to ask Him anything about the statement. It was as if He never even said it.

46. Not long after this, a controversy arose among them as to which of them might be the greatest and the most superior.

47. But Jesus, perceiving their selfish ambition and hidden agendas by the Spirit, took an unpretentious little child and put Him at His side.



















48. Then He said to them, "You should know that I am so identified with these little ones, I can tell you that whoever receives and loves and welcomes and celebrates one little child like this for My sake, and in My name, receives and loves and welcomes and celebrates Me. And whoever so receives Me so also receives Him Who sent Me, because, in this new Kingdom-reality, he who is perceived to be the least and lowliest among you all is the one who is truly great."

49. Changing the subject entirely, John spoke up and said, "Lord, we saw a man driving out rebel spirits in Your name, and we commanded him to stop it because he is not one of us...we didn't approve or sanction him, so we told him that he was completely out of order to do such things."

50. But Jesus said to him, "You really shouldn't have done that...you need to change your paradigm of people like him, and realize that whoever is not against you is for you!"

51. Now as the time approached for Jesus to leave the physical world and re-enter the heavenly realm, He made it His intention to make the journey to Jerusalem.

52. So He sent messengers before Him, and they entered a Samaritan village to make preparations for His visit.

53. But when the local people in Samaria learned that His ultimate destination was Jerusalem, they refused Him hospitality.

54. When His disciples, James and John, observed this, they were incensed and said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, as Elijah did?"

55. But He instantly snapped at them, saying, "You don't even know of what sort of spirit you are;

56. You should know by now that the Son of Man did not come to destroy people's lives, but to save them!" And without any confrontation, they journeyed on to another village.

57. And it occurred that as they were going along the road, a man came up to Him and said, "Lord, I want to follow You wherever You go!"

58. And Jesus replied, "Oh? Do you really? Listen...foxes have holes in which to lurk, and the birds of the air have nests in which to roost...but the Son of Man lives the life of a vagabond...when He is in ministry mode, He has no physical place to lay His head."

59. Then He said to another, "I want you to become My disciple, and accompany Me!" But the man replied, "Lord, permit me first to go and await the death of my father so that I can give him a decent burial."

60. But Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead...but as for you, in the meantime, go and publish abroad throughout the whole area the Kingdom of God."

61. Yet another approached Him and said, "I will follow You, Lord, and become Your disciple...become one of Your very own...but let me first say good-bye to those at my home."

62. Jesus said to him, "No you won't...no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back to the things behind is fit for the stewardship of the Kingdom of God."

8 comments:

PattiL007 said...

I would like to understand even more about these verses...as I find myself considering the Kingdom much more often and considering ways in which I can become more invested in it and become who I am supposed to be, I look for ways in which to enter in. I change paradigms and perspectives any time I notice one that fails to line up with the Kingdom...but there must be more, I want to give more and become even more involved...how? Someone throw out suggestions here ok? I don't want to be one of the only members of this great body who is not doing all I can do to enter in and lift Him up...any tips for me? Really...say anything...I don't get offended...just throw it out there if you think it would help. My prayer is only this: "That I know Him and the power of His Resurrection"...as "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

Izumi/JOY said...

I love how the different facets of the man's plea in v.38, remind me of Matthew 26:38. Also, how
v.39's, "this thing" reminds me of Gabriel's description of the POWER of the HIGHEST - the Son of God, "that holy thing", in Luke 1:35.

Mystic - your post made me smile and I don't even know why. Peace!

Unknown said...

Mystic, you are clearly on the journey...advice?...enjoy.

Anonymous said...

From FB

John W. Brumlow said...

These are some of the hardest to understand teachings of Jesus yet you have made them easy to see. In verse forty five you have pointed out the reason for the followers not understanding Jesus statement about being afraid in connection with their lack of asking for clarification as resulting in it was if Jesus had never even said it. That is one of the key issues of learning, to follow up and get clarity on things hard to understand at first.

Then Jesus reminds the followers, in verse 58, that when in ministry mode things are different than the norm. This is easy for people that have ever served in an area such as a soldier in times of battle to understand but for those that are not mentally, physically and spiritually engaged it is hard to separate themselves from the routine cares of family and friends.

This reading helps the serious follower of today get a better understanding of these concepts. There is a time for everything under the heavens and when in battle it is all about keeping your head down, staying focused on the goal, and completing the task at hand one at a time until the war has ended.... Read More

keep on keeping on

Unknown said...

v.37..."needy" people...I never thought of this aspect of the "throng" before, only size...but of course they (we!)were.

v.41..."Frustrated"...I like the inclusion of this word. It's so easy to miss that Jesus would and could be...even though its implied in the other paraphrases. And "unbelieviing, clueless and backward"...so much easier to wrap our minds around these words and think "hmmm, that might be me" than the more frequently used word: perverse. "I'm not perverted!!"

But best of all, v.41...how long "before you realize the power that you already have"?...The I AM just said YOU ARE...to the throng.

v.43 "unaffected by the amazement"...cool addition. Pondering on it leads to considering His frustration and how the "amazement" would have been an indication the throng didn't hear "You ARE"...they were still focusing on Him. I wonder, too, if it was what led to turning to His disciples...do they hear? Did He see this day more of what He had been sensing in His spirit...I am going to have to go away.

v.49 "changing the subject entirely"...too funny...back to our own agendas and using this power you've shown us incorrectly...

Context, context, context...
the understanding of vs.57-62 are changed so profoundly by the simple and clear rendering of v.56 added to..."you should know by now"...This phrase is another one of those signposts that can keep us from pulling out soundbites in Scripture and hearing the call to find out: what "should" I already know about this guy?

Amen, Johnny, "head down, staying focused on the goal".

karl cobos said...

Yeah, v.41 jumped out at me, too... the power that is already within you, the "dominion", the authority.

I hear ya Mystic, and know that you're not the only one...but your own words sound like you are already doing what Jesus asked... "seeking" the Kingdom, and as you and I seek, you and I will find!, and I know that yellow brick road is right under our feet as we seek word from the "Great One".

God willing, ITB tomorrow at Church in the Now!
"let there be light!"

word ver: ablymen
hmmm...men enabled?...albumen?

Anonymous said...

The full-term of a human pregnancy is 40 weeks...today is the 40th Sunday of 2009...hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

Selah!

Anonymous said...

Very good word today at CITN. I think it is beginning a move of God like the world has not seen with a message that the world desperately needs that will literally save us all...It was Awesome! God is up to something there.....as the Spirit shares from the treasure house of God things old and new to send out a message to the world that has already been in eternity and all ages since time began. A message direct from the eternal Spirit so wonderful and marvelous the fleshly immature mind cannot receive it in it's negative lifeless state. As Christ said through Jesus our Savior "to him that has ears to hear; let him hear" and to the rest I say just hang on yours is coming; each one in your appointed time. The best is yet to come!

V. 37 a crowd of needy people was waiting for them

V. 41 realize the power that you already have

V. 45 But they weren't able to grasp it...it was as if it was kept hidden from them

V. 48 in this new Kingdom-reality

V. 50 you need to change your paradigm of people like him, and realize that whoever is not against you is for you!"

V. 55 know of what sort of spirit you are

V. 56 the Son of Man did not come to destroy people's lives, but to save them!"

At least that's what I saw....

Peace,
Dennis