Book of Luke - Ch. 9, Vs. 40-51 (07/27/2003)

relate some of that to today's lesson. So let's start with Luke chapter 9 verse 40.

And I besought thy disciples to cast him out, and they could not. And Jesus answering said,

O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and suffer you?

Bring thy son hither. And as he was yet coming, the devil threw him down and tear him.

Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the child and delivered him again to his father. And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God.

But while they wondered, every one, at all the things which Jesus did, he said unto his disciples,

Let these sayings sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man shall be delivered into the hands of men.

I think the timing of that statement is so interesting. Let me take you to a parallel passage in Matthew 17 verse 19.

It adds a little bit of information to this. Then came, this is

Matthew 17 19, then came the disciples to Jesus apart and said, Why could not we cast him out?

And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief, for verily

I say unto you, If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say unto this mountain,

Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove, and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

Howbeit, this kind goeth not out, but by prayer and fasting. That's a little part that's not in the

Luke passage, the prayer and fasting part. And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them,

The Son of Man shall be betrayed into the hands of men. Isn't it interesting that in this passage, he adds that in to this.

At the same timing, he makes that statement. And to us, it doesn't seem to relate.

Why would he just say that when we're talking about this demon that's been cast out and their lack of faith?

And then all of a sudden, the healing takes place. And then he just seemingly out of nowhere says,

The Son of Man shall be betrayed into the hands of men, and they shall kill him. And the third day, he shall rise again, and they were exceeding sorry.

Very similar to the passage in Luke. So let's go back to Luke chapter 9. Then when we get to Luke 9 45, it kind of concludes the little passage this way.

But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not.

Now what saying is it talking about? It's the part about they will kill him, and the third day he shall rise again.

That part. Or in the Luke passage, let this sink down into your ears.

The Son of Man shall be delivered into the hands of men. And they understood this not, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not.

So it didn't sink down into their ears. Because when Jesus says sink down in your ears, he's not talking about the physical ear.

He's talking about the ear of hearing. The mental ability to understand something.

Well, it's interesting that that verse says it was hid from them. They perceived it not, and they feared to ask him any more about it.

But they knew they didn't understand it. Now my question to you is this, and I want you to give me an answer. Why did

Jesus say these things to his children that he knew they would not understand?

And yet he told them, let it sink down into your hearing. So he says, listen and understand. But he knew they wouldn't understand at that moment.

But why did he speak these words to them, even knowing they wouldn't understand it at that moment?

Right. So wouldn't you agree that that certainly relates to everything that's written in this book that we have?

Because he has spoken it, and he has exhorted us, hear this.

But we only hear it when it's the right time. And he knows when it's the right time.

And there are times when we're not able to even endure the truth that we might have learned, let alone use it, or for God to use it in our life.

So it's so fascinating how this passage teaches that principle.

That even though it's written, in a sense we call this the revelation of God. This is really the written word of God, and it's revealed to us at different times.

Even us individually at different times. Sometimes we get things collectively together, sort of at the same time, but it seems that way.

But really, it's individual revelation. When God knows that we need it, and when he wants us to have it, that's when we understand it.

The ear is opened at that moment, and yet the word was spoken 2 ,000 years ago in our time, from our reference point.

And it's been right there in front of us the whole time. And God has said it to us, but we just didn't have the ear to hear it yet.

But isn't it encouraging to understand that the disciples later did understand this.

They did come to know what it meant after he died on the cross. With hindsight, they understood this.

So we will understand things in the future that we don't understand right this minute from the word of God, from very passages that you've read and studied already.

It makes it wonderful because there's always something new for us individually. It never means that someone 200 years ago didn't already understand it from the same word of God.

Or then there may be things they didn't understand because God had not really opened it to anyone yet. I think a lot of the things concerning the end times are that way.

I believe that so many of the textbooks that have been written were written 50 years ago or more, and look what's happened just in the

Middle East in that 50 years that could change your interpretation because you understand a little bit more about what's going on in the world around us.

Understanding that God has two books of Revelation, the word of God, but also the world we're in, nature and so forth.

And so circumstances certainly can change things. There was a time when they believed the world was flat.

Do you suppose that they thought God was wrong when he talked about the circle of the earth? Suppose they debated that verse and the liberal science of incorrect word.

It should have been this word, but really it was correct. So little by little

God reveals to us as he desires and when he desires. Well then verse 46, then there arose a reasoning among them which of them should be the greatest.

Now start with verse 44, let these sayings, here you've had a demoniac come into their very presence.

Jesus casts out a spirit being and heals this person. And then he says, you know, get your focus off of that for a moment and focus on this fact.

I am going to die for your sins and be delivered into the hands of men.

Let this sink down into your ears. He's saying what? Pay attention to what

I'm saying. Pay attention to the fact that I'm saying something about the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

And it says they understood not this saying and it was hidden from them. They perceived it not and they were afraid to ask him anymore about it.

And then the very next breath there arose a reasoning among them which should be the greatest.

Were they paying attention or were they thinking about something else? They were already thinking about themselves.

Were they thinking about Jesus and he was saying I want you to listen to this. Think about, focus on me a minute.

I'm going to die. Who were they focusing on? Themselves. While he's saying focus on me, they're saying well am

I gonna be next to him when he goes into his kingdom? I'm not hearing this thing about dying.

There's not gonna be any death. He's gonna be on the throne in just a few days and he's gonna rule not only us but the

Roman Empire too. He'll be the ruler of that. I'm gonna at least be in one of the twelve seats right around him.

I'm at least gonna be a congressman. If I can't be the, you know, the dictator at least

I'll be, you know, in the assembly in his inner circle. But will

I get to sit right next to you on the right hand or will I be on the left hand or which one of us will be there?

Were they hearing what he was saying? He's saying I'm gonna die and they're saying you're not gonna die.

You're gonna live and I'm gonna be, am I gonna sit by your right hand or your left hand? And that is really an amazing passage of Scripture to see how they are dealing with their

Messiah but also with themselves and their own human desires and their own motivations and, you know, their aspirations

I guess. Verse 47, Jesus perceiving the thought of their heart.

Now let me say this, if this were you or me, would we be this, what would we do?

If we're telling, look I want you to listen to me. I want to talk to you about the death, burial, resurrection, ascension, all those implications and I want you to understand it.

And they say, well am I gonna be on your right hand or your left hand? I'm better than him aren't

I? How would you deal with that? And even worse if they weren't really saying it but they were just thinking it but you could read their minds.

Wouldn't you jump right on them? Some of our children could probably answer that about us, you know.

What does dad do when he gets just a little agitated? Does he act fairly quickly or how does he act?

Does his voice raise a little bit? Does he, you know, take care of it fairly quickly?

Well I just told my story didn't I? Anyway, but look how Jesus responds to this.

This is amazing and I guess the fact is he's not, he doesn't respond to anything. So he, we just, we act by response and he's in control all the time.

But he perceives the thought of their heart and he takes a little child and he puts him on his lap or sits him down right beside him and he says unto them, whosoever shall receive this child in my name receives me and whosoever shall receive me receives him that sent me.

For he that is least among you all the same shall be great. He addresses their question even though it's not the direction he was taking them to listen to.

He went with what they were, their teachable moment had nothing to do with the death, burial and resurrection.

They were not into that. They didn't care. They weren't even listening. They wanted to know who's gonna be the greatest. So he went to that issue and taught them something because their mind was open to that.

Now there's a lot to be learned there for us as parents and as teachers. You cannot force anything into a human's mind that they're not open to ever.

Now that's hard. I know that and I still violate it but it's a psychological principle and the principle we learn is this.

I saw a great quote this week in a business magazine I read and I believe it was, let me think which president they were quoting.

Who was right after Roosevelt? Hoover? Truman. Truman.

It was Truman. Truman said this. They asked him a question about you know how do you how do you get your children to listen to you and his answer was this well

I found out what they want to do and then I tell them to do it. Think about that.

He's talking about when as they're becoming adults. He didn't mean little children but when they're you know they're about to go out of the nest and they're be married and they're gonna go out into life.

He said how do you you know they were trying to get him to say well I can get him to do this this way and he didn't answer it that way.

He said I find out what it's in their heart to do and I encourage him and the principle is that from a psychological viewpoint if the person is not interested in the subject you're not gonna teach them a thing.

If it's not what they're ready to learn. If they're not ready and open to discuss it and they're desiring to know something about it you're you're not gonna teach them a thing.

Now that's not to say you shouldn't warn people. Sometimes you should warn people. Jesus obviously demonstrated that when he told them listen to this let it sink into your ears

I'm gonna die. He knew that's not what they wanted to hear because he's already reading their thoughts and at the time he said that they were thinking well who's gonna be greater

I wonder and he knew he could hear all that going on and he made the statement listen to this

I'm gonna die. He knew they wouldn't hear it. He knew that's not what they want to know but he made the statement.

So there are times when you do quote teach somebody something and you know they're not gonna get it and you know they're not gonna do it and you know it probably won't change him but it's appropriate for them to hear it.

That's okay but if your goal is to change somebody realize you can't really change anybody only if they're open to being changed and they're asking you could you tell could you tell me what

I might could do and they're seeking it and so Jesus as he knew what they were thinking he did shift then into the thing they were interested in at the very moment and you know what they were just like little children weren't they and so we're all that way and one of the things he points out to them is you're you are like little children in my eyes in God's eyes you are you are little children and he places the little child in his lap as an object lesson and when he says whosoever receives one of these receives me he is not talking about physical literal children he's talking about God's children he's not talking about if you're you know if you cast one of these little ones into the sea it'd be better if you had a millstone around your neck and you were cast into the sea

I mean if you if you make one of these little ones stumble he's not really talking about children specifically he's using children as an object lesson to teach us how he feels about his children which is us so with that in mind if you make an adult child of God stumble it would be better if a millstone were wrapped around your neck and you were cast into the sea

Jesus said now obviously that would apply to little children who are Christians too wouldn't but it's not just them it's talking about all of God's children so this passage speaks of all of God's children as well and he uses it to teach them that as you see this little child if a person receives one of my children he's receiving me and if he receives me he's receiving the father the one who sent me for he that is least among you all shall the same shall be great and then he answered the question they were really more interested in their mind was open to learning out how to be the greatest that's what they were wondering how am

I gonna be great and by that they meant I get to be closest to Jesus when we set up our kingdom and we rule the

Roman government I'll be on his right hand how do I do that and he answered it did not it is not what they wanted to hear but it was the true answer and so the one that is the servant the greatest servant's heart is the one that will be the greatest in that day and we in this world the opposite is true

I observe it you observe it we all understand that in this world the one who's humble the one who absolutely refuses to promote himself who refuses to put self first we think of as a weak person this person will never make it in the business world they won't make it you know they're gonna be a leader they're just they're just kind of out there why do we perceive it that way because from our viewpoint everybody runs over them the truth is they're just a servant to everybody they give their life so that the other person be more comfortable the other person will have what they need the other person has their emotional needs met da da da da da da and Jesus says that is the person who'll be great in the kingdom of heaven whereas here it's the opposite that person is a nothing here we don't even know their name never will know their name because they're not promoting self so what a teaching verse 49 and John answered and said master we saw one casting out devils in that name and we forbade him because he followeth not with us

Jesus here's an answer we would not understand today in the religious realms in fact you know this this kind of relates to some of the things we were discussing in the hall a minute ago they're not in our group okay they're they're not you know they're they're not whatever

I don't know what we are anymore we're not independent Baptist we're you know but they're they're not in our group they don't they don't agree with us on every issue and they said so they came to Jesus and said you know they were doing your work using your name but they are not in our group should we forbid him and Jesus answered is a bit surprising forbid him not for he that is not against us is for us you let me tell you when that will become very very evident when the

Islamists come and start to slaughter Christians on our streets we will be friends with the charismatics we'll be friends even with some

Church of Christ people we'll be buddies with some of the Methodists now

I say some why am I saying some because the ones that aren't born again we you know we won't ever be close to them but saved people in the different groups will come together when we face an enemy like that so so and that's coming so so I think

Jesus taught them something that they certainly being Jews they find it hard to believe because the Jewish mindset is you know if you're not part of our group you're a dog and so they still carry that into Christianity as they became

Christians as well that you know they're not really all of us but they're over there doing your work should we stop them and Jesus surprisingly said no because if they're not fighting against us then they're for us if they're not trying to kill us then they're for us interesting answer in the light of today's religious environment

I had a question I was gonna ask you but it's too late but I just say this is logic true today if it's true that Jesus said that then should it not be true today that we should probably get along a little bit better with those who are different than we are in certain beliefs especially if they are doing what they do in the name of Jesus Christ I tell you an interesting person's study is

Spurgeon if you read Spurgeon's writings some of his sermons but just some of his writings you will find that he would not pick a fight with even an

Arminian now he was a Calvinist but he would not pick a fight with an Arminian I will say this he would not allow them to come to his college though because he didn't want him debating that issue he wanted to learn the

Word of God and he knew how that fight you know it's just like those two just are you gonna do is sit around and fight that fight he didn't want that so he forbade

Arminians to come to his college but he didn't he did not say John Wesley wasn't saved and he didn't try to pick a fight with him in fact one man came up and asked

Spurgeon how do you reconcile the sovereignty of God and free in the will of man the responsibility of man and he said

I don't have to reconcile friends and that a wise answer and the reason they're friends is because they're both taught the

Bible so rather than the man wanted to hear him argue his side so he could come back and hit him with his argument

Spurgeon refused to go there so there's a lot to be learned and I and I think the I think that the basis for Spurgeon's wisdom and his his modus operandi is this verse

Jesus said forbid him not for he that is not against us is for us don't pick fights with people that name the name of Christ and claim to be true

Christians now that we know that there are false professors but there are in our group too right I mean vote for that and our people believe like we are there are false professors so every group has those and we're not talking about buddying up with them or with lost people but with born -again people from different groups we're really you know we don't need to pick fights with those people it's hard to do because we like our doctrines and a lot of times they open us up to it like the man that asks virgin how do you reconcile your belief in the sovereignty of God with the responsibility of man man you know if we don't think about that we're just gonna say well well because God is sovereign boom and you just go right into it and sometimes it's not appropriate sometimes you just don't go there and Satan can use doctrine to separate true brothers

I think and this was Jesus's point that's all that's as far as I went in this study so let's mark verse oh

I did I did do 51 let me read it and it came to pass when the time was come that he should be received up he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem and the reason

I included that verse with verse 50 is because he had bigger things on his mind than debating with the group that wasn't just part of his group you see what you see what the teaching is he they were wanting him to say no since they they're off over there they're not following it with everything we say she would go over there and stop him and force everyone into our way of belief right here into our box and Jesus said no don't do that he that's not against us is for us but but it shows where his mind and heart was in the very next verse it was above that it was beyond that it was a bigger cause and he said you know

I'm steadfast going to Jerusalem because I'm gonna be received up into glory

Wow so God we should pray that the

Lord would help us to live on that higher plane and not get down into unnecessary debates

I think there are obviously there are necessary debates Jesus spent a good amount of time debating the

Pharisees and he won every time and so it is not wrong so how do we know be you filled with the

Holy Spirit the Lord will direct you when it's time to debate he'll direct you when it's time to be above that or beyond that and a good thing is check your blood pressure when you feel it kind of going that adrenaline going from the feet up to the head it'd probably be best to back off and just say well you know you believe you know he's probably not against me so I'm not going to debate with you right this minute but if you don't feel that and you feel the

Holy Spirit whispering that you know I want to use you as a tool in my hand to correct his doctrine correct it but do it love and do it in the spirit not in adrenaline

I'm adrenaline rush so that's one way you can check it I think but that's what

I think that passage teaches us so let's put a mark there after verse 51 will start brother

Otis will start with verse 52 next time let's pray father we thank you for your word thank you for you direction you give us thank you for the great lessons you have taught and already put down in your word and then thank you for the moments that you bring us to where you can see fit to reveal the truth to us in our own personal lives maybe we don't have ears to hear it when you said it but there may be a time later when you'll bring it to our memory and it will sink down deep into our ears and also