41 lines
		
	
	
	
		
			1.8 KiB
		
	
	
	
		
			Markdown
		
	
	
	
	
	
		
		
			
		
	
	
			41 lines
		
	
	
	
		
			1.8 KiB
		
	
	
	
		
			Markdown
		
	
	
	
	
	
|  | +++ | |||
|  | title = "Luke 9:37–45" | |||
|  | date = "2022-12-02" | |||
|  | +++ | |||
|  | 
 | |||
|  | ### [Read the passage.](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Lk9.37-45)
 | |||
|  | 
 | |||
|  | While Jesus and His inner circle were up on the mountain, the rest of the | |||
|  | disciples were staying in the town at it's base. When they return, they find a | |||
|  | crowd waiting for them. From the crowd, a distraught father begs Jesus to help | |||
|  | his son because the disciples weren't able to cast out the spirit that afflicts | |||
|  | him. | |||
|  | 
 | |||
|  | In response, Jesus expresses some frustration, which is a really weird thing to | |||
|  | think about. It's not an emotion that feels…_comfortable_…to | |||
|  | assign to the Sovereign Lord of all. But it is there in the text, and we have | |||
|  | to deal with it as it is, and not as we'd like it or expect it to be. The | |||
|  | question appears to be directed more at the crowd, or perhaps at the disciples, | |||
|  | than at the father. All of these people have heard Jesus's teachings, but do | |||
|  | not believe God's power is sufficient or necessary for their lives. Or | |||
|  | something. | |||
|  | 
 | |||
|  | Jesus tells them to bring the man's son to Him so that he can be healed. The | |||
|  | boy has one last fit along the way, but Jesus casts out the spirit and all the | |||
|  | people are "astonished". (_v. 43_) Were they astonished because they didn't | |||
|  | really believe that the boy could be healed? That he was healed because all | |||
|  | Jesus did was rebuke the demon causing the problems? What were they expecting? | |||
|  | If this was their attitude, then Jesus's frustration is a bit more | |||
|  | understandable. | |||
|  | 
 | |||
|  | Immediately after this, Jesus plainly tells His disciples that He is going to | |||
|  | be arrested, at the very least. But they don't understand what He means because | |||
|  | God hides it from them until the proper time. Jesus needed no interference from | |||
|  | well-meaning friends so that the plan of redemption would be completed as it | |||
|  | should. | |||
|  | 
 | |||
|  | * * * | |||
|  | 
 | |||
|  | Let us always take Your word for what it is and not try to twist it into | |||
|  | something it does not say. |