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Luke Chapter
Nine
I.
Content of the Chapter
The Identity and Revelation of the Savior
the Son of Man
I. He is the lord of works------He sent the twelve
apostles (v.1-6).
II. He is the one whom the forerunner bore witness
to------Herod doubted that He was John who had risen from the dead (v.7-9).
III. He is the provision of life------five thousand
people were filled by five loaves and two fish (v.10-17).
IV. He is the center of revelations:
A.
Peter confessed that He is the Christ of God (v.18-21).
B. He
predicted that He would be killed and then be raised (v.22).
C. The
condition to enter into glory is taking up cross and following the Lord
(v.23-26).
D. He
manifested His glory on the mount------we should hear Him only (v.27-36).
The Difficulties of the Disciples of the
Savior the Son of Man
II. The Lord
predicted that He would be betrayed into the hands of men------the disciples
could not understand the word of the Lord (v.44-45).
III. They disputed
that which of them would be greatest------the disciples did not know the
principle of the
IV. They forbad
others to cast out the spirit in the name of the Lord------the disciples did
not know the principle how the Lord works (v.49-50).
V. They wanted to
consume the Samaritans------the disciples did not know the aim for which the
Lord works (v.51-56).
VI. The teachings
concerning following the Lord------the disciples did not know the conditions to
follow the Lord (v.57-62).
II.
Verse by Verse commentary
Luke. 9:1 “Then He called His twelve
disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to
cure diseases.”
YLT: “And having called
together his twelve disciples, he gave them power and authority over all the
demons, and to cure sicknesses,”
Meaning of Words: “authority”:
mastery, dominance.
Literal Meaning: “Then He called His
twelve disciples together” “Disciples” are those who followed the Lord and
received His strict training and discipline.
“And gave them power and authority”
“Power” is related to heal diseases and “authority” is related to subdue the
demons and teach men (See v.2).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) One becomes the Lord’s worker because of the
Lord’s calling instead of his own volition. Only the “disciples” who have been
strictly trained and instructed by the Lord are worthy to be called to be His
workers.
2) If the Lord “have called them”, He will surely
“give them power”. This shows that the Lord is responsible to give power to
them who have been called. The Lord’s calling and commission won’t surpass His
grace.
3) Power and authority are for the Lord’s work.
Only those who are willing to receive the Lord’s sending are worthy to be given
power and authority.
4) The spiritual power in service is of the Lord’s
commission. If one has not been entrusted by the Lord, he won’t have the
spiritual power and consequently there will not be any true spiritual effect.
5) The spiritual power has two uses in the
assembly: one is to cope with Satan God’s enemy and its ministers; the other is
to help men to grow up in the spiritual life and be perfected.
6) The Lord Jesus came into the world not to gain
the so-called works of Christianity but to gain a group of people. He gives His
life to them at first and then through them He is manifested among the crowd.
Luke. 9:2 “He sent them to preach
the
YLT: “and he sent them to
proclaim the reign of God, and to heal the ailing.”
Meaning of Words: “He sent them to
preach the
Luke. 9:3 “And He said to them, ‘Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor
bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece.”
YLT: “And he said unto
them, ‘Take nothing for the way, neither staff, nor scrip, nor bread, nor
money; neither have two coats each;”
Meaning of Words: “bag”: the leather
pouch for food; “tunic”: body coat.
Literal Meaning: the Lord has
commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel (1Cor.
9:14). Therefore workers of the Lord, being sent by the Lord to work among
God’s people, should not superfluously prepare for the daily necessities.
However, the Lord’s workers should gain nothing from unbelievers.
Controversial Clarification: this rule of taking
nothing (neither money nor basic necessities) for the journey had been
cancelled before the Lord was taken (See 22:35-38).
Therefore when we read this verse today, we should understand it in spirit
instead of following it literally. The principle of the life of a worker of the Lord is neither to prepare, nor to
plan, nor to consider for himself, but to prove in him that God is able to feed
us and He takes all the responsibility for us.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) He who works for the Lord should give up both
the enjoyment in this age and the reliance besides God, so the Lord says one
shall neither take garment nor food nor money. However, the spiritual work
requires the spiritual power and power (“staffs”).
2) Workers of the Lord should have faith towards
God and should not trust on the uncertainty of riches, but in God who affords
us all things richly for enjoyment (1Tim. 6:17).
3) Those who serve the Lord should not be
distracted by the material enjoyment on earth. Having sustenance and covering,
we will be content with these (1Tim. 6:8).
4) No matter how weak we are, we are still God’s
children. We represent God in the world and therefore we should not live a
random life.
5) The life of the Lord’s workers should be the
life of faith. If the Lord has not done anything, we dare not prepare anything
for us by ourselves.
Luke. 9:4 “‘Whatever
house you enter, stay there, and from there depart.”
YLT: “and into whatever
house ye may enter, there remain, and thence depart;”
Literal Meaning: the Lord commanded
His workers to preach whole-heartedly and they should not be inconstant or look
for the more comfortable lodgment so that they may be distracted by the
enjoyment of life.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Our relationship with men should be established
upon our respective relationship with the Lord.
2) Those who fear God in heart will assuredly
respect and receive those who have been sent by God.
Luke. 9:5 “And whoever will not
receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your
feet as a testimony against them.’”
YLT: “and as many as may
not receive you, going forth from that city, even the dust from your feet shake
off, for a testimony against them.’”
The
Background: “shake off the very dust from your feet”, when the
Pharisees departed from a gentile place, they would do this symbolic action,
indicating that they had nothing to do with the “uncleanness” of the Gentiles.
Literal Meaning: “as a testimony against
them”: “as a warning to them”;
Spiritual
Meaning:
“shake off the very dust from your feet”, it
shows that the men or place that have rejected Christ should suffer their own
actions and their endings in future have nothing with the disciples (Acts. 13:50-51).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Our relationship with the world should be
established upon the ground whether they receive the Lord or not. To those who
do not receive the Lord, we should not maintain earthly intimate relationship
with them.
2) The disguised social welfare should not replace
the gospel of Christ. What the Lord cares about is whether men receive the glad
tidings that we have preached, not whether we have helped them to improve their
living standards.
Luke. 9:6 “So they departed and went
through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.”
YLT: “And going forth
they were going through the several villages, proclaiming good news, and
healing everywhere.”
Luke. 9:7 “Now Herod the tetrarch
heard of all that was done by Him; and he was perplexed, because it was said by
some that John had risen from the dead,”
YLT: “And Herod the
tetrarch heard of all the things being done by him, and was perplexed, because it
was said by certain, that John hath been raised out of the dead;”
Meaning of Words: “perplexed”: doubt,
puzzle.
The
Background: “Herod” is one of the four sons
of Herod the Great (Matt. 2:1) and he was also called Herod Antipas. He reigned
over Galilee and
Literal Meaning: “John had risen from
the dead” The process that John the Baptist was put into prison and killed was
recorded in the verses from verse 14 to verse 29 in the sixth chapter of the
Book of Matthew.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The moment Herod heard of all that was done by
the Lord Jesus, his heart and soul “perplexed”, showing us that once those who
commit sins and do evil are enlightened by the Lord they will feel painful and
unpeaceful.
2) When the Lord comes, He first shakes men’s
thoughts and feelings. If we follow the feeling and seek the Lord’s guidance
further, we will fell peaceful. However, if we are unwilling to seek Him
further, we just keep “perplexed”.
3) Someone misunderstood that the Lord Jesus was
John the Baptist who had risen from the dead, which proves that John was really
“like” Christ. He was a real witness of Christ. Christ had been magnified in
John whether by life or by death, and “for him to live Christ, and to die gain”
(See Phil. 1:20-21).
Luke. 9:8 “and by some that Elijah
had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again.”
YLT: “and by certain,
that Elijah did appear, and by others, that a prophet, one of the ancients, was
risen;”
Literal Meaning: “prophets” are those who have
been sent by
God to preach the word of God to His
people;
“Elijah” was the most famous prophet among the Jews.
Luke. 9:9 “Herod said, ‘John I have beheaded, but who is this of whom I hear such
things?’ So he sought to see Him.”
YLT: “and Herod said,
`John I did behead, but who is this concerning whom I hear such things?’ and he
was seeking to see him.”
Literal Meaning: “So he sought to see
Him.” The reason why Herod sought to see Him is absolutely not of faith but of
curiosity (See 23:8) and even the ill intention (See 13:31).
Luke. 9:10 “And the apostles, when
they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then He took them and went
aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called
YLT: “And the apostles
having turned back, declared to him how great things they did, and having taken
them, he withdrew by himself to a desert place of a city called
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “And the apostles, when they had returned, told
Him all that they had done.” It would be best for the Lord’s workers to report
all that they had done to the Lord directly.
2) The public report of works to everybody will
always bring about jealousy and dispute.
3) Morgan said that, “the zeal for the statistical
data is the way to be self-centered. It is of the flesh and not of the spirit”.
4) If we want to make progress in grace, we have to
spend more time being with God by ourselves. The association with men may not make
us improve in the spirit. An hour of prayer would always make us improve more
than a day of contact with men.
5) We need to be with God by ourselves. Drawing
near to God by ourselves and the face to face communion with God will make us
serve Him energetically.
Luke. 9:11 “But when the multitudes
knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the
YLT: “and the multitudes
having known did follow him, and having received them, he was speaking to them
concerning the reign of God, and those having need of service he cured.”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “He received them.” Though the quiet time of the
Lord was disturbed, He did not regard it as troublesome and He always dealt
with the multitudes kindly. The Lord never forgets to bless men because of
busyness.
2) “And healed those who had need of healing.” The
requirement of the Lord’s healing and salvation is our feeling that we have
“the need”. To the one who has the need but does not have a sense of it, though
the Lord has the great power, He can not heal or save him.
Luke. 9:12 “When the day began to
wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, ‘Send
the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country,
and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted place here.’”
YLT: “And the day began
to decline, and the twelve having come near, said to him, `Let away the
multitude, that having gone to the villages and the fields round about, they
may lodge and may find provision, because here we are in a desert place.’”
Literal Meaning: “we are in a
deserted place here.” The “deserted place” here indicates the wasteland or the
clearing that is away from the urban district of
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The
hour was that “the day began to wear away”, location was “in a deserted place”,
and the need of the multitude was so urgent and huge. We may often be
encountered with such predicaments. The way to solve it is to come to the Lord
and tell Him, and one shall not voice one’s own opinions.
2) “Send the multitude away”, it is to ask the
multitude to depart from the Lord and we may usually have this tone. “They may go into the
surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions.”------it is an irresponsible attitude.
3) Concerning our own things, we always say that, “command me to come to You” (See Matt. 14:28) and concerning the
things of others, we always say that, “send the multitude away”.
4) The disciples suggested that “sent the multitude
away” and “they
may go into the surrounding towns and country”, for they did not know the fullness of Christ,
who is able to meet all the need of men. Those who do not know the Lord always
ask men to rely on themselves.
Luke. 9:13 “But He said to them, ‘You give them something to eat.’
And they said, ‘We have no more than five
loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people.’”
YLT: “And he said unto
them, `Give ye them to eat;’ and they said, ‘We have no more than five loaves,
and two fishes: except, having gone, we may buy for all this people victuals;’”
Spiritual Meaning: “five loaves and two
fish” these on one hand symbolize the poorness of believers themselves, e.g.
the limited power, wisdom and physical strength, and on the other these also
typify the limited property that we have received from the Lord and the
experience of the risen life of Christ.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Lord said,
“you give them something to eat.” The Lord’s words were to compel the disciples
to turn to Him so that they would know and experience Him as the merciful and
mighty Lord.
2) “You give them something to eat.” The Lord’s
words showed that the disciples actually had something to give to them, yet
they did not know that. The Lord always firstly supplies those who draw near to
Him before supplying the multitudes.
3) If believers love the Lord, they will take care
of and feed the lambs of the Lord (John. 21:15-17).
4) “We have no more than five loaves and two fish”. What we have in our own hands are too
limited to meet the great need of the multitudes before our eyes.
5) Believers must know that they are nothing and
then they will turn to trust in God who calls those things which do not exist
as though they did (Rom. 4:17).
Luke. 9:14 “For there were about five
thousand men. Then He said to His disciples, ‘Make
them sit down in groups of fifty.’”
YLT: “for they were about
five thousand men. And he said unto his disciples, `Cause them to recline in
companies, in each fifty;’”
Literal Meaning: “there were about
five thousand men” Concerning the number “five thousand”, women and children
had not been counted here (See Matt. 14:21) and only the men were counted (See
Mark. 6:44).
Spiritual
Meaning: “there were about
five thousand men.” “five” in the Bible symbolizes “responsibility”. Therefore
this verse symbolizes that the Lord is responsible for supplying all the needs
of men.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Lord Jesus always sets things in good order
when He makes arrangement for something. In the service of the Lord, we shall
also have decent and proper arrangements.
2) Let all things be done decently and with order
(1Cor.14:40).
3) No matter how great our need is, the Lord can
deal with all of them.
4) In other places of the Bible it is recorded that
one hundred people were filled by twenty loaves (2Kings. 4:42-44) and four
thousand people by seven loaves and several fish (Matt. 15: 32-39). Here, there
was the least amount of loaves and the largest number of men who had been fed,
for the loaves were broken into many pieces. It did not lie in the number of
the loaves, but the extent how the loaves had been broken that counted------the
more they had been broken, the more need of men would be met.
Luke. 9:15 “And they did so, and made
them all sit down.”
YLT: “and they did so,
and made all to recline;”
Spiritual Meaning: “and made them all
sit down.” It symbolizes that one has stopped his struggle and effort and rests
at the feet of the Lord (See Luke. 10:39).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) If we want to enjoy the Lord, we have to be
quiet (“sit down”) first.
2) The individual fellowship with the Lord, which
is different from the corporate fellowship, embraces a special enjoyment and it
is even much fuller.
Luke. 9:16 “Then He took the five
loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them,
and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.”
YLT: “and having taken
the five loaves, and the two fishes, having looked up to the heaven, he blessed
them, and brake, and was giving to the disciples to set before the multitude;”
Literal Meaning: “He broke them, and
gave them to the disciples.” “Broke” and “gave” in Greek were in the different
tenses. “Break” indicates a kind of simple action, however, “give” indicates
the verb with continuous actions, showing that the loaves and fish increased
continually when they were spread.
Spiritual Meaning: this verse reveals
us the way how could we become the blessing of the multitudes:
A. “He took” It indicates that one shall
devote himself to the Lord.
B. “And looking up to heaven, He
blessed.” God, the fountainhead of all provisions, bestows us the necessary
spiritual equipments------including gifts, enlightenments, power and etc.
C. “And broke them” It symbolizes one’s
being dealt with and being broken by the cross.
This verse also reveals the course of
passing on the blessings:
A. “He took”, being devoted to the Lord
firstly;
B. “Gave them to the disciples”
returning back to us after the Lord’s blessing;
C. “To set before the multitudes”
sharing with each other.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Before we give something of ourselves to others,
we should first let the Lord “take” it------only by devotion to the Lord can we
receive the spiritual value.
2) If the limited things of us are lingered in our
own hands, they will be nothing. But it they are devoted to the Lord, they will
become blessings of many people.
3) The key point does not rest on the amount of the
loaves in our hands, but whether the Lord has “blessed” them or not. When we
are unable to meet the present need, if the Lord grants His blessings to us,
there will be more than sufficient provisions.
4) Blessing, breaking and eating and being filled
(See v17) are the three steps of actions in order. However, breaking is in the
central place of them. If there is only the blessing and there is not the
breaking, the five thousands won’t be filled.
5) Breaking indicates that one is dealt with more
deeply by the cross, i.e. tearing one’s soul and mortifying the flesh.
6) Breaking is to make something smaller and make
the complete one into fragments. If men consider their own completeness,
dignity and comfort, they won’t be used by the Lord.
7) If the loaf remains perfect, it will never
satisfy the need of others. However the more the loaves have been broken, the
more people will be satisfied by the loaves.
8) If believers love their souls and are not
willing to be broken by the Lord, they are of no value. If you are unwilling to
be broken by the Lord, you should have devoted yourself to the hand of the
Lord.
9) The word “gave” shows that believers are merely
the channels of the Lord to deliver the Lord’s provisions.
10) The disciples delivered something to others (“to set before the multitude”) because they had received from the Lord
(“gave them to the disciples”). The Lord makes us experience His life first and
then we can supply others with His life.
11) We shall not hide the experience that we have
obtained from the Lord every time, even though it seems so limited. And we
should learn to share it with others.
12) We are just the “loaves” in the hand of the
Lord. Those who have eaten the bread are grateful to “the One who distributes
the bread”------the Lord, not to the “loaves”------us. As for the service and
provision in the assembly, all glory and gratitude should be given to the Lord
instead of us.
Luke. 9:17 “So they all ate and were
filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.”
YLT: “and they did eat,
and were all filled, and there was taken up what was over to them of broken
pieces, twelve baskets.”
Literal Meaning: “the leftover
fragments were taken up” We should not ruin or waste food, for it is gifted by
God (See John. 6:12).
“Basket”, it was a kind of vessel which the Jews
usually took with and it could be hitched on their arms to carry food or other
sundries.
Spiritual Meaning: “they all ate” All
can enjoy Him.
“They were filled.” He can satisfy all
men.
“The leftover fragments” The provisions
of the Lord are more than sufficient.
“Twelve baskets were taken up by them.”
“Twelve” represents the perfection and His provisions are fully complete.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Though the five loaves and two fish are limited,
if one is reluctant to devote them to the Lord, they will be even insufficient
for his own need. However, once they are devoted to the Lord, they will produce
abundant provisions after the Lord’s blessing.
2) Taking up the leftover fragments teaches us that
we should value the grace of the Lord and we should never ruin the grace. We
should preserve the superfluous part for the possible future use.
3) When we have learned to give the unsearchable
fullness of Christ to others, we will find what we have received (“twelve
baskets were taken up by them”) is much more than what we have given (“five
loaves and two fish”).
Luke. 9:18 “And it happened, as He
was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, ‘Who do the crowds say that I am?’”
YLT: “And it came to
pass, as he is praying alone, the disciples were with him, and he questioned
them, saying, ‘Who do the multitudes say me to be?’”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “As He was alone praying, that His disciples
joined Him.” The key to receive the heavenly revelation is to enter into the
fellowship of the presence of the Holy Trinity.
2) “He asked them, saying, ‘Who do the crowds say
that I am?’” The knowledge of Jesus Christ is the door to enter the heavenly
realm. Those who do not know Jesus Christ cannot partake in the assembly and
the
Luke. 9:19 “So they answered and
said, ‘John the Baptist, but some
say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again.’”
YLT: “And they answering
said, `John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and others, that a prophet, one of
the ancients, was risen;’”
Literal Meaning: “John the Baptist”,
his feature is the testimony of life (See 1:6).
“Elijah”, his feature is his being
jealous for God (See 1Kings. 19:14);
“One of the old prophets,” the feature
of “prophets” is to speak for God.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah and all
prophets were all servants of God and they all spoke for God. Many aspects of
them were like Christ. However, they were not Christ. Men are unable to know
Christ completely without revelations.
2) Even the disciple who were with the Lord all the
day did not seem to know Christ clearly. Those who speak Christ with their
mouth may not truly know Christ.
Luke. 9:20 “He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’
Peter answered and said, ‘The Christ of God.’”
YLT: “and he said to
them, ‘And ye who do ye say me to be?’ and Peter answering said, ‘The Christ of
God.’”
Literal Meaning: “The Christ of God”
“Christ” is “the anointed one” (Dan. 9:26) and it is the Lord’s administration
from God. God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and sent Him into the world to
fulfill His mission (See 4:18-19).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The hearsay and secondhand knowledge (“some
say”) do not count. Only the personal and firsthand knowledge (“do you say”)
counts. What’s important is whether we have the true knowledge of the Lord.
2) Knowing the Lord is the starting point for men
to forsake everything and pursue and obtain Christ (See Pill. 3:8-12).
3) Only believing in Him is not enough, one has to
confess Him with his mouth (See
Luke. 9:21 “And He strictly warned
and commanded them to tell this to no one,”
YLT: “And having charged
them, he commanded [them] to say this to no one,”
Literal Meaning: because the Jews had
wrong conceptions towards “Christ” (the Messiah). They thought that the coming
Messiah is the savior of the race and He would lead the Jews to rebel the
domination of the different race to build a kingdom of peace of the Jews.
Therefore if they had publicized that “He is Christ”, it is of no help to His
work of salvation and it may also cause trouble.
Enlightenment in the Word: natural man does not receive the things of the
Spirit of God, for they are folly to Him (See 1Cor. 2:14) and therefore we
should not tell the experience and things of the Spirit of God to others
randomly (See Matt. 7:6).
Luke. 9:22 “saying, ‘The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected
by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the
third day.’”
YLT: “saying ‘It behoveth
the Son of Man to suffer many things, and to be rejected by the elders, and
chief priests, and scribes, and to be killed, and the third day to be raised.’”
Literal Meaning: “the Son of Man must
suffer many things” “the Son of Man” originates from “the chapter of the
Messiah” (Dan. 7:13-14). When He was on earth, the Lord Jesus called Himself
“the Son of Man” instead of “the Messiah”. Because at that time the Messiah was
the political figure in the hearts of the Jews who was sent by God to lead the
Jews to resist the
“The Son of Man” shows that He suffered
first and then become the Messiah who gained the glory (See Is. 53; Dan.
7:13-14). The Lord Jesus was determined to go to
“Be rejected by the elders and chief
priests and scribes” It means to be
rejected by the Jewish council; “the elders and chief priests and scribes” are
the main members of the council. “Reject” in the original means to reject after
tests and therefore it is the intentional rejection instead of the neglect.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The greatest cross of believers is not the trouble
from unbelievers but from those who have position in the assembly and the
knowledge of the Bible (“the elders and chief priests”) and the trouble is
many-sided (“many things”).
2) After men have known Christ with His divinity
(See v.20), they have to know Christ who had redeemed men through death.
3) The cross is that He was put to death, however,
it did not stop in death and He rose from the dead the third day. This is a
faithful saying: for if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him (2Tim. 2:11;
See 2Cor. 4:10-14).
4) The cross includes three parts: suffering, being
killed and resurrection. Unfortunately, the ordinary Christians only know and
experience the suffering and lack the experience of being killed and
resurrection.
Luke. 9:23 “Then He said to them all,
‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself,
and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”
YLT: “And he said unto
all, `If any one doth will to come after me, let him disown himself, and take
up his cross daily, and follow me;”
Literal Meaning: “let him deny
himself” “deny”: disown, abstain. It means not only denying the connection but
also breaking off the connection. “Deny himself” means that one no longer
considers himself as the center of his life and behaviors.
“And take up his cross daily, and follow
me.” There are two kinds of crosses: 1) Christ’s cross------it is for atonement
(1Pet. 2:24); 2) the individual cross of believers (his cross) ------it is for
one to be crucified with the Lord (
“Follow” in the original means “to
continue unceasingly”. If one wants to “follow the Lord”, he has to forsake the
value of self-concern in the world and himself in order to do the will of the
Lord completely. This kind of men will be able to be released from the shackles
of the world.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “If anyone” means that “anyone is able to”. All
believers should follow the Lord without exception and nobody could avoid this.
2) Our “selves” is the greatest trouble that blocks
us to follow the Lord. Only when we have denied ourselves will we obey the
Lord’s guidance unconditionally and walk in the way of the Lord.
3) The cross is to save others and not to save
Himself (Mark. 15:31). If we want to walk in the way of the cross, we have to
save others and not to save ourselves. If one saves himself, he cannot save
others.
4) The slogan of the cross is to “take away” (John.
19:15) and therefore taking up the cross is taking away oneself, that is to
deny oneself------being crucified to the world and to himself (Gal. 6:14).
5) If we want to follow the Lord, we have to deny
ourselves; if we want to deny ourselves, we have to take up our own crosses.
The cross that the Lord has arranged for everyone is different and everyone has
his own cross.
6) The principle of “denying oneself and taking up
his own cross” is the destruction which is different from the idea
“self-restraint” of the Chinese sages. The one who is good at self-restraining
has the greatest “self”. “Self-restraint” is to build oneself and it is to rely
oneself to deal with problems. One’s “self-restraint” could gain others’ praise
and let others notice that his tolerance is so great that he could bear this
and he does not bother the rascals. However, Christians should reject the
“self-restraint” and receive the break and destruction of the cross under the
light of God.
Luke. 9:24 “For whoever desires to
save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save
it.”
YLT: “for whoever may
will to save his life, shall lose it, and whoever may lose his life for my
sake, he shall save it;”
Meaning of Words: “loses”: die, miss,
destroy.
Literal Meaning: “life” is “soul” in
original. It includes thought, feeling and will.
This verse means that anyone who seeks
comfort and ease in this time and satisfies his soul will suffer in the coming
age and lose the enjoyment of soul. Anyone who suffers for the Lord’s sake will
receive the enjoyment of soul in the coming age.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The one who wants to save actually loses and the
one who wants to lose actually saves; the one who gains actually loses and the
one who wants to lose actually gain (See v.25). The knowledge of this principle
will save men from grudging eternally.
2) “Losing his life” in this verse is also “denying
oneself” and “taking up his cross”; what the cross deals with finally is the
self and the life of soul.
3) Taking up one’s cross and denying oneself always
make the soul suffer. Anything that is unable to make the soul suffer could not
be counted as the cross.
Luke. 9:25 “For what profit is it to a
man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?”
YLT: “for what is a man
profited, having gained the whole world, and having lost or having forfeited
himself?”
Literal Meaning: “if he gains the
whole world” “the whole world” indicates all that one may attain or gain in
this life.
“And is himself destroyed or lost.” It
means the death.
If a man gains the whole world, he only let his
soul have the short enjoyment. If someone loses his won soul, his soul will
suffer the eternal losses. Everyone knows fairly well that which one is
profitable in these two conditions.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The world is useful when men are alive. However,
men couldn’t exchange the world for life because life is more precious than the
world.
2) This verse shows that “the world” is opposite to
“life”. If someone loves the world, he will lose his life. Therefore we should
not love the world and should treasure the life.
3) Life is indeed precious, however, the problem is
that men’s life will die one day. Therefore we should seize the opportunity to
use our life when we are still alive (See Eph. 5:16).
4) We should not use our life for
ourselves------with the purpose of pursuit that one should gain the whole
world. We should use our life for the Lord------with the purpose of pursuit
that one is proud of the Lord and His words (See v.26).
Luke. 9:26 “For whoever is ashamed of
Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own
glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels.”
YLT: “`For whoever may be
ashamed of me, and of my words, of this one shall the Son of Man be ashamed,
when he may come in his glory, and the Father’s, and the holy messengers’;”
Literal Meaning: “whoever is ashamed
of Me and My words” “be ashamed of” shows that one may be humiliated by the
world because of this. The fear of humiliation is one reason that blocks
believers from committing themselves to Christ completely.
“Of him the Son of Man will be ashamed”
It shows that when He comes again in His glory, He will execute the judgment
according to everyone’s attitude towards Him.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Those who wholeheartedly want to cater to and
please the sinful and adulterous world and do not want to follow and please the
Lord will not partake in the
2) “Me and My words” that the Lord had mentioned
are “Christ and the cross” that had been spoken previously (See v.20, 22).
Whoever is ashamed of Christ and the cross, of him will be ashamed of in the
kingdom. On the contrary, whoever is proud of Christ and the cross, he will
partake in the glory of future.
3) If indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also
be glorified with Him (Rom. 8:17); however, if we enjoy the pleasure of sin, we
will receive the recompense that fits.
4) The order of the revelations in this chapter is:
1) Christ; 2) the cross; 3) the glory. Christ is the center of the revelations;
the cross is the way to manifest Christ; the glory is the peak to manifest
Christ.
5) Only knowing Christ and walking in the way of
cross will make Christ be fully manifested and this is the glory.
Luke. 9:27 “But I tell you truly,
there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the
kingdom of God.’”
YLT: “and I say to you,
truly, there are certain of those here standing, who shall not taste of death
till they may see the reign of God.’”
Literal Meaning: “who shall not taste
death” means “before the departure”.
“They see the
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Though the overcoming believers will fully and
completely taste the glory of the
2) Though the way of the cross is painful, its
reward is the glory. Whoever walks in the way of the cross with the Lord will
gain joy and reward that exceedingly surpass the pain that he had suffered and
the price that he had paid.
Luke. 9:28 “Now it came to pass,
about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and
went up on the mountain to pray.”
YLT: “And it came to
pass, after these words, as it were eight days, that having taken Peter, and
John, and James, he went up to the mountain to pray,”
Literal Meaning: “about eight days”
There were six days (See Matt. 17:1-8) between the day when Peter confessed
Jesus as Christ (See v.20) and the day when they climbed the mountain. Here the
beginning and last must have been counted and therefore it is recorded “about
eight days”.
“Went up on the mountain to pray” At
that time, they were in
the region of Caesarea Philippi (See Matt.
16:13-16) and therefore the mountain may be “the
Spiritual Meaning: “He took Peter,
John, and James” they represent overcomers in the believers of the New
Testament.
“Went up on the mountain to pray” It
indicates that they have communion with God in the heavenly realm.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) We have to live in the resurrection (“about
eight days”) and in the heavenly realm (“went up on the mountain”). Then we
will see the manifestation of the Lord’s glory.
2) Only few people who love the Lord with pure
hearts (Peter, James and John) and have communion with God in the heavenly
realm will partake in the glory of kingdom.
3) To those who are on the mountain with the Lord,
the heaven is not far from them. Many people see the heaven open when are
praying and meditating. Many people feel as if a surge of billows suddenly
plunge into them when they have communion with God in secret. They all
foretaste the joy in heaven.
4) We should not think that only Peter, John and
James are worthy to follow the Lord to the mountain. Peter was impetuous. James
and John were bad-tempered. They had misunderstood their Lord and the Lord’s
mission. Therefore you had no excuse for not letting the Lord bring you to the
mountain. You should not give yourself up as hopeless or say that, “only the
few spiritual ones could undergo these unusual experiences”.
Luke. 9:29 “As He prayed, the
appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.”
YLT: “and it came to
pass, in his praying, the appearance of his face became altered, and his
garment white sparkling.”
Meaning of Words: “glisten”: shine,
sparkle.
Literal Meaning: “the appearance of
His face was altered” It indicates that they were clear-headed and saw the Lord
being transfigured with eyes instead of in dream (See 2Pet. 1:16, 1John. 1:1).
Spiritual Meaning: “the appearance of
His face was altered” This is a preview of the Lord’s second coming that His
image of glory (See 2Cor. 3:18) will be fully manifested in the hidden and
lowly flesh.
“His robe became white and glistening”
“robe” symbolizes behavior. Therefore it shows that in the
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) One day, we will be transformed according to the
same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord (2Cor. 3:18).
2) When the Lord comes, He shall come to be gloried
in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (2Thess. 1:10).
Luke. 9:30 “And behold, two men
talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah,”
YLT: “And lo, two men
were speaking together with him, who were Moses and Elijah,”
The
Background: Elijah went up into
heaven without the experience of death (See 2Kings. 2:11). Though Moses died in
the
Literal Meaning: “talked with Him”
They talked about that He was about to be killed in
Spiritual Meaning: “Moses and Elijah,”
“Moses” here represents the Law that is the word written by God; “Elijah” here
is the type of prophets who speak for God. The Law and prophets both bear
witness to Christ.
Because “Moses” had died, he represents
overcomers who died and would rise again. “Elijah” had not died and therefore
he represents overcomers who are caught up when they are alive.
Luke. 9:31 “who appeared in glory and
spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at
YLT: “who having appeared
in glory, spake of his outgoing that he was about to fulfil in
Meaning of Words: “decease”:
departing.
Literal Meaning: “spoke of His decease”
“Decease” and “exodus” are the same word in the original, showing that they
talked about not only His decease but also His resurrection and ascension (See
v.57).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The decease of the Lord Jesus is such a great
event that it is related to men both in the New Testament and the Old
Testament.
2) The crucifixion of the Lord Jesus deals with the
matter of sins, the world and death. His crucifixion also destroys Satan and
brings salvation to all the human beings. Therefore it is the greatest thing in
the world.
Luke. 9:32 “But Peter and those with
him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory
and the two men who stood with Him.”
YLT: “but Peter and those
with him were heavy with sleep, and having waked, they saw his glory, and the
two men standing with him.”
Luke. 9:33 “Then it happened, as they
were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master,
it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You,
one for Moses, and one for Elijah’--not knowing what he said.”
YLT: “And it came to
pass, in their parting from him, Peter said unto Jesus, ‘Master, it is good to
us to be here; and we may make three booths, one for thee, and one for Moses,
and one for Elijah,’ not knowing what he saith:”
Literal Meaning: “Master, it is good
for us to be here” “Master” means “teacher”; and only the one who experiences
this personally know how “good” it is.
“Let us make three tabernacles.” It
shows that Peter deeply expected to stay in the vision and the realm of the
kingdom for long and he forgot the Lord’s words that “the Son of Man must
suffer many things” (See v.22).
“One for You, one for Moses, and one for
Elijah” Peter said so because he thought the Lord Jesus, Moses and Elijah were
equal.
“Not knowing what he said.” The vision on the Mountain made deep
impression on Peter and greatly affected the service throughout his life from
that day forwards (See 1Pet. 1:16-18). Because of his naïve spiritual
knowledge, he did not speak probably and this could not correctly reflect his
inner feeling.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “It is good for us to be here.” Truly, the best
thing for us who have been granted the grace is the glorious appearing of the
Lord in the depth of the spirit. When He appears to us, all of us will feel
“good”.
2) “Let us make here three tabernacles.” It shows
that Peter not only wanted to keep “Christ” but also wanted to keep “the
persons and things” that were related to Christ. He had held them high even to
the same position with Christ. This is the mistake that Christians usually
make.
3) “Let us make here three tabernacles.” It also
shows that someone only wants to stay in the state of glory and blessing on the
mountain and does not want to come down from the mountain to face sufferings
and take up his cross. However, through many tribulations, we must enter into
the
4) The Law and prophets (Moses and the prophets)
existed in order to guide men to know Christ. Though they were very important,
they cannot be treated equal with Christ because they were only a shadow and
the substance is Christ (See Col. 2:17).
5) In the
6) Though Moses and Elijah were most respected by
the children of
7) Work and labor (which Moses stands for), and
faith and power (which Elijah stands for) cannot share glory with the Lord. We
should let Him have the first place in all things (Col. 1:18).
8) Believers should take heed of their words and we
should not speak randomly.
Luke. 9:34 “While he was saying this,
a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the
cloud.”
YLT: “and as he was
speaking these things, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them, and they
feared in their entering into the cloud,”
Literal Meaning: “a cloud came and
overshadowed them” “Cloud” is accompanied with God’s presence, protection and
guidance (See Exod. 16:10, 19:9, 24:15-18, 33:9-10).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Sometimes our life on earth is unavoidably full
of black clouds. However, in the heavenly kingdom in future, every cloud is
bright.
2) Only the heavenly revelations could overthrow
the silly fervency and make men truly fear God (“they were fearful”).
Luke. 9:35 “And a voice came out of
the cloud, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son.
Hear Him!’”
YLT: “and a voice came
out of the cloud saying, ‘This is My Son the Beloved; hear ye him;’”
Literal Meaning: “And a voice came
out of the cloud” It is the voice of God. God Himself broke the words of Peter
with a voice and corrected his wrong conception.
“This is My beloved Son.” It shows the Father’s praise to Jesus
(See Ps. 2:7, Gen. 22:2). When Jesus was baptized, the Father said the same
word (See 1:11) and praised His “behaviors” of thirty years that satisfied the
will of the Father. Here He praised His “works” of three years that also
satisfied the will of the Father.
“Hear Him!” means “unto Him you shall
hearken” (See Deut. 18:15). Only “His word” is worthy to be solely respected
and the word of anyone else cannot be compared with His word.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Only the Lord is the only-begotten Son, who is
in the bosom of the Father (John. 1:18). Only He deeply knows the will of the
Father and therefore we should “hear Him”. God likes us to solely respect and
hear Him and we should no longer hear anyone else.
2) Men will truly know the Lord only when they
“hear” the voice of God.
3) In the time of the New Testament, we should not
hear outward regulations and traditions (the Law) or spiritual giants (the
prophets). We should hear the Lord who dwells in us.
4) Believers always like to “talk about” Him and
seldom “hear” Him.
5) Those who truly “hear” the Lord assuredly obey
His word. Only the hearing of God’s word with obedience is the true hearing
(See James. 1:22-25).
Luke. 9:36 “When the voice had
ceased, Jesus was found alone. But they kept quiet, and told no one in those
days any of the things they had seen.”
YLT: “and when the voice
was past, Jesus was found alone; and they were silent, and declared to no one
in those days anything of what they have seen.”
Literal Meaning: “But they kept
quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.” After
the Lord Jesus was raised from the dead, the disciples told men their
experience on the mountain in order to bear witness to the identity of the Lord
Jesus. However, it is harmful to tell men the things before the Lord Jesus was
raised from the dead.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Those who truly have spiritual sights see that
“Jesus was found alone”.
2) Spiritual progress depends on our eyes which may
be gradually turned away from persons and things that are besides the Lord and
be fixed steadfastly on Him.
3) We should not tell the vision on the mountain to
others randomly at the foot of the mountain (i.e. this time) because: a) the
time has not come; b) only those who have received the Lord’s living life are
able to understand, talk about and enter into the reality of the vision (See
1Cor. 2:10-15).
4) We should not tell to the public randomly what
we have seen in secret until the right time.
5) Believers should learn from the example of the
Lord Jesus to speak and walk------if the time has not come, we should say and
do nothing (See John. 7:6).
Luke. 9:37 “Now it happened on the
next day, when they had come down from the mountain, that a great multitude met
Him.”
YLT: “And it came to pass
on the next day, they having come down from the mount, there met him a great
multitude,”
Luke. 9:38 “Suddenly a man from the
multitude cried out, saying, ‘Teacher, I implore You,
look on my son, for he is my only child.”
YLT: “and lo, a man from
the multitude cried out, saying, `Teacher, I beseech thee, look upon my son,
because he is my only begotten;”
Luke. 9:39 “And behold, a spirit
seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him so that he foams at the
mouth; and it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him.”
YLT: “and lo, a spirit
doth take him, and suddenly he doth cry out, and it teareth him, with foaming,
and it hardly departeth from him, bruising him,”
Literal Meaning: “it convulses him” “Convulse” indicates that one’s
body twitches and jerks involuntarily.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Lord led the disciples come down from the
mountain and they met the one who was possessed by the devil. This shows us
that:
A.
Truly, it is sweet to see the glorious Christ on the mountain, however, we
should not forget men who are pressed by the devil at the foot of the mountain.
They are waiting for us to release and save them.
B. We
must go up to the mountain and see the glorious Christ first and then we could
come down from the mountain to cast out the unclean spirit.
2) The work of the devil is to make a fool of men
and make them be unable to decide for themselves.
Luke. 9:40 “So I implored Your
disciples to cast it out, but they could not.’”
YLT: “and I besought thy
disciples that they might cast it out, and they were not able.’”
Literal Meaning: “but they could not”
Please note that the Lord had given them power and authority over all demons
(See v.1).
Spiritual Meaning: “I implored Your
disciples” “disciples” represent believers.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The reason why the disciples could not cast out
the devil is not the ineffectiveness of power given by the Lord but that they
were unable to use the power under the state at that time. If the spiritual
state of believers falls behind, the spiritual power will be restrained to take
effect.
2) Many times, when men are confronted with
difficulties, they do not ask the Lord for help but spiritual men (“disciples”)
and consequently the difficulties still exist.
3) “But they could not”. Originally believers have
heavenly power to cast out demons. However, we always fail in real life.
Luke. 9:41 “Then Jesus answered and
said, ‘O faithless and perverse
generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son
here.’”
YLT: “And Jesus answering
said, `O generation, unstedfast and perverse, till when shall I be with you,
and suffer you? bring near hither thy son;’”
Meaning of Words: “faithless”:
unbelief; “perverse”: distort, turn away.
Literal Meaning: “faithless and
perverse generation,” “Faithless” is towards the Lord’s power; “perverse” is
towards the Lord’s will.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) What mostly hurts the Lord (“how long shall I
bear with you?”) is the evil heart of unbelief (See Heb. 3:12).
2) The Lord’s
signing words show that the reason why the disciples could not cure him is that
the Lord was not with them in the flesh. They forgot to draw the Lord’s
presence in spirit (See 1Cor. 5:3) and tried to cast out the demon, relying on
themselves and consequently it resulted in failure.
3) The generation was wicked and adulterous and
therefore it could not enjoy the goodness of the Lord’s presence. However, if
one is willing to come to the Lord and implore Him, he will finally be cured.
4) Believers cannot be jointed to the Lord and draw
His power and authority because of their unbelief.
Luke. 9:42 “And as he was still
coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him. Then Jesus rebuked the
unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father.”
YLT: “and as he is yet
coming near, the demon rent him, and tore [him] sore, and Jesus rebuked the
unclean spirit, and healed the youth, and gave him back to his father.”
Meaning of Words: “rebuke”: scold,
forbid.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) When the Lord Jesus and the disciples were on
the mount, everything is white and glistening (See v.29). However, when they
were in the real environments at the foot of the mount, they were confronted
with the problem of the power of darkness (the demon).
2) We should never be polite when dealing with the
demon. We should use the heavenly power and “rebuke” it and it would flee.
3) The sickness of that child was caused by the
demon and when the demon was cast out, he was cured. When we pray for the
healing of disease, we should have spiritual sight to discern whether the
reason of the disease is due to nature or super nature.
Luke. 9:43 “And they were all amazed
at the majesty of God. But while everyone marveled at all the things which
Jesus did, He said to His disciples,”
YLT: “And they were all
amazed at the greatness of God, and while all are wondering at all things that
Jesus did, he said unto his disciples,”
Meaning of Words: “amazed”: astound,
astonish; “majesty”: stately, magnificent.
Luke. 9:44 “‘Let
these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be
betrayed into the hands of men.’”
YLT: “`Lay ye to your
ears these words, for the Son of Man is about to be delivered up to the hands
of men.’”
Literal Meaning: “the Son of Man is
about to be betrayed into the hands of men.” It indicates that He would be sold
out and be delivered to the local government (See Mark. 9:31).
Enlightenment in the word:
1) The one who was manifested as the incomparably
glorious king in vision even “is about to be betrayed into the hands of men”,
showing that one has to suffer before gaining in the glory (See 1Pet. 5:1).
2) If indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also
be gloried together (Rom. 8:17).
3) Before the complete fulfillment of the glorious
vision, one has to go through the way of cross. Only those who have experienced
the cross will partake in the reality of the glorious vision.
Luke. 9:45 “But they did not
understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not
perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying.”
YLT: “And they were not
knowing this saying, and it was veiled from them, that they might not perceive
it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.”
Literal Meaning: the Lord predicted
that He would be killed and raised again and again, however, the disciples
still cannot understand His words.
Luke. 9:46 “Then a dispute arose
among them as to which of them would be greatest.”
YLT: “And there entered a
reasoning among them, this, Who may be greater of them?”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Not merely the world likes to dispute that who
is the greatest, but also this difficulty exists in the assembly.
2) The inclination to dispute that who is the
greatest is of the natural life of the old man. Only those who live in the
spiritual life of the new man are able to solve this problem.
Luke. 9:47 “And Jesus, perceiving the
thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him,”
YLT: “and Jesus having
seen the reasoning of their heart, having taken hold of a child, set him beside
himself,”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) A child holds that he has nothing to boast and
therefore his humbleness is sincere. Whoever holds that he is nothing, owns
nothing and only leads a life relying on God’s mercy and grace is the greatest
in the kingdom of heaven.
2) The Lord humbled Himself and therefore He was
highly exalted by God (Pill. 2:8-9). The principle in the spiritual realm is
that for every one who humbles himself shall be exalted (See Luke. 18:14).
3) The humbler one is, the more he is able to be
reigned by God and the greater he is in the kingdom of heaven.
4) Children are able to have rest in the present
position and do not feel that they entail strenuous effort or suffer losses.
Luke. 9:48 “and said to them, ‘Whoever receives this little child in My name receives
Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among
you all will be great.’”
YLT: “and said to them,
‘Whoever may receive this child in my name, doth receive me, and whoever may
receive me, doth receive Him who sent me, for he who is least among you all he
shall be great.’”
Literal Meaning: “whoever receives
this little child in My name” “In My name” has three meanings: 1) in order to
glorify the name of the Lord; 2) for the Lord Himself; 3) according to the fact
that the child is of the Lord. “Receive”: welcome, be concerned about, accept
willingly.
“Whoever receives this little child
receives Me.” “Little child” indicates believers who are spiritually naïve and
weak. Grown-ups always dislike the childishness, ignorance and bother of
children. Only those who become little children are able to willingly receive
those who are children in minds (See 1Cor. 13:11, 14:20). This kind of
reception shall be remembered by the Lord (See Matt. 10:42, 25:40).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) We should love both Christ and all the Saints.
2) In the sight of
the Lord, our attitudes towards men are equivalent to our attitudes towards
Himself (See Matt. 10:40).
3) “For he who is least among you all will be great.” In the assembly, only those who are
willing to humble themselves and serve others are the true spiritual leaders.
4) Truly, “being greatest” is to take care of those
who are weak, ordinary, and helpless and those who are despised by others.
Luke. 9:49 “Now John answered and
said, ‘Master, we saw someone
casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow
with us.’”
YLT: “And John answering
said, ‘Master, we saw a certain one in thy name casting forth the demons, and
we forbade him, because he doth not follow with us;’”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) In service, we should not haggle over that
whether others “follow with us”------whether they do according to our methods,
tunes, customs and etc.
2) We will forbid him if one does not follow with
us. The narrow conception and execution are often seen in the past two thousand
years in the history of church. In many groups of the church, as long as
someone does not agree with the opinion of the leader, he will be forbidden by
them and therefore it results in the division.
3) It is “the spirit of sect” to condemn and forbid
whoever does not “follow with us” concerning views, methods and actions. The
one with the spirit of sect has not been dealt with by the cross.
4) Many ministers become indignant and want to
revenge others by spiritual ways (for example: they assault others in the
message of alter or spiritual books and periodicals; they belittle others in
the arrangement of service) because they have not received others’ approval.
These are not in accord with the spirit of Christ.
5) What many men pay attention to is the accordance
of the outward form. However, what the Lord pays attention to is whether they
have the inner spiritual reality.
Luke. 9:50 “But Jesus said to him, ‘Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our
side.’”
YLT: “and Jesus said unto
him, ‘Forbid not, for he who is not against us, is for us.’”
Literal Meaning: “Do not forbid him”
Obviously, the mind of the Lord Jesus is not as narrow as that of the
disciples. What the Lord cares is that men glorify Him virtually instead of
following Him exteriorly.
“For he who is not against us is on our
side.” It means that whoever shares a bitter hatred of the enemy profits us.
Controversial Clarification: the words in this verse seem to be contradictory to
the sentence “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather
with Me scatters” in Luke. 11:23. Actually, it is not so. In chapter 11 the
Lord meant that believers should agree with each other in “faith” and “those
who are against the Lord”. However, the Lord here meant that believers could
have distinctions in “methods” and “fellow-workers” and we should tolerate each
other.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Believers should not form small groups and we
should not reject the dissidents.
2) We should be severe towards enemies and lenient
towards believers.
3) Men’s attitude towards Christ is only approval
or disapproval and there isn’t the intermediate attitude. However, concerning
the views and methods in service, we should not require others to follow with
us.
Luke. 9:51 “Now it came to pass, when
the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face
to go to
YLT: “And it came to
pass, in the completing of the days of his being taken up, that he fixed his
face to go on to
Spiritual Meaning: “He steadfastly set
His face to go to
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “That He steadfastly set His face to go to
Jerusalem.” The Lord has a fixed direction in His way and He walked with a
fixed purpose. When we follow the Lord, we must have the fixed direction and
purpose.
2) Paul said that “I do one thing, forgetting those
things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I
press toward the goal for the prize of the upward calling of God in Christ
Jesus” (Pill. 3:13-14). It is the aim that he pursues. Friends, is this that
you pursue?
3) The cross was taken up by Him before He was
received up into the heaven. Since believers know that the coming of the Lord
draws nigh, we should determine to do the will that God has set for
us------taking up the cross to follow the Lord.
Luke. 9:52 “and sent messengers
before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to
prepare for Him.”
YLT: “and he sent
messengers before his face, and having gone on, they went into a
The
Background:
Luke. 9:53 “But they did not receive
Him, because His face was set for the journey to
YLT: “and they did not
receive him, because his face was going on to
The
Background: In the time of
Jesus, the Samaritans were especially hostile towards the Jews who passed by
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The way of cross is not welcome to men. Whenever
you make up your mind to walk in the way of cross, men will not receive you.
2) The carnal Christians (the Samaritans) could not
understand the will of God at all and therefore they show unfriendly attitude
towards those who desire to do the will of God whole-heartedly.
Luke. 9:54 “And when His disciples
James and John saw this, they said, ‘Lord, do You want us to
command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?’”
YLT: “And his disciples
James and John having seen, said, `Sir, wilt thou [that] we may command fire to
come down from the heaven, and to consume them, as also Elijah did?’”
Literal
Meaning: James and John were
irritable and therefore they were called “sons of thunder” (Mark. 3:17). Here
they spoke the words of impatience.
“Just as Elijah did” Elijah the prophet
once asked the fire come down from heaven and consume the people who were sent
by Ahab the king (See 2Kings. 1:10-12).
Luke. 9:55 “But He turned and rebuked
them, and said, ‘You do not know what manner
of spirit you are of.”
YLT: “and having turned,
he rebuked them, and said, `Ye have not known of what spirit ye are;”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Natural men can only see others’ shortcomings
instead of their own weak points.
2) The wrath of men does not produce the
righteousness of God (James. 1:20). Those who want to help the Lord by their
own natural feeling and zeal destroy the building of the Lord contrarily.
Luke. 9:56 “For the Son of Man did
not come to destroy men's lives but to save them.’
And they went to another village.”
YLT: “for the Son of Man
did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save;’ and they went on to another
village.”
Literal Meaning: “not to destroy men's lives
but to save them” means that “not to
revenge but to provide”.
Luke. 9:57 “Now it happened as they
journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, ‘Lord,
I will follow You wherever You go.’”
YLT: “And it came to
pass, as they are going on in the way, a certain one said unto him, `I will
follow thee wherever thou mayest go, sir;’”
Literal
Meaning: “someone said to
Him” This one was a scribe (See Matt. 8:17) who was the Bible scholar of the
Old Testament. He was not called by the Lord and he took the initiative to
“come” to the Lord.
“I will follow You wherever You go.” He may
want to gain the mysterious power to do wonders in order to be outstanding in
the circle of religion because he had seen the Lord casting out demons and
healing diseases.
Luke. 9:58 “And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the
Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.’”
YLT: “and Jesus said to
him, ‘The foxes have holes, and the fowls of the heaven places of rest, but the
Son of Man hath not where he may recline the head.’”
Literal Meaning: the words of the
Lord show that: even animals have places to inhabit on earth. However, the Lord
sacrificed the warm and rest of family life in order to do the will of God. The
Lord said so not to gain others’ sympathy. Through this He showed us that
following the Lord is not pleasant and contrarily one may suffer many pains.
“But the Son of Man has nowhere to lay
His head.” The word shows that the Lord does not have a place of rest on earth;
and suffering is the sign of His life (See 2:12).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Lord had sojourned on earth for us and what
shall we do for Him?
2) The Lord was rejected on earth and He had no
place to lay His head. Today what He asks for us is to dwell in our hearts
through faith (See Eph. 3:17).
3) If someone takes the initiative to follow the
Lord, He will ask him to consider the prices because natural zealousness will
be step back by prices eventually.
4) When we have a will to follow the Lord (v.57),
we should make great determination and for the sake of the Lord, we could even
sacrifice the warm and enjoyment in family life.
Luke. 9:59 “Then He said to another, ‘Follow Me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’”
YLT: “And he said unto
another, ‘Be following me;’ and he said, ‘Sir, permit me, having gone away,
first to bury my father;’”
The
Background: the Jews attached
great importance to bury their family members. They held that this was the
sacred responsibility of sons and daughters and it was more important than any
religious duty. Even the religious regulations could be delayed for this.
Literal
Meaning: “let me first go and
bury my father.” It is a proverb at that time and it means to serve parents
while they are alive and give proper burial after their death. That disciple meant that he wanted to do his duty
as a son to his family first and then he would follow the Lord.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “Lord, let me first…” His word is
self-contradictory. Should the Lord be first or should I be first? Since we
call the Lord lord, we should value the Lord’s will more than ours.
2) It is the most common phenomenon for Christians
today that we put our things first and delay ourselves to follow and serve the
Lord.
3) It is absolutely reasonable and right for us to
show love and respect to the dying or dead father. However, any reasonable and
right person or thing should not be the excuse for us to reject the calling of
the Lord.
Luke. 9:60 “Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach
the
YLT: “and Jesus said to
him, ‘Suffer the dead to bury their own dead, and thou, having gone away,
publish the reign of God.’”
Literal
Meaning: the first “dead”
indicates sinners who are dead in the spirit (Eph. 2:1, 5). The second “dead”
indicates men who are dead in the flesh. The Lord here did not ask us not to
care about the needs of our family. (The Lord, at the point of death on the
cross, asked His disciple to look after His mother. See John. 19:26-27). The
Lord meant that we should not wait and follow the Lord until all the earthly
things are done well.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) To the scribe who took the initiative to follow
the Lord, He asked him to sit down and count the price (See v.57-58). To the
disciple who had been called and would draw back, the Lord encouraged him to go
forth. It shows that what’s important in following the Lord is whether we have
the calling of the Lord rather than our own willingness.
2) Anyone knows the true significance of life would
give priority to doing the command of the Lord and would not let the less
important things disturb his service to the Lord.
Luke. 9:61 “And another also said, ‘Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them
farewell who are at my house.’”
YLT: “And another also
said, ‘I will follow thee, sir, but first permit me to take leave of those in
my house;’”
Literal Meaning: “let me first go and
bid them farewell who are at my house.” It is the ordinary politeness in life
for one to “bid them farewell who are at my house”. Even if it is the most
elementary formality, it is wrong to give the priority over “obeying the Lord
immediately and completely”.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) When following the Lord, we are always
confronted with a choice: who is more important, “the Lord” or our “family
members”?
2) If we love our father or mother above the Lord,
we are not worthy of Him. If we love our son or daughter above the Lord, we are
not worthy of Him (Matt. 10:37).
3) When the Lord calls us, if we have not made the
determination to devote ourselves to Him and follow Him, probably we won’t have
any chance to follow Him forever.
Luke. 9:62 “But Jesus said to him, ‘No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking
back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’”
YLT: “and Jesus said unto
him, ‘No one having put his hand on a plough, and looking back, is fit for the
reign of God.’”
The
Background: the Lord Jesus was
once a carpenter (Mark. 6:3). It is said that He was good at making the handles
of plow, yokes and other tools for plowing. Therefore He was very familiar with
the plow and yoke (See Matt. 11:29-30).
“Having put his hand to the plow, and
looking back” In ancient times, men plowed the land with the plow. The farmer
put his hands to the plow when the livestock was dragging in front. The farmer
should fix his eyes on the front of the plow and should not look back. Because
once he looked back, the plow would incline so that the ridge would be crooked;
at the same time, the plowshare might fall so deep that the livestock cannot
continue to drag forth.
Spiritual Meaning: “Having put his hand
to the plow, and looking back.” “The plow” indicates our service. Once believers
put their hands to the plow and have been instructed by the Lord, we should not
look back or have any concern besides the Lord.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) If one, having put his hand to the plow, looks
back, the land he plows must not be straight. Those who do the work of the Lord
should do it whole-heartedly and should not let themselves be involved by the
worldly things.
2) Once we have received the calling of the Lord,
we should advance bravely and be duty-bound and should never turn back. Those
who are overcautious and indecisive cannot do the work of the Lord well.
III.
Outlines of the Spiritual Lessons
The Lord’s Workers
I. They have been chosen, called and sent by
the Lord------Jesus called, gave, and sent them (v.1-2).
II. They have been equipped by the
Lord------He gave them power and authority (v.1b).
III. The Lord will arrange and provide them
all the needs of their life (v.3-4).
IV. They do not have any earthly involvement
with the world (v.5).
V. Their main mission------preaching the
gospel and healing everywhere (v.6).
The Way of the
Lord’s Workers
I. As long as the workers obey the Lord’s
sending, the Lord will assuredly take all the responsibility for their life
(v.1-6).
II. Though they have been persecuted by the
earthly regime, they bear good witness to the Lord (v.7-9).
III. They should devote themselves to the
Lord and rely on Him as the channels to supply the spiritual food (v.10-17).
IV. They should know Christ more (v.18-22).
V. They should deny themselves and take up
their own crosses to follow the Lord (v.23).
VI. They should lose the enjoyment of the
life of soul for the Lord (v.24-25).
VII. They should not be ashamed of the Lord
and His words (v.26).
Five
Loaves and Two Fish (v.16-17)
I. Be devoted to the Lord------“Jesus took”.
II. Through the Lord’s blessing------“looking up to the heaven, He
blessed”.
III. Be broken by the Lord’s cross------“He broke them”.
IV. Be the channels
of the Lord------“He gave them
to the disciples to set before the multitude”.
V. The sufficient provision------“they all ate and were filled”.
VI. One shall not waste the Lord’s grace------“the leftover fragments were taken
up”.
VII. The full and abundant grace------“twelve baskets were taken up by
them”.
The Knowledge that
We should Have towards the Lord Jesus
I. We should know that He is our provision
of life (v.10-17).
II. We should know that He is the Christ of
God (v.18-21).
III. We should know that He is our redeemer
(v.22-25).
IV. We should know that He will come again
in His glory (v.26-27).
V. We should know that He is the Beloved Son
of God (v.28-36).
VI. We should know that He has the power
that overcomes the devil (v.37-43).
The Revelation of
the Kingdom of A Thousand Years (v.28-36)
I. Christ gains glory and reigns (See Rev.
11:15).
II. Peter, James and John symbolize the
house of
III. Moses symbolizes believers who have
been dead and rise (See 1Cor. 15:52; 1Thess. 4:16).
IV. Elijah symbolizes believers who are
raptured when they are alive (See 1Thess. 4:17).
V. Men who were at the foot of the mountain
symbolize the nations (See Is. 11:10-12).
The
Microcosm of the
I. The overcomers of the New Testament will
appear in the glory with the Lord (v.28).
II. Everything of the Lord is white and
glistening (v.29).
III. The overcomers of the Old Testament
also partake in the kingdom (v.30).
In the
I. The wrongness of the tree
tabernacles------the law and the prophets cannot be regarded as equal with the
Lord (v.33).
II. The declaration of God the
Father------we should hear the Beloved Son of God only (v.34-35).
III. Jesus was found alone (v.36a).
The Difficulties of
Those who Follow the Lord
I. They could not conquer the unclean spirit
(v.37-43).
II. They could not understand the word of
the Lord (v.44-45).
III. A dispute arose among them as to which
of them would be greatest (v.46-48).
IV. They forbade others to cast out demons
(v.49-50).
V. They wanted to revenge those who were
unwilling to receive them (v.51-56).
VI. They could not overcome the enjoyment
and involvement of the flesh (v.57-62).
The Witness,
Application and Way of the Vision of the
I. The witness of the vision------they did
not tell others the vision randomly (v.36b).
II. The application in life of the vision:
A. In the real life at the foot of the mountain, there was the
harassment of the power of darkness (v.37-39).
B. The disciples failed because they relied on themselves (v.40).
C. If one comes to the Lord with faith, he will assuredly see the
manifestation of God’s great power (v.41-43).
III. The way of the vision:
A. One has to undergo the cross before the complete fulfillment of the
glorious vision (v.44).
B. The carnal ones do not understand the cross (v.45).
The Way for the
Workers of the Lord to Deal with Men
II. Tolerate the dissidents and deal with
them kindly because they are of Christ (v.49-50).
III. Realize the Lord’s heart to save men
and do not revenge because they do not receive us (v.51-56).
The Ambition that
Those Who Follow the Lord should Have
I. Do not seek the earthly ease------have nowhere
to lay one’s head (v.57-58).
II. Do not care about things of
death------let the dead bury their own dead (v.59-60).
III. Cut off the fleshly connection------do
not look back, having put one’s hand to the plow (v.61-62).
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Sharon Ren