FACTS AND THOUGHTS

 
LESSON NINE - NEW DIRECTION
 
(Luke Chapter Ten)
 
 
Upon the so-called Great Confession by Peter, the first prediction by Jesus of His coming death and resurrection, and the Transfiguration of Jesus, 
(all in Chapter Nine of Luke,) there was a definite change of direction in the earthly ministry of the Lord,. No longer is the major emphasis placed upon disclosing Who He was. Now the emphasis is upon the future.
 
This "future" includes the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. But in the mind of Jesus, the future certainly includes the destiny of the Kingdom of God. For Jesus, it would seem that the latter is to be of greater ultimate importance, with the former (the Crucifixion and the Resurrection) as steps in the progress. Later on (Luke 12:50) He was quoted as saying, "But I have a baptism to be baptized with" (that is, His death); "and how am I straitened" (restricted, confined, limited) "till it be accomplished."  
 
Jesus, it is to be remembered, was engaged in fulfilling several roles. According to Mark, He was "The Servant of the Lord," come to complete the assignment given Him by His Father, which included leading the people of God. Matthew, the most Jewish Gospel, emphasizes both His role as "the Son of Abraham," and His Messiahship, "the Son of David." (See Matthew 1:1.) But Luke's emphasis was upon His role as "The Ideal Human Being, The Son of Man." Later on, John would write of Jesus as "The Word of God" and as "The Son of God." (See the development of these themes in this writer's book,"He Called Himself The Son of Man.")
 
 
This does not mean that each writer stressed any one role to the exclusion of the others, but rather that the chief emphasis of each was upon the delineations indicated in the paragraph above.
 
 
Now all of this was to promote the Kingdom of God, of which Jesus was to be the ruling Prince. But it was to be a fighting role, a warrior role. Thus Jesus would later say, "I came to cast fire upon the earth; and what do I desire, if it is already kindled? - Think not that I am come to give peace in the earth. I tell you, Nay: but rather division." (Luke 12:49-51.) Thus Jesus was to be the personal embodiment of "Israel" (of which the meaning is: "Mighty warrior-prince of God." (See Genesis 32:28.)
 
But it is necessary to point out that Jesus conducts His warfare not with sword or spear. He will fight in righteousness and peace. Therefore, when James and John wanted to punish the Samaritans for not receiving Jesus, he rebuked them. (See 9:54-55.)
 
 
Therefore the reign of Jesus is to be that of a warrior-king. Paul tells us that His reign is to be temporary: "until all enemies will have been put under His feet." Then Jesus will Himself abdicate in favour of His Father. (See I Corinthians 15:23-26.)
 
 
So, beginning with the tenth chapter of Luke, we see Jesus preparing those who would be His followers for their role in the "new creation, the new humanity, in Him" (see Ephesians 2:10) - Him Who is the progenitor, the "Last Adam," in His role as "The Son of Man." To the casual reader of Luke, the third gospel simply presents the human nature of Jesus. But in reality, it is as The Ideal Human Being, the "Last Adam," the "Man from Heaven," the progenitor of the new race of mankind which is the New Creation, that Luke is concerned to present.
 
 
Now it is probably significant that starting with Chapter Ten and continuing to the middle of Chapter Eighteen, the material found in Luke is not found in the other Gospels. And because in this twenty-lesson series we cannot hope to cover all the material in the Third Gospel, therefore we shall confine ourselves to those parts of this Gospel which are peculiar to Luke.
 
 
FOUR EPISODES IN CHAPTER TEN.
 
 
As stated before, all the events in Chapter Ten of this Gospel are not described in the other Gospel records. So we may conclude that by telling of them, Luke is using them to further his presentation of Jesus as "The Son of Man." Thus they merit our attention.
 
 
There are basically four episodes recounted in this chapter. First, there is the sending forth of seventy forerunners and their return. (Vss. 1-20.) Next, we find recounted a brief prayer by Jesus and His further remarks about God's revelation of His plans and affairs (Vss. 21-24.) Third, there is the question from a "lawyer," and the story called "The Good Samaritan." (Vss. 25-37.) Finally we have the story of Jesus reprimanding Martha for her concern about serving guests. (Vss. 38-42.) Let us look at each of these briefly.
 
THE SEVENTY
 
In the beginning of Chapter Nine there was the rather brief recital of the event when Jesus sent forth the twelve to do precisely what Jesus had once told the Nazareth synagogue that He Himself was commissioned to do. (It was very likely intended to be a training session.) Now, after the other events of Chapter Nine, we find that Jesus also sent out another 70 of His disciples. His detailed instructions to them suggest that they needed careful instructions on what rejection might mean. Then, when (according to vs. 17) the seventy returned rejoicing because of their "success," we find Jesus apparently saying that they were rejoicing for the wrong reason. They should be rejoicing at their enrollment in the documents of heaven.
 
 
What is Jesus saying about this? It would seem to be a clear-cut proof that when it comes to our part in the "new creation," it is not a matter of what we ourselves do (such as subjecting spirits to ourselves), but rather that God can give us eternal life. It is this new life which gives us the true ground of rejoicing.
 
 
So the first lesson being taught by Jesus (according to Luke) is the necessity for us to establish our own identity as enrolled servants in heaven.
 
 
Have you so committed yourself to Jesus? This is a most important question, and it must be affirmatively acknowledged before we can proceed to other responsibilities involved in following Jesus. If you have not yet made this commitment of your own self, why not pause in your reading of this lesson, right now, and accept His salvation and commit yourself to Him. Do it now!
 
 
A PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING BY JESUS
 
 
Again (as so often in Luke's gospel record) we find Jesus engaging in prayer. (vss. 21-24.)
 
 
This prayer is really a prayer of thanksgiving. It is inspired by the Holy Spirit Who has been the guide of Jesus. His thanksgiving is for the wisdom and choice of God in selecting "babes" (in knowledge, judgment, and experience) rather than the "wise" (in their own eyes) and the "intelligent." He then states that He Himself is the funnel through which knowledge of God can and will be transmitted to men.
 
 
This is an astounding statement. It is a new facet in the personage of "The Son of Man," Who as Ideal Human Being is the very image of God. He is saying that only through this image of God can the knowledge of God be perceived. And furthermore, all things: everything - has been placed in the hands of The Son of Man by God the Father, to be used by this Ideal Human Being for the instruction of those He (The Son of Man) chooses to teach.
 
 
Then Jesus, upon concluding His prayer, tells His disciples that He has blessed them by having chosen them to see and hear things heretofore denied to kings and prophets. This is the legacy the Last Adam has chosen to bequeath to those who are members of the New Humanity, the New Creation, in Himself.
 
 
THE LESSON OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN
 
 
On another occasion Jesus was quoted as saying, "This is life eternal, that they might know Thee The Only True God, and Jesus Messiah Whom Thou hast sent." (John 17:3.)
 
Now here, at this point, a certain lawyer (student of the Torah, the Law of Moses, stood up to challenge Jesus.
 
He challenged Jesus on the Lord's claim to select those whom He would instruct.
 
He challenged Jesus on the Lord's claim that He had selected "the disciples" (vs. 23), thus by implication leaving him (the lawyer) out.
 
He challenged Jesus by calling Him "Teacher," thus demanding that Jesus not leave him out, but teach him as well.
 
And he challenged Jesus on the Lord's ability to know the Father, when Moses the Lawgiver had given full instructions in the Torah.
 
He challenged Jesus on the result of knowing God: how could he, the lawyer, "inherit eternal life?"
 
It was a challenge meant to "put down" this upstart Jesus.
 
 
Notice how deftly Jesus met the challenge. He answered the question with a question. He said, in essence, "You are a lawyer, an expert in the Law: what does the Law say? How do you interpret it?"
 
 
Like proud, arrogant men everywhere, the lawyer rushed right into the trap being laid for him. He promptly quoted from Deuteronomy 6:6 and from Leviticus 19:18, both passages being from that part of the Old Testament known as "The Torah" (the Law.)
 
 
One can imagine the lawyer quoting these words with a flourish, proud of his own ability to expound from his own knowledge of the Torah of God. And the reply of Jesus, expressed so quietly, at first confirmed the lawyer's opinion of himself. Jesus said, "You answered correctly." (And the lawyer preened himself.) Then Jesus added the "kicker." He said, "Now go and obey those two commandments, and you will have the eternal life you say you desire."
 
 
It is always easier to argue than to obey. So the lawyer argued by means of a question. "Who is my neighbour?" Fresh from the courts of the law-quibblers, the lawyer could imagine Jesus getting "hung up" in identifying "neighbourhoods" of the different strata of Jewish society. Instead, Jesus said (in effect), "Let me tell you a story."
 
 
We all know the story: the man waylaid by highway robbers. Three who could help: a priest, a Levite, and a lowly Samaritan (one thoroughly despised by all classes of Jews.) And the Samaritan acted at considerable personal cost and trouble.
 
 
And when the lawyer, caught up in the drama of the story, acknowledged that the Samaritan had been the good neighbour, he was stung with the climactic answer of Jesus: "Go, and do thou likewise."
 
 
We are not told, but we may imagine the effect of this story and its lesson upon both the disciples and upon the crowds surrounding them.
 
 
And implicit in the words of Jesus is the lesson: eternal life is not something to be inherited (see vs. 25), but is to be lived. It is to be lived by acts of love. As such, it is to reflect the God Who is love. It is to exhibit His character in ourselves. It is to manifest that we are members of the New Humanity, the New Creation, which is "in Jesus." For it is only "in Jesus" that we can always love the unlovely.
 
 
Strong teaching, indeed!
 
 
THE HARRIED HOSTESS
 
 
Finally, we have the episode wherein Jesus visited the home of Martha and Mary. And while Martha busied herself to a frenzy being the gracious hostess and rushing about to supply all the amenities of a welcome meal, her sister was sitting down listening to Jesus. Then, exhausted and exasperated, Martha chided not Mary but Jesus. And Jesus told Martha of a new standard of hospitality. It was not things but relationships. Mary had "chosen wisely: the good part."
 
 
This story has a deeper meaning that just a lesson on hospitality. It really has to do with the ultimate priorities of life. If we want God to hear us when we pray, if we want Him to teach us, then we must be prepared to stop and listen when He is ready to speak.
 
 
God is not a switch, to be turned on and off at our convenience.
 
 
God has plans, purposes, and ideas beyond our wildest imagination. Do you realize, for example, that our view of the world is exactly upside-down from God's view. We think of this world as being solid, immovable, and that true reality is wrapped up in the things we can see, hear, and feel. But the fact is, just the opposite is really true.
 
 
Today, because of the creative illusions of modern science, we have a phenomenon known as "virtual reality." We can see something projected before us which we would swear is absolutely true, positive, and real. But it can be all an illusion.
 
 
God has His own illusion, His own virtual reality. And it is this physical universe. The true reality is in heaven, which is invisible. This world, this universe, is destined to pass away. Instead, one day will come the "new heavens and new earth." In an ultimate sense, faith consists in believing that God has new plans, involving this new universe, and that we are to live in expectation of this change. Abraham and the other patriarchs lived in tents, we are told, because "they looked for a city which hath foundations," (Hebrews 11:10.) And life is to be lived in anticipation of this coming reality.
 
 
The Kingdom of God, about which Jesus would teach, is a kingdom of eternity. The affairs of this life, though seemingly important, will all pass away. When Jesus would come to us and teach us, do we have time to sit with Him and listen to Him? Or is our mind, and are our thoughts, too centered on our own things: our activities, our social affairs, even our routine chores of life, so that we crowd out Bible reading, meditation, prayer, communion with God, praising and worshipping Him?
 
 
Did Martha learn her lesson from the reproof of Jesus?
 
Do we?
 
 
QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW, STUDY, AND DISCUSSION
 
 
1. Review of preceding text: Which of the four episodes set forth in Chapter 10 of Luke's Gospel seems most significant to you? Why?
 
 
The following questions are based on Luke Chapter Eleven:
 
2. When the disciples saw Jesus at prayer, they asked His teaching, not on how to pray, but to pray. How do you think the answer of Jesus would help them actually to pray?
 
 
3. Jesus taught further lessons on prayer in vss. 5-13. What is the primary emphasis in (1) vss. 5-8; (2) vss. 9-10; (3) 11-13?
 
 
4. Can you suggest how "the sign of Jonah" (vs. 29) was a satisfactory answer of Jesus to those seeking a sign "from heaven" (see vs. 16)?
 
 
5. In criticising the Pharisees, Jesus pronounced three woes upon them. (vss. 42-44). What were the three faults of the Pharisees which merited the criticism? Are we - are you - guilty of like faults?
 
 
6. Likewise Jesus pronounced three woes upon the teachers of the Law (of Moses.) What were the three faults of the lawyers?
 
 
7. Try to memorize 11:13.
 
 
 
 
 
 
--- Norman L. MacLeod Jr.
 

INDEX