Men exercise power for the sake of keeping that power and what it brings in worldly fulfillment for themselves. While they may be consumed by some vision of greatness, it invariably signals some sort of privilege and creature comfort for the ruler. When men exercise the power of Heaven, the very purpose is outside themselves. Even in His divinity, Jesus faces human suffering and death. How much more His followers? In this chapter, Luke offers a more direct contrast between the ways of human power and the ways of Kingdom power exercised on this earth.
Jesus spends a good deal of time teaching His disciples the difference between earthly and heavenly power. While they clearly remember the teaching, they don't understand it at this point. To awaken their sense of other-worldly power, Jesus commissions the Twelve to preach and do miracles. To emphasize the other-worldly nature of this work, He gave detailed instructions on planning and logistics -- walk by faith, not by human logic. Take what comes as the provision of God.
Their tour in the name of Jesus only widened His fame. It came to the attention of Herod Antipas, who ruled over Galilee as tetrarch. He puzzled over what this had to do with John the Baptist. Clearly he saw all this from a very human viewpoint, and this business of miracles must be something which was bound to cause him trouble. To men, this sort of thing can only be aimed at politics. To other men, it might certainly look that way. When seeking a retreat away from the crowds, Jesus and His disciples slipped over into the territory of Philip, Herod's brother. There, a huge crowd followed them, and it seemed a setting for announcing a new earthly kingdom, a revolt against current powers.
The crowd came out in the wilderness, heard preaching and were healed. When it became apparent there was no means to support such a crowd out there, the Twelve mentioned the obvious solution of sending the crowd away. Jesus turned it upside down, and said they should feed this massive horde. First, they were organized efficiently, showing a very wise application of human logic. Then, by some miracle, the snack became a full meal for this huge mass of people. Further, there was enough left over for Jesus and the Twelve to eat the next day. What more does an army need? With divine provision of food and power without weapons, was this the moment? No. The crowd was dismissed.
So what did this crowd think of all this? Jesus discussed it with the Twelve when they were alone again. They mentioned Herod's fears about John the Baptist risen from the dead, or some other prophet. This is the way human minds look at things, associating what they see with only what they understand. Did the disciples understand any better? Peter said He was the Messiah. True, but to announce that among the crowds would give the wrong impression. Sure enough, the Twelve associated the wrong ideas with it. So Jesus noted the truth about the Messiah: He came to die unjustly, but to rise again. This world and its concerns, it's measures of power, were utterly futile. Control the whole thing, but it won't do you any lasting good. Throwing it all aside and facing in faith the most awful suffering in this world for the sake of eternal things is the only way to go. Some of the Twelve would see that Eternal Kingdom before they actually died physically.
It was just about a week later Jesus climbed up a mountain with his inner circle of Peter, James and John. It must have been night, for the three were drowsy. Jesus took on a divine appearance. Standing near Him were the two greatest miracle workers of Israel's history: Moses who gave the Law, and Elijah who prophesied of it. Both of them were concerned with earthly fulfillments of God's earthly commands, but both Law and Prophets pointed to the spiritual teachings Jesus would bring, and the spiritual kingdom Jesus would build. The glory of ancient Israel was gone, and it was time to look to another realm beyond. But the three men didn't get it. Not just physically asleep, but spiritually asleep, they were hoping to prolong this experience. A cloud of Divine Presence came over them, and Jehovah Himself commanded the disciples should pay closer attention to what Jesus was saying, because that old order was gone. So, it was not yet time to say anything. Telling of Jesus' divinity would simply provoke the wrong response. It would not make sense He was God's own Son until after His death and resurrection.
The next morning, they descended the mountain to find a confused crowd at the bottom. The first to greet them was a man with a heart rending tale of woe regarding demons controlling his son. Why could the other disciples not dispatch this thing? Did they not have the authority already given? Clearly they did not understand it yet. Their failure to grasp the spiritual nature of things prevented them using spiritual power to full effect. After driving the demon out, Jesus explained to His disciples just how little they understood. He had not come to reign over men, but over spirits. While He dispatched demons without effort, it had nothing to do with their visions of a world He ruled politically. Indeed, politics were about to take His human life, and it mattered, but was hardly anything to fear.
Still, they wrestled over their own petty politics, as if they hadn't heard Him. Presumptions about what office each of them would hold in this future Messianic Kingdom on earth must have been very frustrating to Jesus. So He seated them in a circle and held a young child, the least important human in society in those days. However, in the Kingdom of Heaven, children were utterly important, if only because they knew how to trust. They knew nothing of greatness, only of love and acceptance. In the Kingdom, greatness was to love and accept others, and trust God. Still not getting it, John mentioned an incident where they restrained someone using Jesus' name but not part of their entourage. This outsider was casting out demons. Jesus pointed out He didn't much care about the way men decided who was on what side. There would be enough opposition to them very soon, and anyone who didn't oppose them should be welcomed as a friend.
Indeed, the human opposition began immediately. Very soon Jesus would die and return to His Father. It required going to Jerusalem during the Passover. Educated Romans would be aware the Samaritans had rival religious claims and rival festivals in their capital city. Jesus sent messengers ahead to set up accommodations in one of the Samaritan cities, but was rejected because He was heading to Jerusalem. In other words, it was religious politics. James and John were ready to destroy these uppity Samaritans, who were no friends of the Jews. Indeed, during Elijah's day, the Jews living there experienced a little fire from Heaven, and these people weren't even Jews. Jesus rebuked them for being no better than the Samaritans, because they were operating under a spirit foreign to the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus didn't come to settle old political and religious scores. His Kingdom was about saving souls, of keeping the focus on the Spirit Realm. Human opposition was taken for granted, and it really didn't matter much.
As the journey to Jerusalem continued, someone offered to join the crew. In the context, we can safely assume this man wanted a part in the action -- the political action of challenging the established order. Jesus, recalling the city of Samaria which rejected Him, mentioned He had no place to even lay His head. That is, He didn't intend to conquer and occupy any palaces, and really didn't much concern Himself with creature comforts. His Kingdom was not of this world. When Jesus challenged another fellow to follow Him, the man balked. His immediate concern was settling his earthly obligations. The phrase "bury my father" was not meant literally, but was a symbol for getting one's affairs in order, and taking over as head of the household. Jesus answered those things belonged to a dead world, and if this fellow wanted any part of His Kingdom, he would have to set aside earthly concerns.
A third fellow offered a compromise, asking only to observe some basic social obligations. Again, Jesus pointed out the Kingdom puts men into a totally different realm of operations. Not to encourage rudeness, this was simply to give priority to the call of God. The time to turn, to repent and follow Jesus was now, in the midst of the things we do in this world. It does not require settling fiscal nor social affairs, and it won't lead to fame and fortune. Surely it would affect human affairs, but did not depend on them. All the things men do take on a different meaning, and only by embracing that meaning could anyone hope to understand what mattered.
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By Ed Hurst
02 August 2008
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