Luke 9:10–13

Luke 9:10-13 

English Standard Version 

  So the apostles come back, thrilled with all they have accomplished, and they're withdrawn to tell Jesus all the news.  The crowds tag along, and when the apostles encourage Jesus to send them away to the nearby villages for foods, Jesus challenges them to feed the crowds.  Remember -- Jesus sent them away and told them to take nothing, so they're not resource-rich, and now Jesus has challenged them with what seems like an impossible task.  The high they have from their achievements must have ended quickly.

  Jesus is always challenging us to grow.  Even on the back of huge achievements, Jesus is looking at what comes next for us.  If we get comfortable, Jesus reminds us that our purpose is to constantly grow closer to Christ.  It's not because he doesn't love us, but because he wants to challenge us to always draw our hearts closer to God and closer to a life of service to one another.  Jesus sees so many needs -- these crowds are hungry, and he uses the church to serve and to show the love of God.

Luke 9:7–9

Luke 9:7-9 

English Standard Version 

  It's not enough just to have questions about Jesus.  It starts there -- but it needs to move deeper.  We go from asking who Jesus is to asking who Jesus is for us.  The transition matters -- even Herod asks who Jesus is.  But he doesn't ask deep enough questions to be transformed by the grace and presence of Jesus.  He doesn't let the teachings of Jesus challenge what he believes.  He simply lets Jesus be an intellectual curiosity.

  May we be sure we ask deep questions and let Jesus get personal.  May we let Jesus challenge our beliefs and grow our faith so that we'll be transformed by the love of Christ from the inside out.

Luke 9:1-6

Luke 9:1-6 

English Standard Version 

  I remember how liberating it was to get my driver's license.  For 6 months, I hadn't been able to drive on my own as I learned how to drive.  And suddenly, there was freedom... and also no one to turn to for advice.  If I had questions... I was on my own.  I had to figure it out.  

  Jesus sends the apostles out on their own -- he gives them power and authority, but they're also completely dependent.  They take nothing -- no staff or money.  They depend on the community for everything.

  It's liberating in a way... but also terrifying, right?  They have to trust in Jesus.  It clearly worked -- they preached the Gospel and healed everywhere.  But those first tenuous steps... there was likely a little uncertainty there.  It's ok to have questions.  But they kept moving forward.

Luke 8:51–56

Luke 8:51-56

English Standard Version 

  The church should care for both body and soul.  Jesus models that here -- he performs a miraculous healing, and then he tends to her physical needs as well.  Both matter.

  So let us pray boldly for physical and spiritual healing.  We can't know that all will occur in the timeframes and ways we want.  But we know that both matter to Jesus, and so we can trust in Christ.