Journey To Jerusalem Series

Illustration: Determination requires persistence. In the book: "Living Above the Level of Mediocrity" the author wrote: “Nothing in the world Can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not: Unrewarded genius Is almost a proverb. Education will not; The world is full of Educated derelicts. (The right) Persistence and determination Alone are important”. (Charles Swindoll, Living Above the Level of Mediocrity, p. 93)

Second, in the “Journey to Jerusalem” Jesus shows us:

2) The Discipleship Error (Luke 9:53-56)

Luke 9:54-56. [ [54] And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" [55] But he turned and rebuked them. [56] And they went on to another village. (ESV)

Look back to the beginning of Luke 9

Earlier, Jesus had instructed His disciples regarding the appropriate response when faced with inhospitality

Luke 9:1-6 [9:1] And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, [2]and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. [3] And he said to them, "Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics. [4] And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. [5] And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them." [6] And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere. (ESV)

• “Receive” is used elsewhere with respect to welcoming and receiving God's word (8:13), Jesus (9:48, 53), Jesus' followers (vv. 5, 48), and the kingdom of God (18:17). To shake off the dust from your feet (cf. 10:11; Acts 13:51; 18:6;) visibly illustrates the future judgment of those who reject Christ's messengers (Luke 10:11–15) (ESV Study Bible. Crossway Books & Bibles. 2001). The act warns rejecters of impending judgment if their decision does not change. It expresses their separation from God. It compares it to the imagery of Jews washing themselves upon return to Israel from an unclean land (Bock, D. L. (1994). Luke Volume 1: 1:1-9:50. Baker exegetical commentary on the New Testament (817). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books.)

• If someone will not heed God's word, a warning is appropriate (9:5, 10:13–16 or 17:20–36,), then we are to leave the judgment to God (2 Pt. 3:9) and move on (Bock, D. L. (1994). Luke. The IVP New Testament commentary series (Lk 9:51). Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press.).

But in Luke 9:54, James and John, the “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17), were deadly serious. They were not naive, and they were not joking. They believed Jesus was an Elijah-like Messiah, and thus Elijah’s life was a precedent for what should happen now. They remembered 2 Kings 1:1–14, which records how the apostate king Ahaziah twice sent soldiers to take Elijah and how twice the prophet said, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!” (vv. 10, 12)—and it did! The two disciples’ memory was good, but what they failed to understand was that though Ahaziah was rejecting God, the Samaritans were not, but were simply returning the rejection of the Jews. The situations were not the same (Hughes, R. K. (1998). Luke : That you may know the truth. Preaching the Word (370–371). Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books.).