The Word This Week
Luke 9:37…
It has been well-said it’s not how high you bounce, but how you walk when you come down.
While Peter and John and James were up on the mountain experiencing the transformation of Jesus before their very eyes, the remaining nine disciples were facing an insurmountable difficulty in the valley below.
The glorious scene which they experienced at the top of the mountain suddenly dissolved into the despair found at ground level.
A man with a demon-possessed son, (his only child,) had brought his only son to the disciples to seek healing for his son. They had not been able to heal his son.
This is interesting in light of the fact not many days before Jesus had given the twelve His power to preach and to heal, and then sent them out to do ministry on their own.
We had read of their success upon their return, and they shared their success with Jesus.
Now, a startling failure and inability to accomplish anything. This must have been totally humiliating to the nine left behind, and Jesus Himself seemed a bit upset with what took place once He sees what was going on.
The contrast between the mountaintop and valley could not have been sharper.
Mark’s Gospel informs us of a salient point - that the nine remaining disciples were involved in a dispute with the scribes, and there was a large crowd gathered. This would have only added to the pressure to perform by His disciples. They suddenly found themselves unable to do anything, which would have left them open to ridicule by the scribes and grievous disappointment by the father of the child.
What had happened? Only a few days before they would have been able to drive out the demon from the boy – even without Jesus being present. Now left alone again, they find their power to heal was no longer available, and the whole assembly is left open to the rebuke of Jesus, particularly aimed at the scribes, but also at His own disciples. “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and and bear with you? Bring you son here.”
Pastor Bill
It has been well-said it’s not how high you bounce, but how you walk when you come down.
While Peter and John and James were up on the mountain experiencing the transformation of Jesus before their very eyes, the remaining nine disciples were facing an insurmountable difficulty in the valley below.
The glorious scene which they experienced at the top of the mountain suddenly dissolved into the despair found at ground level.
A man with a demon-possessed son, (his only child,) had brought his only son to the disciples to seek healing for his son. They had not been able to heal his son.
This is interesting in light of the fact not many days before Jesus had given the twelve His power to preach and to heal, and then sent them out to do ministry on their own.
We had read of their success upon their return, and they shared their success with Jesus.
Now, a startling failure and inability to accomplish anything. This must have been totally humiliating to the nine left behind, and Jesus Himself seemed a bit upset with what took place once He sees what was going on.
The contrast between the mountaintop and valley could not have been sharper.
Mark’s Gospel informs us of a salient point - that the nine remaining disciples were involved in a dispute with the scribes, and there was a large crowd gathered. This would have only added to the pressure to perform by His disciples. They suddenly found themselves unable to do anything, which would have left them open to ridicule by the scribes and grievous disappointment by the father of the child.
What had happened? Only a few days before they would have been able to drive out the demon from the boy – even without Jesus being present. Now left alone again, they find their power to heal was no longer available, and the whole assembly is left open to the rebuke of Jesus, particularly aimed at the scribes, but also at His own disciples. “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and and bear with you? Bring you son here.”
Pastor Bill