Luke 9:46-48 (3)
The Gospel of Luke • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 1 viewNotes
Transcript
********** Start Timer **********
-Let me invite you to turn in your Bibles back to Luke 9.
And we’ve made our way...
…in our study of Luke’s gospel...
...down to verse 46.
And, as far as I can tell...
…Verses 46-50 are all part of this one event.
But, we’re going to break it up into two parts...
Today, we’ll go down to Verse 48...
And, Lord-Willing, we’ll finish the rest next week.
And for the sake of time...
…we are going to jump right in!
Luke 9:46–48 (ESV)
46 An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest.
47 But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side
48 and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.”
Click Off
Pray
-Before we jump back in to Verse 46...
Let me show you the way Mark introduces this event:
Mark 9:33 (ESV)
33 And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?”
Click Off
So, remember from last week...
…that they had set out...
…to pass through the territory of Galilee...
…presumably on their way down to...
Judah
Jerusalem.
And, it appears that they have...
…now arrived in Capernaum...
…having had some contentious discussions along the way...
And probably, much to their surprise and dismay...
…as they enter into the place of their lodging...
...Jesus asks them pointedly...
…about these private discussions.
-Luke omits this background information...
…and jumps straight into...
…the topic of their “discussion.”
He actually refers to it as:
Luke 9:46 (ESV)
46 An argument arose among them...
-Now, what could cause such dissension...
…in the ranks of Jesus’ disciples?
Well, that very thing...
Rank!
Luke tells us at the end of Verse 46:
Luke 9:46 (ESV)
46 An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest.
That will cause anyone to argue, won’t it?
That’s just a part of our fallen DNA!
Jealousy
Envy
Pride
Competitiveness
SELFISH Ambition
The Desire to dominate and control...
…have been ubiquitous...
…in every post-Fall human society.
These were...
The motivations behind the original sin of our first parents
The reason Cain killed Abel
The reason for the Tower of Babel
The motivations for most of the pillaging and plunder...
…that has ever gone on under the sun!
-So, in a sense…
…there’s nothing new under the sun...
…happening in our text!
Just fallen sinners...
…carried into conflict...
…by their vanity and pride.
-However, there is something unique...
…about the realm over which...
…they’re desiring to dominate.
Matthew has them (at some point) asking Jesus...
Matthew 18:1 (ESV)
1 . . . “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
You see, they’re not just asking generally.
They’re asking in the context of the Kingdom of God...
That Kingdom that they had been announcing...
…back at the beginning of chapter nine.
-Now, you might be asking yourselves:
“Didn’t Jesus already make this clear...
…when he chose the twelve from the rest...
…to be his authoritative apostles?”
He sure did!
And, that’s most likely who’s arguing, here.
-And, don’t think that it was well-intended...
(as though they were really...
…just wanting to know the political structure...
…of Christ’s new theocratic Kingdom)
Because, in Mark’s account...
…when Jesus asked them...
Mark 9:33 (ESV)
33 . . . “What were you discussing on the way?”
Mark tells us, that:
Mark 9:34 (ESV)
34 ...they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.
Click Off
They knew deep down that this was sinful!
-But, what had brought this up?
Well, we can’t know for sure...
…but think about the circumstances...
…leading up to it:
Jesus had chosen and empowered the Twelve equally
-But, he had told Peter:
Matthew 16:17–19 (ESV)
17 . . . “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church...
19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven...”
Click Off
(Incidentally, brethren, if Jesus HAD meant...
…to establish the office of the Papacy...
…by this statement...
…the debate in our text...
...would have been a good opportunity...
…for him to affirm the primacy of his first Pope!)
(But, he doesn’t do that)
-In addition to that, (back to the buildup)...
…Jesus had only taken the Three Disciples...
Peter
James
John...
…up with him to witness the Transfiguration!
Meanwhile, the other Nine...
…had remained down below...
…and had not been able...
…to exorcise the demon from the young man!
So, it appears to me...
…that there was a LOT...
…leading up to this!
-But, notice the errors...
…that underlie the very question:
It’s the same errors that we keep seeing...
…week after week.
It’s that erroneous view of...
The Nature of Christ’s Work
The Nature of His Kingdom.
And, even after the Transfiguration...
Even after the Exorcism of the Demon...
They’re still looking for a...
Temporal
Physical
Geo-Political… Kingdom!
A Kingdom that IS of THIS world.
Look at the way Jesus...
…would rebuke these notions...
…a little later on:
Luke 22:24–26 (ESV)
24 A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest.
25 And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors.
26 But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.
This is a radically different Kingdom...
…than what they had in mind.
And a radically different way of ruling...
…than what they had in mind.
In fact, it was more tantamount...
…to the ideas of the Scribes and Pharisees...
…than it was to the teachings of Christ:
Matthew 23:5–7 (ESV)
5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others...
6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues
7 and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.
Now, Let’s make that personally applicable.
They love being called:
Pastor!
Father
Bishop
Doctor!
Even “Brother” so and such....
Whatever distinguishes them from the rest.
But, in Christ’s Kingdom:
Matthew 23:8–12 (ESV)
8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers.
9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.
10 Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ.
11 The greatest among you shall be your servant.
12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Click Off
This is the way of God’s Kingdom...
It is a Holy Kingdom!
-Now, look at the way Jesus responds, in...
Luke 9:47 (ESV)
47 But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side
Perhaps indicating the place of honor?
-Mark gives us a few more details:
Mark 9:35–36 (ESV)
35 And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”
“would” = “wishes” or “desires”
36 And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms...
Click Off
-Now, please don’t forget...
…our previous look at the context...
…of what’s happening here.
Some folks, capitalize on the use of a child here...
…to lend support to...
…otherwise untenable and unsupportable ideas.
Please don’t do that.
The child is simply being used as an illustration!
An illustration of what he just said.
Mark 9:35–36 (ESV)
35 . . . “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”
You see, they weren’t living in a society like ours.
They weren’t living in a society...
…that idolizes youth!
Now, our society despises children...
(Don’t let me confuse you on that)
…but it loves YOUTH!
There’s a big difference.
Our Naturalistic, Materialistic society...
…which acknowledges only the temporal and physical...
…values physical health and wellness...
…above everything else!
Why?
Because they suppress the fact...
…that anything else exists!
Therefore, they are obsessed with staying young!
Their temporal happiness...
…is their ultimate moral virtue!
Whatever feeds that...
A healthy body
Lots of Money
Personal Freedom...
…that’s what they value the most.
Hence, we obsess over youth...
…and despise the “glory of the gray hair!”
It ought to be the opposite!
We ought to value wisdom, morality, and holiness...
…much more than we do those other things.
-In any event… in the 1st Century world...
...Youth was seen as something...
To overcome
To get past
To move beyond...
…Not something to try and perpetuate forever.
Consequently, to them...
A child represented all that was insignificant and powerless in society. — John G. Mason
Click Off
-And so, the very act...
…of placing a child at his side...
…in response to this debate...
…was in and of itself...
…ALREADY a rebuke to them!”
It was meant to be...
…an object lesson for them...
...Before he even said a word!
-However, he did go on to speak...
…and speak quite forcefully!
Luke 9:48 (ESV)
48 and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. . .”
“receives” = Welcome and care for a person
Mason, again explains:
With these words he struck at the heart of the social conventions of his day.
Welcome and hospitality were normally extended to those whom one regarded as social equals, or to people with whom one would like to be considered equal. — John G. Mason
Click Off
Do you see what he’s getting at?
More importantly...
…do you see what Jesus is getting at?
He’s saying that...
…to receive (welcome, care for, help, bless)...
…the lowest and most insignificant follower of Christ...
…because he is Christ’s...
…is to receive Christ himself!
And to receive Christ...
…is to receive the Father also.
The implication being...
…If you DON’T receive the most lowly...
…of Christ’s followers that way...
Then you haven’t really received Christ!
And, you don’t know the Father either!
If you flock to the...
Affluent
Powerful
Wealthy
Beneficial
Beautiful...
…but you care not for the...
Lowly
Menial
Poor
Insignificant
Ones that offer you no benefit...
...Then, you probably don’t know Christ!
-Brethren, the Bible affirms...
...the sacredness of children elsewhere...
But, this isn’t really about children.
This is about Christians!
This is about the re-born!
Children are just the illustration being used.
Let me try to convince you of that...
…by looking at a few passages in Matthew’s gospel:
Matthew 10:40–42 (ESV)
40 “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.
41 The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward.
42 And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”
Think about Matthew 25?
Matthew 25:34–40 (ESV)
34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’
37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you...
40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
And the same is true of their neglect.
He’s talking about Christians...
…when he says “the least of these”
-Also, to support this notion...
Look at Matthew’s parallel account:
He includes Jesus saying this:
Matthew 18:3–6 (ESV)
3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me,
6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
Click Off
The application here, is two-fold:
1.) You don’t become a child of God...
…until you set aside your greatness!
Until you humble yourself before him...
…in repentance and dependent faith!
I believe that this is what Jesus meant...
…when he said things like this, elsewhere:
Matthew 11:25 (ESV)
25 . . . “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children;
Luke 18:16–17 (ESV)
16 . . . “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.
17 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”
I think this is what he meant...
…by the first Beatitude:
Matthew 5:3 (ESV)
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
And, I think this is what he meant...
…at the end of Verse 48...
…back in our text:
Luke 9:48 (ESV)
48 ...For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.”
He was saying this:
James 4:10 (ESV)
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
Click Off
2.) Secondly, he was saying this (Matthew 18):
Christ LOVES his children!
Those who have been...
begotten BY him
begotten IN him
He loves them DEEPLY and ETERNALLY...
And you had better treat them right!
You (and I) had better treat them...
…commensurate to what they are:
The King’s Children!
They are sacred to Him.
And they had better not be...
Neglected
Overlooked
Caused to go astray from the will of the King!
He’s not going to look kindly upon that!
-Now, the Lord’s table...
…provides us with an opportunity...
…to properly asses BOTH of these applications...
…in our own lives.
(Brothers, could you please come up?)
The Lord’s Supper is a family meal.
It reminds us that we are the King’s Children.
It reminds us how we became his Children:
Through the giving of his own body
Through the outpouring of his own blood
Through, what Christ has accomplished...
…by way of his...
Vicarious suffering
Substitutionary death
Representative Resurrection...
We have now become children of God!
All of us!
Everyone one of us who have...
(By the power of His Spirit)
Matthew 18:3 (ESV)
3 ...turn and become like children...
Click Off
And, we have a seat at his family table!
Equally!
The rich and the poor
The pastor and the parishioner
(That doesn’t set aside proper authority)
(But, it does set aside...
…any notion of intrinsic greatness)
The only one King at this table!
And, it isn’t:
Me
David
Scott
And, it isn’t even Robert! (Our actual senior pastor)
Jesus is the only King at this table.
The rest of us (the whole church)...
Serves Him
And serves each other.
Full Stop!
-So, let’s be reminded of these things...
…as we partake this morning.
Let’s examine the attitudes of our hearts...
…as we partake...
…and repent where we need to repent.
And then partake in...
Humility
Faith
Let’s pray together
19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.