Luke 9:49 - 56
49 John answered, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us.” 50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you.”
51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. 53 But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. 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?”[e] 55 But he turned and rebuked them.[f] 56 And they went on to another village.
Questions:
ReplyDelete1. How could someone cast demons out in Jesus' name without being specifically commissioned by Jesus?
2. Why did Jesus claim that the person was for them?
3. What does it mean that the one who is not against you is for you?
4. Why did James and John think Jesus would want to call fire down?
https://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-9-commentary says:
ReplyDeleteStein on John - As one of the “inner three,” John assumed authority and exercised it by forbidding those outside of the immediate fellowship of disciples to minister in Jesus’ name.
O, how quickly the flesh loses sight of what is of eternal value for the Kingdom, especially if their method is not exactly like mine! We are all guilty of this sin of comparison and exclusivity from time to time.
He does not follow along with us - Notice they did not say he did not follow Jesus. It is quite possible he is a follower of Jesus, and certainly he followed His example and gave glory to His Name. He may have been among the 70 in Lk 10:17-note. We need to avoid (deny self) the natural (fleshly, self-centered) tendency to look down on other believers who do not "do it" exactly the way we do it!
Rod Mattoon - They were still struggling with this "number one" or "being the greatest" issue.
The attitude of the disciples has managed to float down the stream of time to our present day ocean. Nothing has changed because this same mentality still exists today. It is sad that Bible-believing churches or Bible colleges will oppose or fight with one another in order to make claims of being the best, the biggest, or the greatest. These groups will oppose a good work in three basic ways:
Confrontation, fighting, or arguing with people in these churches or schools.
Constant criticism of the ministry.
Conspiracy to destroy the work through slander, public attacks, or destruction of property. Where are we commissioned to do this in the Bible?
https://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-9-commentary continued:
ReplyDeleteIn Mark 9:39 Jesus gives a slightly different explanation writing "for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me."
One is either working for the King and the eternal Kingdom of light or one is working (overtly or indirectly) for the would be "king" (Satan) and his passing kingdom of darkness. Clearly this "stranger" to the "inner 12" was the "real deal" and was also a disciple of Jesus, albeit just not in the inner circle (cf Lk 11:23). "The Lord removed any doubt that this man was a genuine disciple, since He would never have forbidden the apostles to rebuke a false teacher." (MacArthur)
The opposite of this "proverb" is found in Luke 11:23a “He who is not with Me is against Me." Stein comments that "These (Ed: two opposite proverbs) complement, rather than contradict, each other and reveal that one cannot be neutral with respect to Jesus."
MacArthur - Pride promotes exclusivity, but humility promotes unity. We cannot embrace those who claim to be Christ’s but do not preach the truth of Christ. However we must embrace all who both name the name of Christ and also speak His truth, whatever organization they belong to. Christians must have the attitude of Paul, who rejoiced when the truth was proclaimed—even when those preaching it were cruelly hostile to him (Phil. 1:15-18).
Constable - This incident exposed an attitude of rivalry among the Twelve that existed toward other disciples of Jesus. This was not a problem of orthodoxy; the exorcist believed in Jesus. It was rather a problem of fellowship or association; he was not one of the Twelve. He appears to have been on the fringe of Jesus' followers. The Twelve wanted to exclude him, but Jesus wanted to include him. Jesus' reply was proverbial.
Life Application Study Bible - The disciples were jealous. Nine of them together had been unable to cast out a single evil spirit (Lk 9:40), but when they saw a man who was not one of their group casting out demons, they told him to stop. Our pride is hurt when someone else succeeds where we have failed, but Jesus says there is no room for such jealousy in the spiritual warfare of his Kingdom. Share Jesus' open-arms attitude toward Christian workers outside your group. Rejoice when they are able to bring people to Christ.
The conduct of John and the disciples on this occasion is a curious illustration of the sameness of human nature, in every age. Thousands, in every period of Church history, have spent their lives in copying John's mistake. They have labored to stop every man who will not work for Christ in their way, from working for Christ at all. They have imagined, in their petty self conceit, that no man can be a soldier of Christ, unless he wears their uniform, and fights in their regiment. They have been ready to say of every Christian who does not see everything with their eyes, "Forbid him! Forbid him! for he follows not with us."
https://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/38741/how-could-the-person-in-luke-949-cast-out-demons-without-jesus-mandate says:
ReplyDeleteHow could the person in Luke 9:49 cast out demons without Jesus' mandate?
Jesus could very well have commissioned this man on a one-to-one basis. Perhaps for whatever reason this man could not "follow along with"--as John put it--the Twelve or some other recognizable group of Jesus-followers (e.g., "the 70" in Luke 10:1), so Jesus permitted him to heal people in Jesus' name.
I think it unwise to assume, for example, that this man was a nonbeliever (similar to Simon Magus in Acts 8:9 ff.) and a "Lone Ranger" who was performing miracles without Jesus' sanction. Jesus could very well have sanctioned him to perform these miracles. Moreover, as I've suggested above, Jesus seems to have assumed that since the man performed miracles "in Jesus' name," that he was indeed "one of us"--meaning the Twelve and all his other disciples, even if John did not recognize him as such.
In conclusion, there is no reason of which I am aware why this "lone wolf exorcist" was any more in need of the sending authority of the Holy Spirit than were the Twelve. After all, the Holy Spirit did not commission the Twelve (and others); Jesus did. On the authority of Jesus, the Twelve and this unnamed disciple were given the ability to heal. The power to do so undoubtedly came from the Holy Spirit, but the disciples were not even aware at this point that there was such a person called the "Holy Spirit." That awareness came later (e.g., in John 15).
https://splnewulm.org/church/gods-word-for-you-luke-949-50-whoever-is-not-against-you-is-for-you/ says:
ReplyDeleteWe need to understand that this passage does not speak to the doctrine of church fellowship. When we talk about fellowship, we consider on the one hand those who believe what the Bible says just as we do in every doctrinal point, as Jesus says: “And teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20). On the other side of that doctrine is that we also “watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them” (Romans 16:17).
Here in Luke 9 something else was going on. The “someone” in the text was not claiming or even requesting fellowship with the disciples. He was not a follower of Jesus, and the disciples recognized this, but they didn’t understand how to react when he was driving out demons in Jesus’ name.
Luke does not say that the Someone was “attempting” to drive out demons. He says that the Someone actually was doing it. This could not have been possible apart from saving faith in Christ. He wasn’t merely showing an interest in Jesus, he trusted that Jesus was the Savior, and that through his name he could help those who were terrorized by the devil’s hoards.
For those familiar with Jesus’ words in Matthew 12:30, this can present a problem. In that place, Jesus said, “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.” In Matthew, Jesus was talking to Pharisees about divisions in the church based on faith. Whoever is opposed to Christ is therefore (obviously) not in fellowship with Christ and his church. But here in Luke, in a different context, Jesus is talking about one man who is not in a called office. The Someone here was not trying to pose as an apostle or as a preacher of righteousness (1 Peter 2:5). If he had, Jesus would have labeled him the way Paul did: “Such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:13-14). No, this Someone was acting out of his faith, and therefore, Jesus says, he is “not against you.” That didn’t mean that they had to extend “the right hand of fellowship” to him (Galatians 2:9), but that they should have asked him questions. Where did he get his faith? Had he been baptized? Had he heard John preach, or one of their own number? They should have asked him if he might want to follow Jesus with them—any of these things would have been better than John’s strongarm tactics of trying to forbid him from opposing Satan.
No one should use this passage to open the doors of fellowship to those who do not agree with us in doctrine. Let’s state the matter again clearly: This passage does not speak to the doctrine of church fellowship. What it does teach us is that when those who are outside our circle or outside our fellowship preach the gospel to people (or even, as here, performing miracles in Jesus’ name), we should not hinder them. We should watch out and avoid those who cause divisions, but we should also allow the ministry of the gospel to be done. The house of God has many rooms. There are some within who are faithful at almost every turn, and others who will be saved “only as one escaping through the flames” (1 Corinthians 3:15). The ministry of another church belongs to that church. Your ministry or your service belongs to yours. Be faithful in what you do and give glory to God who gave you the gifts you use.
(Oops, I didn't finish with the Precept Austin commentary)
ReplyDeletehttps://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-9-commentary continued:
Luke 9:51 When the days were approaching for His ascension, He was determined to go to Jerusalem
This is clearly an expression of time and in the context of Luke's Gospel marks a very important juncture, for from here on we find Jesus setting His sights on accomplishing the mission for which He was sent, to die on the Cross and provide redemption from the penalty of sins for all who would believe on Him. This phrase also signifies that some time had elapsed following the events of Lk 9:46-50.
John MacArthur - Up to this point, Luke has focused on Jesus’ coming, detailing the angelic announcement of His birth to Mary the account of His birth, the incident in the temple when He was twelve, His baptism by John, His temptation by Satan, and the first two and a half years of His ministry as Messiah, reaching its pinnacle at the transfiguration. But at this point, the whole tenor of Luke’s gospel changes. The focus is no longer on Jesus’ coming, but on His going. The Galilean ministry is over, and He is on His way for the final time to His passion in Jerusalem. Although the Lord would, in the few intervening months of His Judean ministry, make brief return visits to Galilee (e.g., Lk 17:11-37), Galilee was no longer His base of operations. Much of the material in this travelogue (cf. Lk 9:52, 57; 10:1, 38; 13:22, 33; 17:11; 18:35; 19:1, 11, 28-29) of Christ’s final journey to the cross (Lk 9:51-19:27) is unique to Luke’s gospel.
Life Application Study Bible - Although Jesus knew he would face persecution and death in Jerusalem, he was determined to go there. That kind of resolve should characterize our lives as well. When God gives us a course of action, we must move steadily toward our destination, regardless of the potential hazards that await us there.
https://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-9-commentary continued:
ReplyDeleteDefending God
Believers in Jesus often take offense when others reject Him. But how does He feel about that rejection? Jesus constantly faced threats and hatred, yet He never took doubt about His deity personally. Once, when a village refused Him hospitality, James and John wanted instant retaliation. “Lord,” they asked, “do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” (Luke 9:54). Jesus didn’t want that, and He “turned and rebuked them” (v. 55). After all, “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17).
It may surprise us to consider that God doesn’t need us to defend Him. He wants us to represent Him! That takes time, work, restraint, and love.
The best way to defend Jesus is to live like Him.
As one theologian wisely said: “God is a Gentleman and will not violate our own free will.” The time of judgment that is most certainly coming has its own set time in God’s calendar. Before it arrives, each human being who hears the gospel has the freedom to believe it or reject it.
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Leon Morris these messengers "went on ahead to prepare lodgings for the little band. A group of a dozen or so would strain the resources of a small village if they arrived unexpectedly."
A journey through Samaria would normally take about three days.
There had long been a feud between the Jews and the Samaritans, a mixed race (2 Kings 17:24-41). So implacable was the resentment of Samaritans toward such Jewish pilgrims that, instead of showing hospitality, they would hinder the travelers in every way, even to the extent of actually murdering some of them.
John Phillips on Samaritans - The Samaritans were a mongrel people, descendants of settlers brought into the area by the Assyrian conqueror Esarhaddon to replace the Hebrews he had deported. The Samaritans adopted a cultic form of Judaism and built a rival temple on Mount Gerizim. The Jews detested them. During the dreadful days of Antiochus Epiphanes, the Samaritans were quick to come to terms with the Syrian despot. They denied all relation to Israel and dedicated their temple to Jupiter. The Maccabees, led by John Hyreanus, eventually took and destroyed the Samaritan temple. It has not been rebuilt.
The request of John and James recalls the episode with Elijah
2 Kings 1:10; 12 Elijah replied to the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.
Mattoon - Later on, in Acts 8, the Samaritans allowed the disciples to preach the Gospel to them (Acts 8:25). It's a good thing they were not burned to pieces by some hot heads.
https://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-9-commentary continued:
ReplyDeleteIt is not our business to judge God’s enemies. “‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord” (Romans 12:19). Our business is to tell the world, and even those who oppose us, about His offer of salvation.
Paul gave us these instructions: “‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink’ . . . . Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (vv.20-21). We must overwhelm evil opponents with love if we can, bring them to Jesus if they will come, and leave judgment with God. -- David H. Roper
NET Note - The point of the rebuke is that now was not the time for judgment but patience; see 2 Pet 3:9. (The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.)
NET Note - Many manuscripts have at the end of the verse (with slight variations) "and he said, 'You do not know what sort of spirit you are of, for the Son of Man did not come to destroy people's lives, but to save [them].'" This variant is clearly secondary, as it gives some content to the rebuke. Further, it is difficult to explain how such rich material would have been omitted by the rest of the witnesses, including the earliest and best manuscripts.
This incident shows our propensity to misuse the Scriptures to justify our own sinful anger. James and John thought that they were acting in the spirit of Elijah, who called down fire to consume the wicked King Ahaziah’s messengers who came to arrest him (2Ki 1:1-16). They could cite chapter and verse to show that their anger was justified. But, they were wrong. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost, not to destroy them.
While rejection is always difficult to handle, if our Lord was rejected, we can expect the same treatment in this wicked world. He deliberately steeled Himself for the coming rejection in Jerusalem (Lu 9:51). As His followers, we must steel ourselves for rejection and not take it personally, even if it is meant that way.
If you struggle with pride and anger and have failed often, these verses offer hope. James and John were known as the Sons of Thunder. Matthew Henry observes that here they even want to add lightning to their repertoire! But James went on to give up his life as a martyr and John grew to be known as the Apostle of Love. If the grace of the Lord Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit could change these hotheads, there is hope for us all! Change begins when we acknowledge our sin and come to the cross in repentance. We should walk in the same way (Col 2:6). If you have wronged someone through pride or anger, humble yourself, go and ask their forgiveness. As you learn to practice humility and love, even toward those who have wronged you, you will become an effective servant of the Lord Jesus Christ.
https://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-9-commentary continued:
ReplyDeleteLuke 9:56 for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." And they went on to another village.
Did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them - A truth reiterated elsewhere in the NT
Matthew 20:28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
John 3:17 “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
John 12:47 “If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.
1 Timothy 1:15 It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.
https://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-9-commentary continued:
ReplyDeleteHere was zeal indeed, and zeal of a most plausible kind — zeal for the honor of Christ! Here was zeal, justified and supported by a scriptural example, and that the example of no less a prophet than Elijah! But it was not a zeal according to knowledge. The two disciples, in their heat, forgot that circumstances alter cases, and that the same action which may be right and justifiable at one time, may be wrong and unjustifiable at another. They forgot that punishments should always be proportioned to offences, and that to destroy a whole village of ignorant people for a single act of discourtesy, would have been both unjust and cruel. In short, the proposal of James and John was a wrong and inconsiderate one. They meant well, but they greatly erred.
Facts like this in the Gospels are carefully recorded for our learning. Let us see to it that we mark them well, and treasure them up in our minds. It is possible to have much zeal for Christ, and yet to exhibit it in most unholy and unchristian ways. It is possible to mean well and have good intentions, and yet to make most grievous mistakes in our actions. It is possible to imagine that we have Scripture on our side, and to support our conduct by scriptural quotations, and yet to commit serious errors. It is as clear as daylight, from this and other cases related in the Bible, that it is not enough to be zealous and well-meaning. Very grave faults are frequently committed with good intentions. From no quarter perhaps has the Church received so much injury as from ignorant but well-meaning men.
We must seek to have knowledge as well as zeal. Zeal without knowledge is an army without a general, and a ship without a rudder. We must pray that we may understand how to make a right application of Scripture. The word is no doubt "a light to our feet, and a lantern to our path." But it must be the word rightly handled, and properly applied.
Let us notice, lastly, in these verses, what a solemn rebuke our Lord gives to persecution carried on under color of religion. No saying of our Lord's, perhaps, has been so totally overlooked by the Church of Christ as that which is now before us. Nothing can be imagined more contrary to the will of Christ than the religious wars and persecutions which disgrace the annals of Church history. Thousands and tens of thousands have been put to death for their religion's sake all over the world. Thousands have been burned, or shot, or hanged, or drowned, or beheaded, in the name of the Gospel, and those who have slain them have actually believed that they were doing God service! Unhappily, they have only shown their own ignorance of the spirit of the Gospel, and the mind of Christ.
Let it be a settled principle in our minds, that whatever men's errors may be in religion, we must never persecute them. Let us, if needful, argue with them, reason with them, and try to show them a more excellent way. But let us never take up the "carnal" weapon to promote the spread of truth. Let us never be tempted, directly or indirectly, to persecute any man, under pretense of the glory of Christ and the good of the Church. Let us rather remember, that the religion which men profess from fear of death, or dread of penalties, is worth nothing at all, and that if we swell our ranks by fear and threatening, in reality we gain no strength. "The weapons of our warfare," says Paul, "are not carnal." (2 Cor. 10:4.) The appeals that we make must be to men's consciences and wills. The arguments that we use must not be sword, or fire, or prison, but doctrines, and precepts, and texts. It is a quaint and homely saying, but as true in the Church as it is in the army, that "one volunteer is worth ten men who have been pressed into service."
Questions and findings:
ReplyDelete1. How could someone cast demons out in Jesus' name without being specifically commissioned by Jesus?
We don't know anything about the background of this man. We don't know if Jesus' didn't commission him previously. We don't know how similar the man was to the seven sons of Sceva. Was he any different from them? Perhaps, the man didn't meet up with a more powerful demon like the seven sons of Sceva did.
I think the answer is that there are a variety of ways one can mess with the spiritual world. If you don't want to get seriously messed up, you better be under the direction and commission of the Holy Spirit.
2. Why did Jesus claim that the person was for them?
This is a tough example for us to chew on. There are a lot of charlatans out there doing serious damage to the Gospel (Jesus gives several warnings about them). I think that it would be fair to say that the charlatans are against Jesus, even though they are masquerading as being for Jesus. This particular person, apparently, was truly for Jesus. But why and how we don't know.
I think the moral of this story is that we can't use jealousy and/or prejudice to determine if one is for Christ or not. And we certainly shouldn't be attempting to determine if someone is for US! We should be listening to the Holy Spirit and lean towards minding our own business when it comes to other people's ministries. They are not going to do it like us, and there are going to be clear deficiencies that we see (just like we have deficiencies that other people will clearly see - but we won't).
3. What does it mean that the one who is not against you is for you?
I think Jesus is giving a general principle here. If one is not directly against us, we should not assume that they are. We should probably speak with them long enough so that they can get to know where we are coming from, and can make their own decision as to whether they want to be for or against us. In other words, our tendency should be to lean in and unite with people, rather than look for ways to divide.
4. Why did James and John think Jesus would want to call fire down?
Because they were looking for enemies. Jesus was looking for friends. When He didn't find friends, He left and looked elsewhere. The disciples were looking to force people into subjugation. I also think that there was a lot of racism against the Samaritans involved in the disciples attitudes. They probably wouldn't have had the same reaction if Jesus was rejected by, say, Capernaum.
We should keep on the lookout for the disciple's attitude in ourselves. One way in which we do copy this attitude is when we enter into the culture war that's going on today.