Luke 9
by Philip Layton
Jesus sends his disciples on a mission and describes the cost of following him
Discussion Questions
- Is it feasible that there may come a time to shift the target of gospel ministry if it is not being accepted (v 5)? If so, how do you know when that time has arrived?
- Is it plausible that verse 27 is referring to the transfiguration and to the witness of Peter, James and John?
- How would you interpret and apply verse 62?
Share your thoughts below, or tweet about it with the #boundlessbible hashtag. Don't forget this week's Children's Challenge!
Going Deeper – from 'Words of Life'
Jesus wanted the message of salvation to spread throughout the land. So he sent out the Twelve, giving them both power and authority. Later on he appointed 72 others, sending them out in pairs:
After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go (10:1).
They were to prepare the hearts of the people to hear Jesus’ message of redemption. This communication was vital. We live in an age of instant communication. Mobile phones, iPhones, iPads, Twitter, Facebook, instant messaging. Faster chips, speedier wireless Internet connections. The long arc of technological progress is too mind-boggling for most people to even begin to comprehend. Some think it’s far too distracting.
Yet if used for the good, it can allow people to reach other people within their realm of comfort. A ‘good news’ message – transmitted to someone who needs to hear it, right away. An instant message – telling of God’s goodness and faithfulness. A brief account, relating what God’s doing in our life – transmitted to people worldwide.
Yet all this must be bathed in prayer. So, humbling ourselves, we ask the Lord to teach us how to pray effectively. He responds:
‘When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come”’(11:2).
When God’s Spirit falls upon us, when we give our all to him in total surrender, then we can ask anything in his name, according to his will. We can seek things in life and they will be found for us. We can knock and many doors of opportunity will open before us.
Our communication with the Lord, daily, is crucial. It then translates into daily communion with him, and nothing can compare to this.
Beverly Ivany
Photo courtesy of freebibleimages.org