Just in Case you Need a Reminder

The beauty and power of a lion in Kruger National Park. 

Scripture:

Luke 6:17    He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. ¹⁸ They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. ¹⁹ And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.

Observation:

Luke places the opening scene of the Sermon on the Plain right after the calling of the twelve disciples. Think about the progression of the story; Jesus spends the night in prayer and in the presence of the Father; Jesus calls the twelve; A great crowd follows Jesus and he heals all of those who come to him in need. Some have said that this moment is modeled after the life of Moses who comes down off the mount, filled with the glory of God. The difference is the response of the crowd, whereas with Moses, they didn’t want to see the glory and asked him to cover his face, now, the people are rejoicing in the glory of God revealed in the power of Jesus. 

If you were one of the twelve whom Jesus had called, this entire scene would be one of reassurance regarding the one you were now following. Just in case they needed a reminder, Jesus really was the Son of God. Jesus really was powerful. Jesus really was teaching and preaching a new way of living. Yes, they could follow him. 

Application:

I’m not sure that I have often thought about Jesus’ activity specifically targeting the development of his disciples. Maybe because we imagine these big crowds to be something like a huge crusade, where we report the numbers present, but not the impact it had on the faith of those whom he was trying to raise up into leadership. This makes me wonder whether we have failed to see what Jesus was really intending as an outcome to his activity. At the end of his ministry the focus was not on big crowds, but on the small group that remained faithful. Little by little the inner circle, was built up in their faith so that they could carry on Jesus’ ministry after he was gone. 

Jesus cared so intently for his disciples that he provided opportunities to remind them of who he was, and what he was capable of accomplishing. That reminder was not just for them, but for those who would come later — people like us. Luke masterfully weaves together the story of Jesus to build a foundation for disciples of the first century, but also those of the twenty-first century. Just in case we needed a reminder, Jesus had spent time in solitude with the Father. There he received clarity of mission and power to engage in the work of the Father. Jesus was able to command the attention of multitudes of people, and also heal them of their diseases, both physical and emotional. Jesus was and is the Son of God. 

When the world seems chaotic, we need to return to this reminder. Jesus is all we need. Let’s draw come near to him, learn from him, and ask God to empower us to be the kind of disciples he wants to use in the world today. 

Prayer:

Lord, empower us to serve you by your holy presence.  Amen.