God Already Took My Stupidity Into Consideration When He Saved Me

Understanding Luke 9:37-50

Here’s today’s passage:

On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. And behold, a man from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out. It convulses him so that he foams at the mouth, and shatters him, and will hardly leave him. And I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.” Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.” While he was coming, the demon threw him to the ground and convulsed him. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. And all were astonished at the majesty of God.

But while they were all marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.” But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side 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.”

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.” But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you.”

The Magnificence of God’s Working

While it may seem that Luke’s narrative has taken a disjointed turn, it all fits together. The magnificence of God’s working through Jesus includes deliverance from oppressive evil powers, the love expressed through Jesus’ sacrificial death, and the gift of mercy and grace to those who deserve neither.

In the last section, we see how blunt Jesus is with those around him. He expresses frustration with his disciples. They have been with him for almost two years. He has told them repeatedly that his power accompanies them. He even sent the twelve out to perform great works. Yet, despite all this, we hear from the distraught father, “I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.” This clearly indicates a significant failure on the part of the disciples.

Jesus’ Exasperation

It is hard for Jesus to bear with them. His exclamation, “How long?” reflects his exasperation. Before expressing such feelings, he calls them faithless and twisted.

Interestingly, the Greek word translated as twisted refers to a dance move. It means to distort or pervert the normal movements of the body. It implies turning in different ways or being turned from the truth. Jesus is clearly disgusted with his disciples. He makes it known how badly they have messed up.

This attitude would wear down any normal person. And that’s good news for us. I cannot speak for you, but I find myself more like them than different. Sometimes I don’t measure up. If not outright stupid, I am often close to it. As someone once said:

“Wisdom has been chasing you, but you have always been faster.”

You can say “Amen” to that. We can all relate to the disciples in some way. So, what does Jesus do? He expresses grace and mercy. Even when the disciples let him down, it’s about grace and mercy. Jesus heals the boy. With the full power of God working through him, Jesus heals the child. It’s done matter-of-factly, without any showmanship. We simply read that Jesus “healed the boy.”

The Restoration of Relationships

What I love is how Luke reminds us that Jesus “gave him back to his father.” This act embodies grace, mercy, and love. Luke describes the loving act of Jesus giving the boy back to his father. Their relationship is restored. At the end of their lives, as Jesus reminds us of the cross, their lives will be restored in the death and resurrection of Jesus. How beautiful is that? Oh, what a heart Jesus has for all who suffer.

The Lesson of Humility

Now, let’s take a moment to reflect on the lack of humility among the disciples. As we see in verses 47-48:

But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side 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.”

Jesus shares something significant with the disciples. He is not setting up the child as a model for them to imitate. We must remember that in the Greco-Roman world, children had no power, status, or rights. If a child was unwanted, often they were left on the outskirts of town to die. Such exposure was common across all walks of life. They had a low view of children.

A Call to Advocate for the Innocent

Is modern culture much different from those times? Someone recently observed:

“ABORTION DOES NOT END A PREGNANCY. BIRTH ENDS A PREGNANCY. ABORTION KILLS A BABY DURING PREGNANCY.”

The only difference between then and now is the timing. Innocent life is still taken.

So, what is Jesus doing? He advocates for the weakest among us. He stands up for the innocent, the helpless, and those dependent on the strongest to protect them. This is a beautiful affirmation of life and a powerful statement about the right to life.

Additionally, a child illustrates those most responsive to God’s grace and mercy. Children are needy and dependent. That’s not a bad thing. Can we adults set aside our arrogance and admit we need God? Can we admit we need a Savior?

The Deeper Gem in the Passage

These questions lead us to the deeper gem in this passage:

But while they were all marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.” But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

These words may seem like an out-of-place interlude, but they are not. After the healing, people are astonished. They marvel at everything. Yet, Jesus tells them they haven’t seen the big picture yet. They marvel at this? Just wait… you ain’t seen nothing yet.

I love how Luke uses the terms marveling and astonished. Have you ever heard the phrase, “The truth smacked me upside the head”? Luke’s phrasing suggests something striking a chord within you. It conveys being overwhelmed by a powerful truth.

The Power of Jesus’ Name

Here’s the point Jesus is driving home:

ONLY AFTER THE RESURRECTION, AFTER ALL HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED, WILL THEIR MINDS BE OPENED TO GOD’S PLAN FOR OUR SALVATION.

Everything fits together beautifully. There is power in Jesus’ name. You need to be humble to recognize that power. Simply believe in and trust God’s plan for your salvation.

When you throw yourself at the foot of the cross, seeking forgiveness, that’s the faith God honors. No matter how wretched, wicked, or sinful you are, if you come to the cross, repent, and cry out for salvation, God will save you. Those are the words Jesus wants to resonate in our hearts. Do you believe that?

The Path of Grace and Mercy

Follow how Jesus transitions in this teaching. It is all driven by his grace and mercy, culminating in the cross.

Jesus Christ meets all your spiritual needs. If you need hope in the darkness, come to the cross. If you need joy amid sorrow, come to the cross. If you need love in bitterness, come to the cross. If you need strength in weakness, come to the cross. If you need wisdom amidst foolishness, come to the cross. It’s all there because Jesus has promised. If you need someone to carry your burdens, Jesus will do it.

Remember the interlude. Jesus is foretelling his death. If you want forgiveness, that’s promised by God. If you want a place to live out your faith and help others, that is promised by Jesus.

A Promise to Hold On To

Here’s something you might want to write down:

GOD WILL PROVIDE ALL MY NEEDS ACCORDING TO HIS RICHES IN GLORY IN CHRIST JESUS.

Do you believe it? I love how Luke captures it… they were all amazed at the greatness of God. They will fully understand the majesty of God when they behold the Risen Christ. Amen? Jesus is the majesty of God. Jesus is the greatness of God. Jesus is the glory of God. His word can be trusted. The best part is that, while I am more like the disciples than different from them, God already took my stupidity into consideration when He saved me. Amen a second time?

I’ll let Charles Spurgeon have the last word:

“He does not save us because we are righteous, but because he is gracious. He will not deliver us because there is something good in us; but because there is everything good in himself.”