Luke 9b Commentary
“Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Jesus has just responded to a man’s declared intention to follow Jesus. A decision to follow Jesus is actually a decision to accept Jesus in your house. But if that house is already filled up with foxes and birds, where will the Son of Man lay His head? It becomes the ‘manger’ story, “no room sir”.
Who is the greatest? The mention of the child is probably intended to point the disciples to vulnerabilities naturally inherent in the child. Children cannot and should not sit in the council of the elders. But with Jesus, they must be accepted and treated as part of the council.
Whoever has the Son is the greatest, regardless of age. Greatness is measured by the extent to which you have received the Son. No other measure exists for greatness.
Jesus would be killed in Jerusalem but who wants to understand this talk. We have seen nothing but invisibility, power, and glory. Even the winds obey him. This talk is impossible to comprehend when set against what we have known and experienced. We still have Isaiah 53 to contend with but who wants to look at it now? And so the disciples remain confused.
We can see what their thoughts are – the Transfiguration still playing in their heads. The unbelieving Samaritan village should be destroyed by fire, the Elijah way. This is the kingdom they have waited for! But they are rebuked. Salvation for the Samaritan village shall come but in a different way – the way of the Calvary.
An individual without Jesus is dead. Don’t be bothered by his burial program; be concerned with his coming back to life. Proclaim the kingdom of God.
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