The Master's steadfast face rebukes us! Alas, we so often flinch and cannot appropriate Isaiah 50:7. But whether we follow afar off or closely, that lithe, alert, eager figure is always in front and taking the upward path.
We need to remember which kingdom we belong to. We have passed out of the sphere of force and war, into the kingdom of the Son of God's love. It is a reversal of the divine plan of evolution to go back to the fire of vengeance. The only fire that we can invoke is that of the Holy Spirit; and it is remarkable that one of these two brothers lived to call down that very fire on those same villages. See Acts 8:14-25.
The Lord was ever acting as a winnowing fan, detecting the wheat and the chaff in human motive. Be prepared to follow your Lord through loneliness, homelessness, the rupture of tender ties, and the plowing of a solitary furrow. But keep your eye fixed on the correlatives supplied on the eternal side of your life! [source]
Chapter Summary: Luke 9
1Jesus sends his apostles to work miracles, and to preach 7Herod desires to see Jesus 10The apostles return 12Jesus feeds five thousand; 18inquires what opinion the world had of him; foretells his passion; 23proposes to all the pattern of his patience 28The transfiguration 37He heals the lunatic; 43again forewarns his disciples of his passion; 46commends humility; 51bids them to show mildness toward all, without desire of revenge 57Many would follow him, but upon conditions
Greek Commentary for Luke 9:55
But he turned [στραπεις δε] Second aorist passive participle of στρεπω strephō common verb, to turn round. Dramatic act. Some ancient MSS. have here: Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of This sounds like Christ and may be a genuine saying though not a part of Luke‘s Gospel. A smaller number of MSS. add also: For the Son of Man came not to destroy men‘s lives, but to save them (ο γαρ υιος του αντρωπου ουκ ηλτεν πσυχας αντρωπων απολεσαι αλλα σωσαι Ho gar huios tou anthrōpou ouk ēlthen psuchas anthrōpōn apolesai alla sōsai), a saying reminding us of Matthew 5:17; Luke 19:10. Certain it is that here Jesus rebuked the bitterness of James and John toward Samaritans as he had already chided John for his narrowness towards a fellow-worker in the kingdom. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 9:55
Luke 10:23Turning to the disciples [στραπεις προς τους ματητας] Second aorist passive of στρεπω strephō as in Luke 9:55. The prayer was a soliloquy though uttered in the presence of the Seventy on their return. Now Jesus turned and spoke “privately” or to the disciples (the Twelve, apparently), whether on this same occasion or a bit later. [source]
Luke 23:28Turning [στραπεις] Luke is fond of this second aorist passive participle of στρεπω strephō (Luke 7:9,Luke 7:44,Luke 9:55,Luke 10:23). If he had been still carrying the Cross, he could not have made this dramatic gesture. [source]
What do the individual words in Luke 9:55 mean?
Having turnedthenHe rebukedthemandsaidnotYou knowof whatspiritareyou
Greek Commentary for Luke 9:55
Second aorist passive participle of στρεπω strephō common verb, to turn round. Dramatic act. Some ancient MSS. have here: Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of This sounds like Christ and may be a genuine saying though not a part of Luke‘s Gospel. A smaller number of MSS. add also: For the Son of Man came not to destroy men‘s lives, but to save them (ο γαρ υιος του αντρωπου ουκ ηλτεν πσυχας αντρωπων απολεσαι αλλα σωσαι Ho gar huios tou anthrōpou ouk ēlthen psuchas anthrōpōn apolesai alla sōsai), a saying reminding us of Matthew 5:17; Luke 19:10. Certain it is that here Jesus rebuked the bitterness of James and John toward Samaritans as he had already chided John for his narrowness towards a fellow-worker in the kingdom. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 9:55
Second aorist passive of στρεπω strephō as in Luke 9:55. The prayer was a soliloquy though uttered in the presence of the Seventy on their return. Now Jesus turned and spoke “privately” or to the disciples (the Twelve, apparently), whether on this same occasion or a bit later. [source]
Luke is fond of this second aorist passive participle of στρεπω strephō (Luke 7:9, Luke 7:44, Luke 9:55, Luke 10:23). If he had been still carrying the Cross, he could not have made this dramatic gesture. [source]