Luke 9

Bible Passage: Luke 9

This Chapter chronicles many events for our learning (well, just like all the other chapters too). So, our sharing should not be confined to only the following few thoughts. Do share yours.

Verses 1 to 6 record the sending of 12 disciples to preach, heal and cast out demons. Upon their returns, the disciples told Jesus the things that they have done (v10). We read that Jesus then ‘took them and went aside privately into a deserted place….’ If you were to read this in parallel with Mark 6:30-32, Jesus wanted the disciples to ‘rest a while’ for they didn’t even have the time to eat.

Rest a while!

I can’t imagine a life or journey without rest. A rest helps to rejuvenate, recharge and refresh our physical, mental and spiritual self. A rest allows us to take stock of things and put things in different or even better perspective. However, excessive rest may work to our disadvantage – we may feel more tired than before, which ultimately slows down the whole recovery process.

A good rest well taken gives us the strength to get on with the journey.

There are times we forget to rest (I don’t necessarily mean sleep) or that we procrastinate to have one. When our physical or mental system is fully exhausted, the long overdue rest may come in a little too late. As a result, we need a much longer period of rest to recover from the extreme fatigue.

When Elijah got all tired and fall asleep by the broom tree, the angel came not once, but twice, with food and drink prepared for Elijah. “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great….” (I Kings 19:5-8). The rest, supplemented by the food, carried Elijah’s journey to the mountain of God in forty days and nights .

When God was done with the creation of heavens and the earth, ‘He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day… because in it He rested from all His work…’ (Gen 2:1-3).

I would think this is the most significant and mysterious concept on resting. God’s love for us is evidenced in every single commandment, including the observing of Holy Sabbath. To rest, indeed is for the good of our soul.

Who do you say He is?

“…. Who do the crowds say that I am?” (v18)

Jesus asked this questions after feeding the five thousand miraculously with only five loaves and two fish. There were varying answers but none was close to who Jesus really is (see v19).

Jesus has come into our lives and blessed us with grace and the miraculous salvation through His death, while we were still sinners. Now, who do you say Jesus really is?

We have different experience and own unique relationship with Jesus. He may have been your healer, your comforter or your closest friend. Is he someone whom we called on when we were not doing well in life? Or someone who were passed on to us from our forefathers’ generations?

I think ‘getting-to-know’ Jesus is a gradual and ongoing process in life. In fact, our perspective of Jesus may change according to the life events that we experience too. I think of Job – “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You” (Job 42:5).

It is interesting that Job was moved to such an awe-inspiring experience only towards the end of his life experience, and not at the beginning when he was called the ‘blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil” (Job1:1).

It was through all the trials and tribulations that led Job to truly experience whom God really was to him. Prior to his loss and sickness, he knew God from the teachings and laws, so God was someone far away. After the life changing events, God came to become so ‘real’, someone he could really ‘see’ and experience!

So, who do you say Jesus is?

For those who are searching for Him, I pray that God would show you the Way. For those who doubt, I pray that you’re blessed with the faith to experience Him.

May you have a blessed week ahead.