Read Luke 9:37-62
When the United States became a democratic republic, Vice President John Adams suggested a title for George Washington with pomp and circumstance: “His Highness, the President of the United States of America, and Protector of the Rights of the Same.” The U.S. Senate instead chose the more humble title, “President of the United States.”
The disciples also had grandiose notions for God’s kingdom, all of them mistaken. Despite having experienced the climactic moments of revelation described in the earlier portions of Luke 9, they continued to misunderstand the nature of God’s kingdom. Jesus called them an “unbelieving and perverse generation,” scolding them harshly for their spiritual obtuseness (v. 41).
Luke returns to themes of hiddenness in this narrative. Jesus’ identity had been revealed to the disciples, but a shroud of fog envelops them once again. What they had failed to understand, of course, is that Jesus is not only a prophet, priest and king—He is the suffering Servant of Isaiah’s prophecies, come to be delivered into the hands of men and die (v. 44; see Isaiah 53).
The ministry of Jesus, from this point on in Luke’s narrative, marches toward death. The story pivots in verse 51: “Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” Jesus knew that the kingdom of God isn’t about achieving greatness, not in the way the disciples envisioned it. It’s not about status, nor is it an exclusive club to which only a select few are allowed admittance. The kingdom of God does not come like a raging vengeful fire, falling on God’s enemies. Jesus ushers in a kingdom as a willing, humble servant who will not clamor for the power that is rightfully His but will surrender it in order to heal the world’s brokenness.
APPLY THE WORD
“Nobody aspires to be a servant,” writes Eugene Peterson. “We have a higher opinion of ourselves.” Four Servant Songs in the book of Isaiah (42:1–9; 49:1–7, 50:4–9; 52:13–53:12) anticipate that God intends to send a servant to restore His people and renew His creation. Jesus was a willing servant; how can we serve someone this week in humility?
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