For the last two weeks we have been pealing back the layers of onions in Luke chapter 8 and 9.  To press the onion metaphor a little too far, the onion is faith.  As we pealed back the first layer we saw that in the things we would rather not have happen, faith is exposed.  In the light of who Jesus is when tragedies strike, our faith will be revealed for what it is.   We read Luke 8:18.

Luke 8:16-18  "No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.  For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.  Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him."

When faith is revealed, when faith is demonstrated, more faith will be given.  Last week we pealed back another layer of the faith onion and saw how our faith is increased. 
®We saw that in sharing our faith it will grow.
®In involving our faith it will grow.
®In learning about Jesus as the Christ of God and what that means faith grows.
®And in worship, when we catch a glimpse of the glory of Jesus it will grow.

The challenge I offered last week was to be people of faith; to be a congregation of faith; a congregation which shares, and feeds, learns and worships together in Christ.  These are the things which take our exposed faith and make it real.  These are the kind of experiences which take our faith and jump starts it to another level.  Do you remember last year in a sermon I talked about how faith grows?  One of the models was steps.  There is often an event which we experience and our faith makes a leap forward. Perhaps in one of the four areas we looked at last week.  An opportunity to share, feed, a new insight, or a powerful worship experience causes our faith to grow. It is like an epiphany or even a theophany.  
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Last week when we left the Jesus and his disciples experiencing a theophany; they were on the Mount of Transfiguration.  Let’s go back and pick up the action there with the cloud speaking and see what happens when they come down from this peak experience.  Think metaphorically, it is not coincidental that as they come down from the mountain several problems occur. 

Luke 9:34-40   While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.  A voice came from the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him."  When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves, and told no one at that time what they had seen.  The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him.  A man in the crowd called out, "Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child.  A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him.  I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not."

Let’s stop there and think a bit.  In the first verse of this chapter Luke tells us that the disciples had been given power and authority over all demons. 

Luke 9:1-2  When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

They had been given the power and had already cast out demons and healed people. When they got back from this mission they did the feeding of the 5,000 and then had given the right answer of Jesus as the Christ of God.  They were on a roll.  Bam, bam, bam their faith was jumping off the charts.

But, while Jesus, and the Three were gone, for some reason, they were unable to cast out this particular demon from this boy.  Right off the bat as Jesus, Peter, James and John get back to the rest they discover this problem.  And I can see the other 9 kind of looking embarrassed and pointing fingers and blaming each other and not looking Jesus in the eye, “We tried, Jesus, we really did, but something went wrong.  It worked when we did it before, but not this time.  It must be some kind of really powerful demon or something.”  They had tried but just couldn’t. 

What are you expecting Jesus to say?  If you haven’t read the account recently you might guess, “That’s okay boys, some of these are really pretty tough.  Let me show you how it’s done.” Or “Nobody’s perfect.  Don’t worry about it, I’ll get this one.”  Or at least what we say whenever JD strikes out, “Shake it off.  You’ll get ‘em next time.” That is not what Jesus says.  In fact what he says to the 9 is pretty rough.

Luke 9:41   "O unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "How long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here."

NLT Luke 9:41 "You stubborn, faithless people," Jesus said, "how long must I be with you and put up with you? Bring him here."

I don’t know about you, but Jesus sounds pretty upset.  I can’t figure out a way of reading this sweetly.  I can read it annoyed or aggravated or angry but not sweet.  Something has just happened that has really upset and disappointed Jesus.  Why is Jesus so put out with his disciples?  Let’s keep reading.
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Luke 9:42-43 Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the evil spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father.  And they were all amazed at the greatness of God. While everyone was marveling at all that Jesus did, he said to his disciples, 

What do you think he is gong to say?  He casts out the demon, bam.  Heals the boy of the damage the demon has done to him, bam and sends him off with the dad, bam.  Everyone is marveling at how great a miracle Jesus has just done, but Jesus is still upset. 

Luke 9:44-45 "Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men."  But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.

What?  What does being betrayed have to do with casting out the demon from the boy? Why does Jesus tell them again that he is going to die on the cross?  Why doesn’t he say, like he does in Matthew, “You have so little faith. If you had more faith you could move mountains?”  Or as he did in Mark, “This kind only comes out through prayer.”  Luke is making a different point.  There is some other problem with why they couldn’t cast out the boy’s demon and some how that connects to his impending death on the cross.  What is the problem? What does Luke imply is the reason for their failure?  And why is Jesus still upset with them?

Well let’s keep reading. The answer is amazing.  Let’s keep pealing back the layers on this onion.  The very next verses do not change the subject.

Luke 9:46-48  An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest.  Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him.  Then he said to them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all-- he is the greatest." 

Luke gives us a clue to what the problem was and why Jesus was ticked.  Could the problem have been arrogance?  Could the problem have been showing off? Coming off their successful expedition in faith sharing and their feeding the 5,000 and getting the right answer, “You are the Christ of God,” they were feeling pretty good about themselves.  Their faith had in fact dramatically grown.  “Jesus and I are like this. He’s the Messiah you know and I’m one of THE Twelve.”  You saw that 5,000 thing we did, only 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread and they weren’t very big fish at that.  You heard we had 12 baskets left over; pretty cool.”  Arrogant faith doesn’t work.

But watch what happens next.

Luke 9:49-50 "Master," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us."   "Do not stop him," Jesus said, "for whoever is not against you is for you."

Conceited faith doesn’t work well either.  “If we couldn’t drive out that boy’s demon what made those guys, who are not one of THE Twelve, think they could.  So we told them to knock it off.”  Conceited faith doesn’t work. 

 

YLT Luke 9:51 And it came to pass, in the completing of the days of his being taken up, that he fixed his face to go on to Jerusalem,

Luke 9:52-62   And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him;  but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem.  When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?"  But Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they went to another village. 

Jesus is still rebuking them.  Nuking faith doesn’t work.  Isn’t that exactly the temptation?  I know it is with me.  As soon as I see something in Scriptures that I haven’t seen before, I immediately become arrogant and start nuking, metaphorically speaking. I don’t actually nuke anyone.  I don’t really have access to any nuclear weapons.  But I metaphorically nuke those who have it wrong.  Arrogant faith doesn’t work.  Conceited faith doesn’t work.  Nuking faith doesn’t work. 

I think we are getting the picture as to why the disciples were unable to cast out the boy’s demon and why Jesus was frustrated with them, their faith made them think they were the greatest.  But Jesus has to teach them, “For he who is least among you all-- he is the greatest."   Pealing back the onion Luke is giving us an insight into faith.  Faith exposed by the tragedies.
Faith increased by sharing, feeding, learning worshipping. Faith humbled.  You are not something on a stick. 
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So, Jesus has another lesson to teach about this humbled faith. 

Luke 9:57-62   As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." (arrogance?) Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." (It is not about superiority)   He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."  Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God." (It is not about convenience) Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family."  Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." (It is not about you)

For faith to continue to mature it must be humbled.
®It is not about greatness – it is about being the least
®It is not about superiority – it is about being the least
®It is not about nuking the enemies – it is about being the least
®It is not about strutting with Jesus – it is about being the least
®It is not about convenience – it is about being the least
®It is not about you at all – it is about being the least
®It is not about being great with Jesus – Faith is all about being least with Jesus.

There is a process by which faith grows.  First, it is exposed by the stuff of life.  Faith is brought to light by who Jesus is.  When faith is revealed then it begins to grow by sharing, feeding, learning and worshipping.  But then there is a third development faith must be humbled.  For faith to mature it must lose all arrogance, conceit, superiority, pride, desire for greatness, any agendas, we lose all self and set our faces toward Jerusalem and join Jesus on the cross.

Why were the disciples unable to cast out the boy’s demon?  And why was Jesus upset with them for their failure?  I think Luke tells us their faith, although growing, had become arrogant.  Arrogant faith doesn’t work.  A humbled faith does. Wow, we really are deep into the faith onion.  I can’t hardly wait till next week.