WHAT MANNER OF SPIRIT
Luke 9:51 ¶ And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, 52 And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. 53 And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. 54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? 55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. 56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.
Luke 9:57 ¶ And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. 58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. 59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. 61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. 62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
When a man stedfastly sets his face to press on to the place of self mortification in order that he may only live in the resurrected life, it will force the true spiritual attitudes of those involved with him to manifest themselves! Those Samaritan spirits, afforded the opportunity to provide spiritual hospitality, will revert to their bitternesses, refusing him fellowship. John 4:20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. They had rather argue about religion than to bow before the realized Christ. John 4:25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. 26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
For a spirit in the sacrificial mode is always rejected and despised among men. For he makes them uncomfortable, as they do not possess the same spirit of dying to self, and only living the death life. Therefore all religious Samaritans will hide their faces from him, assuring themselves that he must surely be guilty of some horrible thing to be “smitten of God” in such a fashion!
2 Corinthians 4:10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you.
Isaiah 53:2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. 9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
When he becomes the Lord’s ‘smitten shepherd’ all in the flock are scattered, forsaking him to what they believe is his deserved punishment. Zechariah 13:6 And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. 7 Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones. Matthew 26:31 ¶ Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.
They are repulsed at his wounds, even though they are the wounds of discipline which he received from God in the very house of his friends; the true church. For no one can become perfectly usable in the matters of salvation without learning how far obedience must go by the extent of his God-ordained sufferings! Hebrews 5:7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; 8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
Yet we must take careful notice of Luke 9:55 text. It clearly states that, “he turned, and rebuked them.” For it is one thing to observe religious Samaritans acting out their prejudices, but it is a far greater problem to hear the very disciples of Christ not knowing his spiritual nature, due to a fault in theirs! Because they knew not what manner of spirit they possessed, they, in that false spirit, grossly misjudged, not only his mission, but also his Spirit! Therefore “he turned” them away from the Samaritan issue to examine their own spirits! For the examination of one’s self is essential in the discerning of the Lord’s body! 1 Corinthians 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
All that was needed to be done to deal with the Samaritan’s situation was to go to another village! And the Lord had already just instructed them as how to handle such rejection. Luke 9:5 And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them. And he also instructs that they would be dealt with by the Lord in his final judgment. Mark 6:11 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. Therefore the disciples are set forth by their Lord to be rejected in his place. So he will take care of it himself. Colossians 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church: Romans 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
But for those who were to be the proclaimers of His gospel not to understand their Master, nor his mission, was the far greater problem! This required them to come to address the serious flaw of the manner of their spirits! And if you ever identify a smitten shepherd, you will also find a scattered flock. And the false issue, openly broadcast among themselves will be “those wicked Samaritans!” But the true issue will, without fail, be the true church not knowing what manner of spirit they are of!
Then in verses 57 through 62 we are given three examples of responses from those contemplating discipleship. Two are volunteers and one is called. But there are no volunteers in God’s true church. Every member of the kingdom of God is effectually called of God. Hebrews 5:4 And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. (That verse is specifically speaking of the office of the high priest, but it also holds true to discipleship.)
According to Matthew 8:19 this “certain man” in our verses 57 and 58 was a scribe. He spent his life in the clerical work of maintaining the scriptures, therefore in his vain imaginations he promised himself a life of more excitement and travel, receiving honor as he accompanied the Lord.
But the Lord does not accept his offer. Instead he helps cast down his fleshly imaginations by bringing upon his heart and mind the reality of the life of the true disciple. 1 Corinthians 4:10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. 11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; 12 And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: 13 Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.
2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; For such inordinate affections must be killed out of the true believers hearts. Colossians 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: But if truth be known the majority of organized religion going on in our day is mainly prompted by such inordinate affections. The Amplified Bible calls these emotions, “animal impulses, sensual appetites, and unholy desires.”
And the second volunteer, as seen in verses 61 and 62 of our text was not looking forward to supposed excitement, but looking backward to a lifestyle which was required to be forsaken. This is a grave error in the minds of those who think they may maintain their own lives while faithfully fulfilling the office of the minister of Christ. For He left his Father in heaven and his mother at the cross, and can we possible think that we shall be allowed to keep ours? Hebrews 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. Matthew 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36 And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. 37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
This only leaves the one called by the Lord, as seen in verses 59 and 60. For to him comes the command to Follow me. Yet he does not say that he will not follow the Lord, but he attempts to set fort the conditions upon which he shall do so. He seeks a delay in beginning his discipleship. For his father was not dead at this point. For if he had died, he would have been taken out and immediately buried.
Acts 5:5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. 6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. 10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.
But that which this man was implying was that his father was old and nearing the point of death. So he wanted the beginning of his discipleship to be delayed until the old man actually died, in order that he could be there to bury him. But the Lord instructs him that he was to be serving the souls of them who were made spiritually alive by the Spirit’s regeneration. For those with no such calling into either discipleship, or spiritual life could easily fulfill the task of burying the physically dead.
We know not this man’s identity, nor his history. But we do know that everyone whom the Lord called, responded positively to this sovereign call. For he called to Lazarus and he came forth out of a tomb after being dead four days. And he called Zacchaeus, and he came down our of his height-giving tree.
Therefore this man would not have been granted his request, thus learning that Jesus was his sovereign Lord. And learning that his life from henceforth was not to be according to his own dictates, but according to Christ’s sovereign will! He was now to live the death life of the true disciple. 1 Corinthians 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Philippians 1:21 ¶ For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 1 John 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
Pastor Gene Breed
August 19, 2021
