Luke 9:1-50

Fourth Cycle: From the Mission of the Twelve to the Departure from Galilee, Luke 9:1-50.

This cycle describes the close of the Galilean ministry. It embraces six narrations: 1 st. The mission of the Twelve, and the impression made on Herod by the public activity of Jesus (Luke 9:1-9). 2 d. The multiplication of the loaves (Luke 9:10-17). 3 d. The first communication made by Jesus to His apostles respecting His approaching sufferings (Luke 9:18-27). 4 th. The transfiguration (Luke 9:28-36). 5 th. The cure of the lunatic child (Luke 9:37-43 a). 6 th. Some circumstances which preceded the departure from Galilee (Luke 9:43 b to 50).

1. The Mission of the Twelve, and the Fears of Herod: Luke 9:1-9.

The mission with which the Twelve were entrusted marks a twofold advance in the work of Jesus. From the first Jesus had attached to Himself a great number of pious Jews as disciples (a first example occurs, Luke 5:1-11; a second, Luke 9:27); from these He had chosen twelve to form a permanent college of apostles (Luke 6:13 et seq.). And now this last title is to become a more complete reality than it had hitherto been. Jesus sends them forth to the people of Galilee, and puts them through their first apprenticeship to their future mission, as it were, under His own eyes. With this advance in their position corresponds another belonging to the work itself. For six months Jesus devoted Himself almost exclusively to Galilee. The shores of the lake of Gennesaret, the western plateau, Decapolis itself on the eastern side, had all been visited by Him in turn. Before this season of grace for Galilee comes to an end, He desires to address one last solemn appeal to the conscience of this people on whom such lengthened evangelistic labours have been spent; and He does it by this mission, which He confides to the Twelve, and which is, as it were, the close of His own ministry. Mark also connects this portion with the preceding cycle by introducing between the two the visit to Nazareth (Luke 6:1-6), which, as a last appeal of the Saviour to this place, so dear to his heart, perfectly agrees with the position of affairs at this time.

Matthew 10, also mentions this mission of the Twelve, connecting with it the catalogue of apostles and a long discourse on the apostolate, but he appears to place this fact earlier than Luke. Keim (ii. p. 308) thinks that Luke assigns it a place in nearer connection with the mission of the seventy disciples, in order that this second incident (a pure invention of Luke's) may be more certain to eclipse the former. In imputing to Luke this Machiavellian design against the Twelve, Keim forgets two things: 1. That, according to him, Luke invented the scene of the election of the Twelve (vi.) with the view of conferring on their ministry a double and triple con secration. After having had recourse to invention to exalt them, we are to suppose that he now invents to degrade them! 2. That the three Syn. are agreed in placing this mission of the Twelve just after the preceding cycle (the tempest, Gadara, Jairus), and that as Matthew places this cycle, as well as the Sermon on the Mount, which it closely follows, earlier than Luke, the different position which the mission of the Twelve occupies in the one from that which it holds in the other, results very naturally from this fact. It is to be observed that Mark, whose account of the sending forth of the Twelve fully confirms that of Luke, is quite independent of it, as is proved by a number of details which are peculiar to him (Luke 6:7, two and two; Luke 9:8, save one staff only; ibid., put on two coats; Luke 9:13, they anointed with oil).