Luke 9:54

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? 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. It was not Peter who spoke this, as we should have expected, but those "sons of thunder" (), who afterward would have all the highest honours of the Kingdom to themselves, and the younger of whom had been rebuked already for his exclusiveness (). Yet this was "the disciple whom Jesus Loved," while the other willingly drank of His Lord's bitter cup. (See the notes at Mark 10:38, and at...

54._And when His disciples James and John saw it_. The country itself had perhaps suggested to them the desire of thundering immediately against the ungodly; for it was there that _Elijah _had formerly destroyed, by a fire from heaven, the king’s soldiers who had been sent to apprehend him, (2 Kings 1:10.) It therefore occurred to them that the Samaritans, who so basely rejected the Son of God, were at that time devoted to a similar destruction. And here we see to what we are driven by a foolish imitation (591) of the holy fathers. _James and John _plead the example of _Elijah_, but they do not consider how far they differ from _Elijah_; they do not examine properly their own intemperate zeal, nor do they look at the calling of God. Under a pretext equally plausible did the Samaritans cloak their idolatry, our fathers worshipp

51-56 The disciples did not consider that the conduct of the Samaritans was rather the effect of national prejudices and bigotry, than of enmity to the word and worship of God; and through they refused to receive Christ and his disciples, they did not ill use or injure them, so that the case was widely different from that of Ahaziah and Elijah. Nor were they aware that the gospel dispensation was to be marked by miracles of mercy. But above all, they were ignorant of the prevailing motives of their own hearts, which were pride and carnal ambition. Of this our Lord warned them. It is easy for us to say, Come, see our zeal for the Lord! and to think we are very faithful in his cause, when we are seeking our own objects, and even doing harm instead of good to others....

Verse 54. _THAT WE COMMAND FIRE_] Vengeance belongs to the Lord. What we suffer for _his sake_, should be left to himself to reprove or punish. The insult is offered to him, not to us. Mark 3:17, Mark 3:17....

JAMES AND JOHN - They were called Boanerges - sons of thunder - probably on account of their energy and power in preaching the gospel, or of their vehement and rash zeal - a remarkable example of which we have in this instance, Mark 3:17. WILT THOU ... - The insult had been offered to Jesus, their friend, and they felt it; but their zeal was rash and their spirit bad. Vengeance belongs to God: it was not theirs to attempt it. FIRE FROM HEAVEN - Lightning, to consume them. AS ELIAS DID - By this they wished to justify their zeal. Perhaps, while they were speaking, they saw Jesus look at them with disapprobation, and to vindicate themselves they referred to the case of Elijah. The case is recorded in...

EXPOSITION LUKE 9:1 _The Master sends out the twelve on a mission_. LUKE 9:1 THEN HE CALLED HIS TWELVE DISCIPLES TOGETHER. The Galilee ministry was just over; _outwardly_ it had been a triumphant success; vast crowds had been gathered together. The Master was generally welcomed with a positive enthusiasm; the people heard him gladly. Here and there were visible, as in the eases of the woman who touched him and the synagogue ruler who prayed him to heal his little daughter, just related (Luke 8:1.), conspicuous examples of a strange or mighty faith; but the success, the Master knew too well, was only on the surface. The crowds who to-day shouted "Ho

AND WHEN HIS DISCIPLES, JAMES AND JOHN, SAW THIS,.... The Persic version reads thus; when "James and John, and the disciples saw this"; that is, the other disciples besides them, so making all the disciples say what follows; whereas only those two are intended, who having been the messengers, were the more provoked at this indignity to their Lord and master: THEY SAID, LORD, WILT THOU THAT WE COMMAND FIRE TO COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN, AND CONSUME THEM; being enraged at this conduct of the Samaritans towards, Christ, and burning with love to him, and zeal for his honour; being "Boanerges's", sons of thunder, they were for punishing of them in a most terrible manner, even with, fire from heaven; by which Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities of the plain, were destroyed: this they doubted not of doing, knowing what miraculous power was conferred upon them; but did not think proper to attempt to...

Our Lord had been on the mountain, and had been transfigured; and when he came down, the first person that he met was the devil, with whom he had to come in contact. Whenever you or I get up on the mountain-top, and have a very happy and delightful experience, we may expect to be in a battle before long. Our joy is, however, a preparation for the conflict; it nerves our spirit, and makes us strong to meet the great enemy of our souls. Luke 9:37. _And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill, much people met him. And, behold, a man of the company cried out saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child. And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him. And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not._...

LUKE 9:54 auvtou,j {B} The reading w`j kai. VHli,aj evpoi,hsen, as well as the longer readings in verses Luke 9:55 and Luke 9:56, had fairly wide circulation in parts of the ancient church. The absence of the clauses, however, from such early witnesses as î45, 75 a B L X 1241 itl syrs copsa, bo suggests that they are glosses derived from some extraneous source, written or oral....

IV. THE JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM -- CHAPTER 9:51-19:27 CHAPTER 9:51-62 _ 1. His Face Set Toward Jerusalem. (Luke 9:51)_ 2. The Rejected Messengers and His Rebuke. (Luke 9:53) 3. Tests of Discipleship. (Luke 9:57 .) The fifty-first verse marks a new part in this Gospel. The time was come; His hour was approaching. As the perfect Man we have seen Him. As babe, as child, as man in all His loveliness we have seen Him and now the compassionate, loving One, He, who always pleased God in a perfect obedience “steadfastly set His face to go up to Jerusalem.” Coming from Galilee the messengers entered into a village of the Samaritans, who would not receive Him because His face was set toward Jerusalem, the city th