The Religious In-Crowd

Luke 9:46-56 – Jesus rebuked His disciples for pride and exclusivity. True greatness in His kingdom is measured by humility, not hierarchy.

The more we follow Jesus, the less we look down, shut out, or write off others.

Looks Down (46-48)

• Jesus spoke of His coming suffering (44); His disciples argued about their supposed superiority (46).
• Jesus measures greatness by how we welcome those the world considers insignificant (47-48).
• You cannot look up to Jesus while looking down on others.

Shuts Out (49-50)

• The disciples couldn’t cast out a demon (40), yet they tried to stop someone who could (49).
• Jesus rejects the assumption that only our crowd can carry out His work (50).
• Don’t let your circle keep you from seeing what Jesus is doing throughout His Church.

Writes Off (51-56)

• After seeing the great prophets on the mountain (30), these disciples wanted to bring ancient judgment down on a village (54).
• Jesus was determined to give His life; His disciples wanted to take the lives of those who rejected Him (51-55).
• Before you write off people unlike you, remember that Jesus went to the cross for people unlike Him.

Don’t let the religious in-crowd keep you from loving outsiders.