O Faithless and Perverse Generation - Luke 9:41

The beloved physician Luke wrote, “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 you, look upon my son: for he is mine only child. And, lo, a spirit takes him, and he suddenly cries out; and it tears him that he foams again, and bruising him hardly departs from him. And I besought your disciples to cast him out; and they could not”, and in chapter nine and verse forty-one of his book Luke shared how Jesus said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?” where we read:

And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation,

how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring your son hither.

The verse reads, “And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, ...” Luke began with the words, “and Jesus answering said” or “and Jesus whose name means Jehovah is Salvation and is the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate responded and began to speak by uttering, declaring and proclaiming”, “O faithless” which means “O unbelieving, incredible, incredulous and without trust” “and perverse generation” or “and distorted, opposing, corrupt and turned aside from the right path people of the same stock, family and group of people very like each other in endowments”. Luke shared how Jesus responded to the fact that His disciples could not cast the “spirit” out of the man's son by calling them an “unbelieving and corrupt” group of people.

The verse continues, “... how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring your son hither.” Luke added the words, “how long shall I be with you” which means “for what length of time would Jesus actually be with this generation”, “and suffer you” or “and forbear or endure this generation”? “Bring your son here” which means “the man was to lead his son and approach where Jesus was standing”. Luke shared how Jesus rhetorically questioned the length of time He would exist among and endure His disciples and the group of people who “met” Him, and He instructed the man to “lead” his son to Him.

When we meditate upon Luke's words in this verse, we see how Jesus identified the problem with the “generation” before Him as He assessed them as “unbelieving and corrupt”. The implication was this was the reason they were unable to free the man's son from the “evil spirit”. Jesus came into the world to “save” people from their sins, and those who put their “faith and trust in Him” and “repent” of their “perverse” ways will find Him to be “forgiving” and ready to help them in their time of need. Those who are wise will believe in Jesus and turn from their “corrupt” ways so they may freely live with God the Father throughout all eternity.

Next time Luke shares how Jesus, “rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".