My Notes
What Does Luke 9:2 Mean?
"And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick." The apostolic mission in Luke has TWO tasks: PREACH the kingdom of God AND HEAL the sick. The word and the work go together. The message and the ministry are paired. The preaching declares the kingdom. The healing demonstrates it. The announcement is verbal. The evidence is physical. You can't separate the two without diminishing both.
The phrase "sent them to preach the kingdom of God" (apesteilen autous kēryssein tēn basileian tou theou — He sent them to herald/proclaim the kingdom of God) makes PROCLAMATION the first task: the sent ones are HERALDS — they announce what the king has declared. The kingdom of God is the CONTENT of the preaching. The message isn't 'be good' or 'follow rules.' The message is: the KINGDOM has arrived. The KING is here. The REIGN is at hand.
The "and to heal the sick" (kai iasthai tous asthenountas — and to heal the sick/weak ones) makes HEALING the second task: the kingdom that's preached is also DEMONSTRATED. The sick who hear 'the kingdom has come' also EXPERIENCE the kingdom through healing. The preaching tells them what's happening. The healing SHOWS them what's happening. The word and the sign are one mission.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Are you both declaring AND demonstrating the kingdom — or have you split the mission?
- 2.What does preaching without healing (words without power) look like in your context?
- 3.What does healing without preaching (power without meaning) produce?
- 4.How does the kingdom being both SAID and SHOWN define complete mission?
Devotional
Preach the kingdom. Heal the sick. TWO tasks. One mission. The sent ones carry BOTH — the word that DECLARES the kingdom and the power that DEMONSTRATES it. The preaching without the healing is announcement without evidence. The healing without the preaching is power without meaning.
The 'preach the kingdom of God' is the VERBAL mission: the apostles are heralds. They don't create the kingdom. They ANNOUNCE it. The message is: the kingdom of God has ARRIVED. The reign you've been waiting for is HERE. The king you've been praying for has COME. The preaching is DECLARATION — making known what God is doing. The kingdom exists before the announcement. The announcement makes it known.
The 'heal the sick' is the PHYSICAL mission: the kingdom isn't just words. It's DEMONSTRATED through the healing of bodies. The sick who hear 'the kingdom has come' also FEEL the kingdom through restored health. The healing is the kingdom's business card — the visible proof that the announcement is true. The sickness that yields to the kingdom's power is the evidence that the kingdom is real.
The TWO together are the COMPLETE mission: word without works is theory. Works without word is spectacle. The preaching NAMES what the healing SHOWS. The healing PROVES what the preaching CLAIMS. The kingdom is both SAID and SHOWN. Both are necessary. Both are assigned. The mission that splits them is a half-mission.
Are you preaching AND healing — declaring AND demonstrating — or have you split the mission in half?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God,.... The Gospel, which gives an account of the kingdom of the Messiah; of…
To preach the kingdom of God - For an explication of this phrase, see on Mat 3:1 (note).
We have here, I. The method Christ took to spread his gospel, to diffuse and enforce the light of it. He had himself…
And he sent them Two and two for their mutual comfort. Mar 6:7.
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture