What happens when you keep getting it wrong—even while you’re trying to follow Jesus? In Luke 9:43–56, Jesus’ disciples have a rough day. Four different opportunities come their way—and they strike out four times. They fail to ask questions when they don’t understand Jesus. They argue about which of them is the greatest. They treat another follower of Jesus like competition. And when a Samaritan village rejects Jesus, they want to call down fire from heaven. They go 0-for-4 with Jesus. But through it all, Jesus reveals something even more important about Himself: He doesn’t give up on His disciples when they fail. We all have days when we strike out. We misunderstand. We argue. We divide. We respond in anger instead of love. But our failures don’t overwhelm the grace of God. Jesus still loves us—even when we strike out.
