Archives for November 2021

OVERVIEW:

Jesus provides pertinent answers to pertinent questions (13:1-35); Jesus addresses the guests in a Pharisee’s house on the Sabbath day (14:1- 35); Jesus gives three illustrations to reveal God’s heart for the lost (15:1-32).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As we move into chapter 13 today, Jesus continues His journey toward Jerusalem (see 9:51: 13:22; 17:11; 18:31; 19:11, 28). As He makes His way, He is faced with four questions that provide a clean breakdown of the chapter. He is asked:

1) A POLITICAL question about JUSTICE. (13:1-9) Jesus knows that anything He says about Pilate will certainly make it to Jerusalem before He does! Verses 3 and 4 teach us not to assume that human tragedies are divine punishments.

2) A LEGAL question about the SABBATH. (13:10-21) It could only have been the pride and self-righteousness of the Pharisees that could cause them not to see that Jesus “loosing” this poor woman from Satan’s bond and her suffering on the sabbath (13:12), was no different from them “loosing” their ox or donkey from the stall to get water on the sabbath. (13:15) Pride and self-righteousness still cause that same blindness and that same hideous judgmental spirit today.

3) A THEOLOGICAL question about SALVATION. (13:22-30) Notice that Jesus turned the man’s general question about how many would be saved, to a personal question about whether or not HE would be saved. It is amazing how many people to this day ask great, spiritual, theological questions that they have no intention of obeying or practicing, even if they receive the answer!

4) A PERSONAL question about DEATH. (13:31-35) Though there is not a specific question asked in these verses, Jesus’ response to the statement in verse 31 is as if asked a question about whether he was concerned about Herod’s desire to kill Him. Jesus responds by saying, in effect, that His life was on God’s timetable, not man’s. (See John 2:4; 7:30; 8:20; 13:1; 17:1)

Recognize today (and every day), that your life is on that same time schedule!

In chapter 14, Jesus is invited to come over to one of the chief Pharisee’s house for dinner after church, so to speak. Jesus quickly recognizes that He is intended to be the main entrée, so rather than be eaten alive, He takes command of the room, and faces all those in attendance with their own personal issues.

• In 14:1-6, He begins with the Pharisees, making them face their false spirituality, by healing someone on the sabbath.
• In 14:7-11, Jesus then faces the other guests with their self-promotion, by pointing out that they had all sought to position themselves in the room to make themselves appear important.
• In 14:12-14, Jesus faces the host with the fact that the people he had invited were actually invited to fulfill an obligation to them, or to impose a debt on them. It makes you wonder, where are the people who don’t have an ulterior motive behind their generosity? Even when we do something for nothing in return, the ulterior motive can be that we wanted to be viewed as someone who does things for nothing in return. Wow!
• In 14:15-24, Jesus is facing the Jews with the fact that they were about to miss the invitation of their Messiah, and that He would then turn to the Gentiles. Notice that the more things change, the more the things remain the same. People miss Jesus for the same exact reasons in the 21st century that they did in the 1st century. They miss Him because they are:

1. Relishing in their riches. (14:18)
2. Climbing in their career. (14:19)
3. Focused on their family. (14:20

In 14:25-35, Jesus leaves the Pharisee’s house, and then faces the multitudes with the fact that He wasn’t looking for people who wanted to simply add Him on to their already cluttered life. He was looking for those who would see their relationship with Him as the most important relationship of life and see Him as life itself!

Jesus was never interested in self-seeking consumers, but self-denying disciples. As has been pointed out repeatedly throughout the 365 Days of Pursuit, in contrast to the consumer driven messages that are preached in the Laodicean Church Period, true, biblical, Spirit-anointed preaching is at least two-thirds negative! (See Jeremiah 1:10 and 2^nd Timothy 4:2.) Facing people’s issues, as Jesus has just done in chapters 13 and 14, wouldn’t fly too well today. If someone preached like that today, you might could expect to hear questions and comments like:

• “Why does our message need to be so negative?”
• “People don’t want to come to church and have to feel bad.”
• “I’m afraid to bring visitors to church because the strong preaching may push them away.”
• “I’m just not being fed.”
• “I’m looking for something that has a better ‘ministry’ to my kids.”

But the good news is, Jesus wasn’t all negative! In chapter 15 He pulls out three illustrations that reveal the heart of God for His lost creation. Jesus shows us that our Heavenly Father is like:

• A Tender Shepherd. (15:1-7)
• A Diligient Housewife. (15:8-10
• A Longing Dad. (15:11-32)

He searches… and seeks… and longs… and sacrifices to see that which was lost returned to its rightful place. Praise the Lord, our rightful place is with Him!

OVERVIEW:

Jesus sends out “the 70” (10:1-24); Jesus teaches about who our neighbor is (10:25-37); Jesus teaches us the importance of worship (10:38-42); Jesus models the importance of prayer (11:1); Jesus provides a pattern for prayer (11:2-4); Jesus teaches about persistence in prayer (11:5-8); Jesus offers promises concerning prayer (11:9-13); Jesus teaches about the devil (11:14-28); Jesus’ illustrations concerning the crowds… Jonah (11:29-30, 32); Solomon (11:31); Light (11:33-36); Jesus teaches about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees (11:37-54); Jesus warns about hypocrisy (12:1-12); Jesus warns about covetousness (12:13-21); Jesus warns about worrying (12:22-34); Jesus warns about carelessness (12:35-53); Jesus warns about lack of discernment and lack of diligence in spiritual matters (12:54-59).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As we continue to make our way through the Gospel of Luke, note the fact that there is a phrase that appears more times in this book than any other book in the New Testament. That phrase is “the kingdom of God”.

As we came through Matthew’s Gospel, we talked quite a bit about the distinction between the two phrases, the “kingdom of heaven” and the “kingdom of God”. It is interesting that the phrase the “kingdom of heaven” is found 33 times in 32 verses in Matthew, and the phrase the “kingdom of God” is found 33 times in 32 verses in Luke! Do you remember the difference between these two kingdoms?

The “kingdom of heaven” is the kingdom promised to the Jews all through the Old Testament, and is sometimes referred to as the “kingdom of Israel.” (Acts 1:6; Hosea 1:4) It is a literal, physical, earthly, governmental, messianic, Davidic kingdom over which Jesus rules as King from His throne in Jerusalem.

The “kingdom of God”, on the other hand, is a spiritual kingdom that cannot be seen or touched; where Jesus rules as King on the throne of men’s hearts by way of a spiritual birth (Luke 17:20-21; Romans 14:17; 1^st Corinthians 4:20; 15:50; John 3:3). Keep in mind, as you’re reading this Gospel, that the reason Luke emphasizes the “kingdom of God” is because God’s goal through him in this Gospel is to present the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of man who came “to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10)

It is interesting to note that the Jews of Jesus’ day were totally preoccupied with the “kingdom of heaven”, and therefore, were totally oblivious to their need to be born into the “kingdom of God”. It made them blind, selfish, and self-serving. Just as interesting is the fact that the Christians of our day are totally preoccupied with the “kingdom of God”, and therefore, are totally oblivious to the “kingdom of heaven”. It, likewise, makes us blind, selfish and self-serving. (Revelation 3:14-22; 2^nd Timothy 3:1-2) It causes us to claim the promise of eternal life, while we go about our lives seeking to build our own literal, physical kingdom on the earth! God’s intention, however, is, now that we have been born into His spiritual kingdom, that we “seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God,” and that we “set [our] affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” (Colossians 3:1-2) God wants the literal, physical kingdom in which our Lord Jesus Christ will finally receive the “glory due unto his name” (1^st Chronicles 16:29; Psalm 29:2; 96:8), to so be in our hearts, that it even causes us to continuously pray for it to come! (Matthew 6:10)

As you can see, keeping these two kingdoms straight not only has key DOCTRINAL implications, but key PRACTICAL implications as well. Perhaps it’s because of this emphasis in Luke’s Gospel that he is the only Gospel writer that includes the sending out of the 70 found in today’s reading (10:1-24). Why 70, and not 7, 17, or 67? Just as “the 12” apostles are associated with the 12 sons of Jacob, it appears that “the 70” must also have some significant association. Though it is more difficult an association to determine, than with “the 12”, it seems apparent that “the 70” are associated with the 70 nations found in Genesis 10. Because Luke focuses on the universality of the “kingdom of God” to all peoples and all nations, it is very fitting that his Gospel would include “the 70” being sent to spread the message to all nations.

Other little “tid-bits” to glean along the way in today’s reading:

10:1-42 – Notice in this chapter the three places that are described, and the three things we are to do in each:

• he Harvest Field (10:1-24): We Are to REPRESENT Him.
• The Highway (10:25-37): We Are to MODEL Him.
• The Home (10:38-42): We Are to WORSHIP Him.

10:23-24 – I hope this is the way you feel about the things the Lord has graciously allowed you to see in His word and for allowing you to be a part of in His kingdom.

11:1 – It is interesting that the disciples heard Jesus preach the greatest sermons that have ever been preached, but they never said, “Lord, teach us to preach.” They saw Him perform the most incredible miracles that have ever been performed, but they never said, “Lord, teach us to do miracles.” But they heard Him pray, and couldn’t help but say, “Lord, teach us to pray.” What a connection with the Father Jesus must have had when He prayed! What an intimacy with His Father they must have witnessed. Oh, may we learn what it really is to pray!

11:24-26 – The application of these verses to us is to constantly realize that it is not enough that we simply be set apart FROM the world, but that we be set apart UNTO God! (John 17:11-17) It is not enough that we simply put OFF the OLD man, but that we put ON the NEW man! (Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:8-14) It is not enough that we simply no longer SERVE SIN, but that we SERVE RIGHTEOUSNESS! (Romans 6:17-18)