Getting to Know Jesus Even Better #31

One by one, the groups of religious leaders in Jerusalem had come to Jesus trying to get Jesus to say something they could use against Him. One by one, He shut them down. Luke 20:

27 Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question. 28 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died childless. 30 The second 31 and then the third married her, and in the same way the seven died, leaving no children. 32 Finally, the woman died too. 33 Now then, at the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”
34 Jesus replied, “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, 36 and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children, since they are children of the resurrection. 37 But in the account of the burning bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ 38 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.”
39 Some of the teachers of the law responded, “Well said, teacher!” 40 And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

These men thought the idea of the resurrection was ridiculous, but their hypothetical situation was even more ridiculous.  Jesus shows that with His simple reply: "There is no death in heaven." There will be no problems like this.  And just to calm their minds, and shut their mouths, Jesus pointed them to the only writer of scripture they respected: Moses. Even he believed in the resurrection of the dead, so why didn't they?  The resurrection of the dead changes everything. 

Getting to Know Jesus Even Better #30

In Luke 20 the leaders of Jerusalem were doing everything they could to get Jesus to say something incriminating. In response, Jesus had just given the "parable of the vineyard", which ended up with harsh judgment for those who would oppose the Son of the Owner. How did they respond to that?

19 The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.
20 Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said, so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. 21 So the spies questioned him: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. 22 Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” 23 He saw through their duplicity and said to them, 24 “Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. 25 He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” 26 They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent.

Since they were having trouble finding charges that would stick, they tried to get Him to say something against Roman Rule, so that they would have an accusation to take to Pilate, the governor.  This backfired, as Jesus' response was so profound.  The denarius was a coin designated for paying taxes. The question that is implied is this: "What, or who, has God's image on it? Give that to Him."

Getting to Know Jesus Even Better #29

In Luke 20, we find the religious leaders in Jerusalem waging an all out attack on Jesus. Verse:

9 He went on to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time. 10 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. 12 He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out.
13 “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.’ 14 “But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 15 So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
“What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When the people heard this, they said, “God forbid!”17 Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: “‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’? 18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”

The Old Testament presents this picture of the people of Israel as God's vineyard.  They and their leaders had been given a sacred trust, which they violated over and over. When God sent His prophets to get things in order, they mistreated them and would not respond. Now He had sent His Son, and they were going to do even worse to Him. This was the story nobody wanted to hear; the truth can hurt. They also did not want to hear about the final accounting they would give. The Cornerstone, strong and straight is what will give a solid foundation, but if you oppose Him you will be cleared out of the way or squished. Once again, Jesus reminds us that being put in trust with the truth brings with it great accountability.

Getting to Know Jesus Even Better #28

During Jesus' final week in Jerusalem, He spent a fair amount of time handling last-ditch efforts by the religious leaders to challenge Him. Luke 20:

One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him. 2 “Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,” they said. “Who gave you this authority?” 3 He replied, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me: 4 John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin?” 5 They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ all the people will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet.” 7 So they answered, “We don’t know where it was from.” 8 Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

They questioned Jesus' authority on what they viewed as their turf: the temple.  They had taken it upon themselves to be the ones who determined what went on there, but Jesus had come in, driven out the merchandisers, and opened up His school of discipleship. In typical form Jesus answered their question with a question about John the Baptist.  Inferred in His answer is that His authority in part came from the same source: God had sent and authorized their message; just because these leaders did not authorize it did not make it untrue; it made them unwise. They proved their foolishness, inability to lead, and lack of authority by not being able to answer Jesus truthfully. After all, it was actually His Father's house, not theirs. 

Getting to Know Jesus Even Better #27

At the end of Luke 19, Jesus had just come into Jerusalem with a great parade of people singing His praises. What would be His first order of business?

45 When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling. 46 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be a house of prayer’; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”
47 Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him. 48 Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words.

The first thing Jesus did was clear out space in the outer court of the temple, the area where the Gentiles were allowed, to make room for Him to clearly announce the Kingdom of God.  As we saw yesterday, just before he entered Jerusalem He was weeping over her rejection of Him and His good news.  The leaders did not appreciate the competition, but the pilgrims who had come from all over the world for Passover were hungry to hear Him.  High in God's priorities is that He wants to clear out all the clutter - all the noise and distractions, so we will hear the Good News of the Gospel of peace.  May we hang on every word. 

Getting to Know Jesus Even Better #26

We saw yesterday in Luke 19 that Jesus had finally arrived at the entranceway to Jerusalem, riding down the road on the Mount of Olives. 

41 And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side 44 and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

Many pilgrims who came to Jerusalem would cry with joy when they saw the city and the temple, but Jesus had tears of sorrow, because having been their often before, He had received repeated rejection. He had come and presented Himself as Messiah, Savior, Deliverer, but they turned a blind eye and deaf ear. The Visitor had come and been turned away.  The next visitor to come would be judgment. 

Getting to Know Jesus Even Better #25

Over the last few weeks, we have been following Jesus on this journey to Jerusalem. He finally had made His wat to the edge of the city: Luke 19:
28 And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” 32 So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. 33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. 37 As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

Everyone was anticipating what was going to happen.  So many things were fitting: Jesus was riding on a colt who had never before been ridden upon, signifying that He was both a King of Peace, and holy, special;  the cloaks throne upon it and before Him were also a recognition of His royalty; even the music was appropriate: in one sense it was a psalm they would often sing as pilgrims coming to Passover, yet they were singing it towards Him.  But with all this there was an eerie sense that things were out of their control: the disciples wondering if they could carry out what He commanded them to do; the Pharisees could not keep the people from cheering Him on; even the rocks seemed to be His willing servants.  Simply put, Jesus was in control all the way. When that is true, it's a glorious day. 

Getting to Know Jesus Even Better #24

Luke 19 began with one of those "G" rated kid-friendly stories about Zacchaeus, but the next event is rated PG-13 for sure:

 11 As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. 12 He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. 13 Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ 14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ 15 When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. 16 The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ 17 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ 18 And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ 19 And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ 20 Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ 22 He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ 24 And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ 25 And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ 26 ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 27 But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’”

The crowds were walking with Jesus, singing His praises, anticipating His march into Jerusalem to become their King. He had been telling His disciples that actually He would suffer and die there, but they were not hearing it.  The fact was that He, like this nobleman had to go far away for a long time and receive His Kingdom, then return.  When He would return there would be an accounting for those He entrusted, and Judgment for those who refused His rule.  Life is not just a big party with no thought for the future; it is future driven.  Zacchaeus had dealt with His past, trusting in Jesus and making things right; this made him ready for the future.  May we accept Jesus rule and reign today, and be ready for it in the future. 

Getting to Know Jesus Even Better #23

After Jesus' encounter with the blind man, we come to Luke 19:

  He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Besides being one of the best-known accounts to children, because they can envision this, this passage really summarizes so much of Jesus' ministry: He was known as a friend of tax-collectors and sinners; He looked at people - he focused on individuals out of the crowd; he offered forgiveness and whole new life, beginning with offering salvation to the Jews, the people of Abraham; He gives here a demonstration of a rich man who was saved. Finally, He repeats something He had said way back in the beginning of His ministry, when He called Levi, another tax collector to follow Him: He had come to seek and save the lost. Everything Jesus had said and done is coming together here for one last time before He enters Jerusalem. 

Getting to Know Jesus Even Better #22

We have come in our study to the last paragraph of Luke 18, where Jesus hit the last big city on His way to Jerusalem:

35 As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 38 And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” 42 And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” 43 And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

Jesus is coming into Jericho, a thriving city politically and commercially, where this blind man is on the edge of town, doing the only thing he can: begging for a living.  Since his sight was gone, his sense of hearing was sharp; he had heard lots of crowds come by heading toward Jerusalem, but nothing like this. It did not sound like an army; what could it be? It was a parade for a King. When he heard that, the man changed from begging for money to begging for mercy. He saw himself as totally unable to help himself and Jesus as totally capable of doing what no one else could: renew his sight. Jesus was very intentional; He stopped, sent for the man, and met his need.  He is faithful to hear the cry of those who call out to Him for mercy.  

Getting to Know Jesus Even Better #21

In Luke 18, we find Jesus has returned to the main theme of His teaching: the Kingdom of God:

 31 And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. 32 For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. 33 And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” 34 But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

Jesus told them, point blank, step by step, what was going to happen to Him when they get to Jerusalem. He is more detailed than ever before. Yet, they don't get it.  Luke uses three parallel statements to impress upon us that they were totally clueless as to what Jesus was trying to say.  They could not imagine these things happening. They were travelling with Jesus, surrounded by crowds who seemed to love Him, and whenever their journey was interrupted by Pharisees and other opponents, Jesus shut them down. And, how did the Gentiles get involved in all this? God has a way of doing things that need to be done in ways we can never imagine. He calls us to simply come along, follow, and trust and obey Him. It may be a bumpy ride, but He will get us where we need to be. 

Getting to Know Jesus Even Better #20

In Luke 18, Jesus had just said that in order to enter the Kingdom of God, one had to have the humble spirit of a child. Then...
 18 And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” 21 And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” 22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 23 But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. 24 Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” 27 But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” 28 And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.” 29 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”

This simple statement by God set off a whole string of responses, from the synagogue ruler, the crowds, even Peter and the other apostles.  Everyone was trying to justify themselves by their good deeds, by their doing better than others, even by their sacrificial service.  The core issue here is: Do material possessions demonstrate blessing from God, which in turn indicates being right with God, which thereby gives assurance of eternal life. The short answer is "no, it does not."  Then, how can we know that we have eternal life? Simple trust in Christ to provide it, which in turn leads to satisfaction with what He provides in this life, and a willingness, joy and purpose in seeking His will above anything else, no matter what. This ruler did not have it, and was not willing to trust Christ to receive it.  The disciples had it, but at times doubted, and needed some reassurance.  May we find that assurance in Him today. 

Getting to Know Jesus Even Better #19

 

In Luke 18, Jesus has just exhorted His disciples to a life of persistent prayer. He then goes on to give another lesson on prayer:

 9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
15 Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 17 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

The thing about Jesus' parables is not only how they were pictures of everyday life to those who heard them, but how it was very possible some of those who fit the characters may have been standing right there. We have seen that the Pharisees always seemed to pop us where Jesus was to criticize and collect evidence against Him.  And tax collectors often had roadside stands and Jesus was always  walking down the road somewhere. Jesus' point was that honest prayer requires humility; it is saying: "I need you, Lord!" Anything less is not true prayer. That is emphasized in the second paragraph above when Jesus talks about child-like faith. If you don't have the humility to enter God's presence in prayer, you don't have the humility it requires to enter His kingdom.

Getting to Know Jesus Even Better #18

 One of the themes which we have seen repeated throughout our study of Luke is brought to the forefront in Luke 18:

And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?

Verse 1 begins and He told them..., so the question is "Who are they?" From the preceding passage, it is the disciples. What He wanted them, and us, to get from this parable is the need to persist in our prayers - not giving up on them, or on God.  This is one of those parables which is both a comparison and contrast. We are to be like the widow in our persistence, but God is not like this judge in His character. In fact, it is the very character of God that should prompt us to be even more persistent than she was: God is good, just, loving, and always watching and listening.  The last sentence almost seems disjointed, like Jesus has switched gears from prayer to faith, but He has not. They are connected. If we really believe, we will be praying when He comes - always praying, day and night, not knowing when He will come. 

Getting to Know Jesus Even Better #17

The Disciples and Pharisees had been observing Jesus teach with power and heal person after person, when we find this question in Luke 17:

20 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”22 And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. 24 For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. 25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, 29 but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— 30 so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. 32 Remember Lot's wife. 33 Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. 34 I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. 35 There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.” 37 And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.”

The Pharisees asked the question, but after a brief comment, He addressed the answer to the disciples.  In one sense the Kingdom had already come, though not visible with a palace or governmental structures. It was right there where His people were.  But there is another sense in which the would not see the kingdom to a future time of judgment. They were to always be on the alert, because just like in the days of Noah and Lot, people get so wrapped up in the things of this world that they forget all about the Kingdom to come; we easily live our lives oblivious to the rule and reign of God. There is coming a rude awakening for most, when the evidence will be clear and painfully obvious; judgment has come. 

Getting to Know Jesus Even Better #16

We are in Luke 17, where the disciples have figured out that following Jesus is very demanding, moving the twelve to cry out: "Lord, increase our faith". In response to that cry, Luke then records: 

11 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

Often, when we sense our faith is growing dim, God sends along someone - even the last person we would expect - who will demonstrate faith to encourage our own.  This account is simple and clear: these lepers called out in faith for mercy; Jesus gave instructions they followed; they were healed and cleansed.  Just because the nine did not return does not mean they were not thankful. In fact, they were instructed by the law of God to be proclaimed clean by the priest before they went close to anyone else. They were going to thank God too.  What this Samaritan demonstrated was His faith in Jesus, and that's what the apostles needed to see.  May the Lord increase our faith today, and use us to encourage one another as well. 

Getting to Know Jesus Even Better #15

After watching Jesus rebuke the Pharisees for their poor stewardship in spiritual leadership, we come to chapter 17:

 And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. 3 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
7 “Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? 8 Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”

Being a steward, a lead servant, is not easy.  Notice it is the apostles, the twelve, who respond: "Increase our faith!"  They sensed how hard it can be to forgive and to live an exemplary life before fellow believers.  But the fact is He will provide whatever we need if we simply trust Him. The last part of our passage today is so appropriate for the atmosphere of entitlement in our society: we tend to think we deserve praise and special thanks for anything we do, when in fact we need to view our place as such a privilege that we serve out of thanksgiving just for being a part of His household, His family, His kingdom. Discipleship is being on duty, but it is no drudgery. 

Getting to Know Jesus Even Better #14

Jesus wraps up His rebuke of the Pharisees concerning their poor stewardship with one last parable:

19 “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ 27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house— 28 for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”

This is one of the rare glimpses we have into life after death.  The rich man had invested his hope and his life into the things of this world: pleasure, possessions, prestige and power, while ignoring the needs right at his front door.  He had also ignored the call of the prophets and Jesus to repent, and to live out justice and mercy.  That never ends well. Lazarus was the exact opposite: he was satisfied with little and was living in hope of God's promises.  Things ended very well for him.  As the story ends, we see that even after a taste of death, the rich man has not changed: he expects Lazarus to serve him, and he is still only concerned about a small group of relatives. He is unwilling to repent and receive the heart of God. 

Getting to Know Jesus Even Better #13

Wherever Jesus went, it was not long until the Pharisees came around giving Him a hard time. In the first section of Luke 16, Jesus was talking to His disciples about the Unjust Steward, when they chime in:

14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. 15 And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God. 16 “The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it. 17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void. 18 “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.

They ridiculed Jesus for trying to give financial advice, about stewardship. Jesus replies with a hard rebuke on how they themselves had been poor stewards. They had so twisted the word of God to allow for their pursuit of money and their own pleasures, that people were having a hard time finding the Kingdom of God. They also were setting a poor example morally, as they were known for finding loopholes in the law to divorce their wives when they wanted another woman.  This made it difficult for the people to see, as well as hear, what the truth was from their religious leaders. They had violated their stewardship from God. May we be much better stewards.

Getting to Know Jesus Even Better #12

After the Parables of the Lost Sheep, Coin, and Son, Luke records in chapter 16:

1 Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. 2 So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’
3 “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— 4 I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’
5 “So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
6 “‘Nine hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied.
“The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’
7 “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’
“‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied.
“He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’
8 “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. 9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?
13 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

The prodigal son had wasted his inheritance on pleasure, popularity, and possessions, and lost everything. This shrewd steward was also caught wasting his master's possessions on selfish living. What he had wasted did not even belong to him.  Why is he commended? Because of his consistency and creativity.  As we saw, the three "lost" parables all included a rebuke to the Pharisees, who had been poor stewards of their spiritual trust. They had wasted it on getting power and possessions for themselves. Jesus does not want His followers to be like that. He wants us to serve Him as good stewards, not spending our lives living for the things of this world. He also wants us to handle the things of this world wisely, recognizing that all we have also ultimately belongs to Him.

Getting to Know Jesus Even Better #11

In Luke 15, we have seen Jesus give three pictures of God's joy over lost sinners with the shepherd finding 1 sheep of his 100 who got lost, the woman finding 1 of her 10 coins which was lost, and finally the father who had 1 of his 2 sons who had went astray return home. Everyone was happy - well, almost:

25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ 28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ 31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

Most of us can understand this brother's feelings: he was faithful; he had worked hard every day; his brother had gotten his part of the inheritance and then shamed the family name; why should he get to get any more to eat and be treated like the hero? We struggle with the idea that just because someone else is given grace and treated well, that does not mean we have lost out. There is more than enough in God's household for us to have more than we need, and for us to be secure in both our relationship and our future with the Father. We do not have to compare; in fact, we should not. If we are confident in our own relationship with God, we should not feel any loss when love is expressed to the lost. Then we understand the heart of God.

Getting to Know Jesus Even Better #10

Yesterday, we came to Luke 15, which begins with two parables on God seeking the Lost, and the great joy He has when they are found. Jesus now gives even a third, greater and more detailed picture in what we know as the parable of the prodigal son:

11And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. 17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father,and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate

Why is this parable among the most-loved and well-known? Because it hits home. We are the prodigals. In a very real sense we can say God has two sons: Jesus and Man. In Luke 3, when recording the genealogy of Jesus, Luke gets to the end and says "... and Adam, the son of God." Humanity is the prodigal son. Man wanted to be free from God and try things on his ow.  God had been waiting for him to come home.  He will celebrate when he does, when you do. 

Getting to Know Jesus Even Better #9

Today in our study we come to Luke 15: 

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Why are you here - to hear or complain? Repeatedly, for the Pharisees, it was to complain. Jesus' parables here are addressed to them: God had sent Him to seek the Lost and bring them back to safety and security. He does not have to worry about the sheep who are safe in the fold or the coins that are in the cookie jar. He goes all out to find them, and when He does, He rejoices over them; so do those who really care about Him as the Good Shepherd and Great Steward. The complainers don't care about the sheep, the measly coin, and most importantly, God Himself.  Do we care about what God cares about?

Getting to Know Jesus Even Better #8

We come today to the final section in Luke 14

25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’
31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.
34 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? 35 It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.
“Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

Jesus, by speaking the truth and performing miracles to confirm His authority to do so, always attracted a crowd, which on numerous occasions became a following. He had ways to make sure they were facing reality about His Kingdom. It involves sacrifices in relationships, material possessions, and in the goals that we choose. Perhaps the hardest thing is being such a servant that we are willing to blend in like salt. Salt definitely has a flavor, but when it is doing its job right, it blends into the background. We need to be willing to take our name off the billboard and let His name be the one in lights. 

Getting to Know Jesus Even Better #7

As we have seen the last two days, in Luke 14 Jesus was a guest at a dinner given by a Pharisee with a lot of his fellow Pharisees and scribes:

12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

15 When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”

16 Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’

18 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’

19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’

20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’

21 “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’

22 “‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’

23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”

This banquet was a big event. There was a long list of pre-invited guests who were told it was coming, They had been told about it long in advance, but when the time came to actually respond to the banquet, they all made excuses; they all felt their plans were more important than those of the host. So this host did what Jesus told the host at the table to do: invite those who were poor and undesirable, then those who were untrusted outsiders, those who could never pay them back. They came willingly and joyfully.  God is the Host. Jesus is the Servant who came announcing: "It is time, come." What kind of invitee are you?

Getting to Know Jesus Even Better #6

As we saw yesterday in Luke 14, Jesus is having dinner with a Pharisee, who had invited a number of his friends who were scribes and Pharisees.  He shut them up when He healed a man with a serious illness, even though it was the Sabbath, pointing out to them that their hearts had grown cold to people in need. They had totally ignored the man.

verse 7 Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, 8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, 9 and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

The biggest problem this group of men had was pride.  Even though they were all there together for dinner, they were all vying with one another for position, popularity, and power. They were deciding for themselves who was most important. In God's kingdom, that system does not work. He is the Host, and He will decide who gets the positions of honor. What He is looking for is totally different: it is humble service.  That one difference will make all the difference in the world in how one lives life. 

Getting to Know Jesus Even Better #5

Today in our study, we move into Luke 14:

One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. 2 And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. 3 And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” 4 But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away. 5 And he said to them, “Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” 6 And they could not reply to these things.

In one sense, this seems like the same story we have seen before: Jesus gets invited to dinner at the house of a Pharisee, which was simply a ploy to watch Him more closely to see if He did or said something that they could charge Him with. One thing we find different here is that Jesus takes the offensive: asking them before He heals the man if it was okay.  Crickets. Jesus had a way of stopping a party in its tracks. He then asks why they would think it was wrong to heal on the Sabbath if they were willing to do something similar for an animal. Again, crickets.  Something was wrong with their priorities, and they were too proud to admit it.  What misplaced priorities do you have in your live today? Are you responding with repentance or silence?

Getting to Know Jesus Even Better #4

In Luke 13, Jesus had just announced that many of those in Jerusalem and Judea who had come out to hear Him and see Him would not be among those to enter the banquet hall of the Kingdom of Heaven, while many of those whom they considered "less" - the Galileans and the Gentiles, would. 

31 At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.”
32 He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ 33 In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!
34 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. 35 Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.""

These religious leaders wanted Jesus to go away, and they were hoping that the fear of Herod would help Him decide He would. They were wrong. Jesus was not in the least bit intimidated by the corrupt leader. In fact, knowing men's hearts, He knew that Herod was afraid of Him.  Jesus was going to press on into Perea, the region across the Jordan, where Herod's rule was strong, before returning to Jerusalem for His last time.  He alone would decide when to go up to Jerusalem for His final journey, where He knew He would die. As He looked toward the city He cried out with a heart of sorrow, noting that they had rejected Him, and though they would cry out their Hosannas, their hearts were far from Him and His Kingdom.

Getting to Know Jesus Even Better #3

Luke 13 begins with Jesus' admonition to repent or perish. His message and call seem to be becoming more and more challenging, leaving some serious questions:

22 Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”
He said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’
“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’
26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’
27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’
28 “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. 29 People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30 Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”

That is quite a question: Are only a few people going to be saved? True to form, Jesus answers with stories, but before He does, he gives an exhortation: Make every effort to enter through the door now. Why? because many will try to enter in the future and not be able to. Jesus' call is not something to put off. There came a time every day when the head of the house would take a head count and close the door to keep his household safe; everyone else was shut out. There was only so much room and so much time. The time to trust and follow Him is now, not later.  You don't want to miss out on what God has in store. 

Getting to Know Jesus Even Better #2

Fortunately for us, Jesus often doubled up on His parable illustrations to reinforce the point He was trying to make, like in Luke 13:

18 Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.”
20 Again he asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? 21 It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

First, when is "then"?  Jesus had just healed a woman on the Sabbath. When the religious leaders strongly objected, Jesus humiliated them in front of the crowds, showing how self-centered they were. Now He could get back to the task at hand - the reason for which He came: to tell them about the Kingdom of God. It starts small and grows big; you put a little in and it permeates throughout this mound of flour.  He was talking about faith - trusting in God, and what happens when we allow Him to rule and reign in our lives. It all starts with small steps in following a big, big God. 

Getting to Know Jesus Even Better #1

We have seen throughout Luke's account people coming to Jesus for healing. But sometimes they did not have to ask - like in chapter 13:

10 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” 13 Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. 14 Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.” 15 The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? 16 Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?” 17 When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.

Jesus initiates things, taking care of both the cause and symptoms of her illness.  Rather than taking Jesus to task for violating the Sabbath, the synagogue leader yelled at the people. Jesus comes to their defense: they are not the ones violating the Sabbath; the synagogue leader and those like him were. They cared more about their animals than fellow Jews in need of healing and hope. There was no better day for healing than on the Sabbath.  Not only was it okay for people to come to hear and be healed; it was exactly what should be going on, and the leaders were standing in the way.