For advent I have been reading through Luke. It is so rich – and you do not need a retelling but here are a few things I’ve noticed in Chapters 9-14. I’ve also been watching a few Christmas films and visiting with friends. This will be scattered but you can read it at your own pace.
Luke 9:1 – Jesus gathered, gave, and sent. He had very specific thoughts on His ‘GO’ message.
vs 7 – Was John the Baptist Elijah (the greatest prophet)? No.
vs 16 – In providing food for people, Jesus set an example for us. Next is Peter’s confession in verse 20. Following Jesus will require sacrifice (vs 24). Verse 25 gets us thinking about priorities and then eight days later Jesus provides the truth of Peter’s confession with the Transfiguration. I’m curious if James and John told their Mother because of her future interference?
vs 42-53 – How do miracles fail? Who is the greatest? Not all receive Jesus – just an uncomfortable fact.
Luke 10:1 – the 12 are now 70 disciples sent by Jesus as ‘lambs before wolves’. I had a few tough moments in a recent missions endeavor so shy are we surprised?
vs 9 – Why are we missing the connection between the Kingdom of God and healing? The cities that reject the truth of Jesus true identity will have hell to pay. In vs 20 the comforting teaching is that no matter what happens on any mission endeavor, “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven”.
vs 27 – the Golden Rule is to, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself”. And the verses to finish ask who actually is your neighbor.
Luke 11-12 begins with a request – “Teach us to pray”, and Jesus teaches them. There is no situation too hard for that beautiful prayer. I heard a teaching in Wiler where a pastor, in his 80’s, gave many examples of ministry situations where, without any advice in mind, he would just pray the Lord’s Prayer with people and it ministered. Maybe we should be using this prayer more? And pray with persistence, vs 8. Verse 10, “For everyone who asks receives; and he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks it shall be opened”.
11:13 – Believe that God gives good gifts. Some of the multitudes are casting shade on Jesus’ power in vs 18. Verse 20, “But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you”. How do demons work, then look at vs 26. A very direct verse is vs 28, “But He said, ‘On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God, and observe it”.
11:32 – The ‘something greater’ verse. In the next section Jesus also does some identification. He describes the Pharisees in what I call the ‘Woe’ verses like woe Nellie. Jesus names the current religious leaders as robbers and wicked. By vs 53 some are becoming hostile after all of the warnings from Jesus and the plot against Him thickens.
Chapter 12 continues with Jesus’ teaching about salvation in vs 8 with warnings that persecution will follow. Next is the parable on greed with vs 20 and 21 saying it is OK to be rich but to, firstly, be rich toward God. Don’t be anxious about what to eat and wear. “But seek for His kingdom, and these things shall be added unto you”, vs 31. Jesus was always preparing us for His return. He wanted us to know but not predict what we cannot know. Jesus also knew the gate to our salvation would be His death as expressed in vs 50. This chapter ends with another parable about being accountable. Jesus really wants the best for us.
Chapter 13-14
Was Pilot evil?. Luke 13:11 describes a sickness that sounds a lot like osteoporosis which is caused by a spirit? Jesus frees the bent woman afflicted by a spirit and I have that diagnosis. I pray for strong bones every day. Luke 13:17, “And as he said this, all his opponents were being humiliated; and the entire multitude was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him”. Next Jesus compares the kingdom of God to a mustard seed and leaven. Next is a section with good questions about where we are from. Luke 13:30-34, this dialogue is about being first and last and how much Jesus loves us and Jerusalem too. Chapter 14 brings up another healing but for dropsy. We don’t hear much about that but it is swelling due to excess body fluid. Luke 14:11, “For everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted”. The rest of the chapter is on calculating the cost. I think it is about our lives and how we spend it. Thanks for following along. Each time we read the Bible, something new can happen.
Old things in Switzerland