Luke 11

Jesus takes time to pray and models the Lord's Prayer to teach his disciples. Notice it states that we start with loving God and then move to asking that needs (not wants) be met, forgiving others (and we are expected to forgive, too.)

 

Jesus illustrates being persistent in prayer. Prayer is not magic. Prayer informs God and it forms the person. Sometimes God says, "Yes," sometimes, "No," and sometimes, "Not yet." Persistence shows we really want something and have given it thought.

 

Jesus is accused of doing good by working for the devil (or evil.) Jesus points out how dumb a notion that is. He also points out that filling ourselves with God prevents more evil from returning. It is not enough to heal; we must rely on god as well.

 

Jesus scolds the people for wanting magic (signs) without faith. Jesus says that it does not work that way. Signs are not for amusement but are the fruit of faith. If we want proof that he is real, bet our life on it by investing in God! No other proof than that which we invest in will come.

 

Jesus really lets the religious people have it when he says they look good on the outside but are rotten on the inside. Actors are not what God wants. Healthy and whole people are ones who take to heart the things Jesus says and acts on them. More over, the religious people lay pointless burdens on people backs. They are discouragers of faith and not encouragers.

Luke 10

In verse 51 of Luke 9, Jesus sets himself towards Jerusalem (and his death.) Everything from here on propels him to his destiny.

 

Jesus now sends out a larger group. Notice they never work alone and travel light. They are preparing the way for Jesus. That is our job today; to prepare lives for Jesus to enter into. The disciples he sends out are the equivalent of Jesus.

 

The disciples have great results. Jesus reminds then not to get too excited about their own power. Get excited about being faithful! "Snakes," "scorpions," "nothing will harm you" are probably not literal but are intended to add emphasis do to their exaggeration. Trampling pests has nothing to do with Jesus' mission.

 

Jesus tells a story about a despised person (Samaritan) doing the work of God. He uses it to illustrate what "loving your neighbor" really means. Jesus goes out of his way in the story to have the religious people NOT be neighborly. In other words, religious people are too busy and self-absorbed to do God's work. Only the outsider was faithful.

 

The Mary and Martha story show that heeding Jesus is more important sometimes than even necessary tasks. Jesus wants us to slow down and make time for him. Do you?

Luke 9

Jesus now turns to "duplicating" himself in 12 he invests time with. Note that his method is not to "do it all" and go for mass crowds. He knows that 12 done well can multiply greatly, where a crowd can fizzle once Jesus is gone. Notice that he wants them focused, not burdened with stuff. He wants them engaged with people by being dependent upon their kindness. Discipleship is not easy. It is rewarding. Discipleship is following and becoming like the master, in the case, Jesus.

 

Jesus feeds 5,000 after he tries to get away with his disciples. The disciples note that this group needs food. Jesus tells THEM to feed the people. He shows the disciples that they have the resources they need. They are not thinking "Kingdom thoughts" yet. They are still rookies.

 

After this, Jesus gets really pointed. He asks the disciples who they think he is. Peter says, "The Christ (Messiah.)" But when Jesus tells them that the Messiah must suffer (therefore, they will, too) and die, it is obvious that Peter has a different type of Messiah in mind, maybe a warrior-king. Jesus has a LOT of work to do!

 

Jesus tells them that they must make a decision every day to lay down their lives for Him and take up the cross of living sacrificially. In the odd economy of God, if you take care of number one (yourself,) you lose everything. If you take care of God's business, you get everything.

 

Jesus' best friends, Peter James and John, go up on a mountain (God's usually on mountains) to get away and pray. They have a vision of Jesus taking to Moses (who symbolizes the Jewish Law) and Elijah (who symbolizes the Jewish Prophets.) In other words, Jesus sums up in a person all of God's will. Then, God says so!

 

The disciples argue about who will be the greatest of them. They just don't get it. Jesus tells them point blank that the greatest is the one who serves the others. Following Jesus is costly. Do not underestimate what it takes. Being a "dashboard" saint is easy. Jesus wants followers, not posers (Pretenders.)

Luke 8

Jesus tells parables. All parables are stories about how God's Kingdom looks, acts and feels. When you experience the Kingdom and Kingdom actions, you are close to God. Note that Jesus' ministry is being underwritten by women of means. The parable is about a farmer who sows seeds in all sorts of places. Only some bear fruit but notice the fruit is far beyond anyone's expectation. It seems God is happy to try lots of times to win us over and build us into humans. When it works, it affects many. The disciples are having a hard time understanding. Still too new (blind?) to Jesus' work? Are you "good soil?"

 

The lamp illustration shows how much impact one person can have. Are you hiding your light? God gives more to those who faithfully use what God gives them. Jesus sees all who do as God asks as this family.

 

Evil spirits know Jesus, why do we not recognize him? Why do we not heal/help others of moods, additions, and mental illness? In a humorous twist, the demons are sent to pigs (unclean animals) to be drowned. Jesus' power scares those who are not ready to trust him/God. Yet a woman knows that even a touch will heal her. The "touch" is a sign of her incredible trust in Jesus.

Luke 7

The centurion and his servant would have been non-Jews (Gentiles.) Note that, again with Luke, the outsider has faith and respect for Jesus' mission. The centurion also understands authority and being under authority (it's not a bad thing.) Do you like Jesus' authority over your life (Lord?)

 

Jesus heals more and people think of him as a special agent (prophet) of God. His reputation grows.

 

John the Baptist's disciples ask if Jesus is really the expected Messiah (savior King) sine he does not quite fill their expectations as to what one looks like or acts like. Jesus says for them to look at the fruit (results) of what he is doing. People come alive. Often, Christians judge by looks and not fruit. We are in the fruit business. Who do you judge by looks and not fruit?

 

Jesus claims that John is great but nothing compared to someone who enters the Kingdom of Heaven by trusting his or her life to Jesus. Complete trust. Tax collectors, who were considered low life, get who Jesus is. It seems the more religious you are the less you want Jesus in Luke's gospel.

 

Jesus is eating with religious people and a sinful woman, in an intimate and costly move, anoints Jesus' feet. Another low-life who gets it while the religious people do not. Jesus tells his host that people in the worst way understand Jesus better because they are in a hole and need help. Religious people often act as if the are self-sufficient.

Luke 6

Jesus does some more practical teaching. Periods of rest (Sabbath) are demanded by God but not for God's sake, it is for our sake. Feeding yourself on the Sabbath is necessary. Jesus does not want us to blow off God's laws (do you regularly rest from everything?) but neither does he want us to be so legalistic that we forget that the laws were given for our sake. On another Sabbath quibbling, Jesus traps the religious folks by healing on the Sabbath. Healing (freeing a person from bondage) is also a Sabbath activity.

Jesus calls more to follow. He has big teaching and healing missions. "Tyre and Sidon" mean that Gentiles are coming, too. Jesus teaches much like he did in Matthew with the Sermon on the Mount. Notice that what we take as bad, God intends to turn around to good, especially when we are considered odd or different because we follow Jesus. Jesus goes on that reversals of fortune go both ways. People who rely on their own cunning and power will see a day when this will dry up. Then, what have you left?

Again, more practical teaching, love enemies. Pray for them. Treat people as you want to be treated. This is really about respect for others. God will sort it out. We are called to live a different standard than the rest of the world. Being a follower of Jesus demands that we look odd at times. We are to change the world and not be conformed to it. Christianity is not "nice." It is a radically different take on life.

Don't judge. Realize that we have so much we need to change about ourselves. Do that first. We are not called to be hypocrites, laying rules on others that we do not keep. Help your fellow man or woman.

Here is the deal. God looks at the fruit. Focusing on fruit leads us to become hypocrites. Focusing on people leads us to be agents of God's healing power. Jesus asks, "What kind of foundation are you building your life on? Will it come crashing down someday, leaving you hopeless?"

Luke 5

Jesus is involved in teaching. Notice that he uses the boat of Simon (Peter,) who seems uninvolved, to get a better teaching position. Jesus then gives Peter a little one-on-one by showing Peter that there is more (in this case fish) to life than he thinks. This was enough to make some of the fisherman follow Jesus. Notice, too, how many times in Luke, Jesus (or and angel) tells people to not be afraid. Fear is a natural response to an encounter with the Holy.

 

Jesus' mission is more healing but notice he gets away to pray. No prayer, no power.

People's faith (trust) in him unleashes the healing power. Jesus liberates people by forgiving sins. This disturbs religious people who think Jesus is being disrespectful of God who alone can forgive sins. As far as anyone knows, Jesus is just a great person but not God.

 

Jesus calls Levi, a tax collector, a rotten person of Jesus' day because tax collectors bilk their own people of extra money. Religious people point out that Jesus should have no dealings with tax collectors who are considered unclean people. Jesus says unclean people are exactly who need him. Perfect people (there are none) don't need him. Often religious people think they are perfect.

 

Fating is a custom many people were practicing. Jesus' followers where not. Religious people notice. Jesus tells stories about doing a new thing, which he is.

Luke 4

Notice that after a big spiritual time (baptism,) Jesus experiences a desert time. Most people do. We often get tested after we make a commitment. That is the time REAL FAITH is needed. Notice the temptation is to misuse powers given by God for personal gain instead of for the benefit of others. Jesus persists and the devil flees until later. Maybe there will be a better time to catch Jesus off guard? You know it will be a pressure time.

 

Jesus goes home and begins to teach in the synagogues. When, as the visiting teacher (rabbi,) Jesus reads a passage from Isaiah, and tells the listeners that he has fulfilled the exciting passage about God's good fortune for his people. The people are surprised since they know him. How many times to we write off someone who we know, expecting nothing new to come from them? Jesus knows that hometown boys often have this special scrutiny and handicap. He reminds the group that God has done this before, showing that Gentiles (non-Jews) do better when it comes to believing God. This offends them.

 

People see real authority in Jesus' teachings. Notice that is when he can make use of the power of God. He heals people and his reputation grows. Notice that the demons know exactly who he is.

Luke 3

Again, you see Luke place Jesus in real history at the start of this chapter. Luke sees John the Baptist as the person Isaiah spoke of as preparing the way for the Messiah. John's message is pretty clear. Change your actions to meet your faith. Repent means to turn around and go in the direction you wanted to go. Notice in this gospel, John says what "to repent" means before he gets to baptism. Baptism is a sign of repentance. Baptism is the outward showing that you have turned over a new leaf. Only changing your actions actually turns over the new leaf. Luke has a big concern about how we, as Christians, treat other people.

 

John flatly says he is not the Messiah. The Messiah will also burn (prove) away all falsehood, leaving only the real person and who he or she really is left.

 

Notice that when Jesus is baptized, it seems more private this time. God say "you" rather than declaring to all "This is my Son." Luke then gives Jesus' pedigree back to Adam rather than Abraham. Luke sees Jesus as not the consummate Jew but as "everyman."

Luke 2

Luke takes pains to place Jesus in real human history. Jesus is born of very poor parents (but is in the lineage of King David.) They are participating in a census. Note that shepherds, real low-life's in the Bible are the first to see that Jesus is born. Luke is making a statement. The Son of God is coming into the world in the humblest of places to the humblest of people. 

 

Jesus is circumcised on his 8^th day, per Jewish custom. Two small bird for a sacrifice show how poor his folks were. What does it say about God that He comes into the world as a poor person and not a king? What does that mean for you? The local religious people say Jesus is destined for God's work and a little pain as well.

 

In the only childhood story in the Bible, Jesus, at age 12, realizes that God's home is where he should be. Jesus was an obedient son and learned from his parents. He didn't come preprogrammed with all knowledge or wisdom.

 

 

Luke 1

Luke offers yet another take on Jesus. You will find that Luke is writing to/for Gentiles (non-Jews who became Christians. Luke seems to care about the marginalized and sick more that the other Gospel writers. (Luke is a physician.) Luke's Gospel is the first half of a two-parter, the other half being the Book of Acts.

Luke shows how Jesus came for everyone and his embrace is wide. The book was written between 80-105 AD. Luke shares parts of Mark and Matthew but has his own stories as well, ones not contained anywhere else.

 

Luke writes to Theophilus (literally, "God-lover.") The Gospel was written to under gird what was taught already.

 

We start with a barren woman of Jewish decent. Being barren is a disgrace for a woman in those times. Remember "barren" is always a key that something special is about to happen, usually a child and the child will be God's special agent. In this case, the child is Jesus' cousin, John the Baptist (or baptizer.) Angles (God's messengers) tell Zechariah, a good Jewish worship leader with a good pedigree, that he and Elizabeth will have a special son and that he should be set aside for the work of God. This son will prepare God's way before Him.

 

Zechariah doubts the angels words (he is a geezer and his wife is barren,) so the angel makes him speechless until the birth. Take that for doubting God!

 

The angel Gabriel now shows up to Elizabeth's sister, Mary. She, too, is favored by God. Gabriel says to call him Jesus (same name as Joshua – "God is salvation.") He also says the Jesus will be the "Son of the most High" and in the line of David, the great king of Israel. This probably was not understood by Mary as Jesus being fully God as we understand him today.

 

Mary is not sure how this will happen since she is not yet married. Gabriel tells her about her sister's pregnancy and ends with the great phrase, "nothing is impossible for God." Mary is obedient and says "bring it on."

 

Mary visits her sister and sings a song (often called the Magnificat) about how God favors the humble and scatters the proud. Kind of a foretaste of what Jesus will be about.

 

Zechariah gets his speech back when John is born and has a song as well.

 

Since there were no tape recordings at the time, note that Luke uses songs and speeches to drive home his point. To be sure, something along the lines of what was sung or said may have happened. But the real point is "pay attention" to we who hear the Gospel any time a speech or song shows up. Luke will be expressing a theme or point.

Philemon

Paul is a prisoner somewhere. He may have met a slave, Onesimus, in prison. We do not know a lot of details. Paul is appealing to Philemon to be reconciled with the returning slave. Does that mean, since they are now Christian "brothers," that the salve is to be freed? Again, we don't know but it makes a big difference depending n which direction we think Paul is leading Philemon. Radical freedom for Onesimus or just radical care? Law mandated that runaway slaves be returned but Paul is now returning a new Christian. Paul, like Christ is reconciling but we do not know to what extent. Paul really does "butter up" Philemon with praise.

 

Paul does remind Philemon that he has spiritual authority over him (but to what end?) Paul does a very Jewish thing and uses a pun. He says Onesimus was once useless. His names means "useful. Useful for work or the Gospel or both? Hmmm, don't know. What do you think in light over everything else you are learning about the Gospel?

Colossians 4

 

Paul continues with practical advice for holy living, including prayer. Paul wants prayers for his message to others who haven't heard the Gospel? Paul ends with personal greetings.

Colossians 3

Paul encourages a holy life by setting our sights on Christ as our model. Our true life can only be revealed through Jesus Christ. Paul sees our preparation for Christ's coming hinged on shunning earthy short-term urges. Literally, we should put to death our old way of being self-centered and take on the new identity found only in our exploration of ourselves with respect to Christ's intentions for us. Our new "clothing" includes fruit of a holy life, compassion, patience, etc. They can be practiced as well as is the natural outcrop of seeking Christ. Every person is to put his or her all into everything he or she does. It is the Lord we are serving when we serve our husband, wife, child, parent or boss.