April 6, 2014 - Luke 14

Luke 14

New Living Translation (NLT)

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

One Sabbath day Jesus went to eat dinner in the home of a leader of the Pharisees, and the people were watching him closely. 2 There was a man there whose arms and legs were swollen.[a] 3 Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in religious law, “Is it permitted in the law to heal people on the Sabbath day, or not?”4 When they refused to answer, Jesus touched the sick man and healed him and sent him away. 5 Then he turned to them and said, “Which of you doesn’t work on the Sabbath? If your son[b] or your cow falls into a pit, don’t you rush to get him out?” 6 Again they could not answer.

Jesus Teaches about Humility

7 When Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit in the seats of honor near the head of the table, he gave them this advice: 8 “When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? 9 The host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table!

10 “Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. 11 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
12 Then he turned to his host. “When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward.13 Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14 Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.”

Jesus teaches what true humility is about.

Parable of the Great Feast

15 Hearing this, a man sitting at the table with Jesus exclaimed, “What a blessing it will be to attend a banquet[c] in the Kingdom of God!”

16 Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. 17 When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ 18 But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ 19 Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ 20 Another said, ‘I now have a wife, so I can’t come.’
21 “The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ 22 After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ 23 So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. 24 For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.’”

Thank you, Jesus, for reaching out to everyone, especially the less fortunate. 

The Cost of Being a Disciple

25 A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, 26 “If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. 27 And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.

28 “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? 29 Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. 30 They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’
31 “Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? 32 And if he can’t, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. 33 So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.
34 “Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? 35 Flavorless salt is good neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. It is thrown away. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!”

Footnotes:

1. 14:2 Or who had dropsy.
2. 14:5 Some manuscripts read donkey.
3. 14:15 Greek to eat bread.

March 30, 2014 - Luke 13

Luke 13

New Living Translation (NLT)

A Call to Repentance

1 About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple. 2 “Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” Jesus asked. “Is that why they suffered? 3 Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God. 4 And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? 5 No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too.”

Sounds like there was a whole lot of judging going on back in Jesus' time also.  There was this tendency to believe bad things happened to bad people.  Somehow they must have sinned and were getting what they deserved.  Jesus is telling them that they must repent of their sins and turn to God in order to have eternal life, or the very thing they judge others for  will happen to them also.

Parable of the Barren Fig Tree

6 Then Jesus told this story: “A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed. 7 Finally, he said to his gardener, ‘I've waited three years, and there hasn't been a single fig! Cut it down. It’s just taking up space in the garden.’

8 “The gardener answered, ‘Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer. 9 If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down.’”

I'm not sure what the lesson is here, but it seems to speak of God's grace.  He is not willing that any should perish.  He is a God of second chances.  Just as the fig tree was not bearing fruit and was about to be cut down, and the gardener spoke up on its behalf, asking for one more chance for it to become fruitful, Jesus also gives us grace, extra time, to accept Him and have eternal life.  But there is a day that will come in all of our lives when it is too late.  We should not keep living for ourselves, thinking at the last moment we will turn to God and be saved.  Now is the day of salvation, don't delay and take the chance of missing out on God's goodness.

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

10 One Sabbath day as Jesus was teaching in a synagogue, 11 he saw a woman who had been crippled by an evil spirit. She had been bent double for eighteen years and was unable to stand up straight. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Dear woman, you are healed of your sickness!” 13 Then he touched her, and instantly she could stand straight. How she praised God!

14 But the leader in charge of the synagogue was indignant that Jesus had healed her on the Sabbath day. “There are six days of the week for working,” he said to the crowd. “Come on those days to be healed, not on the Sabbath.”
15 But the Lord replied, “You hypocrites! Each of you works on the Sabbath day! Don’t you untie your ox or your donkey from its stall on the Sabbath and lead it out for water? 16 This dear woman, a daughter of Abraham, has been held in bondage by Satan for eighteen years. Isn't it right that she be released, even on the Sabbath?”
17 This shamed his enemies, but all the people rejoiced at the wonderful things he did.

Jesus rebuked the hypocrites that had their own set of rules, not understanding God's ways at all.  Perhaps healing this woman on the Sabbath was the best day for her to be set free from her bondage of satan.  Surely it was a teachable moment for all of them.  

I grew up in a very conservative church and family.  There were a lot of rules about how to behave on Sunday.  Those rules are still ingrained in me so sometimes I feel guilty if I break one of them.  However, I love the freedom given to us by God.  I believe that Sunday is a special day set aside to worship Him, and rest in Him.  I agree it should be treated differently than the other six days.  He did give us six days to labor, the same number of days it took Him to create the world.  Then on the seventh day He rested...the Creator rested.  I don't think He needed to rest, but He was setting an example for us.  Sunday is a day to get out of our normal work day routine and relax, be revived for a new week.  That day should start with worshiping the One who gave us the day of rest...a day designed to be relaxing to our physical bodies.

Parable of the Mustard Seed

18 Then Jesus said, “What is the Kingdom of God like? How can I illustrate it? 19 It is like a tiny mustard seed that a man planted in a garden; it grows and becomes a tree, and the birds make nests in its branches.”

Parable of the Yeast

20 He also asked, “What else is the Kingdom of God like? 21 It is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”

The Narrow Door

22 Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he went, always pressing on toward Jerusalem.23 Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?”

He replied, 24 “Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail.25 When the master of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. You will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’ But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ 26 Then you will say, ‘But we ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 And he will reply, ‘I tell you, I don’t know you or where you come from. Get away from me, all you who do evil.’
28 “There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, for you will see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, but you will be thrown out. 29 And people will come from all over the world—from east and west, north and south—to take their places in the Kingdom of God. 30 And note this: Some who seem least important now will be the greatest then, and some who are the greatest now will be least important then.[a]”

This is one of the saddest, scariest passages in the whole Bible...to me.  I so fear for my unsaved loved ones who have rejected God and lived for this life only.  One day they will face the reality of God and the truth of His Word.  Then it will be too late.  It breaks my heart, but each one must make his own choices.  I can pray, and I do, and I can hope, and I do that also, but it is way too painful for me to dwell on.  Jesus said to cast all our cares on Him, and that's what I have to do to keep my sanity.

Jesus Grieves over Jerusalem

31 At that time some Pharisees said to him, “Get away from here if you want to live! Herod Antipas wants to kill you!”

32 Jesus replied, “Go tell that fox that I will keep on casting out demons and healing people today and tomorrow; and the third day I will accomplish my purpose. 33 Yes, today, tomorrow, and the next day I must proceed on my way. For it wouldn't do for a prophet of God to be killed except in Jerusalem!

Jesus predicts His own death, and He does it with tongue in cheek.  He knew that it wasn't up to the Pharisees or satan when He would die.  That timing was totally in His father's hands.   


34 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn't let me. 35 And now, look, your house is abandoned. And you will never see me again until you say, ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’[b]”

When I was on a study tour of Israel, and we were on the Mount of Olives overlooking Jerusalem, this scripture came to me.  I could see Jesus in that same vicinity looking down upon the gates of the city, loving her, and crying for her destiny.  He felt the same emotions I am feeling over my children and their destination, unless they choose to return to the God of their childhood.  Jesus understands my pain, for He felt it also.  His "mothering" instincts wanted to protect the children of Jerusalem, as a hen protects her chicks, and as a mother wants to protect her children.  

He only lived 33 years on this earth, but during that short time He experienced every thing that we do, and more.  One day He will gather us, His children, and take us to where He is.  On that day we will see Him coming in all of His glory...blessed be the name of the Lord!!

Footnotes:

1. 13:30 Greek Some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.
2. 13:35 Ps 118:26.