Upwards Church

Today Jesus reminds us that death is coming to each of us and repentance is necessary.  Bearing fruit –or life change is necessary.  Jesus then uses two parables to teach about the Kingdom of God.  Also today we find some of his most controversial teaching, The Narrow Door.  The worst words you could ever hear are, “I don’t know you.”  It’s not enough to know about Jesus. 

 Jesus Calls the People to Repent / 13:1-9

Jesus warned the people that judgment was around the corner. He took the well known current event of some recent deaths and reminded his listeners that all would eventually die and face judgment.

13:1 Pilate was last mentioned in 3:1. The city of Jerusalem, the site of the Jews’ Temple, lay in his jurisdiction. While no other historical source refers to this incident where some people from Galilee were murdered at Pilate’s orders, it is completely in character for this man. Galilee was a hotbed for fanatics who sought to bring down Rome by force. Galilee was out of Pilate’s jurisdiction, but when some Galileans arrived in Jerusalem, they were murdered.

13:2-3 Jewish theology attributed individual suffering to individual sin. While the Pharisees would also have liked to see Israel freed from Roman control, they were against the use of force that many in Israel (such as a group called the Zealots) were advocating. Some people, such as the Pharisees and their followers, would have thought that these Galileans that were murdered must have been worse sinners than other people from Galilee because they had suffered. The Pharisees, who were opposed to using force to deal with Rome, would have said that the Galileans deserved to die for rebelling.

Jesus explained, however, that suffering has nothing to do with one’s spiritual state. In fact, all people are sinful and, unless people repent, they all will perish. This doesn’t mean that everyone will be killed in such a manner. It could mean that death will be sudden with no second chance to repent, or it could mean that Jesus’ listeners would suffer at the hands of the Roman conquerors (which the entire nation did in a.d. 70 when Jerusalem was destroyed and millions of Jews were killed).

13:4-5 Just as suffering is no indicator of one’s spiritual state, neither is tragedy. The Pharisees would have seen the previous incident as God’s judgment on the Zealots, but the Zealots would have seen this incident as God’s judgment against those who had compromised with Rome. Again, popular thought would have concluded that the eighteen men who died when the Tower of Siloam fell on them must have been the eighteen worst sinners in Jerusalem, otherwise they would not have suffered such a fate. The Zealots, a group of anti-Roman terrorists, would have said that the aqueduct workers deserved to die for cooperating. The Zealots would have considered Jews working on a Roman project such as this as traitors and deserving of God’s punishment.

Again, Jesus explained that all people are sinners who must repent or they too will perish—spiritual death with eternal consequences. He said that neither the Galileans nor the workers should be blamed for their calamity. Instead of blaming others, everyone should consider his or her own day of judgment. Whether a person is killed in a tragic accident or miraculously survives is not a measure of righteousness. Everyone has to die; that’s part of being human.

• LIFE APPLICATION – OF LIFE AND DEATH
• Jesus dismissed ideas widespread in his day that accidents or human cruelties were God’s judgment on especially pernicious sinners. Why else would some die and others live? Jesus did not answer that question but instead pointed to everyone’s need for repentance.

Today some families will experience grief because of a car accident, airplane disaster, flood, tornado, or violent crime. They will ask why, and they will struggle to understand the unfairness of the loss. Jesus pointed to the only answer: God’s grace. Accept Jesus as Lord and Savior today. When disaster strikes, God’s promise will sustain you.

13:6-7 After highlighting the need for repentance, Jesus used an illustration to show the people that while God is gracious in giving people time to repent, come to him, and grow in him, that patience will not go on forever. In the Old Testament, a fruitful tree was often used as a symbol of godly living (see, for example, Psalm 1:3 and Jeremiah 17:7-8). Jesus pointed out what would happen to the other kind of tree—the kind that took valuable time and space and still produced nothing for the patient gardener. In this way, Jesus warned his listeners that God would not tolerate forever their lack of productivity. (See 3:9 for John the Baptist’s version of the same message.) A fig tree in fertile soil should certainly have produced fruit—a tree that did not produce for three years was probably not going to produce at all. The farmer gave the command to cut it down so another, more fruitful tree, could be planted in its place.

 *Are you producing any fruit? Is there a difference in your life because of Christ?  Are you more loving, do you serve others, do you care that there are people who do not know Christ?  If not it’s time to repent, or turn from your current ways and ask Christ to change your life.

 13:8-9 The gardener intervened and asked the owner to give the tree one more chance. He even offered to give it special attention and fertilizer. Jesus had come to the nation; the time for repentance had come. The extra attention and love had been showered on the nation in the presence of their Messiah. God’s judgment had been graciously held back. But if the people continued to refuse to “bear fruit” for God—if they continued to refuse to live for and obey him—the end would come. The tree would be cut down. There would be no more chances. God is merciful toward sinners. But for those who reject him, he will not be merciful forever. They will be punished.

• LIFE APPLICATION – GOD’S PATIENCE
• God patiently allows more time. Do you suffer from an addiction that has spoiled your life for years? Lots of people have given up on you, but not God. Have you resisted coming to faith, forgiving your family, or admitting a crime—and the festering secret has spoiled friendships and jobs?
• Maybe you’ve given up on yourself. But God has not given up on you. Give your problem to him. With the support of mature Christians, seek the help you need. Make the change today.

Jesus Heals the Crippled Woman / 13:10-17

The story of healing this woman is unique to Luke. It reveals the unfruitfulness of the nation of Israel to which Jesus’ parable of the unfruitful tree alludes (in the previous passage, see 13:6-8). Instead of finding love, justice, humility, and mercy among God’s people, Jesus found an arrogance that didn’t even allow healing a woman on the Sabbath, the day set aside for the God of mercy.

13:10-11 Jesus had already come into conflict with the religious leaders over how the Sabbath should be used. At this particular time, as Jesus looked over the crowd, he saw a woman who had been bent double for eighteen years. The text explains that this was the work of an evil spirit. She may not have been demon-possessed, because a demon didn’t speak and Jesus did not cast out any demon. Instead, this woman’s painful affliction is attributed to Satan’s work (see 13:16).

13:12-13 The woman did not ask; instead, Jesus called her. He touched her and she was instantly healed. She stood up straight for the first time in eighteen years. No wonder her first response was to praise and thank God!

13:14 Jesus had performed a great miracle with God’s power; a woman had been set free from years of suffering and was praising God! But the synagogue leader was indignant. Why? Because Jesus had healed her on the Sabbath. The synagogue leader, who was addressing his remarks to the crowd and not to Jesus, could not see beyond the law to Jesus’ compassion in healing this crippled woman. He simply concluded that if Jesus wanted to heal people, he should reserve his healings for the other six days of the week. Jesus did not need to abide by those laws, for they did not fulfill God’s intention for the Sabbath and were burdensome on the people.

13:15-16 Jesus shamed this synagogue ruler and the other leaders by pointing out their hypocrisy. They would untie their animals and care for them on the Sabbath. Yet these same people refused to see that care for humans is far more important. Jesus attributed the woman’s illness to Satan and bondage by him. Whatever the immediate cause of an illness, its original source is Satan, the author of all the evil in the world. The good news is that Jesus is more powerful than any devil or any disease. He often brings physical healing in this life; and when he returns, he will put an end to all disease and disability.

• LIFE APPLICATION –OPEN TO CARING
• Today, well-meaning Christians have allowed purely human rules to intrude on the church’s welcome to “outsiders.” Dress codes, hair codes, behavior codes, and language codes give many churches a pharisaic feel. Let Jesus remove all such barriers to people finding God’s love. Let compassion be your guide; let the rules that hinder it be forgotten.

13:17 When Jesus made this point, all the people rejoiced. They probably appreciated a rabbi who stood up for them against the burdensome laws that the religious leaders had placed on them in every area of life. Jesus had shamed his enemies. This humiliation would cause such intense hatred that they would plot to kill him.

• LIFE APPLICATION-PLANT LIFE
  Take any seed—most are small. It represents your life with God. Plant it. Care for it. Each time you check it, praise God for your growing faith. It may be slow and quiet, but it’s sprouting and bearing and reaching for the sun. When you water that plant, water your life with God’s Word. When you weed around that plant, eliminate activities that stunt your spiritual growth. As you watch it grow and blossom, thank God for his personal love and care for you.

 Jesus Teaches about the Kingdom of God / 13:18-21

First-century Jews expected the Kingdom of God to come all at once, in great glory and power. But Jesus corrected their perception, by the illustrations of the mustard seed and yeast. Both are small; but one grows into a huge tree and the other eventually permeates an entire loaf. Jesus’ ministry began small, but the gospel would eventually grow to cover the entire globe (a story Luke begins to tell in the book of Acts).

13:18-19 Jesus used a variety of parables to describe what the Kingdom of God is like. Nothing on earth can completely explain the Kingdom or give us an adequate picture of it, for the Kingdom will be far beyond anything anyone could ever imagine. Jesus used this parable to explain that his Kingdom would have a small beginning. The general expectation among Jesus’ hearers was that the Messiah would come as a great king and leader, freeing the nation from Rome and restoring Israel’s former glory. But Jesus said that his Kingdom was beginning quietly. The mustard seed was so small that it would take almost twenty thousand seeds to make one ounce. From one tiny seed would grow a tree. A mustard shrub could grow ten to twelve feet in just a few weeks. No other seed so small produced such a large plant. While that is not technically a “tree,” Jesus used its rapid growth to stress both the insignificance and magnificence of the Kingdom. Like the tiny mustard seed that becomes a large plant, the Kingdom of God would eventually push outward until the whole world would be changed.

Jesus’ mention of birds added color and showed how large the shrub could become, but they probably had no allegorical meaning. Some commentators, however, think the birds may represent the Gentiles becoming part of God’s Kingdom (see prophecies such as Ezekiel 17:22-24; 31:6).

13:20-21 Another symbol of something small producing something much larger occurs with yeast. In some Bible passages, “yeast” is used as a symbol of evil or uncleanness (12:1). Here it pictures positive growth. Although yeast is a minor ingredient (only a small amount is used), it is responsible for the dough rising. Although God’s Kingdom had small beginnings, it would grow to have a great impact on the world.

 Jesus Teaches about Entering the Kingdom / 13:22-30

Jesus answered a person who asked whether only a few would be saved. Jesus turned this theoretical question into a practical question. Instead of letting the questioner analyze who would be entering heaven, and by implication judge the process and then those who would enter, Jesus asked that person: “Are you saved?”

13:22 This is the second reminder that Jesus was intentionally pressing on toward Jerusalem (the other time is in 9:51). Jesus knew he was on his way to die, but he continued traveling and teaching. The prospect of death did not deter Jesus from his mission.

 13:23-27 The question about whether only a few or many people would be saved was a topic of debate and much speculation among the rabbis. Jesus refused to be drawn into taking a side in this argument; instead, he urged his listeners to be among those who would be saved, no matter what the final number might be. He told his audience to work hard to get in. The word “work” means to put one’s whole self into the task of listening and responding. Jesus did not explain the narrow door, but the picture is of a way that one must seek out and then enter into while it is still open. Although many people know something about God, only a few have acknowledged their sins and accepted his forgiveness. Just listening to Jesus’ words or admiring his miracles is not enough—all must turn from sin and trust in God for salvation. Regardless of how many would be saved, Jesus said that many will try to enter, but it will be too late. The time for decision would pass them by.

• LIFE APPLICATION – FINDING SALVATION
• Many people react negatively to the concept of a narrow door or of Jesus being the only way. Behind their reaction may be the desire that the door of their choosing be the right way to God. The point of Jesus’ story was not to keep people out or to make it difficult to enter but to stress that the narrow door was still open for a short time. God opens the door, not people. He makes salvation available. People do not custom-design their own salvation. All people must come to God on his terms, not their own.

It’s difficult to submit and surrender to God. It’s difficult to accept someone else’s terms, even God’s. It’s difficult to give up control.  Don’t let your ego keep you from God.

 Familiarity with Jesus will not count when God’s Kingdom arrives and people rush to be a part of it. When the door is locked, the time for salvation will have passed, and they will not be able to enter. While many will claim to have eaten with him and listened to his teaching, they had not turned to him in faith for salvation. Such people will be utterly rejected, for Jesus will simply say, “I do not know you.” Such words will be the final pronouncement of rejection on those who rejected him. They will be sent away from God and the Kingdom.

13:28 When the door is shut and they are sent away, there will be intense sorrow (weeping and gnashing of teeth). Jesus pictured them looking in the windows at the ancestors on whom they had depended for their salvation—the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They will also see all the prophets, many of whom had been slain for speaking God’s messages. These men had not had the opportunity to see the Messiah, but they had loved God, believed his promises, and trusted that he would accomplish what he said. Thus, they received places in the Kingdom. By contrast, many of these Jewish people, who did have the opportunity to eat and drink with and then listen to the teachings of the Messiah himself (13:26), subsequently rejected him. For such rejection they would be thrown out of the Kingdom.

• LIFE APPLICATION- TRUE FAITH
• How could those who have known Jesus be rejected by him? Jesus makes clear that the way of salvation is open to all. No one is excluded by birth or background (13:29). Yet salvation does not happen merely because of loose association with Jesus. Jesus said in 5:32, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (niv). We must come to Jesus on his terms, not our own. Jesus requires action, namely repentance, from those who desire to be his followers. As we present Christ to others, we must stress the importance of repentance. As we deal with those who have been in the church for many years, we must help them see that associating with Christians will not substitute for true faith and repentance.

13:29-30 God’s Kingdom will include people from all over the world. Israel’s rejection of Jesus as Messiah would not stop God’s plan. True Israel includes all people who believe in God (see Isaiah 49:12). The inclusion of Gentiles in God’s Kingdom had been prophesied, but it still would have astounded Jesus’ Jewish audience to hear of the Gentiles being involved in God’s Kingdom at all. This was an important fact for Luke to stress because he was directing his Gospel to a Gentile audience (see also Romans 4:16-25; Galatians 3:6-9). Even worse for these Jews, however, was the statement that some of them might not have places at the feast.

• LIFE APPLICATION- FIRST-PLACE FINISHERS
• If nations grow by war and conquest, God’s kingdom grows slowly and quietly. If successful people fight to the top, successful Christians enjoy the bottom.
• Someday, all the strategies for greatness the world has devised will be dismantled as God’s kingdom fully emerges. The poor, ordinary, faithful believer will be honored as first; the powerful pagan will be relegated to last. Don’t be troubled by your ordinary life today. Faithfully follow Jesus. At history’s finish line, you will be a champion.

Jesus Grieves over Jerusalem / 13:31-35

Luke placed Jesus’ grieving over Jerusalem right after a discussion about salvation, those being first (the Jews who were chosen by God) being placed last (or excluded from God’s heavenly Kingdom). Jesus mourned Jerusalem’s rejection of God’s message and salvation.

13:31 The motives of these Pharisees remain unknown. Perhaps they were simply trying to get him out of their area. They thought that telling Jesus of Herod’s plan (whether true or not) would cause Jesus to be afraid and run. Herod Antipas had killed John the Baptist and had been perplexed about who Jesus was (9:7-9). It is highly possible that he did want to kill Jesus. But Jesus’ life, work, and death were not to be determined by Herod or the Pharisees. His life was planned and directed by God himself, and his mission would unfold in God’s time and according to God’s plan.

13:32 Jesus was hardly going to run in fear of Herod; in fact, the message he sent to him was filled with contempt, calling Herod that fox. Jesus clearly explained that Herod would have absolutely no control over Jesus’ life and ministry. Jesus would continue doing miracles until the day when he would accomplish his purpose.

• LIFE APPLICATION – ON GOD’S TERMS
• Often it appears that life unfolds by accident, by someone’s power-decision, or by luck. Jesus knew that life unfolds by God’s guidance and control. Herod could hunt for him, but God alone controlled Jesus’ future.
• Likewise for you. Don’t worry about threats or accidents or evil catching up with you. Your life is God’s to guide. Don’t be afraid. You will fulfill the purpose God has for you.

13:33-34 Jesus knew that he must proceed on in his ministry until the very moment appointed for his death. The words, it wouldn’t do for a prophet of God to be killed except in Jerusalem, have a stinging sound—Jesus knew he was to die and he knew he would die in Jerusalem. Jerusalem had a history of rejecting God’s prophets (1 Kings 19:10; 2 Chronicles 24:19-21; Jeremiah 2:30; 26:20-23), and it would reject the Messiah just as it had rejected his forerunners. Thus Jesus mourned for the city. Jesus’ emotional words reveal his compassion and love for the people to whom he had come. Like a mother hen who protects her chicks beneath her wings, Jesus would have gathered and protected his people. Several places in the Old Testament picture the loving God protecting his people under his “wings” (see Ruth 2:12; Psalms 17:8; 36:7; 57:1; 61:4; 63:7; 91:4). But they wouldn’t let him.

•  LIFE APPLICATION – FULL RANGE OF EMOTION
• Jesus was clearly saddened by Israel’s resistance to God’s message. His compassion for people included love’s full range of emotions.
• So should yours. When love gets exuberant, let it show. When love must weep, don’t hide your emotion under a phony front.
• Jesus was “real.” He spoke about his feelings. He voiced the reasons for his sadness. Follow his permission to do likewise.

13:35 House could refer to the city itself or to its Temple. The nation had rejected their promised Messiah and invited the final result of such rejection. They would be empty (or forsaken). In Jeremiah 12:7, Jeremiah prophesied the coming destruction of the Temple by the Babylonians. The nation’s sin had sealed their punishment, and God’s presence had left the Temple. When Jesus Christ came, God himself again stood in the Temple. But the people’s refusal to accept him would have severe consequences, for he would leave again. The Temple stood for the people’s relationship with God; an empty Temple meant separation from God (see Matthew 23:38).

The Jews understood their Temple to be the dwelling place of God on earth. The city was intended to be the center of worship of the true God and a symbol of justice to all people. No wonder Jesus loved the city and grieved over it. But the people had become blind to God. They had killed the prophets and would put to death the One about whom the prophets had testified. In that very city, the Messiah would be rejected and put to death (13:33). God’s presence would leave what was supposed to have been the holy city. The city would not see him again until the words of Psalm 118:26 would be fulfilled, “Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” While some take this to refer to Jesus’ Triumphal Entry, Matthew recorded these same words as being spoken after the Triumphal Entry (Matthew 23:39). The solemn prediction of desolation would come true, but as always, God would have compassion. A day would come when some of God’s people would recognize him as their Messiah (Romans 11:25-26).

Sources:  Life Application Bible Commentary, Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary

For more information about The Ridge Fellowship or Darrell Koop go to www.ridgefellowship.com

Are you a hypocrite?  Are you greedy?  You can find out in today’s reading.  Do you worry?  Today, Jesus will encourage faith instead of worry. Are you ready for His return?  Jesus is coming back and today’s chapter shows us how to be ready. Are you ready for the final judgment?  Every person must decide what to do with Jesus before it’s too late.  Have you?   

 Jesus Warns About Hypocrisy / 12:1-12

After denouncing the religious leaders for hypocrisy, Jesus warns his disciples of the same destructive problem.

12:1 Even as Jesus began to infuriate the religious leaders, his popularity continued to grow, for the crowds grew into the thousands. As Jesus watched the huge crowds waiting to hear him, he warned his disciples against hypocrisy—trying to appear good when their heart was far from God. Just as yeast works its way through dough, so a small amount of evil can affect a large group of people. The yeast of the Pharisees—their hypocrisy—could permeate and contaminate society, leading the entire nation astray.

• LIFE APPLICATION – DON’T BE A HYPOCRITE
• Jesus warned against the spread of hypocrisy and its destructive consequences. How do you avoid hypocrisy? Try these suggestions:
• At the start of the day, ask God to lead you one step further—enough to challenge you.
• Get in a small group and talk honestly. Share your life with these people.
• Join a church where people can be who they are, a church that invites diversity in its membership.
• Serve in grateful response to God, and not as a scheme to gain anyone’s approval.

12:2-3 Hypocrisy can happen when certain actions or attitudes are hidden. One day, however, everything will be revealed. The Pharisees could not keep their attitudes hidden forever. Their selfishness would act like “yeast” (12:1), and soon they would expose themselves for what they really were—power-hungry impostors, not devoted religious leaders. The time of this “revelation” could be the final judgment day when the true attitude of these hypocrites will be exposed (see Romans 2:16; 1 Corinthians 4:5).

• LIFE APPLICATION-HYPOCRISY
• What are the signs of hypocrisy?
• Hypocrisy is knowing the truth but not obeying it.
• Today, like the Pharisees, many people who know the Bible do not let it change their lives. They say they follow Jesus, but they don’t live by his standards. People who live this way are hypocrites. Believers must make sure that their actions match their beliefs
• Hypocrisy is living a self-serving life.
• People desire positions of leadership in the church. It is dangerous when love for the position grows stronger than loyalty to God. Jesus is not against all leadership—church leaders are important—but against leadership that serves itself rather than others.
•  Hypocrisy is claiming Christ as Lord without following him.
• Jesus challenged society’s norms. To him, greatness comes from serving—giving of yourself to help others. Service keeps believers aware of others’ needs, and it stops them from focusing only on themselves. Jesus came as a servant. Are you serving
• Hypocrisy reduces faith to rigid rules.
• Do you care more about keeping rules or serving people?  Is your faith in Christ or what you do or don’t do, or what denominational tradition you follow? 
• Hypocrisy is outward conformity without inner reality.
• Living your Christianity merely as a show for others, but not dealing with real sin inside you is like washing a cup on the outside only. When you are clean on the inside, your cleanliness on the outside won’t be a sham.

 12:4-5 Jesus explained that his followers (his dear friends) might face death for their faith in him, but he also told them not to be afraid of people who could kill them or even of death itself. Evil people may be able to kill the body, but they cannot do any more. Jesus knew that fear of opposition or ridicule could weaken their witness for him because the natural human tendency is to cling to peace and comfort, even at the cost of one’s walk with God. Jesus said that there is only one whom all people should fear—God alone. He controls eternal consequences. It is more fearful to disobey God than to face martyrdom.

The word translated hell here is Gehenna. The name was derived from the Valley of Hinnom, south of Jerusalem, where children had been sacrificed by fire to the pagan god Molech (see 2 Kings 23:10; 2 Chronicles 28:3; Jeremiah 7:31; 32:35).

12:6-7 While Jesus’ followers should “fear” God because of his awesome power, they are not to be afraid of him because they are more valuable to him than a whole flock of sparrows. A person could buy five sparrows for a small amount of money; they were the cheapest type of living food sold in the market. Even so, God does not forget a single one. God loves his people so much that he cares about the smallest details of their lives—down to knowing the number of hairs on their heads. We stand in awe of God not because He will destroy us, but because He who has all power cares! We are important to Him!

• LIFE APPLICATION – WORTHWHILE
• Jesus taught how valuable each person was to God. How does a person assess his or her worth? A student’s worth is measured by grade point average; a pitcher’s by earned run average; a career professional’s by salary; a salesclerk’s by commission.
• God measures your worth with no number, no calculation, no ratio.
• You simply bear God’s image.
• Your life was worth God’s Son.
• Your future is in God’s home.
• Know that you are a person filled with value, known intimately by God, destined for greatness. Shed your silly inferiorities. You are a son or daughter of the Almighty.

 12:8-9 God sent his Son to die for people worldwide, and salvation is offered to all people. But individuals still must choose whether or not to accept God’s offer. Jesus clearly explained that anyone who publicly confesses faith in and allegiance to him will find that the Son of Man will openly acknowledge that person in the presence of God’s angels. By contrast, the person who denies any relationship to Jesus will face denial by Jesus in heaven. These words refer to those whose lack of allegiance will be revealed under pressure. Most likely, this does not refer to an incident where lack of courage might cause a believer not to speak up, but rather to a person who totally rejects Christ and lives a life of denial. The astounding statement is that each person’s standing before God is based on his or her relationship to Jesus Christ. This “acknowledgment” involves more than simply a verbal confession. It involves a witness of both word and deed.

• LIFE APPLICATION- DENY OR ACKNOWLEDGE?
• Acknowledging Jesus demands our full allegiance to him. People deny Jesus when they hope that no one will think they are Christians, decide not to speak up for what is right, are silent about their relationship with God, blend into society, or accept their culture’s non-Christian values.
• By contrast, people acknowledge Jesus when they live moral, upright, Christ-honoring lives, look for opportunities to share their faith with others, help others in need, take a stand for justice, love others, acknowledge their loyalty to Christ, and use their lives and resources to carry out his desires rather than their own.

 12:10 While 12:8-9 deals with apostasy, 12:10 focuses on people who have not yet come to believe. These words mean that speaking against the person of Jesus can be forgiven because the insult may be based in ignorance of his true identity (before the resurrection, not even Jesus’ disciples completely understood who he was). But anyone who speaks blasphemies against the Holy Spirit—continually rejects the Holy Spirit’s message about Jesus and his convicting influence—will never be forgiven because he is beyond redemptive help. Whoever rejects the prompting of the Holy Spirit removes himself from the only force that can lead anyone to repentance and restoration with God. That act has eternal consequences.

This sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit has worried many sincere Christians. The unforgivable sin means attributing to Satan the work that the Holy Spirit accomplishes. Thus the “unforgivable sin” is deliberate and ongoing rejection of the Holy Spirit’s work and even of God himself. A person who has committed this sin has shut himself off from God so thoroughly that he is unaware of any sin at all. A person who fears having committed this sin shows by his very concern that he has not sinned in this way.

12:11-12 Jesus told the disciples that when (not “if”) they would be brought to trial in the synagogues and before rulers and authorities, they need not worry about what to say in their own defense. They would not be left unprepared—Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would supply the right words at the very moment they were needed. This promise of the Spirit’s help, however, does not compensate for lack of preparation. Remember that these disciples had three years of teaching and practical application. Study God’s word, then God will bring his truths to mind when you most need them, helping you present them in the most effective way.

• LIFE APPLICATION- TIMELY DEFENSE
• Making a public defense of your faith in Christ sounds intimidating. But Jesus assures and advises:
• Don’t worry—this is God’s trial too.
•  Don’t bother with a scripted speech—your intelligence is not the issue.
•  Take a deep breath, pray, and just be honest about all God has shown you. The Holy Spirit will do the rest.

Jesus Tells the Parable of the Rich Fool / 12:13-21

Perhaps because of Jesus’ constant insistence on justice (11:42), a person from the crowd asked him to arbitrate a dispute. Instead of addressing the injustice, Jesus exposed the greedy motives of the man and revealed God’s perspective on the foolishness of greed. The simple parable Jesus told describes a person who is solely concerned with himself—his welfare, pleasure, and security. He possessed no gratitude toward God or a willingness to share with those less fortunate. His ingratitude invoked God’s anger and led to the man’s downfall.

12:13 A person in the crowd appealed to Jesus as an authority. He wanted Jesus to settle a dispute over his father’s estate. The Old Testament laws covered most cases (see, for example, Numbers 26–27; 33:54; 36; Deuteronomy 21:17), but sometimes an issue would arise that needed intervention in order to make a decision. Problems like this were often brought to rabbis for them to settle (see 10:38-42).

• LIFE APPLICATION – GREED
• Jesus warned against greed for possessions. Greed keeps track of every tool lent, every dime shared, every overtime minute worked, every check to charity grudgingly written.
• Jesus leads the way to generosity, a rare trait today. As God opens heaven to you, clutch less what you own and share more what you have been given

12:14-15 Jesus used the man’s request as an opportunity to teach his listeners about the pitfalls of being greedy. “Greed” is the excessive and consuming desire to have more possessions or wealth. He explained that the good life has nothing to do with being wealthy; real life is not measured by how much we own. This man apparently thought that the division of the inheritance would solve his problems. But Jesus wanted him to deal with deeper issues.

12:16-18 Jesus proceeded to illustrate his point that life consists of more than wealth and possessions. This story includes a rich man who had a productive year on his farm. He tore down his barns and built bigger ones so that he could store everything. While there was nothing wrong with the man’s rejoicing in his crop or building to make storage, his basic flaw was in focusing completely on his wealth and on his own enjoyment. In Greek, this story includes the word “my” four times and the word “I” eight times. As this story reveals, the man’s joy came from his things—but things do not last forever.

•  LIFE APPLICATION – MORE
• The rich man in Jesus’ story died before he could begin to use what was stored in his big barns. Planning for retirement—preparing for life before death—is wise, but neglecting life after death is disastrous. If you accumulate wealth only to enrich yourself, with no concern for helping others, you will enter eternity empty-handed. Jesus challenges his people to think beyond earthbound goals and to use what they have been given for God’s kingdom. Faith, service, and obedience are the way to become rich toward God.

12:19-20 The rich man was concerned for no one else, and he had no care for God. With no eternal perspective, the man’s life was completely focused on the temporal. His goal to take it easy and to eat, drink, and be merry reveals his desire for mere self-indulgence. He thought that, with his barns storing up mountains of wealth for the future, he had everything completely under control. The rich man had made a fatal flaw: he had forgotten to put God at the center of his life. Concerned for no one but himself, when the time came for him to stand before God, he was nothing more than a fool.

•  LIFE APPLICATION – FOR THE FUTURE
• Fully funded retirement plans and adequate life insurance are practically synonymous with wise stewardship. Everyone should provide for older age and family survivors.
• At the same time and with the same resolve because life is more than money, God wants you to share generously today with those who are poor. And, should wealth accumulate, never, never put your hope and pride in real estate, insurance, or mutual funds. God should be your security and joy.

 12:21 The moral of the story: fools spend all their time storing up earthly wealth but neglect to have a rich relationship with God. The turning point is for whom the treasures are being accumulated. If for oneself, then the evils of wealth will be turned loose. Being rich toward God means using wealth as he provides it to fulfill his priorities. People who are “rich” in this way love God and are filled with a passion to obey and serve him and to give to others. In this way, the “treasures” a person may gain in this life can be gladly handed back over to God for his use in furthering his Kingdom.

 Jesus Teaches about Worry / 12:22-34

Luke placed Jesus’ teaching about believers and possessions right after the negative example of the rich fool (12:13-21). Instead of hoarding possessions, believers should give them away. Such generosity builds an eternal inheritance in God’s Kingdom. Believers should completely trust in God’s loving provision for them; this should free them to show generosity.

12:22-23 Jesus continued to highlight the priorities of those who want to follow him. Again, these words were directed not to the crowd in general, but to his disciples. Just as their attitude toward money should differ from the world’s (12:15), so their life view should be different. All the goals and worries in life can be entrusted to the loving heavenly Father who promises to meet every need. The command, don’t worry, does not imply lack of concern, nor does it imply that people should be unwilling to work to supply their own needs and thus have to depend on others. Instead, Jesus was saying that worrying about food and clothing should never take priority over serving God. Worriers immobilize themselves and focus on their worries. They refuse to trust that God can supply their most basic needs.

12:24 Jesus had already explained that God’s care for the sparrows shows that he cares for his people (12:6-7). Here Jesus explained God’s care for people’s basic needs by asking the disciples to look at the ravens. The birds don’t have elaborate farming systems by which to supply food for themselves; God feeds them. God makes sure that the birds, who do no worrying about their food supply, always have food to eat. The raven (or crow) was considered to be “unclean” (Leviticus 11:13-15), yet even unclean animals received God’s care. The conclusion, of course, is that God’s people are far more valuable to him than any birds. God’s children can know that their Father will care for their needs as well.

• LIFE APPLICATION – OVERCOMING WORRY
• Worry can be an important early warning device against foolish risk taking. It can also stunt your joy until you become a worry-impaired invalid. One of the world’s richest men, Howard Hughes, took worry to pathological extremes and died a prisoner in his own bed. He needed, above all, the freedom that Jesus offers. Jesus declared worry to be useless effort. Instead, Christians’ efforts to deal with their circumstances should be more productive.  Overcoming worry requires:
• simple trust in God, your heavenly Father. This trust is expressed by praying to him rather than worrying.
•  perspective on your problems. This can be gained by developing a strategy for addressing and correcting your problems.
•  a support team to help. Find some believers who will pray for you to find wisdom and strength to deal with your worries.

12:25-26 Worry accomplishes nothing; it is wasted effort. While worry cannot add a single moment to a person’s life, it can damage that person’s health, cause the object of worry to consume one’s thoughts, disrupt productivity, negatively affect the way the person treats others, and reduce the ability to trust in God.

12:27-28 Like the ravens who do not store up food for themselves in barns, neither do the lilies work to array themselves. If God feeds the birds and clothes the earth with beauty that surpasses the fine garments of King Solomon, then will God not also clothe his people?

Jesus was not condoning laziness while waiting for God to provide. He wanted his disciples to understand that they should place their lives in God’s hands, refusing to worry about basic needs. It shows little faith to worry over what God has promised to provide.

12:29-30 Eating and drinking are necessary for survival, but God’s people know that life is more than what they eat or drink, more than their clothing or possessions. If they worry about these things, they will find themselves motionless for God, accomplishing nothing for the Kingdom. God’s people are to be different. Believers have an eternal perspective that is focused on the Kingdom to come; they trust their Father to know their needs for their time on the earth.

12:31 Jesus told his disciples to make the Kingdom of God their primary concern. This means to submit to God’s sovereignty today, to work for the future coming of his Kingdom, to represent God here and now, and to seek his rule in our hearts and in the world. So many spend their time worrying about the basics of life, but Jesus says to think about the Kingdom first, and God will give you all you need from day to day. Christ’s promise is not that Kingdom seekers will get everything they desire, but that the necessities for faith and service will be in abundance. When God’s children have their priorities right, they can trust that God will always care for them. They may not become rich, but they will not lack what they need.

• LIFE APPLICATION-THY KINGDOM COME
• Seeking the kingdom of God means making Jesus the Lord and King of your life. He must control every area—your work, play, money, plans, relationships. Is the kingdom only one of your many concerns, or is it central to all you do? Are you holding back any areas of your life from God’s control? As Lord and Creator, he wants to help provide what you need as well as guide how you use what he provides.

12:32 The Kingdom is worth making a priority (12:31), for one day God the Father will give it to those who faithfully follow him. The Kingdom is a certain reality, so God’s people need not be afraid. Fear and worry will be constant companions to those who devote their lives to getting, achieving, and protecting what they have. No bank and no medical plan can protect a person from death or from present harm. Only those whose true treasure is in heaven (12:33-34) can be truly secure. Not only does God promise to give believers his Kingdom, but it is his great happiness to do so. God the Father (12:30) wants to share his Kingdom with them.

12:33-34 Because of their eternal perspective (12:29-30) and because of the future Kingdom they will possess, God’s people are free to give. They can hold their possessions lightly. In fact, they can sell them and give to those in need. In so doing, they will provide for themselves treasure that cannot disappear, for it rests in heaven. Jesus was not telling his followers to sell all their possessions, but rather to sell whatever they could to make giving to the poor possible. This “treasure” in heaven includes, but is not limited to, tithing money. Believers add to it as they bring others to Christ and act out their obedience to God. The “treasure” is the eternal value of whatever is accomplished on earth. Acts of obedience to God, stored in heaven, cannot be stolen nor will they decay. Nothing can affect or change them; they are eternal. Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be means that whatever occupies a person’s thoughts and consumes his or her time—that is the person’s “treasure.” The heart will be with the treasure.

•  LIFE APPLICATION- MONEY TRAP
• Money seen as an end in itself quickly traps people and cuts them off from both God and the needy. The key to using money wisely is to see how much can be used for God’s purposes, not how much can be accumulated. Does God’s love touch your wallet? Does your money free you to help others? If so, you are storing up lasting treasures in heaven. If your financial goals and possessions hinder you from giving generously, loving others, or serving God, sell what you must to bring your life into perspective. Where do you put your time, money, and energy? What do you think about most? How should you change the way you use your resources in order to reflect kingdom values more accurately?

Jesus Warns about Preparing for His Coming / 12:35-48

The teaching about the end times in Luke does not entail a detailed description of what will occur, but it portrays a secure conviction that the Son of Man will return in judgment. This knowledge should motivate Christians to be faithful servants or stewards, to do what God has commanded them to do, and to use their talents and resources effectively.

12:35-38 Because of the certainty of the Kingdom coming and because it would be coming in the future, waiting for it requires both faith and vigilance. God’s people must be dressed for service and well prepared. Faithful servants would stay awake while waiting for their master’s return from the wedding feast. They are dressed so that they can do service for him should he require it. No matter how late the master may come, the servants are prepared to open the door immediately upon his arrival. In the same way, God’s people must be awaiting his arrival so they too can welcome him the moment he arrives. Servants who are ready and waiting for the master’s arrival will be rewarded. The master will be so pleased upon his arrival that he will serve them. Such a reversal of roles likely will not happen in the world, but in God’s Kingdom such a welcome will await those who were ready.

12:39-40 This story describes the need for constant vigilance as believers await the Kingdom. A homeowner does not know when a burglar is coming to break into the house; if the homeowner did, he would be ready and would not permit it to happen. Likewise, God’s people must be ready all the time. Jesus referred to himself as the Son of Man and left no doubt that he would be the one who will come when least expected (1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 16:15). God’s people should be ready and waiting.

Christ’s return at an unexpected time is not a trick by which God hopes to catch his people off guard. In fact, God is delaying his return so that more people will have the opportunity to follow him (see 2 Peter 3:9). Before Christ’s return, believers have time to live out their beliefs and to reflect Jesus’ love as they relate to others. Christians have time to bring more people with them into the Kingdom.

•  LIFE APPLICATION  READY AND WAITING
• To be ready for Christ’s coming means living in two worlds: one, the world of time and space where God’s people care for God’s creation; the other, a world made new at Jesus’ coming for which the preparation includes prayer, worship, and Bible study. How can we be ready for Christ’s return? People who are ready are not hypocritical, but sincere (12:1); not fearful, but ready to witness (12:4-9); not worried, but trusting (12:25-26); not greedy, but generous (12:33-34); not lazy, but diligent (12:37). May your life be more like Christ’s so that when he comes, you will be ready to greet him joyfully.

12:41-42 Peter wondered to whom Jesus was addressing the previous parable about being prepared for the Kingdom’s arrival. Perhaps Peter was wondering about the disciples’ responsibilities. They still did not understand what this Kingdom would be like. Peter wondered what their roles would be in comparison with the crowds in general.

Jesus answered Peter’s question with another question that focused the disciples’ attention on what it meant to be put in charge, and what their roles should be as leaders. They should be like a faithful, sensible servant, left in charge by the master. In this story, there is one faithful servant (12:42-44) and three unfaithful ones (12:45-48).

12:43-44 The master is Jesus, who would leave his servants in his household (the earth) to serve while he would be gone. All the servants must work, although some are given more responsibility and thus more accountability (12:48). Those servants who have done a good job when the master returns will have a reward and be given more responsibility.

•  LIFE APPLICATION- HEAVENLY REWARDS
• Jesus promises a reward for those who have been faithful to the Master. While people sometimes experience immediate and material rewards for their obedience to God, this is not always the case. If so, they would be tempted to boast about their achievements and do good only for what they get. Jesus said that if they look for rewards now, they will lose them later (see Mark 8:36). Christians’ heavenly rewards will be the most accurate reflection of what they have done on earth, and the rewards will be far greater than anyone can imagine. So serve God faithfully in the responsibilities he has given you.

12:45-46 However, with the master gone, a slave might think to himself that he can do as he likes, taking advantage of his position of authority. The master would return unannounced, catch him in the act, and banish him for being irresponsible to his task in the master’s absence. The words with the unfaithful probably pictures the end-time judgment, wherein the faithful enter God’s Kingdom and the unfaithful are sent away (Matthew 25:31-46).

•  LIFE APPLICATION – RESPONSIBLE
• Jesus has told his followers how to live until he comes: they must watch for him, work diligently, and obey his commands. The more resources, talents, and understanding a person has, the more that person is responsible to use them effectively. God will not hold people responsible for gifts he has not given them, but all believers have enough gifts and duties to keep them busy until Jesus comes.

12:47-48 Those who fail to do their duty can expect punishment. More responsibility, and thus more severe punishment, however, will come to those who knew their duty but refused to do it. Those who are not aware that they are doing wrong will be punished only lightly. Each person is responsible to seek out God’s will and to obey; however, God will demand more from those who have been given many gifts and entrusted with much responsibility for the Kingdom. Clearly, leadership in God’s Kingdom—no matter how small or large one’s responsibilities in comparison to others—is taken very seriously by God. Those placed in positions where they will guide, influence, and care for others have been given much, and therefore much more is required for their moral, spiritual, and ethical lives. They must show themselves to be examples and must stay close to the Lord so he can guide them. Their responsibilities involve the eternal destinies of others—a job description that should cause them to be ever vigilant and watchful of God’s will.

 Jesus Warns about Coming Division / 12:49-53

These verses introduce a section in which Jesus calls the Jews to accept him before their time runs out (12:54–13:8). It is a quick summary of Jesus’ earthly mission. Jesus came to earth to bring division, not peace. That is because Jesus confronts everyone with a choice. Will you side with him? There is no middle ground (11:23).

12:49-50 Fire stands for God’s judgment and the coming of the Holy Spirit (see 3:16-17 for more on Jesus’ baptism being one of Spirit and fire). Judgment is coming, and Jesus is the one to bring it. Jesus’ arrival has caused upset and division among people across the centuries. No one can sit on the fence about Jesus; decisions have to be made to believe or not to believe, inevitably dividing even families (see 12:51-53). Jesus wished that his task were already completed, meaning that he desired that God’s purpose for the earth already be fulfilled. Judgment would come through Jesus and after that he would reign. But Jesus waits for God’s timing.

Here Jesus anticipated the outworking of God’s plan through a terrible baptism, which here refers to his coming suffering at the cross. Despite Jesus’ distress, he knows that through it the work of salvation can begin in people’s hearts.

12:51-53 Jesus promises peace, but it is not the kind of peace the world gives or tries to give (John 14:27). Peace on earth, universal peace, will not come until Jesus’ second coming when evil is destroyed and he reigns forever. Instead, Jesus’ first coming and the time now as believers await his return is a time of strife and division between God’s forces and Satan’s forces. There is no middle ground with Jesus. Because he demands a response, family groups may be torn apart when some choose to follow him and others refuse to do so. Loyalties must be declared and commitments made, sometimes to the point of severing relationships with those who reject Jesus or who try to substitute him with someone else.

• LIFE APPLICATION- FAMILY LOYALTY
• In many parts of the world, becoming a Christian means severing all ties with family. Sometimes, these families have conspired with the government in the person’s death sentence. In more tolerant countries, families may deeply resent converts, shunning them and disinheriting them.

In all circumstances, Jesus is Lord. Every other relationship comes after that. Are you willing to risk your family’s disapproval in order to follow the Lord?

Jesus Warns about the Future Crisis / 12:54-59

“Hypocrites!” With this harsh word, Jesus tried to startle his listeners to the urgency of their plight, which was terrible. But Jesus, God’s only Son, was offering them a way out—the free gift of salvation to all who believe in him. In effect, Jesus was saying, “Wake up! Destruction is around the corner. Come to me for salvation.”

12:54-56 Jesus turned back to the crowd and spoke to them. For most of recorded history, the world’s principal occupation has been farming. Farmers depend directly on the weather for their livelihood. They need just the right amounts of sun and rain to make a living. Such people were skilled at interpreting natural signs. The people knew that clouds forming in the west over the Mediterranean Sea would bring rain. Wind blowing in from the desert to the south would bring hot weather. People interpreted these signs and then prepared themselves accordingly.

But these same people were ignoring the signs of the coming Kingdom. Thus Jesus said, “You hypocrites!” Jesus was announcing an earthshaking event that would be much more important than the year’s crops—the coming of God’s Kingdom. Like a rainstorm or a sunny day, there were signs that the Kingdom would soon arrive. While people could successfully discern the signs of the weather by watching the sky and predicting fair weather or storms, they were intentionally ignoring the signs of the times.

12:57-59 With the signs of the Kingdom around them and as Jesus stood among them, he asked his listeners, “Why can’t you decide for yourselves what is right?” Why weren’t they taking advantage of this opportunity to make peace with God? They ought to do so, for waiting could be disastrous, just as the man on his way to court would be wise to settle the matter beforehand. In Jesus’ day, a person who couldn’t pay a debt would be thrown in jail. How much better to attempt to settle the matter on the way to court (under Roman law, the plaintiff went with the defendant to court) than to wait for the judge’s verdict to be handed down.

God’s judgment is irreversible. Each person must decide what to do about Jesus. That decision should be made now.

 Until tomorrow, Darrell

Sources:  Life Application Bible Commentary,  Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary, New American Commentary, Teacher’s Commentary

For more information about The Ridge Fellowship or Darrell Koop see www.ridgefellowship.com

Today we read one of the most thorough passages in all of Scripture dealing with the subject of prayer. Thirteen verses explain how to pray.  Then Jesus answers accusations from religious leaders, warns against unbelief, teaches about the light within and gives his “woes” to those same religious leaders – ouch! 

 Jesus Teaches His Disciples about Prayer / 11:1-13

This passage highlights one of Luke’s most prominent themes: prayer (see 1:9-10; 3:21; 6:12; 9:18, 28-29). Here the disciples asked Jesus about prayer—interestingly enough, it was after Jesus had been praying. Jesus gave them an example of a prayer and two stories that emphasize the importance of seeking God in prayer.

11:1 Once again, Jesus had been out praying. Luke has presented several instances where Jesus was praying, making it clear that prayer was a regular part of his life (3:21; 5:16; 6:12; 9:18, 28-29; 18:1; 22:41, 44). Something about Jesus’ prayer life prompted one of his disciples to approach him as he finished. He wanted Jesus to teach them to pray, just as John taught his disciples. It was common for religious leaders to teach their followers how to pray. To be able to pray as their Master prayed would give them assurance of expressing themselves correctly to God.

• LIFE APPLICATION – LEARN TO PRAY
• Prayer life seems easy enough. Find a quiet place and talk to God. It’s like breathing; you just do it.  But even Jesus’ disciples asked to be taught—suggesting a knowledge level they did not have, but wanted. When was your last lesson in prayer? Several organizations help churches organize and understand prayer. Locate, contact, and begin a movement in your church or small group to pray with greater effectiveness.

 11:2 The prayer Jesus taught his disciples was not a formulaic prayer; rather, it was a “how to” prayer. These were not meant to be magical words prayed like an incantation over and over. Instead, he was giving the disciples a pattern. Luke’s form of the Lord’s Prayer is shorter than Matthew’s (Matthew 6:9-13). Most likely they were two distinct prayers on two different occasions. The differences in the prayers show that Jesus did not utter a rote prayer every time he prayed. Different occasions call for different utterances.

Notice the order in this prayer. First Jesus praised God; then he made his requests. The first person plural pronouns indicate that the believers could pray this prayer corporately. The pattern of praise, intercession, and request helps believers understand the nature and purpose of their personal prayers in their relationship with their Father. Because Jesus taught it to his followers, it is a prayer pattern for believers today as well.

The phrase, Father, may your name be honored, focuses on God as majestic and transcendent and says that the person praying is committed to honoring God’s holy name. Christians, God’s children who bear his name, must be responsible to “honor” God in every aspect of their lives. When believers pray for God’s name to be “honored,” they pray that the world will honor his name and look forward to the day when that will be a reality.

May your Kingdom come soon refers to God’s spiritual reign. To say this is to pray that more and more people will enter the Kingdom; it is also a petition for all evil to be destroyed and for God to establish a new heaven and earth, thereby revealing his glory to all nations.

11:3 This request, give us our food day by day, is for a personal need to be met. “Food” could refer to spiritual “food.” The words “day by day” reveals that God’s provision is daily, and that believers do not need to worry from one day to the next. Christians dare not be self-satisfied. Instead, believers should live in a state of continual dependence on God.

11:4 As God’s people need daily provision, they also need daily forgiveness. When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he made forgiveness the cornerstone of their relationship with God. God has forgiven believers’ sins; they must now forgive those who have sinned against them. To remain unforgiving shows that the person has not understood that he or she deeply needs to be forgiven. The meaning of this sentence focuses on the true repentance of a believer who understands the greatness of the forgiveness that he or she has received. This believer willingly extends such forgiveness to others for their wrongs. To refuse to forgive others can impede the forgiveness needed daily from God (see 6:37; Matthew 6:14-15; 18:23-35; Mark 11:25).

Finally, there is the request that God would help believers refuse to yield to temptation. The Greek word translated “temptation” means “enticement” or “test” or “trial.” This is a request for spiritual protection from trials and temptations.

•  LIFE APPLICATION – SHEDDING GRUDGES
• Forgiving those who sin against you is very tough to do. Frank has framed you, Sue has sacked you, and Chad has cheated you. OK, Lou has lied to you too. Forgiving these people is difficult. Yet Christ calls you to do it. Here’s how you can start to be more forgiving:
• Imagine how poorly you rate in view of God’s holy standards. To forgive you, God must genuinely love you.
• Remember how disagreeable the people are who hate and hold grudges forever. You shun people like that. Don’t become one.
• Recall that God, in charge of your life, can and will provide for your needs. To be cheated hurts; God will repair. To be lied to hurts; God will clean the wound with truth.
• Now are you ready to forgive?

11:5-6 This parable points out, with a touch of humor, that God’s people must persist in their prayers, and that God is always ready to give. The setting is midnight. A journeying friend has arrived, presumably unexpected. Social custom dictates providing food, but the bread is gone and the person has nothing for him to eat. The person knows that another friend has some bread, so he goes to him and asks to borrow three loaves of bread.

11:7-8 The friend would not be happy to be interrupted at this late hour, having already gone to bed. Jesus explained that although the friend might not get up for the sake of the friendship, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up. Because of the persistence of the person knocking, the request will be answered.

Boldness in prayer overcomes the praying person’s apathy, not God’s perceived insensitivity. To practice persistence changes the hearts and minds of those praying, and it helps them understand and express the intensity of their need. Persistence in prayer helps them recognize God’s work. By praying persistently, believers are not trying to get a reluctant God to answer their prayers; instead, they are showing that they are very serious about their request.

11:9-10 Highlighting the importance of persistent and consistent prayer, Jesus encouraged his disciples, who wanted to be taught to pray (11:1), to keep on asking, keep on looking, and keep on knocking. Only through prayer can believers stay in contact with God, know what he wants them to do, and then have the strength to do God’s will in all areas of life. God will answer believers who persistently ask, look, and knock. In all these cases, God is accessible and willing to respond. Jesus promised, “For everyone who asks receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks.” (See also Jeremiah 29:13). Believers must not take Jesus’ words as a blank check however; prayer is not a magical way to obtain whatever we want. Requests must be in harmony with God’s will, accepting his will above our desires.

•  LIFE APPLICATION – SEIZE THE DAY
• Jesus encouraged us to be persistent in prayer. Prayer promotes a dynamic that separates passive sideliners from active participants. Prayer never makes the believer lethargic, unable to act, dull, unable to feel, indifferent, unable to dream, cold, unable to love,
• Instead, prayer always makes the believer, eager to grasp life, to seize the day, ready to face the challenges, courageous to expand his or her dreams, passionate to share God’s love
• God does not ask you to pray so that you can blame him when life fails, but so that you will praise him when life opens to your knock.

11:11-13 Jesus explained that his followers can depend on God to answer their prayers. If human beings who are sinful would not think of giving a child a snake instead of a fish, or a scorpion instead of an egg, then how much more will a holy God acknowledge and answer Christians’ requests? In these words, Jesus revealed the heart of God the Father. God is not selfish, begrudging, or stingy; his followers don’t have to beg or grovel when they come with their requests. He is a loving Father who understands, cares, comforts, and willingly gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask him. Because the Holy Spirit is God’s highest gift and he will not refuse giving him to those who ask, believers can trust in God’s provision for all their lesser needs as well. How much better the perfect heavenly Father treats his children! The most important gift he could ever give is the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4), whom he promised to give all believers after his death, resurrection, and return to heaven (John 15:26).

 Jesus Answers Hostile Accusations / 11:14-28

In this passage, Luke underscores two different negative reactions: (1) those who reject Jesus, accusing him of being associated with the Devil, and (2) those who sit on the fence, waiting for yet another sign. Jesus confronted those who rejected him, by clearly asserting that his miracles were evidence of his connection to God. There is no middle ground, no room to withhold judgment. A person is either against him or for him.

11:14-15 On another occasion, Jesus cast a demon out of a man who couldn’t speak, thus enabling the man to speak. But some in the crowd said that Jesus was casting out demons because he got his power from Satan, the prince of demons. Jesus exposed the absurdity of this accusation.

11:16 Some wanted to make accusations, but others wanted to test Jesus. As if all the healings and miracles and sending demons from people were not enough, they asked for a miraculous sign from heaven to see if he was from God. If they thought that the exorcism just witnessed might be by the power of Satan, then they felt that they needed something “from heaven” as proof of Jesus’ identity. The irony, of course, is that no matter what kind of sign Jesus might have given, they would have stubbornly refused to believe (see Matthew 12:38-42).

11:17-18 Jesus’ first response was to the accusation recorded in 11:15. He explained that any kingdom at war with itself is doomed, and likewise with a divided home. If Jesus were driving out demons by Satan, then the conclusion would be that Satan is fighting against himself. If that were true, it would mean civil war in the kingdom of evil. No king would throw his own soldiers out of his kingdom; neither would Satan throw his soldiers out of a person they had possessed. Such a kingdom could not stand.

11:19-20 Jesus was not the first person to exorcise demons. In the first century, exorcism was thriving in both Jewish and pagan societies (Mark 9:38; Acts 19:13-14). Many Jewish exorcists were Pharisees. Jesus asked, “If I am empowered by the prince of demons, what about your own followers” who were also casting out demons? If it took Satan’s power to drive out demons, then those Pharisees who drove out demons were also working under Satan’s power.

But if it isn’t by Satan’s power that demons were fleeing, then it had to be by the power of God. Jesus’ exorcisms were specific evidence of the presence of Kingdom power. They showed that the hoped for time of God’s Kingdom had come in the power of Jesus’ authority. That Jesus was powerfully casting out demons and plundering Satan’s kingdom revealed that the Kingdom of God had arrived.

11:21-22 Jesus explained his words in 11:19-20 with a parable. Here Satan is fully armed with all kinds of demons guarding his palace. This whole scene changes, however, when someone who is stronger attacks and overpowers him, as Jesus had just done in sending the demon out of the man (11:14, and had done many times previously). Satan cannot stand against God or against Christ. Jesus overpowers Satan.

11:23 The line has been drawn. There are two kingdoms—God’s and Satan’s. Satan is active and powerful in the world, but God’s Kingdom is far stronger and will eventually triumph. People cannot be neutral in this matter. Either they choose to side with God, or they do not. That is the meaning of Jesus’ ominous words, “Anyone who isn’t helping me opposes me.” In this battle, if a person is not on God’s side, he or she is on Satan’s.

• LIFE APPLICATION – CROSSING THE LINE
• In the movie Hook, a revived Peter Pan draws a line in the sand. Everyone who believes must cross. In the story of the Texas Alamo, Colonel Bowie does the same, asking defenders to commit to dawn’s battle.
• In neither case is it possible to stand on the line. If you’re considering Jesus, weighing the options, exploring the possibilities—take the step, cross the line, trust God today. Your unanswered questions are still important. Seek and you shall find. Your doubts are still to be settled. Knock and the door of knowledge will open. Your unmet needs are vital. Ask and it will be given.

11:24 To further illustrate the danger of attempting to be neutral about him, Jesus explained what can happen to such people. Unfilled and complacent people are easy targets for Satan. The evil spirit was not “cast out,” but for some reason had left a person. The desert was believed to be the habitation of demons. Because demons need a resting place (that is, someone or something living that they can enter and torment), this demon returned to the person it came from. Jesus was making a serious point about people’s spiritual destiny—they must make a decision about him.

11:25-26 In the demon’s absence, the home (the person’s life) had been swept and made clean, but it is still empty. In fact, the accommodations are now so inviting that the demon finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. The “owner” of the “house” is now filled with eight demons instead of one; definitely, that person is worse off than before.

Jesus was illustrating an unfortunate human tendency—personal desire to reform often does not last long, and attempts to take care of life end in disaster. It is not enough to be emptied of evil; the person must then be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish God’s new purpose in his or her life (see also Matthew 12:43-45; Galatians 5:22).

11:27-28 Jesus was speaking to people who highly valued family ties. Their genealogies guaranteed that they were part of God’s chosen people. A man’s value came from his ancestors, and a woman’s value came from the sons she bore. Jesus’ response to the woman meant that a person’s obedience to God is more important than his or her place on the family tree (see 8:21).

 Jesus Warns against Unbelief / 11:29-32

After admonishing his listeners to follow him (11:23), Jesus clearly described the consequences of not believing him. The request for a sign revealed wicked unbelief.

11:29-30 Here Jesus was responding to the request made in 11:16. The people had asked Jesus for a sign from heaven to prove that he was from God. Instead of giving a sign (beyond the miracles and healings he had performed), Jesus explained that no miraculous sign would be given except the sign of the prophet Jonah. God had asked Jonah to preach repentance to the Gentiles (non-Jews)—he had been sent by God to the Assyrian city of Nineveh (see the book of Jonah). Jonah preached to the city and saw it repent. With the words, “what happened to him was a sign to the people of Nineveh that God had sent him,” Jesus was affirming Jonah’s message. Salvation is not only for Jews, but for all people. The “sign” granted to them may refer to the Resurrection, for Jesus said, “What happens to me will be a sign that God has sent me, the Son of Man, to these people.” Jesus’ resurrection would prove that he was the Messiah. Three days after his death Jesus would come back to life, just as Jonah had been “brought back” to life after spending three days in the fish. Jonah’s presence was a sign to the people of Nineveh; they repented at his teaching. Jesus’ return to his people after his death would also be a sign to the people of his generation. Some would repent; many would not.

• LIFE APPLICATION- THEY SEARCHED AND FOUND
• The Ninevites and the Queen of the South had turned to God with far less evidence than Jesus was giving his listeners—and far less than people have today, with eyewitness reports of the risen Jesus, the continuing power of the Holy Spirit unleashed at Pentecost, easy access to the Bible, and knowledge of two thousand years of Christ’s acts through his church. With all this available knowledge and insight, people today ought to respond completely and wholeheartedly to Christ. Jesus stands alone in his ultimate authority. Give him his proper place. Listen and respond to him.

11:31 The queen of Sheba had traveled from southern Arabia to hear the wisdom of Solomon (1 Kings 10:1-10). Someone greater than Solomon was there with the people—the Messiah himself—but they refused to believe. As a result, this queen will rise up at the judgment and condemn the people of Jesus’ generation. She, an unbelieving Gentile, had recognized true wisdom when it was presented to her, unlike Jesus’ audience who refused the truth and wanted signs instead.

11:32 The cruel, warlike men of Nineveh, capital of Assyria, repented at the preaching of Jonah—even though Jonah did not care about them. By contrast, Jesus, the perfect Son of God, had come to people that he loved dearly—but they were rejecting him. Thus God’s chosen people were making themselves more liable to judgment than a notoriously wicked nation. The people of that nation will rise up at the judgment and condemn Jesus’ generation.

 Jesus Teaches about the Light Within / 11:33-36

Jesus next exhorted each person to focus his or her eyes on the light: Jesus himself. The people had requested a sign (11:16, 29), but Jesus explained that the light of his perfect life should be enough of a sign.

11:33 These words are very close to 8:16; however, in 8:16 the “lamp” that had been lit refers to the person who hears Jesus’ message, responds to it, and spreads it to others. In this teaching situation, it seems that Jesus was describing his own ministry and message as lighting a lamp that was not hidden or put under a basket, but was done in public with a message available for all to accept. All refers to Jesus’ mission to reach all the world, not just the Jews.

11:34 The lamp is Christ’s message, and “light” is the truth of his revelation and guidance (11:33); the eye represents spiritual understanding and insight that is filtered through the “good” or the “bad” in a person. When eyes are pure, that is, when they are operating properly, the illumination makes it easy for the body to function. Those with “pure eyes” are those true disciples who listen and respond to Jesus’ guidance. By contrast, when eyes are evil, that is, when they are not operating properly, the result is impaired functioning for the rest of the body. Those with “evil eyes” are those who reject Jesus’ words; all they have is the darkness and futility of their own evil ways.

11:35-36 To have the light within actually be darkness would be a dismal condition. That would mean that no goodness would be left, for even what might have been light would actually be dark—what good should have been there would actually be evil. But with Jesus, and with the filling of the Holy Spirit, a person can be filled with light, with no dark corners. This cannot happen from within—for the light does not originate there. It has an outside source, as though a floodlight is shining on you.

•  LIFE APPLICATION- SWITCHING ON THE LIGHT
• Jesus is the light and we need his guidance. If your life seems pointless and without direction, empty and without love, boring and without purpose, common and without creativity, dull and without challenge, or transient and without hope . . .
• Then switch on the light, God’s Word. It will direct you toward a wonderful goal, it is full of love for you, it suggests lots of important work to challenge your gifts and talents, and it points to eternal life—God’s generous promise to you.

 Jesus Criticizes the Religious Leaders / 11:37-54

Placed after Jesus’ teaching about the inner light is an example of those caught in darkness: the Pharisees and the experts in religious law. These religious leaders had meticulously cleaned the outside of the “cup,” but had not bothered to look at the filthiness of their souls.

11:37-38 Again Jesus was invited to a meal with a Pharisee (see also 7:36). Jesus offended his host, however, because he did not first perform the ceremonial washing. This washing was done not for health reasons but as a symbol of washing away any contamination from touching anything unclean. Not only did the Pharisees make a public show of their washing, but they also commanded everyone else to follow a practice originally intended only for the priests.

11:39-40 Obsessed about ceremonial “purity,” the Pharisees neglected their own internal defilement. They washed on the outside, like one would wash a cup or a dish, but they left the inside full of greed and wickedness, never bothering to deal with those sins. They were no more pure than a dirty cup. Jesus condemned the Pharisees and religious leaders for outwardly appearing saintly and holy but inwardly remaining full of corruption. Jesus accordingly castigated these Pharisees as fools. God who made the outside of each person also made the inside. In other words, God is just as concerned with the inside as with the outside. He is not only concerned about what you do, but also about who you are.

•  LIFE APPLICATION – MASKS
• Of the many masks used to hide hurt feelings, the mask of religion may be the most insidious. It projects an image of squeaky clean but hides an interior as rotten as maggots in a garbage can.  Here Jesus invited a masked person to drop the pretense and confront the issue. The same invitation is for you.  Admit your need and ask God to build you from the inside out. Masks are unnecessary. The real you, shaped and fashioned by God, is all the face you need.

 11:41 The Pharisees loved to think of themselves as “clean,” but their stinginess toward God and the poor proved that they were not as clean as they thought. Jesus wanted to stress the importance of the inward over the outward, here focusing on the importance of a right attitude when giving to the poor. The inner attitude must match the outward act in order for them to be clean all over.

11:42 Jesus pronounced how terrible it would be for the Pharisees because although they were keeping the tiniest details of law, ceremony, custom, and tradition, they were forgetting justice and the love of God. Jesus did not condemn the practice of tithing, even of small amounts if one chose to do so.  The Pharisees tithed, which is more than can be said for most of the professing church today.    The Pharisees had calculated their tithing down to the decimal point, and they never missed a leaf. But when someone came to them with a personal material need, they responded like stingy characters from a Dickens novel. And Jesus could not tolerate this.   Why? Because when you do not personally care and give aid to others, you do not really love God.

11:43 Jesus condemned the Pharisees for their love of public importance and honor. The elders sat on the seats of honor in the synagogues, at the front, near the place where the scrolls of the Torah were kept. Those seats faced the congregation. To receive respectful greetings was a highly treasured honor. Jesus condemned the attitude that focused on the “perks” of position, while they forgot their responsibility to be teachers. The Pharisees loved to receive honor and deference from ordinary people; yet they did not love or desire to serve those people. Instead, they often showed contempt for them as “lower” than themselves.

11:44 This third condemnation pictures the Pharisees, for all their ceremonial cleanliness, as actually typifying the worst sort of uncleanness. The Old Testament laws said a person who touched a grave was unclean (Numbers 19:16). Sometimes a body might be buried in an unmarked grave, causing an unwary traveler to become ceremonially unclean by walking over it. Jesus accused the Pharisees of actually being hidden graves who made others unclean by their spiritual rottenness. Like graves hidden in a field, the Pharisees corrupted everyone who came in contact with them.

11:45-46 Jesus did not back down from what was being taken as insults, nor did he leave these legal experts without condemnation. Jesus condemned them for crushing people beneath impossible religious demands. These “demands” were the details the Pharisees had added to God’s law. To the commandment, “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy” (Exodus 20:8), for example, they had added instructions regarding how far a person could walk on the Sabbath, which kinds of knots could be tied, and how much weight could be carried. Instead of teaching God’s law so that people could love, understand, and obey the God who gave it, they turned the law into such a confused maze of do’s and don’ts that it had become a burden to the people. The legal experts refused to lift a finger to help the people.

• LIFE APPLICATION – EXPERT?
• If you memorize every verse of every Bible version in your church library, but do not live by faith . . .
• If you trace all the cross-references in every center column of Bible text, but do not share with the poor . . .
• If you know the citations of every name of God in the Old and New Testament, but never tell a neighbor about Jesus . . .
• What are you? A religious expert. But what good is that?

11:47-48 The tombs of the prophets were revered. People even decorated the graves of those long dead who seemed worthy of such honor. Building tombs over the graves of the martyrs was ironic because most of these prophets had been killed by the ancestors of this present religious establishment. In essence, these religious leaders were agreeing with the deeds of their ancestors in killing these prophets. Jesus was saying that these leaders were no different from their ancestors who had killed God’s messengers because, in a sense, they were simply completing their work. The attitude of hatred for God’s messengers would carry through, and Jesus himself would face it as well.

•  LIFE APPLICATION – LEARN . . . TO SERVE
• With much knowledge comes great responsibility. Too casually do we
• buy Bible aids and commentaries.
•  listen to great messages.
• go to big conferences.
• Despite impressive educational credentials, the Bible experts in these verses were failures in Jesus’ eyes. As you seek knowledge, also explore ways to share it, use it, and apply it—helping many others to find a closer relationship with God.

11:49-51 God’s prophets have been persecuted and murdered throughout history. But this generation was rejecting more than a human prophet—they were rejecting God himself. This quotation is not from the Old Testament. Jesus, the greatest Prophet of all, was directly giving them God’s message.

Jesus gave two examples of martyrs in the Old Testament. Abel’s death is recorded in Genesis 4:8—he was the first martyr, the first to die because of his faithfulness to God. Zechariah’s death is recorded in 2 Chronicles 24:20-22 (the last book in the Hebrew canon). Zechariah is a classic example of a man of God who was killed by those who claimed to be God’s people. The current religious establishment would be guilty of all of their deaths, for they would be guilty of murdering the Messiah and would face judgment for that act. The destruction of Jerusalem in a.d. 70 was a partial fulfillment of Jesus’ words.

11:52 The experts in religious law were effectively locking people out of God’s Kingdom. Their rejection of Jesus and emphasis on their petty demands had the effect of making them unable to enter the Kingdom and then preventing those who might otherwise want to enter. Anyone who might have gotten in through a saving relationship with God was stopped short by their erroneous interpretations of Scripture and their added man-made rules. Then, as they prided themselves in their “understanding,” they themselves missed God’s message. Caught up in a religion of their own making, they could no longer lead the people to God. They had closed the door of God’s love to the people and had thrown away the keys.

•  LIFE APPLICATION – INSIDE OUT
• Jesus criticized the Pharisees and the experts in the law harshly because they (1) washed their outsides but not their insides, (2) remembered to give a tenth of even their garden herbs but were neglecting justice, (3) loved praise and attention, (4) loaded people down with burdensome religious demands, (5) would not accept the truth about Jesus, and (6) prevented others from believing the truth as well. They went wrong by focusing on outward appearances and ignoring the inner condition of their hearts. People do the same today when their service comes from a desire to be seen rather than from a pure heart and out of a love for others. People may sometimes be fooled, but God isn’t. Don’t be a Christian on the outside only. Bring your inner life under God’s control, and your outer life will naturally reflect him.

11:53-54 It may come as no surprise that these leaders were furious at Jesus. He had challenged these professed experts, so they hoped to trip him up and arrest him for blasphemy, heresy, or lawbreaking. They had to find a legal way to get rid of Jesus, so they grilled him with many hostile questions, trying to trap him. Jesus had pointed out the blatant hypocrisy of so much of Israel’s leadership, and there would be no turning back. The opposition was mounting; Jesus had become a threat to the establishment.

 Until tomorrow, Darrell

Sources: Life Application Bible Commentary,  Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary, Preacher’s Outline and Sermon Bible – Commentary, Preaching the Word

For more about the Ridge Fellowship or Darrell Koop go to www.ridgefellowship.com

Great material today.  The parable of the Good Samaritan – a classic! Jesus visits Mary and Martha, one has an issue with the other – which side is Jesus going to take?  Chapter 10 starts with Jesus mobilizing a large group to assist him.  There are lots of good insights today.

 Jesus Sends Out Seventy-Two Messengers / 10:1-16

Luke is the only Gospel to record the sending out of seventy-two disciples. In this passage, Luke highlighted and anticipated the universal mission of Jesus—the gospel would go to all people.

10:1 Far more than twelve people had been following Jesus. According to 1 Corinthians 15:6, Jesus had at least five hundred followers by the time he had finished his ministry. A group of 120 of these followers went to Jerusalem to begin the church there (Acts 1:15). Here Jesus designated a group of seventy-two to prepare a number of towns for his later visit.

Jesus sent them out two by two for mutual encouragement and help. Jesus saw a tremendous need, a need so great that a great group of witnesses was needed.

 The number 72 is significant for it was, according to Genesis 10, the traditional number of nations in the world, according to the Septuagint. By choosing and sending out seventy-two disciples, Jesus was symbolically showing that all nations in the world would one day hear the message. This would include the Gentiles—an important point for Luke’s Gentile audience.

10:2 Jesus was sending thirty-six teams of two to reach the many towns and villages that he had not yet been able to visit. Jesus compared this work to a harvest—the gathering of new believers into his Kingdom (see also John 4:35). To have a harvest, however, one must have workers in the field. So many people need to hear the message, but there are so few workers willing to gather it in. Even as Jesus had sent the Twelve, and now seventy-two more, he told them to ask the Lord to send out more workers for his fields. In Christ’s service, there is no unemployment. God has work enough for everyone. No believer should sit back and watch others work because the harvest is great.

• LIFE APPLICATION – PRAY FOR MORE HELP
• Jesus encouraged the disciples not just to do the work but also to pray for workers. Part of every missionary’s job is to pray for new workers and to help newcomers learn the ropes. Whatever your role in God’s work, pray today for more helpers. Believers are not always to work alone. God wants them to pray, recruit, and equip others to join them as they explore opportunities to serve Jesus. Some people, as soon as they understand the gospel, want to go to convert people immediately. Jesus gave a different approach: begin by mobilizing people to pray. And before praying for unsaved people, pray that other concerned disciples will join you in reaching out to them. God will lead you to an important responsibility, but prayer comes first.

10:3 The world into which these seventy-two were going was not a pleasant place. The harvest was going to involve intensive labor and possibly danger. Jesus commanded them to go, explaining that they were going out as lambs among wolves. The use of the word “lambs” refers to their vulnerability (see Isaiah 11:6; 65:25). But the important point is the four words, “I am sending you.” If Jesus were not sending them, then they would be attempting to go on their own plans, their own power, their own itinerary, being lambs among wolves would be like asking to be slaughtered. But because Jesus was sending them, they might face danger from the opposition. Their very defenselessness would cause them all the more to depend on God.

•  LIFE APPLICATION – WOLVES
• Jesus warned against opposition. Wolf-like opposition comes in many forms. Some spiritual opponents will be direct and aggressively attack.  Some opponents appear to be spiritual, but really want to undermine.  Serving God today requires courage under fire and discernment among counterfeits. Pray for growth in both virtues. Find a way to become better educated about the opposition you face.

 10:4 These instructions are basically the same as those given to the Twelve in 9:3-4. The reason was the same—they were to travel light, spend no time preparing for the trip, and depend upon God and those to whom they ministered to meet their basic needs. So urgent is their task that they are not to stop to greet anyone on the road. Jesus did not mean for them to be impolite to people whom they passed, but rather that they were not to spend precious time on dallying by the wayside. They had to remain focused on their task.

10:5-6 The home that a pair of disciples would enter would be the home from which they would receive hospitality during their stay in a particular town. When they entered a house, they should give the characteristic blessing. This blessing conveyed the messianic peace promised in the Old Testament and stressed the authority based on power from God that was behind the missionary. If the householders were worthy (had a proper attitude toward God), then the blessing would stand. Such people would be open to the gospel message. But if the people were not worthy, the blessing would return to the one who had given it.

10:7 Jesus had also directed the Twelve to remain with their original hosts in any town (9:4). This instruction avoided certain problems. For the two disciples to move around from home to home could offend the families who first took them in. In addition, by staying in one place, the disciples would not have to worry continually about getting good accommodations. They could settle down and do their appointed task. The disciples were to willingly eat and drink what their hosts provided because those who work deserve their pay. Jesus told his disciples to accept hospitality graciously because their work entitled them to it. Ministers of the gospel deserve to be supported, and it is believers’ responsibility to make sure they have what they need.

10:8-9 When the pairs of disciples entered a town, received a welcome, and entered a home, Jesus told them to eat whatever is set before them. It may well be that they would be welcomed into non-Jewish homes where the meals might not satisfy all the ceremonial laws of the Jews. Jesus told them not to be sidetracked about what they ate. Instead, they should do what they came to do—heal the sick (which was a signal that the Kingdom had arrived) and proclaim to the people that the Kingdom of God is near (see also 10:11; 21:31). This “nearness” meant both “already here” and “soon to come.” The Kingdom Jesus began on earth would not overthrow Roman oppression and bring universal peace right away. Instead, it was a Kingdom that began in people’s hearts and was as near as people’s willingness to make Jesus king over their lives.

10:10-11 Jesus also gave instructions if the disciples should enter a town and not be welcomed. He made it clear that they would face rejection in some places. But the rejection of their message would not change the message. Even if the people refused it, the Kingdom of God was still near, but those who refused it would miss it. Jesus repeated the instruction of wiping the dust of that town from their feet as a public announcement of their doom (9:5).

10:12 Sodom was a wicked city that God destroyed because of its great sinfulness (Genesis 19:24-28). The city’s name is often used to symbolize evil and immorality. Sodom will face God’s wrath at judgment day, but cities that rejected the Messiah and his Kingdom will face even worse wrath from God. A city as evil as Sodom would be better off than these towns because they had been given the opportunity to believe the Messiah—they had seen great miracles and had the Good News preached to them—but they had turned away and had refused salvation.

10:13-14 The mention of cities that might reject the Messiah (10:10-11) leads to a message of those who already had. Korazin and Bethsaida were cities near Capernaum, at the north end of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus had concentrated his ministry in and around Capernaum, so he must have performed miracles in these cities. These miracles are not recorded in the Gospels—there is much about Jesus’ ministry that is unknown. Tyre and Sidon were pagan cities in Phoenicia, the territory north of Galilee. They had rebelled against God and had been judged and punished for their wickedness and opposition to God’s people (see Isaiah 23:1-18; Jeremiah 25:22; 47:4; Ezekiel 26–28; Joel 3:4-8; Amos 1:9-10). Yet Jesus explained that, though these people were evil and rebellious, if he had come to them and had done miracles, they would have sat in deep repentance. The mention of sackcloth and ashes depicts mourning and repentance. A person humbled himself or herself by wearing only this rough cloth made of goat hair and sitting in a pile of ashes. Tyre and Sidon had not had that opportunity, while Korazin and Bethsaida had been visited by the Messiah who had done miracles among them; yet they rejected him. The punishment these cities would suffer on the judgment day would be far worse than what Tyre and Sidon experienced.

10:15 Capernaum was Jesus’ base for his Galilean ministry (Matthew 4:13; Mark 2:1). Jesus had performed many miracles there, and apparently the people were feeling a certain amount of pride in their connection with Jesus. But many people of Capernaum did not understand Jesus’ miracles or believe his teaching. Instead of being exalted to heaven as they might have thought because Jesus chose to live among them, they would be brought down to the place of the dead because they had seen the Messiah and rejected him. The language is reminiscent of Isaiah 14:12-15, where the prideful attitude of the king of Babylon is condemned. The Greek word translated, “place of the dead,” is Hades, the dwelling place of the condemned wicked people (16:23; Revelation 20:13-14). This pictured fiery judgment on this city that rejected Christ. Today the site of ancient Capernaum is desolate—a stunning picture of Jesus’ words here.

10:16 Jesus’ messengers are important people. They are sent with authority. In ancient times, when a person dealt with a messenger, it was the same as dealing with the person who had sent him (for example, see 7:3 and commentary). Therefore, people who accepted the message of Jesus’ disciples were accepting Jesus. Likewise, people who rejected Jesus’ disciples’ message were rejecting Jesus. Because Jesus and God are one, anyone who rejects Jesus is rejecting God who sent him. These messengers could take their mission seriously because Jesus did—he was sending them out with his message and his authority.

 The Seventy-Two Messengers Return / 10:17-24

This passage continues the theme of discipleship (started at 9:51). Here the seventy-two returned, rejoicing. Jesus rejoiced with them, praising God for the defeat of Satan and the fact that he had chosen to use these humble followers to advance his Kingdom.

10:17 Some time had passed between 10:16 and 10:17. The seventy-two disciples completed their mission to various towns and villages (10:1) and returned with joy. They had seen tremendous results as they ministered in Jesus’ name and with his authority. They were elated by the victories they had witnessed—that even the demons had submitted to them in Jesus’ name. Probably they were able to heal demon-possessed people, and this thrilled them.

10:18-19 This could mean that Jesus saw, as in a vision, Satan falling from heaven as a flash of lightning (that is, from a place of power) during the ministry of these disciples. Satan suffered a notable defeat as these thirty-six pairs of men went around the countryside casting out demons.

Satan might attempt to discourage and harm Jesus’ disciples, but when they were on this mission, nothing could harm them. Jesus had given them authority over all the power of the enemy. To walk among snakes and scorpions may allude to Psalm 91:13 where snakes are listed among dangerous creatures from which God protects the people of Israel. See also Deuteronomy 8:15 where scorpions and snakes are connected.

10:20 Such power and authority can be a heady experience, so the disciples were warned not to rejoice just because evil spirits had obeyed them. The main reason to rejoice was that their names were registered as citizens of heaven. Their ministry was not to become an experience of power leading to pride, but an experience of servanthood out of love for God and out of the desire for more people to join them in the Kingdom.

10:21 Jesus praised God, his Father, for making spiritual truth available to the childlike. Those who willingly submit themselves to God and do not depend upon their own wisdom will have the truth revealed to them. So often the wise and clever in this world refuse to submit themselves to God. They may not see their need for him, or they may think that their wisdom and learning have placed them in a separate class. These words of Jesus reveal God’s sovereignty and initiative regarding who will receive divine truth. God has chosen to hide it from those who refuse and reject it (see 8:10), and instead reveals it to those who may not seem wise and learned but have trusting hearts (like little children, 9:47-48).

• LIFE APPLICATION – GOD’S CHOICE: YOU
• How did you come to know about Christ?  The deeper reason (the explanation behind those immediate reasons) is that God chose you to know about him.
• Why would He do that? It was by grace, a gift entirely based on love from God to you.
• What should you do? Thank Him in prayer; live each day for Christ; speak about Him; and show God’s love in generous concern for others. A great gift inspires a grateful response.

10:22 Jesus further identified his special and unique relationship with God the Father. So close and intimate, so completely trusting, that Jesus said, “My Father has given me authority over everything.” The Father and the Son have an exclusive relationship that humanity at large cannot fathom. (Luke brought it up again in 20:41-44; 22:69; Acts 2:29-38.) Jesus’ mission was to reveal God the Father to people. His words brought salvation down to earth. He explained God’s love through parables, teachings, and, most of all, his life. By examining Jesus’ actions, principles, and attitudes, those chosen by him are enabled to understand God more clearly. As used here, the word chooses does not refer to predestination; rather, it refers to Jesus’ divine status and authority to reveal saving knowledge to people.

10:23-24 Old Testament men of God such as David and the prophet Isaiah made many God-inspired predictions that Jesus fulfilled. As Peter later would write, these prophets wondered what their words meant and when they would be fulfilled (1 Peter 1:10-13). In Jesus’ words, they longed to see and hear what the disciples were seeing and hearing, but they could not. Despite their privileged positions as part of God’s people and God’s plan, many prophets and kings were not as blessed as this little band of disciples or all the “simple” people who came in faith to Jesus.

• LIFE APPLICATION – THE PRIVILEGED FEW
• The disciples had a fantastic opportunity—they were eyewitnesses of Christ, the Son of God. But for many months they took Jesus for granted, not really listening to him or obeying him. Believers today also have a privileged position, with knowledge of two thousand years of church history, availability of the Bible in hundreds of languages and translations, and access to many excellent pastors and speakers. Yet often Christians take these for granted. Remember, with privilege comes responsibility. Because you are privileged to know so much about Christ, you must be careful to follow him.

Jesus Tells the Parable of the Good Samaritan / 10:25-37

Jesus had just praised God for hiding the secrets of the Kingdom from the wise and learned (10:21). Next an expert in Old Testament law asked Jesus a question that revealed the lawyer’s profound ignorance about central issues of the faith—eternal life and the basic command to love one’s neighbor.

10:25 This expert in religious law was a man who had made it his business to know and understand the details of the Jewish religion. He had studied the Scriptures (the Old Testament—the Law, the Psalms, and the Prophets). He also knew all the traditions. The fact that this man wanted to test Jesus does not necessarily indicate hostility. He wanted to know what he had to do to receive eternal life.

10:26-28 This expert in the law obviously would have known the law of Moses. In his answer, he quoted from Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18. He correctly understood that the law demanded total devotion to God and love for one’s neighbor. To love God in this way is to fulfill completely all the commandments regarding one’s “vertical” relationship. But another command from the law says to love your neighbor. This refers to “horizontal” relationships—among people. A person cannot maintain a good vertical relationship with God without also caring for his or her neighbor. The word “neighbor” refers to fellow human beings in general.

The expert in the law had it right. Jesus explained that people only needed to obey these commands; in doing so, they would fulfill all the rest of them. But with these abrupt words, Jesus was subtly making the point that no one can obey these commands. Do this and you will live sounds simple—in reality, however, those commands are impossible to keep in our human strength alone. This would be the lifestyle of Kingdom people—but they would not have to “do” it in order to be saved. Instead, they would be saved and then enabled by the Holy Spirit to obey these impossible demands. Jesus would show this to the man in the following story.

10:29 The expert in the law would not leave the encounter there. He wanted to justify his actions. It is unclear if he wanted to justify the question he had asked by asking the teacher to delve deeper into the topic, or whether he wanted Jesus to give an answer that he could then say he had fulfilled. He may have been attempting to pin down and limit the law’s demand, thereby limiting his responsibility. So he pressed Jesus further, “And who is my neighbor?”

10:30 Jesus answered this legal expert by telling a story. The rest of his listeners could easily picture this Jewish man who was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. The distance was about seventeen miles on a road that was notoriously dangerous because it curved through rocky and desolate terrain with many hiding places for bandits. As the listeners may have anticipated, the man in this story, who was traveling alone, was attacked and left half dead.

10:31-32 Jesus told a story about three different people, also traveling alone on this road. This priest served in the Temple and probably offered sacrifices. The Temple assistant also served in the Temple. Both of these servants of God saw the man lying there, but both passed by without helping. Perhaps it was concern over defilement, for a Jew would become “unclean” if he came into contact with a dead body. This would render him unable to worship. The man on the road may have appeared dead, so they did not want to risk defilement if there was nothing they could do. Either way, they deliberately refused to help.

10:33-35 The next person to come along was a despised Samaritan. Jews hated Samaritans, so when Jesus introduced this Samaritan man into the story, the Jewish listeners would not have expected him to help a Jewish man. But in great detail, Jesus described all that the Samaritan did for this man. This Samaritan is pictured as understanding what it meant to help someone in need, to be a neighbor, regardless of racial tensions.

• LIFE APPLICATION – GENEROSITY
• In this story, the Samaritan was extremely generous, and Jesus highlighted his helpful actions.  Generosity inspired by God does more than what’s expected.  Extend yourself. When you see a job to do, go overboard. Do it to show just an ounce of what God’s care for you is like. Do it with all the joy God has put in your heart.

 10:36-37 Having finished the story, Jesus asked the expert in the law who had been a neighbor to the wounded man. The legal expert had no choice but to answer that the one who showed him mercy—the Samaritan—had been the true “neighbor.” The Samaritan traveler and the Jewish man were far apart in distance and spiritual heritage, but the Samaritan had loved his neighbor far better than the hurt man’s own religious leaders. Jesus said that the legal expert had answered correctly and should go and do the same. Jesus taught that love is shown by action, that it must not be limited by its object, and that at times it is costly.

 Jesus Visits Martha and Mary / 10:38-42

This short story follows the parable of the good Samaritan because it involves another reversal. Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to his teaching, while Martha was busying herself fixing a meal. Although intently listening to Jesus was Mary’s way of expressing her love and devotion to God, in the first century, this would be quite unusual for a woman. Learning at a rabbi’s feet was a privilege typically reserved for young men. Thus, Martha assumed that Jesus would honor her request that he rebuke Mary. Instead, Jesus commended Mary, welcoming her to learn from him.

10:38 The village where these people lived was Bethany, located about two miles outside of Jerusalem. Martha had a sister named Mary (10:39, who was probably younger because this home is described as belonging to Martha) and a brother named Lazarus (whom Jesus later raised from the dead, John 11).

10:39-40 Jesus did not come alone—he had twelve disciples with him who all needed to have their feet washed, to be made comfortable, and to have a meal prepared for them. A respectable hostess in the ancient world would extend all of these courtesies to his or her guests. The impression here, however, is that Martha was overdoing it. She wanted something extra special for the Master, but she let herself get to the point where she was worrying, overworked, and unable to enjoy these guests. In attempting to serve Jesus, she did not understand or attend to Jesus’ reason for being there. Mary, however, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. She was taking advantage of the opportunity to hear Jesus. Martha, for her part, wanted to give her guests the royal treatment—and she should not be criticized for that. However, she allowed her worry to turn to irritation. She went to Jesus and asked him to tell Mary to get up and get to work. There is a touch of reproach in her words.

• LIFE APPLICATION – TASK ORIENTED BE CAREFUL
• Note three potential problems if we act like Martha :
• 1. While asking for help (a legitimate request), we point to our own accomplishments (prideful).
• 2. While calling Jesus “Lord” (certainly appropriate), we question his judgment with implied criticism that he is not directing his team effectively (suggesting we are a better chief than he).
• 3. While acknowledging our relationship to another person (Martha referred to her sister), we criticize that person for failing to follow our lead (imposing our will as right and good just because it’s productive).
• A better way: Never assume our own greatness.  Support others in their special roles.  Ask Jesus first; then get to work.

 *We ought to take our work seriously, but not ourselves. We ruin our service when we overestimate our importance. Martha attempted to force Mary to serve Christ her way.

 10:41-42 Jesus did not blame Martha for being concerned about preparing the meal, nor did he scold her for attempting to make him and his disciples welcome. But he did want her to understand that because she was so upset, she was not making time for what was most important, shown in Mary’s attitude. Jesus wanted Martha to rearrange her priorities. It is possible for service to Christ to degenerate into mere busywork that is no longer full of devotion to God. There was nothing wrong with Martha’s desire to serve—someone had to do it or no one would have eaten. Perhaps she could have laid out a less lavish feast so that she too could have had time to sit at Jesus’ feet and digest his teaching. But Jesus was not going to send Mary away to attend to housework. She had chosen to be at Jesus’ feet, and Jesus knew that he would not be on this earth forever. His time would be short, and he would not send away those who wanted to listen and learn.

 Sources: Life Application Bible Commentary, Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary,  Preacher’s Outline and Sermon Bible Commentary, Preaching the Word

For more information about The Ridge Fellowship or Darrell Koop see www.ridgefellowship.com