Upwards Church

Welcome to Day 7!   We’re reading the 24 Chapters in Luke in 24 days.  Prayers are being said for you, as you open God’s word and read along.   It has been great so far.

Today we see Jesus interact with a Roman Centurion, raise a widow’s son from the dead encourage John the Baptist and have a woman pour perfume on his feet. Never a dull moment!

 Included below is commentary, additional thoughts and explanation for each section.    Each colored verse (Example: 7:1 can be clicked on to allow you to see that verse.  Be sure and check out the Life Application sections, I think they are helpful.

A Roman Officer Demonstrates Faith / 7:1-10

The story of the officer’s extraordinary faith in Jesus reiterates a dominant theme in Luke’s writings (this Gospel and the book of Acts): the inclusion of the Gentiles in the family of faith. The faith of this officer foreshadows the faith of another officer, Cornelius, the first Gentile convert to Christianity (see Acts 10).

7:1 Capernaum had become Jesus’ “home base” while he was in Galilee. Located on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee, Capernaum was the largest of the many cities surrounding the lake. Far more than just a fishing village, it was the economic center of Galilee and sat near a major trade route and thus was a wealthy city. The city housed a contingent of Roman soldiers.

7:2-3 A Roman army officer had a highly valued slave who was sick and near death. The officer wanted him to be healed. Why so much concern about a slave? The Jewish historian Josephus wrote that Roman soldiers had many slaves who actually trained and fought with them. So this slave may have been the officer’s personal attendant with whom he felt a close bond. The officer had heard about Jesus, so he certainly knew of Jesus’ healing power. He sent a request for healing to Jesus apparently because he believed Jesus was sent from God. He may have known about the healing of the official’s son (which probably occurred earlier, see John 4:46-54). He knew that Jesus had the power to heal his slave. Matthew 8:5 says the Roman officer visited Jesus himself, while Luke says he sent some respected Jewish leaders to present his request to Jesus. In those days, dealing with a person’s messengers was considered the same as dealing with the one who had sent them.

• LIFE APPLICATION – BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS
• Notice who the main characters are in this short drama: the Jewish elders, a Roman centurion, and the centurion’s slave. The elders were part of God’s chosen nation, Israel, but they are generally not well spoken of in Scripture. Centurions are generally regarded positively by the Gospel writers but were obviously not part of the chosen people. And slaves were regarded at that time as human chattel, little more than mere property. Jesus broke through all those barriers, all the way to the sick man’s need. The gospel travels well across ethnic, racial, national, and religious barriers. Are you willing to work through them as well? Do you have friends, Christian or non-Christian, from other racial and ethnic backgrounds? Jesus was no respecter of such artificial divisions. Reach out to those whom Jesus came to save.

7:4-5 The animosity between the Jews and the Romans was no secret. The Jews hated the occupation army; the Romans, in turn, hated the Jews. Yet in this story we find a different sort of Roman soldier—a man who seems to have been a God-fearing man. He loved the Jewish people, and he built a synagogue (meaning that he funded it and certainly had genuine interest in it and the God worshiped there). That this officer could request a favor of these Jewish elders and have them respond so willingly would normally come as a surprise. That the elders earnestly begged Jesus to come on behalf of this officer was even more out of character with normal Jewish / Roman relations.

• LIFE APPLICATION – A WORD FROM JESUS
• It’s difficult to find people who can be taken absolutely at their word. In spite of good intentions, many people are not completely reliable and trustworthy. What a treasure when we meet reliable people! We respect and admire them. The centurion who sent for Jesus’ help somehow knew that Jesus was completely dependable. And, what’s more, he knew Jesus was capable of doing what he said he would do. Hence the soldier’s confession of faith: “Say the word, and my servant will be healed.” His trust in Jesus serves as an excellent model for ours. We should strive to obey Jesus and take him at his word.

7:6-8 Jesus responded to the request brought by the Jewish elders and went with them. Just before they arrived at the house, the officer sent another message by way of some friends, “Lord, don’t trouble yourself by coming to my home . . . Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed.” The officer understood that since he was a Gentile, he was considered unclean by the Jews. He may also have felt himself unworthy to have Jesus enter his home. This Gentile understood more than most of the Jews of Jesus’ day; he saw Jesus’ superiority. He saw that Jesus’ authority was greater than his own and that Jesus did not have to personally visit his home. Jesus’ word would be enough.

The officer was accustomed both to obeying and to being obeyed. He may have understood that Jesus’ power and authority came from God. When Jesus spoke, God spoke. Jesus did not need rituals or medicines or even his touch or presence to accomplish a healing. The officer applied his understanding of authority to Jesus.

• LIFE APPLICATION – AUTHORITY
• A private does not ponder the wisdom of his sergeant’s orders before carrying them out. A captain doesn’t debate with a colonel the merits of his decisions. Soldiers respond to and obey orders from their commanding officers. Otherwise, the military would collapse in chaos and never be able to defend itself against another army. Any good military person, like this centurion, understands this implicitly. That is probably why the centurion was able to grasp so profoundly the authority that Jesus possessed over even diseases. When you read God’s commands in the Bible, or sense his leading in prayer, do you respond as automatically as a soldier under someone else’s authority? Do you carry out the Lord’s instructions as faithfully and unquestioningly as this centurion? Do you regard yourself as a person under God’s authority?

7:9 The Jews who had been looking for Jesus couldn’t see him for who he was, yet this Gentile did. Jesus was amazed and exclaimed to the crowd that he had not seen faith like this in all the land of Israel. This did not mean that no one in Israel had faith, but many did not accept the Good News (Romans 10:16). Without the benefit of really knowing the Old Testament Scriptures and learning from esteemed Jewish leaders, this Gentile man understood the need to depend totally on Jesus’ power. He knew, without a doubt, that Jesus could do what seemed impossible. Such faith both astonished and pleased Jesus.

• LIFE APPLICATION –FAITH LIKE THIS
• Everybody loves to see the underdog come through. It’s become a movie cliché—the poor kid with nothing going for him except his own heart and determination wins against the wealthy, privileged kid whose parents and trainers have given him every material advantage. There’s something about a man or woman who achieves against the odds and overcomes the obstacles. Spiritually, the Jews had every advantage: they had Abraham as their father, Moses had given them God’s law, and they had the great written record of the kings and the prophets to instruct and inspire them. In spite of all that, they were still lacking something: courageous, unquestioning faith. This Gentile, on the other hand, this Roman centurion—who had none of the advantages God’s people had enjoyed for hundreds and hundreds of years—had such a faith, and it astonished Jesus and, presumably, gave him great joy. The faith present in many who have been in church for many years would hardly astonish Jesus. Believers must keep their trust in Christ at full strength. Reading Christ’s words and studying his amazing life will fortify your faith.

7:10 Luke did not even record another word spoken by Jesus, but emphasized that the officer’s faith had been well placed. The officer’s friends returned to his house and found the slave completely healed.

Jesus Raises a Widow’s Son from the Dead / 7:11-17

With a touch and his word, Jesus gave life. He had already healed a number of maladies: demon possession (4:35), sin (5:20), and all kinds of diseases (5:13, 15). Here Jesus clearly demonstrated his power over death.

7:11-12 The village of Nain was a few miles southeast of Nazareth and about a day’s journey from Capernaum. Upon approaching the gate, they came upon a funeral procession. A woman led the procession, followed by the dead man being carried out, and then many mourners. A funeral procession—the relatives of the dead person following the body that was wrapped and carried on a kind of stretcher—would make its way through town. As the procession passed, bystanders would be expected to join. In addition, hired mourners would cry aloud and draw attention to the procession. What made this funeral especially sad was that the dead boy was the only son of a widow.

7:13 This woman had already lost her husband, and here her only son was dead—her last means of support. The crowd of mourners would go home, and she would be left penniless and alone. The widow was probably past the age of childbearing and would not marry again. Unless a relative would come to her aid, her future was bleak. In the first century, it was very difficult for a woman to earn her own living. Without anyone to provide for the widow, she would be an easy prey for swindlers, and she would likely be reduced to begging for food. No wonder when the Lord saw this sad sight and the tearful woman, his heart overflowed with compassion. In fact, as Luke repeatedly emphasized, Jesus cares about people’s deepest needs. As Jesus’ crowd met the crowd of mourners, Jesus went to the woman and gently said, “Don’t cry.” This would be an empty statement under most circumstances; however, Jesus, Lord over death itself, was going to change the circumstances. Jesus has the power to bring hope out of any tragedy.

7:14 Jesus again reached out to someone in need with compassion, risking becoming unclean. To touch even the bier would have made him unclean. Risking ceremonial defilement according to the law (Numbers 19:11-22), Jesus touched the coffin. Jesus approaching the procession and touching the coffin was highly unusual, so the bearers stopped. Then Jesus spoke directly to the body, “Get up.”

• LIFE APPLICATION – COMPASSION
• How do you react when you see a funeral procession? Sadness, grief, indifference, even anger or annoyance . . . different people have different responses to others’ grief. Luke 7:13-14 shows us Jesus’ response to such a situation. The text does not reveal if Jesus knew the bereaved mother or her son, but he felt compassion for her. Perhaps Jesus was thinking ahead to the time when his own mother would have to endure the loss of her son. Whatever the reason, we know that Jesus reached out to this woman in empathy and compassion in her time of grief. When you are confronted by human suffering, grief, pain, need, you have a choice: you can walk away, hiding behind social, pragmatic, or even religious excuses; or you can emulate Jesus and reach out in compassion to others in his name.

7:15 Suddenly the boy who had been dead sat up and began to talk. What he said is left to our imagination, but the important point is that Jesus gave him back to his mother. Jesus did the ultimate act of compassion—he did what no human being could have done. These words are almost identical to 1 Kings 17:23 when the great Old Testament prophet Elijah brought a widow’s only son back to life.

7:16 The miracle of raising a widow’s son to life brought to the people’s minds the story of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath. The people praised God, and exclaimed that a mighty prophet had arrived among them. The people thought of Jesus as a prophet because, like the Old Testament prophets, he boldly proclaimed God’s message and performed great miracles. Both Elijah and Elisha had raised children from the dead (1 Kings 17:17-24; 2 Kings 4:8-37). The people were correct in thinking that Jesus was a prophet, but he was much more—he was God himself. That they recognized the hand of God at work probably does not mean that they recognized Jesus as God. Instead, they were using an Old Testament expression that often denoted blessing (as in Ruth 1:6; 1 Samuel 2:21).

7:17 The obvious result of Jesus’ miraculous act of raising a dead person to life meant that the report of what Jesus had done that day spread everywhere. The town of Nain is actually in the region of Galilee, so the word Judea is used here not for the region, but for the entire “land of the Jews” (as in 4:44). Word about Jesus went all over the country and beyond.

Jesus Eases John’s Doubt / 7:18-35

At this time, John the Baptist was in prison (see 3:19-20). King Herod, also known as Herod Antipas, had married his own sister-in-law, and John the Baptist had publicly rebuked Herod’s blatant sin. In an attempt to quiet him, Herod had imprisoned him (see also Matthew 4:12; 14:1-5). “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting?” (7:19). Luke used John the Baptist’s simple question as a springboard for exploring Jesus’ identity. He was not merely a prophet (as the people recognized in the preceding section; 7:16), he was the Prophet, the promised Messiah.

7:18-20 John the Baptist had his own disciples who apparently were keeping in touch with him during his imprisonment. They told him about everything Jesus was doing—healing people, raising some from the dead, and teaching about a coming Kingdom. This caused John to wonder, so he called two of his disciples and sent them back to Jesus with a question, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep on looking for someone else?” John had baptized Jesus, seen the heavens open, and heard the voice of God (3:21-22), yet something caused him to doubt. Perhaps John was wondering why Jesus brought blessing but little judgment, for John had preached that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire and separate the “wheat” from the “chaff” (3:15-17). Jesus’ peaceful teaching and healing ministry may not have seemed to measure up. Maybe John wondered that if Jesus was the promised Messiah, why he didn’t just say so. John, like the rest of the Jews, expected Jesus to be the conquering Messiah-King. What did all the parables and veiled teachings mean?

7:21 The acts listed here that Jesus was doing consist of observable deeds that Jesus’ contemporaries had seen and have reported for people to read today. The prophets had said that the Messiah would do these very acts (see Isaiah 35:5-6; 61:1). These physical proofs helped John—and will help people today—to recognize who Jesus is.

7:22-23 Jesus answered John’s doubts by telling John’s disciples to go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard. Jesus gave specific examples of miracles he had done—some are recorded in the Gospels, probably many more are not. Jesus’ actions revealed who he was—and Jesus knew that by telling the messengers to say this, John would come to the right conclusion. Then, as if in a postscript, Jesus told the messengers to tell John, “God blesses those who are not offended by me.” The word for “offended” suggests closing a trap. God’s blessing would come to those who accepted Jesus’ credentials and believed in him rather than being “caught and trapped” by their false expectations and thus missing him completely.

• LIFE APPLICATION – LOOK FOR ANSWERS
• John was confused because the reports he received about Jesus were unexpected and incomplete. John’s doubts were natural, and Jesus didn’t rebuke him for them. Instead, Jesus responded in a way that John would understand: Jesus explained that he had accomplished what the Messiah was supposed to accomplish. God can handle all doubts, and he welcomes all questions. Do you have questions about Jesus—about who he is or what he expects of you? Admit them to yourself and to God, and begin looking for answers. Only as you face your doubts honestly can you begin to resolve them.

7:24 After John’s messengers left, Jesus talked to the crowd about John. In case anyone got the wrong impression of John or thought that Jesus was rebuking him, Jesus set the record straight by explaining John’s ministry. In the following verses, Jesus asks three questions and gives three answers. When John the Baptist began his ministry, he was preaching out in the wilderness, and people went out to see and hear him (3:3). Jesus asked if the people had found a man weak as a reed. A “reed” is the cane-like grass that grows on the banks of the Jordan River. To compare a person to a reed was to say that the person was without moral fiber or courage, easily tossed about by various opinions, never taking a stand on anything. The people did not see a weak and fearful person. Instead, the people witnessed John’s fiery preaching and willingness to speak out against sin.

7:25 In a second question, Jesus asked if the people had trekked out into the wilderness expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes. Again, Jesus gave the answer—John’s rough attire made of camel’s hair (Matthew 3:4) was hardly expensive or beautiful. Someone dressed like that would be found in palaces, not in the wilderness.

7:26-27 In this third question, Jesus pinpointed the reason that the people had gone into the wilderness—they went out to see a prophet. In fact, they had seen, Jesus said, more than a prophet. Jesus described John as “more” because John alone had inaugurated the messianic age and had announced the coming Kingdom of God. More than being a prophet, John had been the subject of prophecy, fulfilling Malachi 3:1. Jesus changed the words “before me” to “before you,” showing that the wording refers to Jesus as the Messiah. John was the last to function like the Old Testament prophets, the last to prepare the people for the coming Messianic age. John came to announce the arrival of the Kingdom; with Jesus Christ, the Kingdom arrived.

7:28 Of all people, no one fulfilled his God-given purpose better than John the Baptist. His role as forerunner of the Messiah put him in a position of great privilege with none greater. Yet in God’s Kingdom, all who come after John have a greater spiritual heritage because they have clearer knowledge of the purpose of Jesus’ death and resurrection. The most insignificant person in the Kingdom of God is a faithful follower who participates in the Kingdom. John would die before Jesus would be crucified and rise again to inaugurate his Kingdom. Because they will witness the Kingdom’s reality, Jesus’ followers will have privilege and place greater than John’s. Jesus was not contrasting the man John with individual Christians; he was contrasting life before Christ with life in the fullness of Christ’s Kingdom.

7:29-30 The obvious contrast here cannot be missed. The words are simple but their significance is profound. All the people, referring to the crowds, and even the tax collectors had come to understand an important truth. When these common, ordinary people, and these evil, self-serving tax collectors heard Jesus’ words, they agreed that God’s plan was right. Certainly John had done his job—these people were ready to accept Jesus because they had been prepared. They had listened to John’s preaching (3:7-18) and had been baptized by him.

But the group who should have been most ready and most accepting had refused John’s baptism. They had refused the repentance and confession that John had required (probably because they felt themselves already righteous and did not need to do so). The Pharisees and experts in religious law had rejected the forerunner of Jesus; the obvious result was that they also had rejected their own Messiah. Luke explained that in so doing, they had rejected God’s plan for them. While they may have understood God’s law, they had missed his purpose.

• LIFE APPLICATION – DISCOVER THE PLAN
• The tax collectors (who embodied evil in most people’s minds) and common people heard John’s message and repented. In contrast, the Pharisees and experts in the law—religious leaders—rejected his words. Wanting to live their own way, they justified their own point of view and refused to listen to other ideas. Rather than trying to force your plans on God, try to discover his plan for you.

7:31-32 This generation referred to the people, many of whom were the religious leaders (7:30), who had rejected John the Baptist and so also rejected Jesus. Jesus condemned their attitudes. No matter what Jesus said or did, they took the opposite view. Jesus compared them to children playing a game in the central part of town where the town’s business was conducted. These children played games, perhaps copying adults in either celebrating as at a wedding dance or wailing as at a funeral. Some wanted to play “wedding” and calling out to others to join them, but their companions ignored their invitation and didn’t want to play. Then the children suggested playing “funeral,” but the others again refused to play. Nothing they did could get their friends to join them; neither extreme pleased them. Jesus’ generation, like the children in the square, did not respond to the calls issued by John the Baptist and by Jesus.

• LIFE APPLICATION – CHILDLIKE OR CHILDISH?
• Children at play can be a joy to watch. Their free, uninhibited laughter and total abandonment to the pursuit of having fun are beautiful to see. But a child who is sulking and withdrawn can be equally exasperating; nothing makes him happy, nothing will cheer him up, nothing is any good at all. Jesus said believers are to be childlike in their faith (Matthew 18:1-4)—free, trusting, joyful. But he had harsh words for those whose behavior was childish. To them he basically said, “Nothing is good enough for you. Nothing makes you happy.” Would an impartial observer describe your Christian walk as childlike or childish? Believers should enjoy the Lord and his people rather than constantly feeling unhappy, critical, looking for reasons to withdraw from brothers and sisters who may be slightly different. Do you change churches often, criticizing various pastors, music and worship leaders, or programs? Take a few minutes to examine your heart to see if you need a more mature approach to your Christian faith.

7:33-34 The religious leaders criticized John the Baptist because he didn’t drink wine and he often fasted. Because he was so different, the religious leaders assumed that he was demon possessed. By contrast, Jesus (here calling himself the Son of Man) would feast and drink. But that did not satisfy the Jews either. They simply labeled him as a glutton and a drunkard who hung out with the lowest sort of people. Many of the Jews in Jesus’ generation, including most of the religious establishment, simply refused to listen to either John or Jesus. Neither John’s asceticism nor Jesus’ enjoyment of life could please the stubborn people who chose not to believe, no matter what was offered.

• LIFE APPLICATION- RELIGION VS. RELIGIOSITY
• What comes to your mind when you hear someone described as “religious”? A man wearing a dark suit and narrow tie, or a woman with a frumpy dress and long face? Unfortunately, contemporary culture has made the word “religious” synonymous with “boring,” “rigid,” and “no fun.” And yet what a contrast Jesus presents—someone who enjoyed life, lived with gusto, and brought joy to the most downcast and rejected people. He enjoyed himself and others. Christians should acknowledge that they often fit the narrow, stuffy stereotype so often portrayed on TV and in the movies. Then they should look at their vibrant, life-loving Lord and repent, asking him for the grace to live the abundant life he himself lived and died to give them.

7:35 God’s wisdom is seen in Jesus’ deeds. People could see the Kingdom’s power through Jesus’ miracles. These miracles proved Jesus’ teaching to be right. People might reject both the miracles and the teaching, but that will not change their truth nor will it hinder the Kingdom’s arrival. Those who follow wisdom are the followers of Jesus and John. These followers lived changed lives. Their righteous living demonstrated the validity of the wisdom that Jesus and John taught.

A Sinful Woman Anoints Jesus’ Feet / 7:36-50

In this section, Luke continued to explore the two radically different reactions to Jesus’ ministry (see 7:29, 30). In this passage, the blatant arrogance of the Pharisees and the wise humility of a sinful woman stand side by side.

7:36 While Jesus did dine with tax collectors and others whom the religious elite thought to be “sinners” (5:29-30; 7:34), he also would share a meal with a Pharisee (see also 11:37; 14:1). This Pharisee was named Simon (7:40). When guests came to a home, they would remove their sandals; then their feet would be washed by servants.

7:37 This immoral woman, who may have been a prostitute, went to see Jesus. A meal such as this was not a private affair; people could come in, sit around the edges, watch what went on, and listen to the conversation. Thus, this woman could have gotten in, although her reputation would proceed her and she would not necessarily be welcome among this company of people. So it probably took her great courage. The woman brought a beautiful jar filled with expensive perfume. Many Jewish women wore a small perfume flask on a cord around their neck. This jar of perfume would have been valued very highly by this woman.

7:38 Although the woman was not an invited guest, she entered the house anyway and knelt behind Jesus at his feet. These people were reclining as they ate, so the woman anointed Jesus’ feet without approaching the table. She began weeping, and as her tears fell on his feet, she wiped them off with her hair. This woman understood that Jesus was very special. Perhaps she, as a sinner, had come to Jesus with great sorrow for her sin. Perhaps she had followed John the Baptist and had confessed her sins. She may have been in the crowds that had been following Jesus and had come to believe in him. She may have come to Jesus grateful for being forgiven and so offering him the gift of her valuable perfume. To wash Jesus’ feet was a sign of deep humility—it was the job of a slave.

7:39 The Pharisee looked over from his meal and saw what was happening—that is, he saw this woman with a notorious reputation in his house, near his table, weeping and pouring perfume on the feet of his guest. Any self-respecting rabbi would have realized this woman’s sinful nature and recoiled at being touched by her—for to be touched by a sinner would make Jesus unclean and the Pharisees avoided any contact with “uncleanness.” This Pharisee concluded, “If God had really sent Jesus, he would know what kind of woman is touching him” and would have told her to go away.

This religious leader had no concern for this woman’s plight, no desire to lift her from her sinful life, or to help her become a better Jewish woman. Instead, he judged her as a sinner, shoved her aside, and presumed that any other rabbi (and especially one who was a “prophet”) would do the same.

7:40 Jesus knew the Pharisee’s thoughts and so spoke up and answered them (see also 5:22; 6:8). Simon had already made a judgment of Jesus and probably felt morally superior to him as well. But Jesus had asked for his attention, so he acted like the good host. “All right, Teacher,” Simon replied, “go ahead.”

• LIFE APPLICATION – SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS
• Have you ever badly overestimated your abilities in some area? Maybe you asked someone to play tennis or one-on-one basketball, only to get blown off the court. Or perhaps you volunteered to sing and then found out the music was way beyond your abilities. It’s a very humbling and enlightening experience. Simon the Pharisee had a similar experience with Jesus. Simon badly overestimated his own righteousness. He looked at the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet with her perfume and her tears as someone of less value, morally inferior. Jesus had to show Simon his own sins—particularly the sins of ungraciousness and inhospitality—in order for him to understand his own need for forgiveness. When you see someone caught in some kind of notorious sin, how do you respond: “Thank God I’m not like that” or “Lord, have mercy on me, the sinner”? If you have understood God’s forgiveness and personally experienced it, be willing to grant forgiveness to others.

7:41-43 This creditor had one man who owed him five hundred pieces of silver, and another who owed him fifty pieces. It would not be difficult for Simon to see which debtor would love the creditor more if he forgave them both their debts. “That’s right,” Jesus said.

7:44-46 Simon had committed several social errors in neglecting to wash Jesus’ feet (a courtesy extended to guests because sandaled feet got very dirty), offer him the kiss of greeting, and anoint his head with oil. The sinful woman, by contrast, lavished tears, expensive ointment, and kisses on Jesus. In this story it is the grateful prostitute, and not the self-righteous religious leader, whose sins were forgiven.

7:47 This woman’s act of humility and love show that she had been forgiven. Jesus did not overlook her sins. He did, in fact, know that this woman was a sinner (7:39), and he knew that her sins were many. But the fact that her many sins were forgiven caused her to overflow with much love for Jesus. The woman’s love did not cause her forgiveness, for no one can earn forgiveness. Her faith in Jesus, despite her many sins, saved her (7:50). By contrast, self-righteous people, like Simon, feel that they have no sins that need to be forgiven, therefore they also have little love to show for it.

• LIFE APPLICATION-GREAT FORGIVENESS
• Overflowing love is the natural response to forgiveness and the appropriate consequence of faith. But only those who realize the depth of their sin can appreciate the complete forgiveness God offers them. Jesus has rescued all of his followers, whether they were once extremely wicked or conventionally good, from eternal death. Do you appreciate the wideness of God’s mercy? Are you grateful for his forgiveness?

7:48 Although it is God’s grace through faith that saves, and not acts of love or generosity, this woman’s act demonstrated her true faith, and Jesus honored her faith by telling her in no uncertain terms, “Your sins are forgiven.” Jesus supported this woman and treated her with dignity. Believers need to demonstrate Jesus’ approach in dealing with people.

• LIFE APPLICATION –  PERSPECTIVE
• Simon saw the sin; Jesus saw the sinner. Simon saw her offenses; Jesus saw her need. Simon saw the depth of her depravity; Jesus saw the magnitude of her love. All people are sinners. That fact alone should keep anyone from feeling superior or self-righteous. People also are loved beyond measure. That should keep anyone from feeling worthless or hopeless. Is there someone whom you have been looking down upon, considering his or her sins as much more serious than your own? Do you need to repent of any self-righteous attitudes toward anyone? When you are confronted with the sins of others, remember Jesus’ words of forgiveness for this woman. When you face the reality of your own sins, remember that God’s mercy and forgiveness are just as real—and just as necessary—for you too.

7:49-50 The Pharisees believed that only God could forgive sins, so they wondered why this man Jesus was saying that the woman’s sins were forgiven. They asked each other, “Who does this man think he is, going around forgiving sins?” They did not grasp the fact that Jesus was God and therefore did have the authority to forgive sins. But Jesus simply looked at the woman and said, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” This woman’s humility did not save her, nor did her tears or her expensive perfume. It was her faith, her complete trust in the only one who could forgive her sins and save her. When people trust Christ, he changes their lives, gives them freedom from sin, and gives them peace with God.

 Please feel free to join the discussion and add your own comments and personal insights at the bottom of each day’s post.  It would be great to hear from you. 

 Until tomorrow, Darrell

Sources:

Life Application Bible Commentary and Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary

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

It’s Day 6!  We are one fourth of the way through Luke.  24 chapters in 24 days!  I am praying for you as you are with Jesus today.

 He never fails to captivate, challenge and convict!  Today we see Jesus with his disciples, heal a guy’s hand and teach the most compelling messages ever (Beatitudes, Golden Rule, etc). 

Included below are further explanation and commentary for each verse. There are Life Application sections and each blue number can be clicked on to take you to that scripture.  Let me know if you have any questions and feel free to comment at the end.  Enjoy the day with Jesus.

A Discussion about the Sabbath / 6:1-5

 6:1-2 As these leaders continued to follow Jesus, they observed him one Sabbath day as he was walking through some grainfields. Roads often went right through fields. The disciples broke off heads of wheat, rubbed off the husks in their hands, and ate the grains. On any other day but the Sabbath, this would have been acceptable. God’s law said that farmers were to leave the edges of their fields unplowed so travelers and the poor could eat (Deuteronomy 23:25). This day was a problem, however, because the religious leadership had set up strict laws regarding how to observe the Sabbath. They had set up thirty-nine categories of forbidden activities—and harvesting was one of them. According to the religious leaders, however, the disciples were technically “harvesting” because they were picking wheat and rubbing it in their hands. The disciples were not breaking God’s law as recorded by Moses. Instead, they were only violating one of the Pharisees’ many rules.

• LIFE APPLICATION-ALL THE ANSWERS
• The Pharisees thought their religious system had all the answers. They could not accept Jesus because he did not fit into their system. Religious people today could miss Christ for the same reason. Beware of thinking that you or your church has all the answers. No religious system is big enough to contain Christ completely or to fulfill perfectly all his desires for the world.

6:3-4 The Pharisees would have been taken aback by Jesus’ question, “Haven’t you ever read in the Scriptures . . .?” Of course they had read this story about what King David did when he and his companions were hungry. Jesus explained his disciples’ action on the grounds that they were hungry and that their need superseded the technicalities of ceremonial law.

The story is recorded in 1 Samuel 21:1-6. Each week twelve consecrated loaves of special bread, representing the twelve tribes of Israel, would be placed on a table in the house of God, the Tabernacle. At the end of the week, the bread would be replaced with fresh loaves, and the old loaves were reserved for the priests to eat (Leviticus 24:9). On one occasion, the high priest gave this special bread to David and his men to eat as they were fleeing from Saul. The priest understood that their need was more important than ceremonial regulations. The loaves given to David were the old loaves that had just been replaced with fresh ones.

By comparing himself and his disciples to David and his men, Jesus was saying, in effect, “If you condemn me, you must also condemn David.” Jesus was not condoning disobedience to God’s laws. Instead, he was emphasizing discernment and compassion in enforcing the ceremonial laws, something the self-righteous Pharisees did not comprehend.

6:5 When Jesus said that he, calling himself Son of Man, was master even of the Sabbath, he was claiming to be greater than the law and above the law. Jesus meant that he had the authority to overrule the Pharisees’ traditions and regulations because he had created the Sabbath—and the Creator is always greater than the creation. Jesus claimed the authority to correctly interpret the meaning of the Sabbath and all the laws pertaining to it. Who created the Sabbath? God did. Therefore, because Jesus, the Son of Man, is God’s Son, given authority and power by God himself, he is also master of the Sabbath.

• LIFE APPLICATION-TRADITIONALISM
• History says that John Calvin wore a hat when he preached. He did so because his health was frail, and church buildings were drafty and full of pigeons. Long after Calvin, preachers who admired the great reformer also wore hats when they preached, even though his reasons for wearing one no longer applied. Someone has defined tradition as “the living faith of those now dead,” whereas traditionalism is “the dead faith of those now living.” Jesus’ critics in Luke 6:5 were locked into traditionalism. They had long since forgotten the reason behind the Sabbath observance: honoring the Lord. Instead, they focused solely on the mindless rule keeping that is the empty soul of legalism. Do you observe the Sabbath? Why—or why not? If someone were to ask you to explain what you do or don’t do on Sunday, could you? Beware of falling into legalism: simplistic, unthinking obedience to rules and regulations. Christianity is based not on rules but on love—love for people and love for God.

Jesus Heals a Man’s Hand on the Sabbath / 6:6-11

The ongoing debate about the Sabbath would continue to escalate as Jesus continued with his mission, regardless of the day of the week. Obviously Jesus taught and healed throughout the week, but the Gospel writers present several incidents that occurred on the Sabbath in order to highlight the animosity of the religious leaders. This healing is the last in a series of five confrontations with the Pharisees in this section. The Pharisees had already objected to Jesus forgiving sins (5:17-26), associating with “sinners” (5:29-32), and challenging their traditions involving fasting (5:33-39) and the Sabbath (6:1-5).

6:6-7 On another Sabbath day, Jesus was in the synagogue . . . teaching. At this particular time, a man with a deformed right hand came into the synagogue. There seems to be no question that Jesus could heal the man. The Pharisees were concerned only to see whether Jesus would heal the man on the Sabbath. What difference should that make? Luke explains that they were eager to find some legal charge to bring against him. How unfortunate that they could not rejoice in a healing; instead, they hoped to use the healing to bring a charge against Jesus. It was more important for them to protect their laws than to free a person from suffering. It’s interesting too that Jesus performed no “work” on the Sabbath—He simply spoke a few words and a hand was completely restored. God’s law prohibited work on the seventh day of the week (Exodus 31:14-17) The man’s condition was not life threatening. Jesus could have avoided conflict by waiting until the next day to heal the man. But Jesus, as Lord of the Sabbath, had the authority to overrule the Pharisees’ traditions and regulations. If he had waited another day, he would have been submitting to the Pharisees and showing that their made-up rules were indeed equal to God’s law. But God’s law for the Sabbath was never meant to keep people in bondage. When Jesus saw a need, he filled it, regardless of the day or time.

• LIFE APPLICATION-LEGALISM
• The religious leaders were more concerned with negatives; that is, what rules should not be broken, what activities should not be done on the Sabbath. Jesus was proactive, positive, concerned with doing good and helping others.

Which would an objective observer say is more characteristic of your faith in Christ—the positives or the negatives? Are you more concerned with opposing certain sins and cultural movements or in advancing the kingdom of God and proclaiming his love for men and women? Faith in Christ is the most positive force to ever hit planet earth. Make sure you don’t let it degenerate into a negative religion.

6:8 Again the text reveals the divine perception that Jesus retained while on earth: he knew their thoughts (see also 5:22). Jesus would make a public display of this healing, so he said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand here where everyone can see.” Jesus would make the important point that he could not and would not be bound by the Pharisees’ burdensome laws.

6:9 Jesus’ question should have been obvious—even to these religious leaders, “Is it legal to do good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing harm?” The Pharisees’ own laws allowed people to do good and to save life on the Sabbath—a farmer could rescue a sheep from a pit on that day, even though such an act would clearly be considered “work” (Matthew 12:11-12). How absurd, then, to refuse to allow a person to do good to another person on the Sabbath.

6:10 Jesus did not receive an answer to his question, so he turned his attention back to the man, telling him to reach out his hand. When the man did so, his hand became normal again. As with the leper (5:12-13) and the paralyzed man (5:24-25), Jesus gave this man new life.

•  LIFE APPLICATION – RESTORATION
• If you have ever lost something valuable, thinking it was gone forever, and then gotten it back, you know how much you appreciate the recovered object. In some ways it means even more to you than it did before. Luke didn’t record what caused this man to lose the use of his hand, but he did write that Jesus restored it and made it useful again. Certainly the man appreciated having two good hands again. Take a moment to think of the good things God has given you: health, a loving family, a job, a home, a church, freedom, the ability to read these words. Now think what life would be like if you lost any of them . . . and then thank God for his goodness to you, and resolve to use those gifts for his glory and the benefit of others.

6:11 No particular action of Jesus is recorded; he told the man to move, and with that movement, healing arrived. Jesus did nothing that could be called “work,” but the Pharisees would not be swayed from their purpose. They became wild with rage. Jesus had looked them in the eyes and then had flouted their laws, overruled their authority, and exposed the hatred in their hearts to the entire crowd in the synagogue. When Jesus exposed their attitudes, he became their enemy, and they began to discuss what to do with him. Matthew and Mark state that their discussion focused on how they might kill Jesus (Matthew 12:14; Mark 3:6). Ironically, their hatred, combined with their zeal for the law, was driving them to plot murder—an act that was clearly against the law.

 Jesus Chooses the Twelve Disciples / 6:12-16

After a night dedicated to prayer, Jesus chose twelve men to be his apostles—his representatives. Whatever Jesus’ specific reasons for choosing each disciple, as a group they were often hot-tempered, unbelieving, and “clueless” about the spiritual realities behind Jesus’ ministry.   These men had few qualifications. They had little education. No important family connections. Some had dark pasts. The better that we come to know the weaknesses of the disciples, the more we can see that God has freely chosen us, also!

6:12 Jesus’ enemies had revealed their stubborn hearts and refusal to see him for who he was; his ministry was increasing as people crowded in to hear him. Jesus knew that he would not be long on the earth, so the continuing task of spreading the Good News of the Kingdom would be entrusted to a group of human beings whom he must choose. This was a daunting task and Jesus needed the Father’s help. So Jesus went to a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. This was not a quick call for help while Jesus followed his instincts; this was an intense conversation as Jesus sought his Father’s guidance in this supremely important task.

• LIFE APPLICATION – PRAY FIRST
• Jesus never wrote any books. He never led any church-growth conferences. He left no organizational charts for us to follow. His one and only method for founding and building up his church was the men whom he called to follow him. These men were his legacy, his “organization.” There was no plan B. No wonder he spent an extended period of time in prayer before choosing them. What a contrast to the way that Christians operate so much of the time, making decisions and then asking God to bless them. How much better the decisions would be, how much more effective the work and healthy the churches, if believers would follow Jesus’ model: pray first—really pray—and then act. Do you have a major decision (or several) on the horizon? Commit your decisions to the Lord in prayer.

6:13-14 At daybreak, after his night in prayer, Jesus called together all of his disciples. Of the many who were following him at this time, he chose twelve of them to be apostles. Jesus did not take volunteers; he chose those whom God had directed him to choose.

The choice of twelve men is highly symbolic. The number twelve corresponds to the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28), showing the continuity between the old religious system and the new one based on Jesus’ message. Jesus looked upon this as the gathering of the true people of God. These men were the righteous remnant who would carry on the work the twelve tribes were chosen to do—to build the community of God (see 22:28-30). The Gospels and Epistles stressed the ministry of the twelve men together and its significance. The number was so important that when Judas Iscariot killed himself, another man was chosen to replace him (see Acts 1:15-26). The apostles formed Jesus’ inner circle. He gave them intense training and sent them out with his own authority. These were the men who started the Christian church. In the Gospels, these twelve men are usually called the disciples, but in the book of Acts they are called apostles. This is a rare instance of the term “apostles” in the Gospels.

The first name recorded was Simon, whom Jesus also called Peter (see John 1:42). He became one of three in Jesus’ core group among the disciples, and he recognized that Jesus was the Messiah (9:18-20). Although Peter would deny ever knowing Jesus, this Gospel alone has Jesus’ prayer on behalf of Peter that his faith would not fail (22:31-32). The risen Christ made a special appearance to Peter (24:34). He would become a leader in the Jerusalem church, write two letters that appear in the Bible (1 and 2 Peter), and be crucified for his faith.

Andrew was Peter’s brother and also a fisherman (Matthew 4:18). Andrew had been a disciple of John the Baptist, and had accepted John the Baptist’s testimony. He had left John to follow Jesus, and then had brought his brother Simon to Jesus (John 1:35-42).

James and John had also been fishermen and, incidentally, Peter and Andrew’s partners (5:10). Along with Peter, the three of them became Jesus’ inner circle. James would become the first martyr for the Christian faith (Acts 12:2). John would write the Gospel of John, the letters of 1, 2, and 3 John, and the book of Revelation.

John wrote about Philip (John 1:43). Philip probably knew Andrew and Peter because they were from the same town, Bethsaida (John 1:44). This is not the same Philip mentioned in Acts 7. Philip then brought Bartholomew (also called Nathanael) as recorded in John 1:45. Bartholomew was an honest man (John 1:47). Bartholomew at first rejected Jesus because Jesus was from Nazareth. But upon meeting Jesus, his attitude changed (John 1:49).

• LIFE APPLICATION – ONENESS IN JESUS
• Jesus selected ordinary men with a mixture of backgrounds and personalities to be his disciples. Jesus did not choose these twelve to be his disciples because of their faith—it often faltered. He didn’t choose them because of their talent and ability—no one stood out with unusual ability. The disciples represented a wide range of backgrounds and life experiences, and apparently they may have had no more leadership potential than those who were not chosen. The one characteristic they all shared was their willingness to obey Jesus.

Today, God calls ordinary people together to build his church, teach salvation’s message, and serve others out of love. Individual Believers may feel unqualified to serve Christ effectively, but with other believers, they make up a group strong enough to serve God in any way. Remember that it is the oneness that believers have in Jesus that holds them together. Without that, all the congregations would break apart. Ask for patience to accept the diversity of people in your church, and for wisdom to see their gifts and abilities. Build on the variety of strengths represented in your group.

6:15 Matthew was also known as Levi. He had been a tax collector who, at Jesus’ call, had given up everything in order to follow him (5:27-28). He would later write the Gospel of Matthew.

Thomas is often remembered as “Doubting Thomas” because he doubted Jesus’ resurrection (John 20:24-25). Thomas loved Jesus and understood what Jesus’ mission entailed (John 11:16).

This James was called son of Alphaeus to differentiate him from James the son of Zebedee (and brother of John) in 6:14.

Simon (the Zealot) was probably not a member of the party of Zealots, for that political party was not identified as such until a.d. 68. Most likely the word “Zealot” used here indicates zeal for God’s honor and fervent nationalism that characterized Simon before he followed Jesus. Most likely, it was an affectionate nickname.

6:16 Judas (son of James) is also called Thaddaeus (Mark 3:18). He is also mentioned in Acts 1:13. Rounding out the list is Judas Iscariot, with the footnote that he is the one who later betrayed Jesus. The name “Iscariot” is probably a compound word meaning “the man from Kerioth.” Thus, Judas’ hometown was Kerioth in southern Judea (see Joshua 15:25), making him the only one of the Twelve who was not from Galilee. It might seem strange that Jesus would spend an entire night in prayer to pick this group, and then end up choosing Judas. Did Jesus make a mistake? No. The plan had been set in motion from the beginning of time, and this was part of the plan that would eventually come to its final conclusion in Judas’ betrayal of Jesus and suicide. The betrayal fulfilled prophecy and helped to bring Jesus to the cross. There was no mistake. That was the way of salvation.

 Jesus Gives the Beatitudes / 6:17-26

This section is similar to the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7). It has been widely debated whether the two are the same sermon or different ones. It is very likely that Jesus taught the same truths twice, if not more.

6:17-19 Jesus’ popularity had continued to grow, for there is not only many of his followers, but also crowds. People had come from Judea (the southernmost region of Israel), Jerusalem (the key city of Israel, in Judea), and the seacoasts of Tyre and Sidon (Gentile cities to the far north on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea). Word of Jesus’ authoritative teaching and healing power had spread, so many had come long distances to hear him, to be healed, and to have Jesus cast out evil spirits. No one went away disappointed; they were all cured.

6:20 Most likely, Jesus gave these teachings primarily to the disciples with the crowds listening in. Jesus’ newly chosen disciples, the twelve men who would be his closest associates, might have become tempted to feel proud and important. After all, Jesus’ popularity continued to grow, as seen in the multitude with them at that moment. The disciples, riding on the wave of Jesus’ popularity, needed to first understand the priorities of God’s Kingdom. In addition, many of these disciples were confused about what exactly Jesus was going to do. The Gospels present a group of men who, while believing, never quite understood Jesus’ coming death and resurrection until they witnessed it for themselves. So Jesus told them here, in no uncertain terms, that they should not expect fame and fortune in this world, for that is not what Jesus came to bring. They would indeed be “blessed,” but by a different Kingdom’s standards.

These verses are called the Beatitudes, from the Latin word meaning “blessing.” They describe what it means to be Christ’s follower. They are standards of conduct; they contrast Kingdom values with worldly values, showing what Christ’s followers can expect from the world and what God will give them. They contrast fake piety with true humility; they show how Old Testament expectations are fulfilled in God’s Kingdom. The word “blessed” means more than happiness; it means favored and approved by God.

The first “blessing” is reserved for you who are poor. These are the people who have nothing but God on whom to depend. They realize that they have nothing of their own to give to God and therefore must depend on his mercy. Jesus says, “The Kingdom of God is given to you.” Notice that he does not say, “will be given,” but “is given.” Accepting Jesus into one’s heart brings that person into the Kingdom, even as he or she lives on earth.

Jesus was not exalting poverty; instead, he was clarifying that these are the results of discipleship and that the disciples would ultimately be blessed because they could count on Jesus, the Son of Man. In these Beatitudes, Jesus was not cursing all that is part of life—such as laughter, fun, happiness, money, food—but if these become the focus of life without regard to God, then a person cannot be “blessed” by God.

6:21 The hunger about which Jesus spoke is a hunger based on poverty because of one’s lot in life or for taking a stand with Christ. The word hungry pictures an intense longing that needs to be satisfied; people who do not get food will eventually die of hunger. Jesus’ promise to those with this kind of hunger is “you will be satisfied.” Jesus will completely satisfy those with spiritual hunger.

Jesus promises that those who weep now . . . will laugh with joy. Scholars differ on the exact nature of this “weeping.” Jesus may have been referring to the nation of Israel weeping for its sins; others interpret this more personally, explaining that it refers to those who weep for their own sins or even for personal grief or oppression. Still other scholars see in the word “weeping” a picture of God’s people who suffer because of their faith in him. Most likely it refers to people who are sensitive to the world’s sin and resultant suffering. While their pain is real, they can know the end of the story and laugh.

6:22-23 To be surrounded by hateful people would hardly make a person feel like the object of blessing. But Kingdom values are the opposite of this world’s values. Jesus explained to his disciples that not only would they, like anyone else, experience poverty and sorrow in this life, but they also would be actively persecuted. They would be hated, excluded, mocked, and cursed—the one common factor would be that this would occur because they believed in Jesus. Surely this must have sounded strange to the disciples on the mountainside, surrounded by literally a multitude of people desiring to get close to Jesus. Yet Jesus saw what the future held, and he warned them accordingly.

Jesus also comforted them by saying that when they faced persecution, they were to rejoice. No matter what those who hate Jesus attempt to do to his followers on earth, a great reward awaits them in heaven. Jesus placed his disciples in a long line of God’s followers who lived righteously and spoke truthfully—only to suffer for it. The Jews held the ancient prophets of God in high esteem; to be placed among them was a great honor. Jesus explained that to live and speak for God in the face of unjust persecution, as did the ancient prophets, would bring great reward in heaven.

• LIFE APPLICATION – GOD’S FAMILY VALUES
• Being a Christ follower may bring you into conflict with others, simply because your values and theirs are radically different. Someone has described this world, and especially contemporary culture, as being like a display window in a department store, full of various objects of all shapes, sizes, and prices. During the night, a mischievous little boy breaks in and switches all the price tags. The next day, people pass by and look in the window, never realizing that all the values have been rearranged. The believer knows that the world’s values are grossly distorted and out of touch with reality—but try telling the world! When believers do, Jesus says, the world will not thank them for their trouble. In fact, it will hate them. But they can persevere and even smile, because they know the truth. Don’t compromise your beliefs or your values just because the world can’t handle them.

 6:24 The next three verses contain sorrows that give the flip side of the “blessings” in the previous verses. While most in the world see riches as desirable and as a sign of God’s blessing, Jesus says the opposite. He pronounces sorrows on those who are rich. Jesus probably addressed these comments to his audience at large. Jesus does not decry riches themselves but their effect on people. Riches cause people to feel self-sufficient and to feel that they have found the happiness for which they were seeking. Those who choose present comfort over God’s way have their only happiness now. Those who try to find fulfillment through wealth will find that wealth is the only reward they will ever get and that it does not last.

• LIFE APPLICATION – TRUE RICHES
• Jesus’ message of “woe” on the rich doesn’t mean that everyone should be poor, hungry, and miserable. Instead, it means that those who make happiness in this life their goal may very well get it . . . but that is all they will get. There is a higher law, a higher ethic, a higher reality. Pursue it, and God may be kind enough to grant you some of the world’s riches also. Maybe not. But if you pursue only the world’s riches, the world’s happiness, you are guaranteed to miss the higher ones. Jim Elliot, martyred missionary to the Auca tribe in Ecuador, wrote shortly before his death: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” In the tug-of-war between the world’s riches and God’s, which side has the stronger grip on your heart?

6:25 The words satisfied and prosperous refer to those who have everything that this world offers. They lack nothing. Their material possessions and financial “security” cause them to think that they have no need for God. One day, however, they will face a time of awful hunger. This may not occur in this life, but they will find that for eternity, when it really matters, they will be the ones who suffer. The Gospel later records a parable of a rich man and a poor man that illustrates this point (see 16:19-31).

In much the same way, those who laugh carelessly will one day face mourning and sorrow that will last for eternity. Jesus was not against laughter—indeed, laughter is one of the greatest gifts God has given to his people. Jesus was pointing at the same attitude carried by those who are rich and self-satisfied in this life and give superficial laughter at any mention of God or of eternity. They will find that they were wrong, and they will mourn and weep forever.

6:26 Jesus points out a serious problem facing those who are praised by the crowds. While being spoken well of is certainly a worthy goal, rarely can a person be spoken well of by everyone and have everyone completely agree with him or her on every topic. One cannot be pleasing to everyone in that way without sacrificing some principle here or another there. Such a person must waffle in all areas of life so everyone will like him or her.

One group in the Old Testament was praised by everyone, from the king to the common people—they were the false prophets. The ancestors of these Israelites listening to Jesus had spoken well of the false prophets. They were praised by kings and crowds because their predictions—personal prosperity and victory in war—were exactly what the people wanted to hear. Unfortunately, their words were shown to be lies as the nations of Israel and later Judah lost their freedom and their homeland when they were taken into captivity. Popularity is no guarantee of a person’s truthfulness; human flattery does not bring God’s approval. Sadness lies ahead for those who chase after the crowd’s praise rather than God’s truth.

 Jesus Teaches about Loving Enemies / 6:27-36

While the Pharisees sought Jesus’ death because he refused to keep their regulations regarding cleanliness and the Sabbath observance, Jesus was teaching standards of living that were far higher than anything the Pharisees could imagine. The difference was that the Pharisees were performing their acts in order to be good enough for God; Jesus knew the standards were impossible to reach on human strength alone. Jesus did not ask people to act this way in order to be good enough for God. But people who have accepted Christ as Savior have the Holy Spirit’s help to accomplish what would otherwise be impossible.

6:27-28 Jesus taught that love must not be selective. His followers are to love all people, regardless of how unlovely or even hostile they may be. They also must act on that love by being willing to do good when it is in their power to do it. There are several words for love in Greek. The word used here is agape, meaning the kind of love shown even when the one loved has no merit for that love. It is love that must be chosen and willed.

All people have experienced agape from God. God loved the world even while people were sinful and rebellious. God willed to love his people and sent his Son to die for them, not because they deserved it or had any merit, but only because of God’s love. Those who have experienced God’s love understand what it means to be loved undeservedly. People who were once enemies of God and have joined his family can understand what it means to love your enemies. Only with the help of God’s Spirit can his people do good to those who hate them, pray for the happiness of those who curse them, and pray for those who hurt them (see Romans 12:14-21). When believers are hated, cursed, and hurt, they are to respond with love.

• LIFE APPLICATION – LOVE YOUR ENEMIES
• The Jews despised the Romans because they oppressed God’s people, but Jesus told the people to love these enemies who provoked and angered them. Such words turned many away from Christ. But Jesus wasn’t talking about having affection for enemies; he was talking about an act of the will. You can’t “fall into” this kind of love—it takes conscious effort. Loving your enemies means acting in their best interests. You can pray for them and think of ways to help them. Jesus loved the whole world, even though the world was in rebellion against God. Jesus asks believers to follow his example by loving their enemies (see also 6:35). Grant your enemies the same respect and rights you desire for yourself.

6:29-30 How can anyone respond to persecution in love? Jesus offered a couple of examples. If you get slapped, turn the other cheek. The normal response would be to slap back, but Jesus offers another option—the attitude that says, “I will not seek revenge. In fact, if need be, I am ready to take another blow.” The attitude is not so much to offer to be hit again as it is to offer forgiveness.

The same attitude is illustrated regarding the coat and the shirt, referring to the outer garment and the undergarment. If someone demanded the one, offer the other as well. The point is not so much being passive when being robbed as it is being compassionate for another’s need. If someone needs to steal a coat, then perhaps that person also needs your shirt.

In fact, the more general principle could be stated: Give what you have to anyone who asks you for it; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. Such an attitude completely confounds the world. It doesn’t understand non-retaliation, forgiveness, and a loose hold on possessions. But believers, citizens of a future heavenly Kingdom, are freed to forgive and to give. The point is not that giving is always the correct answer, but that believers’ actions are rooted first in love, not in regard for honor or possessions.

6:31 This is commonly known as the Golden Rule. Many religions teach a negative version of this statement. Confucius said, “What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.” But Jesus stated this in a positive manner, making it even more powerful. While it may be possible to not do evil to others, it is much more difficult to take the initiative to actually do for others as you would like them to do for you. A person may be able to keep the negative form of the law by avoiding sin, but to keep the positive form requires action. This is the key to the radical discipleship that Jesus wants.

6:32-34 In these short statements, Jesus explained his commands that he had just given by showing how his followers must be different from sinners, that is, those who do not believe in him. How would God’s people be any different from the world if they only loved people who love them? How would they be any different from the world if they only did good to people who could do good to them in return? Sinners love, sinners do good, sinners lend money—the difference is that God’s people are willing to love, do good, and lend even when there is no promise of return. Such actions will mark Jesus’ followers as different.

• LIFE APPLICATION – GOD’S WAY
• Jesus said that love means action. One way to put love to work is to take the initiative in meeting specific needs. This is easy to do with people who love you, people whom you trust. But love means doing this even to those who dislike you or plan to hurt you. The money you give others should be considered a gift, not a high-interest loan that will help you more than them. Give as though you are giving to God.

6:35-36 Because his followers are to be different, Jesus sums up their actions as love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them. To make them different from the world, God’s people will do those actions without expecting to get anything back. Their lives reflect the attitude of God himself; thus their reward will be great, and they will be acting as children of the Most High. God’s people do these actions not so that they can be God’s people, but because they are God’s people. Their attitudes and values reflect God’s attitudes and values. To be compassionate means to refuse to inflict just vengeance, as well as to show kindness.

• LIFE APPLICATION – GOD’S LOVE
• Probably no single teaching of Jesus’ is more challenging than that Believers should love their enemies (6:32-35). How can they do that? It not only seems impossible, it is. But God specializes in doing what seems impossible. He can give believers the power to love their enemies because he himself loves his enemies. Outside of Christ, all are rebels, enemies of God, yet he “demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners [enemies of God], Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8 niv). If God loves you that way, can you do any less than ask him to give you that kind of love for your enemies?
• LIFE APPLICATION – MERCY
• Has there ever been a time in your life when you really blew it? Most people would admit that they have been through a time (or times) like that. If you have, think back and ask yourself: Who was the person who helped you most as you got up off the spiritual floor? Was that person characterized by a judgmental and critical spirit, a severe and self-righteous manner . . . or was he or she a person of mercy? The answer is obvious. In times of crisis and outright failure, a person doesn’t need someone else to act as judge or critic. Instead, the person needs someone who can remind him or her of the mercy of God. Jesus says that his followers are to be merciful, just as the Father is. And when they fail—which they will, repeatedly—they can thank God that he deals with them mercifully too.

Jesus Teaches about Judging Others / 6:37-42

Jesus not only commanded his disciples to be loving and compassionate, he also went on to explain to them what true love entails. First he emphasized that true love does not judge others or withhold forgiveness.

6:37 While the word “judge” can mean to evaluate or analyze, Jesus did not mean his people should refuse to think critically or make decisions, nor was he attempting to abolish the legal system or disciplinary measures. Believers must be discerning and make certain judgments. Jesus was referring to the judgmental attitude that focuses on others’ faults, criticizing and tearing them down.

The believers’ special position with Christ does not give them license to take God’s place as judge. Those who judge in that manner will find themselves judged by God. Neither should they criticize or they will face criticism. The practice of forgiveness leads also to forgiveness by God. Those who refuse to forgive show that they do not understand what God has done for them. God’s children must be ready and willing to forgive, just as God has forgiven them.

• LIFE APPLICATION- JUDGING OTHERS
• If you were caught in some notorious sin—unquestionably, publicly, humiliatingly—would you run to the church, or away? Unfortunately, many, if not most, people probably would run away. How ironic, how tragic! The church exists to proclaim the mercies of God. The church exists to let people know that God is indeed the righteous judge, that he does not laugh at sin or treat it lightly . . . but also that he has made a way of atonement and redemption for those who deserve his wrath. Yet the church is often thought of as the first place a person would go to be judged for his or her sins.

You may not be able to change your whole church, but you can take a bold, unblinking look at your own attitudes. When you hear of another Christian being involved in some scandalous behavior, how do you react? With smugness, superiority, self-righteousness? Or is your heart grieved for that person, knowing that you are capable of committing the same sins, or worse? When you are tempted to act as someone else’s judge, remember what God has done so that you can be pardoned before him. Then extend that same grace to your fallen brother or sister.

6:38 Generosity in giving will result in returned generosity. The picture is of blessings being returned in a bushel basket, filled to the brim, pressed down and shaken together to make room for more, then running over.   The image here is of a measuring container into which as much grain as possible is packed; it is then shaken to allow the grain to settle, and more is poured in till the container overflows. Pouring it “into the lap” refers to the fold in the garment used as a pocket or pouch.   Those who are stingy and reluctant givers will receive in the same way.

• God will be no man’s debtor — no matter how much we give him, he gives us more! Jesus’ illustration of this is spectacular. The grain is pressed down into the measure so that it will hold as much as possible. Next it is shaken together to make it fill every possible space. And then, not content with this full measure, the grain is piled above the rim so that it cannot be contained by the measure and spills over into the robes of one’s lap. This is universally true, whether it be the Christian businessman H. P. Crowell, founder of Quaker Oats, who said, “For over forty years I have given sixty to seventy percent of my income to God. But I have never gotten ahead of Him! He has always been ahead of me!”  Jesus said, “No one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields . . .)” (Mark 10:29, 30; cf. Luke 18:29, 30). The principle of the overflowing measure applies to all givers great and small.

The point is, while some Christians may give and some may not, true disciples give. They give and give and give.

6:39-40 In this parable, Jesus explained that, while his followers were to give, love, and refuse to be judgmental, they must also be discerning and careful whom they follow. Obviously, a blind person cannot lead a blind person because both of them will end up in a ditch. Then Jesus explained what he meant: a student is not greater than the teacher. Those who lead others must have clear vision, willingness to learn and understand, and no arrogance or self-righteousness. Such a standard would disqualify the Pharisees who, in this instance, were the blind guides leading people into disaster. Jesus explained that his disciples should not go beyond what they learned from him; instead, they should aim to be like him. Watch out whom you follow. No matter how many human teachers you may have, your ultimate authority must be Christ and his word.

•  LIFE APPLICATION – BLINDNESS
• Be careful whom you follow. Some people, because of their age, experience, and track record, are wonderful guides and mentors. They can lead the way because they have been there themselves, and they know the right paths to take. They have learned from both their successes and their failures. Other people merely repeat their mistakes over and over. These people are “blind,” as Jesus said (6:39), and they lead others down the wrong road with them. Do you have a mentor, someone who willingly shares his or her insights and experience with you? The right role model or mentor can bring tremendous benefits to your life. The wrong one can bring grief and sorrow. Be careful whom you follow.

6:41-42 How well Jesus understood human nature. He knew that human beings find it easy to worry about a speck in someone else’s eye, but not be able to see a log in their own eye. It is easy for people to overlook their own sins yet easily spot sin in others. It’s true that the sin that people most clearly see in others is also present in them. Sometimes they may offer help, but there is a crucial flaw, for they will do great damage when they can’t see past the log still lodged in their eye. Jesus used hyperbole to show that someone attempting to help a brother or sister with a “speck” when that person is carrying around a “log” makes him or her a hypocrite. The person has criticized and found fault in another without applying the same standards to himself. Before that person can be of any assistance, he must first get rid of the log that is in his own eye, and then maybe he can see well enough to deal with the speck in the other person’s eye.

• LIFE APPLICATION – MOVE THE LOGS
• In these words about the speck or log in one’s eye—Jesus did not mean that Believers should ignore wrongdoing but that they should not be so worried about others’ sins that they overlook their own. People often rationalize their sins by pointing out the same mistakes in others. What kinds of specks in others’ eyes are the easiest for you to criticize? Remember your own “logs” when you feel like criticizing, and you may find that you have less to say.

Jesus Teaches about Fruit in People’s Lives / 6:43-45

With a couple of proverbs derived from the agricultural setting of ancient Israel, Jesus showed his audience why hypocritically judging others (6:41-42) is foolish. Just as a good tree will eventually bear good fruit, so a person’s heart will eventually bear fruit—a good heart producing good works and an evil heart bringing forth evil. Everyone’s heart will eventually be exposed for what it is; and a strong indicator of the character of a person’s heart is what one says.

6:43-45 Figs and grapes were two of the main agricultural products of Israel. A person knows a tree by its fruit. A good (or healthy) tree can’t produce bad fruit, and likewise, a bad (or unhealthy) tree can’t produce good fruit.

Claims are easier to make or fake than results. Even Jesus’ claims would have been ludicrous if he hadn’t backed them up with results. He pointed out that the principle applies universally: You can tell a lot about a tree from its fruit! Jesus warned that people are like trees: Examine their “fruit” closely. Jesus reminded his listeners that their deeds and speech (what they say) would reveal their true underlying beliefs, attitudes, and motivations. The good impressions people try to make cannot last if their hearts are deceptive. What is in the heart will come out in a person’s speech and behavior.

•  LIFE APPLICATION- HEART, SOUL, AND MOUTH
•  “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!” Everyone who has seen The Wizard of Oz remembers that scene from near the end of the movie. The great, fire-breathing “wizard” was nothing more than a normal man, standing behind a curtain, working a machine. In spite of all his attempts to fool people, the truth came out. It’s the same with people’s words and actions. They can put up a good show for a while, but sooner or later, the real “person behind the curtain” shows through. What does your language and your behavior reveal about the real you? If you find that your words and actions are disproportionately angry, depressed, and hopeless, then take them to the Lord and ask him to transform them—from the inside out

Jesus Teaches about Building on a Solid Foundation / 6:46-49

Jesus was not content with letting his audience ponder his profound thoughts. His teaching is not meant for academic discussion and debate. Instead, Believers should build their entire lives around his teachings, applying them to every facet of life. If they don’t, they will not be able to withstand the pressures and temptations of this world and will be swept away to their destruction. Jesus calls believers to take the time they have now—before the floodwaters come—to reevaluate the way they live in light of his teachings.

6:46-47 To call Jesus Lord means to have committed oneself to following him and his teaching. Why would someone call Jesus “Lord” and then refuse to obey his teachings? Jesus’ true followers not only hear his words, but they act on his words, allowing his message to make a difference in their lives. The following parable will show Jesus’ listeners what it’s like when a person comes, listens, and then obeys. 

• LIFE APPLICATION – COME, LISTEN, OBEY
• You go to the doctor. She diagnoses your problem and gives you a prescription, telling you to take the medication daily and check in with her in a week. The week passes; you go in for the follow-up appointment. “Have you been taking the medication?” she asks.”No,” you say, “I decided I didn’t really need to.”  “Then why are you coming to me for treatment?” she asks, reasonably enough. “Why ask my advice? Why bother having a doctor at all?” It’s doubtful that anyone would do that. And yet how often do we Christians profess Jesus as our Lord, then ignore his clear commands? We call him Lord, yet do not do what he tells us to do. It’s as foolish as seeing a doctor and then disregarding her instructions. The Lord’s commands are clear and relatively few: Love God. Love one another. Treat others as you want to be treated. Be forgiving with the offender and compassionate with the weak and oppressed. Are there areas of your life that need to be brought under his lordship? Ask him to enable you to do so by his grace today.

6:48 Jesus explained that his true followers were like a person who builds a house on a strong foundation laid upon the underlying rock. Jesus pictured Palestine’s climate in these words. There were few rainfalls all year, but during the rainy season, heavy rains with excessive flooding could wash away poorly grounded homes. But those houses with their foundations on solid rock would be unaffected by the rising waters and beating winds. When the “storms of life” come (perhaps the hatred and persecution Jesus warned his followers to expect) only the person who builds his or her life on the “strong foundation” of Jesus Christ will be able to “stand firm.” When life is calm, the foundation doesn’t seem to matter. But when crises come, the foundation is tested. Be sure your life is built on the solid foundation of knowing and trusting Jesus Christ.

6:49 In contrast is the person who listens and doesn’t obey. While both of these people may have built houses that looked identical, the crucial difference was in the foundation. The person who won’t listen to Jesus will be like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house it cannot stand firm. The sand beneath the house will be driven away and the house will crumble into a heap of ruins. As character is revealed by fruit (6:43-45), so faith is revealed by storms. The wise person, seeking to act upon God’s word, builds to withstand anything.

Until tomorrow, Darrell

Sources:  Bible Background Commentary, Bible Knowledge Commentary, Holy Bible Slimline Reference Edition, Life Application Bible Commentary, Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary, Preaching the Word, Teacher’s Commentary

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

Welcome aboard for Day 5!  We are reading the 24 Chapters in Luke in 24 Days. I am excited that you are involved.   Prayers are being said for you as you read.  

 Today in chapter 5 we see Jesus choosing his disciples, providing a miraculous catch of fish for them, healing a man with leprosy, amazed at the faith of some friends to who tear a roof open to lower their paralyzed friend and hanging out with the so called “wrong crowd.”  Its great stuff as usual!

 As you scroll down you will find further explanation or commentary for each verse in this chapter.    Just read what you would like more explanation about.   I love the material Life Application^®   has published, so there is some of that in each section.  The blue underlined portions (5:2) are links to see that particular bible verse, just click on them.   Enjoy!

 Jesus Provides a Miraculous Catch of Fish / 5:1-11

Some scholars consider this incident to be the same as in Matthew 4:18-22 and Mark 1:16-20, which record Jesus’ first encounter with the fishermen, Peter, Andrew, James, and John at the Sea of Galilee. Matthew and Mark then describe how Jesus called them to follow him. However, other scholars see Luke as giving an account of Jesus’ second call to these disciples because there are several differences in the accounts. If Luke was recording a second call, the disciples must have gone back to their occupation of fishing in the interim. Some of the disciples did the same after Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection (see John 21:1-14).

5:1-3 Jesus continued his teaching tour, and one day . . . was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Word about Jesus had spread everywhere (4:14), so great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. Jesus could stand on the shore and the people could sit on the hillsides to listen. On this occasion, the crowds were pushing in and around him, practically backing him into the lake! Then he noticed two empty boats; the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. Nets had to be kept in good condition, so they were washed to remove weeds and then mended in preparation for the next fishing expedition.

Jesus got into one of the boats, called to its owner, Simon (Peter), and asked him to push it out into the water. From this position, Jesus sat and taught the crowds.

5:4-5 Simon had spoken with Jesus and had even been called to be a follower (Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20); he had seen Jesus perform great miracles. Even Simon’s own family had benefited from Jesus’ compassion and power (4:38-41). Jesus then suggested that they go out where it is deeper and do more fishing, Simon explained that they had worked hard all the night before and didn’t catch a thing. Night fishing was very common on the Sea of Galilee. Fishing was usually best during the night while the fish were active and feeding closer to the surface where their nets could more easily trap them. If Simon and the others had been throwing out and pulling in nets over and over all night long and had caught nothing, surely they were tired and frustrated. Jesus said, however, “You will catch many fish.” For Simon to answer Jesus, “But if you say so, we’ll try again,” shows deference to Jesus and budding faith in what Jesus could do.

•  LIFE APPLICATION – DEEP WATER
• Picture the scene: Simon and other experienced, career fishermen have been trying all night to catch fish. They know the lake, and they know their trade, yet they have caught nothing. Jesus, a carpenter, tells them to move out into the deeper water and try again. Simon and the others must have felt like telling Jesus he should stick to building furniture and leave the fishing to the experts . . . but they didn’t. Instead, they obeyed him. Have you ever been in a situation where you felt that Jesus couldn’t possibly understand your needs? Many acts of service and enterprises for God require moving out into deeper water. Learn a lesson from a bunch of fishermen: Listen to Jesus and obey his commands, however difficult they may be to do.

5:6-7 The words, and this time, occurred after Simon had rounded up his partners and other workers, put the huge net they had been cleaning (5:2) back into the boat, rowed out to the deeper water, spread the net, and then begun to row and draw the net together. Nevertheless, they followed Jesus’ instructions and their nets were so full they began to tear! Simon and his workers began to haul in the catch of fish, but the weight of the nets was too much. So they shouted for help from their partners in the other boat, and pulling together they began to dump the fish into the both boats until they were on the verge of sinking. Obviously this was not an ordinary catch by any standards, judging from Peter’s response in the following verse.

•  LIFE APPLICATION- LISTEN TO JESUS 
• What a sight this must have been—Simon and the other fishermen, rolling their eyes and thinking they were only humoring Jesus. Suddenly they found their boats sinking under the weight of all the fish they caught! When Simon listened to Jesus the rewards exceeded his expectations—two boats were overflowing with fish.

Following Jesus does not always result in such immediate rewards. But whether the rewards are immediate or eternal, the course of action is clear: unquestioned obedience. What specific areas in your life do not match with God’s will? Acknowledge them, confess and repent of them, and ask Christ’s help in bringing them in line with his purposes. Do what Jesus says, the rewards may surprise you.

5:8 Simon had seen people cured and had heard Jesus’ teachings, but this miracle reached directly into his life and grabbed him. Simon had been fishing all his life. When he saw what Jesus did in supplying such a huge haul of fish, he recognized Jesus as the Messiah. He had called him “Master” in 5:5, but here he called him Lord. Recognizing Jesus’ identity and thus his inherent holiness made Simon painfully aware of his own sinfulness. Simon knew he was looking at the Messiah, and his sin and unworthiness caused him to fall to his knees before Jesus and ask him to leave. Simon realized that he had witnessed a true miracle and did not feel worthy to be in Jesus’ presence or to be the recipient of Jesus’ special favor

• LIFE APPLICATION – DAY TO DAY NEEDS
• Simon Peter was awestruck by this miracle, and his first response was to feel his own insignificance in comparison to this man’s greatness. Simon knew that Jesus had healed the sick and had driven out demons, but he was amazed that Jesus cared about his day-to-day routine and understood his needs. God is interested not only in saving you but also in helping you in your daily activities. But your first step must be to give him your life.

5:9-11 The others with Simon included those who helped on the fishing boats, as well as Simon’s partners, James and John (see Mark 1:19, 29). All were awestruck by the size of their catch. Jesus spoke reassuringly to Simon. Indeed, the central focus of this story is not so much the miraculous catch as it is the picture it gives of Jesus’ call to Simon to be his disciple and begin fishing for people. While James and John also followed, Luke focused on Simon, as he did in much of this Gospel, most likely because Simon Peter figured prominently in the early church (Luke’s second volume is the book of Acts) and because his Gentile readers would have been familiar with him.

When the fishing party landed, they left behind the biggest catch they had ever seen and followed Jesus. Jesus had not come along with them to give them a good catch and a good day’s wage; Jesus had come to change their professions and priorities forever. They understood the picture he had given them of what he was calling them to do, and they left their ships and nets behind and followed.   What Jesus told Peter is something He says to each of us who come to Him acknowledging our sin: from now on, life will be different!

• LIFE APPLICATION-LEFT BEHIND
• These fishermen had seen Jesus establish his authority in the synagogue, heal the sick, and drive out demons. With this miraculous catch of fish, he also established his authority in their lives—he met them on their level and helped them in their work. So they left their nets and remained with Jesus. There are two requirements for coming to God. First is recognition of one’s sinfulness. Second is the realization of the impossibility of saving oneself. Those who know that they need help and that Jesus is the only one who can help them are ready to leave everything and follow him. Following Jesus means more than just acknowledging him as Savior. It means leaving the past behind and committing the future to him.

Jesus Heals a Man with Leprosy / 5:12-16

After recording the story of Peter’s call, Luke placed a story of another person—this time, a leper—who with a spirit of brokenness ran to the mercy of Jesus, literally falling at his feet (5:8, 12).

5:12 This man took a great risk when he came near to Jesus because he had an advanced case of leprosy. Leprosy was a feared disease because there was no known cure for it, and some forms of it were highly contagious. Leprosy had a similar emotional impact and terror associated with it, as AIDS does today. (Sometimes called Hansen’s disease, leprosy still exists today in a less contagious form that can be treated.) If a person contracted the contagious type, a priest declared him a leper and banished him from his home and city. This also excluded him from participating in any social or religious activities (according to the law in Leviticus 13–14). The leper went to live in a community with other lepers until the disease went into remission or he or she died. Quarantine was the only way the people knew to contain the spread of the contagious forms of leprosy. Because leprosy destroys the nerve endings, lepers often would unknowingly damage their fingers, toes, and noses. This man with leprosy had an advanced case, so he undoubtedly had lost much bodily tissue. The man believed that Jesus could heal every trace of the disease; he only wondered if Jesus would want to.

5:13 Jesus reached out and touched the man, an unheard of act. The man was an untouchable, a man full of leprosy, the most feared and dreaded and contagious disease known to the world of that day. Yet Jesus condescended, lowered Himself to touch the man. No other man would. The man had been a leper for years, so many years that he was now full of leprosy, a very advanced stage. During all those years no one could help him. He had not been touched by a human hand for so many years, he probably could not remember the softness of a tender touch.

Then he spoke the words, “Be healed!” That Jesus’ touch precedes his pronouncement of healing indicates his sovereignty over the Jewish law not to touch a leper (Leviticus 5:3; 13:1-46; Numbers 5:2). In touching the leper, Jesus became “unclean,” but he did not worry about becoming ritually unclean when he could reassure this social outcast. Jesus also exposed himself to the disease. Most likely no one had touched this man in years. Jesus’ touch showed great compassion. When Jesus spoke the words, instantly the leprosy disappeared.

•  LIFE APPLICATION –BEYOND THE LAW
• Certain people may be considered untouchable or repulsive. Believers must not be afraid to reach out and touch them with God’s love. In Jesus’ time, the word ”leprosy” was used to describe a number of diseases, all of which disfigured the person. Since many of the diseases were contagious, the law of Moses forbade touching a person with “leprosy.” But Jesus, confronted with a leper’s request for healing, not only granted the request, but actually touched the man. In so doing, he went beyond what the law prescribed. When you are in a situation where the law of God seems to collide with the love of God, do what Jesus did: obey the law of love. In other words, when in doubt, err on the side of compassion.

5:14 Jesus healed the man, but also gave him two warnings: First, he was instructed not to tell anyone what had happened. Jesus’ mission was to preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God; he did not want the crowds descending on him to see miracles or to benefit from his power.

The law required a priest to examine a healed leper (Leviticus 14). Then the healed leper was to give an offering at the Temple. Jesus adhered to these laws by telling the man to go right to the priest and let him examine him, thereby demonstrating high regard for God’s law. Jesus wanted this man to give his story firsthand to the priest to prove that his leprosy was completely gone. This would allow him to be restored to his family and community. Next the man was to take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy.

The man was not to proclaim his healing, but the priest’s pronouncement would give proof to everyone that the man had been healed. Most important, however, the testimony would reveal that the one who heals lepers had come. People believed that healing leprosy was a sign of the Messiah’s arrival (see Matthew 11:5).

5:15-16 Mark recorded that the man disobeyed Jesus’ warning (Mark 1:45). Thus, the report of Jesus’ power spread even faster. The healed man’s disobedience to Jesus’ command, even if from good motives, hindered Jesus’ work because the publicity Jesus received severely hampered his ministry in the synagogues. Vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases; Jesus’ notoriety as a healer made it impossible for him to teach and speak because people pressed on him, seeking special favors. Instead of enjoying his newfound fame and success (at least according to the world’s standards), Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.

• LIFE APPLICATION- GET ALONE WITH GOD
• Many things clamor for attention, and people often run themselves ragged attending to them. Jesus took time to withdraw to a quiet and deserted place to pray. When facing conflict or troubled times, follow Jesus’ clear example. Strength comes from God, and you can only be strengthened by spending time with him.

Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man / 5:17-26

 This is the first record in Luke of Jesus’ interplay with the Jewish religious leaders of the day. Jesus was making headline news in ancient Israel, so obviously those in religious power wanted to see him for themselves.

5:17 Religious leaders came from every village in all Galilee and Judea, as well as from Jerusalem to listen to Jesus and see if everything they heard about him was true. Mark wrote that this event took place in Capernaum (Mark 2:1).

Two main groups of religious leaders, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, unofficially ran the religious affairs of the country. Although Palestine was occupied by Rome, the Jews had a certain amount of self-government, especially regarding their religion. By far the most influential, the Pharisees zealously followed the Old Testament laws, as well as their own religious traditions. They were highly respected in the community, but unfortunately many became so proud of their “righteousness” that they felt set apart from the common people. They pledged to obey every minute detail, not only of God’s law, but also of all the traditions and rules for life (over six hundred of these details came to be as important or more important than the word of God).

The teachers of religious law were the legal specialists of the day. Many teachers of the law were also Pharisees. They often handled correspondence for people or managed their financial accounts. By the time of Jesus, they had become a fairly powerful class.

Pharisees and teachers of religious law arrived to check out Jesus, and Luke immediately moved to the central point of this narrative, a healing. The Lord’s healing power was strongly with Jesus (for more on Jesus’ power, see 4:14; 6:19; 8:44-46).   Jesus was God so his power could flow out to those whom He touched. Healing was one of the key signs of the Messiah (4:18-21; Isaiah 61:1-2). Jesus healed and these religious leaders saw it with their own eyes, but they refused to believe.

• LIFE APPLICATION-BRING THEM TO HIM
• It wasn’t the paralytic’s faith that impressed Jesus, but the faith of his friends. Jesus responded to their faith and healed the man. For better or worse, a person’s faith affects others. No one can make another person a Christian, but a person’s words, actions, and love will give people a chance to respond. Look for opportunities to bring your friends to the living Christ. It will often require the same initiative, creativity, and courage to step out that was shown by these friends.

5:18-19 Jesus was teaching and the building was filled to capacity with people standing outside (Mark 2:2). Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They wanted to gain access to Jesus. When they could not get in, they went up to the roof. In Bible times, houses were built of stone and had flat roofs made of mud mixed with straw. In addition, some homes had stone slabs underneath the mortar mixture—this was probably the case here, for the text mentions tiles. Outside stairways led to the roof. These men carried their friend up the stairs to the roof where they took apart a portion of the roof and lowered the sick man down into the crowd, still on his mat, right in front of Jesus.

• LIFE APPLICATION-PERSISTENCE
• How important is it to you to see your lost friends and family members come to Christ? Most believers would say it’s very important, and they probably pray for them regularly and look for ways to influence them to receive Christ. Luke 5:18-19 tells of some men who were very persistent in bringing a friend to Jesus. They actually took off a section of a roof and lowered their friend through it to where Jesus was. What would you do to introduce someone to Christ? Would you tell your friend about your faith? invite him or her to a worship service or Bible study? pray for him or her daily? How important is it to you to help that person meet Jesus?

5:20 Jesus saw their faith acted out in their determination—the faith of all the men who came, but he spoke directly to the paralyzed man, saying, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Jesus spoke first to the man’s spiritual condition. All sickness and death are the result of evil and sin in the world. That does not mean that a person’s spiritual health can be measured by looking at his or her physical health. It means that every person is sinful and that every person, whether healthy, sick, or paralyzed, needs forgiveness of sins. A healthy spiritual life with God is always far more important than a perfectly healthy body. The man needed spiritual healing, so Jesus forgave his sins.

• LIFE APPLICATION-TRUE FORGIVENESS
• God offers the same forgiveness given to the paralytic to all who believe in Jesus. He paid the penalty that sin deserved and sins can no longer be held against a believer.  The guilt caused by sin is removed and replaced with Christ’s righteousness. Believers are so forgiven that, in God’s eyes, it is as if they had never sinned. Do you carry a heavy burden for sins you have committed? Confess all to Christ and receive his forgiveness. He can cleanse your conscience from guilt. He puts away those sins and remembers them no more. Neither should you.

5:21 When the Pharisees and teachers of religious law heard Jesus tell the paralyzed man that his sins were forgiven, they were shocked. “Who does this man think he is?” they asked incredulously. “This is blasphemy!” Blasphemy is the act of claiming to be God or to do what only God can do, as well as to curse, revile, or insult the name of God. In Jewish law, blasphemy was punishable by death (Leviticus 24:16).

Forgiveness of sins was a sign that the messianic age had come (Isaiah 40:2; Joel 2:32; Micah 7:18-19; Zechariah 13:1), and these lifetime students of God’s word should have known this. In labeling Jesus’ claim to forgive sins as blasphemous, the religious leaders showed they did not understand that Jesus is God and that he has God’s power to heal both the body and the soul. Because only God can forgive sins, Jesus was claiming to be God. Unfortunately, these religious leaders’ reaction was anger and hatred, instead of honestly considering that perhaps this man was indeed their Messiah.

• LIFE APPLICATION-WHO IS THIS MAN?
• The Pharisees took God and their beliefs about him very seriously. They saw the miracle Jesus performed but missed the importance of it. Do you ever get sidetracked or distracted by theological arguments or doctrinal disputes? Theology is important. Doctrine is too. But the real issue is: Do you believe Jesus is the Christ?

5:22-23 Jesus did not hear the men’s amazed words, but he knew what they were thinking as part of his divine nature. While Jesus walked as a human on this earth, he never ceased to be God. As a man, however, Jesus was subject to place, time, and other human limitations. Yet he could still see each person’s thoughts, intents, and motives. So Jesus asked them point-blank, “Why do you think this is blasphemy?”

The teachers knew about Jesus’ ability to heal, and they probably had expected Jesus to immediately heal the paralyzed man. Instead, Jesus forgave the man’s sins. To the teachers, this sounded like blasphemy. Anyone can just say someone’s sins are forgiven, but it would take someone with great power and authority to heal a paralyzed person. Jesus would show that he had the power to forgive sins by also showing that he had the power to make a paralyzed person get up and walk. Jesus was offering to do an easier task (healing the man) as public evidence that the more difficult, “secret” task (forgiveness of sin) also had been accomplished.

5:24-25 The implied answer to the question Jesus asked in 5:23 is that it would certainly be easier to just say, “Your sins are forgiven” (who would know whether it had happened or not) than to perform a healing in public view. So to prove that he had power to forgive sins, Jesus showed them his power to heal. Speaking to the religious leaders, Jesus said, “I will prove that I, the Son of Man, have the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Using the messianic title “Son of Man” (Daniel 7:13) gave them no doubt of who he claimed to be.

Turning back to the paralyzed man still lying on the mat in front of him, Jesus said, “Stand up, take your mat, and go on home, because you are healed!” Immediately he jumped to his feet and did as Jesus said. The religious leaders who had questioned Jesus’ ability to forgive sins saw the formerly paralyzed man get up and walk. Such a healing would have been impossible apart from God’s power. There could be no mistaking the connection—Jesus had the power to make the paralyzed man walk; thus, he also had the authority to forgive his sins.

• LIFE APPLICATION – BACKING IT UP
• Jesus said the man’s sins were forgiven, but anyone could say that. How would the Pharisees, or the paralytic himself for that matter, know that what Jesus claimed was true? Jesus offered this as proof: The paralyzed man would stand up and walk, a pretty convincing bit of evidence that Jesus spoke with authority. You don’t have that kind of miracle-working, sin-forgiving authority, but you follow the one who does. Therefore, your life should be consistent with your words. Your actions should back up your claims to belong to him.

5:26 The phrase, everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, refers to the crowd in the house and implies amazement as well as fear. Such awe was appropriate in the presence of one who displayed the authority to heal and to forgive sins. As a result, the people praised God.

 Jesus Eats with Sinners at Matthew’s House / 5:27-32

The next clash between Jesus and the religious leaders revolved around the company he kept. Not only was Jesus not separating himself from distasteful characters, he was seeking them out. Jesus wasn’t accused of accepting sinners as his friends; he was charged with befriending sinners.

5:27 In Mark and Luke, Matthew is called Levi. Most people in this day had two or three names: a Jewish name, a Roman name, and possibly a Greek name. Levi was his Jewish name, Matthew his Roman name. Levi was a Jew who worked for the Romans as the area’s tax collector. He collected taxes from the citizens as well as from merchants passing through town. Capernaum was a customs post on the caravan route between Damascus to the northeast and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Most Jews hated tax collectors because of their reputation for cheating, their support of Rome, and their constant contact with “unclean” Gentiles. Tax collectors took a commission on the taxes they collected, so most of them overcharged the people and kept the profits.

Everyone in Capernaum knew Matthew, and anyone passing through the city who had to pay taxes could find him easily, for he sat at the tax-collection booth, an elevated platform or bench. This would not have been the first time that Jesus had seen Matthew, for Jesus had often walked along the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Certainly Matthew had seen Jesus before and, with the crowds, probably had been impressed and intrigued with this man. So one day when Jesus walked right up to Matthew’s booth and said, “Come, be my disciple!” Matthew lost no time in responding. This was not a request, but a command; not an invitation, but a call to discipleship.

5:28 Levi responded as Jesus would want all his followers to do—he got up, left everything, and followed him. Levi left a lucrative tax-collecting business to follow the Lord. That Levi left everything was no small matter. Matthew was probably very wealthy, so when he walked away from his booth, he left behind a lifetime of potentially great wealth. Several of the other disciples could always return to fishing, but Matthew could never turn back.

5:29 Levi called his friends together to meet Jesus too. He held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the guest of honor so that his fellow tax collectors and other guests could meet Jesus. This was a crowd that Jesus could not reach in the synagogues, for they had been excommunicated (their profession was seen as traitorous). Jesus loved them and had a message for them too—the Good News of the Kingdom of God.

• LIFE APPLICATION-FRIENDS IN LOW PLACES
• Jesus was criticized for associating with the “wrong” people—sinners, tax gatherers, and undesirables. He offered them God’s love and forgiveness regardless of their social status. Could anyone criticize you or your church for hanging out with the “wrong crowd”? If not, make it a matter of prayer for God to move you into the lives of one or two people who really need to experience his grace and mercy.

5:30 The religious leaders had apparently continued to follow Jesus all the way to Matthew’s house and watched the feast. According to the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law, contact with such scum made a Jew unclean. The Pharisees regarded these people as wicked and opposed to the will of God because they did not observe the rituals for purity which enabled them to eat with others. Thus, to eat and drink with such people was particularly heinous. The Pharisees would have nothing to do with such people. But not so with Jesus. How could Jesus make the claims he did and hang out with the worst elements of society?

5:31-32 The disciples, perhaps wondering about this themselves, brought the question to Jesus. The first part of Jesus’ answer was from a common proverb on the healthy and the sick. Healthy people don’t need a doctor—the physician’s waiting room is filled with sick people. They recognize their need and come to the one who can make them well. The Pharisees were appalled that Jesus ate with sinners and outcasts. Their love of principle and position motivated them to drive a wedge between God’s law and common people. Jesus carried the proverb a step further and explained his messianic mission: “I have come to call sinners to turn from their sins, not to spend my time with those who think they are already good enough.” Jesus was saying, “I am here because these are the people who realize their need and welcome me.” This was Jesus’ audience. Jesus, the Great Physician, healed people of physical illnesses, but he knew that all people are spiritually sick and in need of salvation. He was not lowering the standards; he was reaching out to seeking souls in order to bring them the salvation for which they sought.

 Religious Leaders Ask Jesus about Fasting / 5:33-39

By this time, the Pharisees were constantly skirmishing with Jesus. Two confrontations have preceded this section: one over Jesus’ authority to forgive sins (5:17-26) and the other over Jesus’ friendship with unsavory characters (5:27-31). The parables of the cloth and the wineskins (5:37-38) apply to more than just fasting or to the Pharisees; they speak of Jesus’ entire mission and the new era he inaugurated by his entrance into human history.

5:33 John the Baptist’s disciples refers to the remaining disciples of John the Baptist; the disciples of the Pharisees were probably Pharisees-in-training who would observe the older men and attempt to also practice all the rules and regulations. The Pharisees wanted to know why their own followers, as well as those of John the Baptist, would always fast and pray. “Fasting” refers to going without food in order to spend time in prayer. The Old Testament law set aside only one day a year as a required day of fasting for all Jews—the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:29). The Pharisees, however, fasted on Mondays and Thursdays (see 18:12) as an act of piety, so their followers did the same. Jesus’ disciples, however, were out of step.

• LIFE APPLICATION-FASTING
• What should be believers’ attitude toward fasting—going without food in order to spend time in prayer? Fasting gives believers time to pray, teaches self-discipline, reminds them that they can live with a lot less, and helps them to focus on and appreciate God’s gifts. Fasting was mandatory for the Jewish people once a year, on the Day of Atonement, and the Pharisees voluntarily fasted twice a week to impress people with their “holiness.” Jesus commended acts of self-sacrifice done quietly and sincerely. He wanted people to adopt spiritual disciplines for the right reasons, not from a selfish desire for praise.

Fasting presents a physical example of the painstaking aspects of spiritual growth. This kind of discipline humbles believers because going without food is a reminder of their complete dependence on God. It also gives them more time to pray and meditate on God. Being willing to devote a mealtime or set aside other major activities to devote time to prayer can be a great exercise of faith.

5:34-35 In the Old Testament, people would fast in times of disaster and as a sign of their humility and repentance. Fasting represented mourning. During that time, the people approached God with humility and sorrow for sin (see, for example, Judges 20:26; 1 Kings 21:27; Ezra 8:21; Joel 1:14; Jonah 3:5). In the New Testament, the Pharisees fasted as a show of piety; the disciples of John the Baptist fasted as a sign of mourning for sin and to prepare for the Messiah’s coming. Jesus’ disciples, however, did not need to fast because the Messiah was with them!

Jesus compared himself to a groom and his time on earth as a time of feasting and celebration. His guests (those who had come to believe in him) did not need to fast while he was with them. Jesus did not condemn fasting—he himself fasted (4:2). He emphasized that fasting must be done at the right time for the right reasons.

Jesus also knew that someday the groom will be taken away from the people, referring to his death. Then they will fast in sorrow. Although Jesus was fully human, he knew he was God and why he had come—to die, paying the penalty for sin.

5:36 Jesus then told the questioning Pharisees a parable—a short story that uses familiar scenes and everyday objects and relationships to explain spiritual truths. Jesus’ arrival on earth ushered in a new covenant between God and people. The New Covenant called for a new way of expressing personal faith. The newness of the gospel could not be combined with the legalism of the Pharisees any more than a piece of cloth from a new garment should be used to patch an old garment. When the garment would be washed, the patch would shrink, pull away from the old garment, and leave a worse tear than before.

Jesus did not come to patch up the old religious system of Judaism with its rules and traditions. His purpose was to fulfill the law and start something new, though it had been prophesied for centuries. The “new” cannot fit with the “old” patterns of thought. Jesus Christ, God’s Son, came to earth to offer people forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God. The gospel did not fit into the old rigid legalistic system of religion. The gospel offered grace; Judaism offered law and rule keeping.

5:37-38 In Bible times, people would store wine in goatskins sewn around the edges to form watertight bags (called wineskins). New wine expands as it ferments; thus new wine must be put into new wineskins. Old wineskins would become brittle and wouldn’t stretch anymore; if someone put new wine into an old wineskin, the old wineskin would burst and spill the wine.

The Christian church was never meant to be a sect or adaptation of Judaism. Instead, Christ fulfills the intent of the Old Testament Scripture. The law reveals the nature and will of God; Jesus Christ reveals the nature and will of God. But while the law could only point out sin and condemn people, Jesus Christ gave his life to bring forgiveness of sin and salvation. These parables speak of Jesus’ entire mission and the new era he inaugurated by his entrance into human history.

The new wine was the newness of the gospel as exemplified in the person of Jesus Christ (John 2:1-11). Like old wineskins, the Pharisees and indeed the entire religious system of Judaism had become too rigid to accept Jesus who could not be contained in their traditions or rules. Their understanding of faithfulness to the law had become unsuitable for the fresh, dynamic power of Christ’s message. They were the self-appointed guardians of the “old garment” and the “old wineskins.”

• LIFE APPLICATION – CHANGE?
• How do you react to change? Do you welcome it, fear it, embrace it, run away from it? The church is an institution with a tremendous heritage and tradition, much of it going all the way back to Jesus and the apostles, and some of it going back beyond that to the Old Testament forebears. These traditions should be respected but not worshiped, only Jesus is worshiped. Jesus said as much in Luke 5:36-38, when he said that new wine must be put into new wineskins. Give yourself a quick mental examination: How often do you say things like “That will never work” or “That’s not what I’m used to.” If those words sound familiar, you may need to ask God to start allowing him to work in your life and the life of your church in new and fresh ways.

5:39 Jesus could have quoted another well-known parable for our day, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Jesus realized that many people are so content with the old wine that they don’t even want to try the new wine. “The old is better,” they say. Many tragically stick with the good when God wants to give them the best. Many of the Pharisees would investigate Jesus’ teaching but cling to the old traditions. Many who check out Christianity will reject it, preferring their old ways. Loyalty to the old life may prevent people from believing and certainly will keep them from growing.

Thanks for being a part of this, please feel free to post anything God is teaching you.  I would love to hear from you.   Until tomorrow, Darrell

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

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