Luke's Gospel
Preface
The booklet is designed to help village pastors teach their congregations basic truth about Jesus. It comes out of a question put to me in a Hindu girls’ school in India: “How can Jesus be God?” I responded to with another question: “How can God become man?”
In addition to various translations of the Bible, I have relied mainly on 2 commentaries on Luke, the New International Commentary on the Gospel of Luke by Norval Geldehuys and The IVP commentary on Luke by Darrell L. Bock.
I hope the reader will keep an open Bible alongside this booklet and allow the Holy Spirit to lead in teaching the material creatively in the appropriate cultural context. I hope God will give you additional insight into the book of Luke, and I hope you will teach it systematically as a way of introducing people to Jesus.
Winston Mattsson-Boze
Ramsey, Minnesota
July 23, 2010
The teaching is organized into four sections.
The first gives Jesus historical and spiritual credentials, beginning on page 2.
The second shows how the disciples came to recognize Jesus divinity, and begins on page
17.
The third tells of the approach to Jerusalem beginning on page 41.
The final section tells of the Crucifixion and Resurrection, beginning on page 78.
Part 1.
Luke 1:1-4:14 Establishing Jesus’ Credentials
Introduction: Dedication to Theophilus Luke 1:1-4
Luke writes to reassure Theophilus concerning the story of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, in order to confirm his faith. The names Luke and Theophilus are both Greek names, which probably indicates that they were not natural born Jews, or if they were, they at least came from a strong Greek influence. Theophilus (which means lover of God) is addressed as “most excellent” which probably indicates that he was from a higher class of people.
Luke tells us that many had attempted to put together biographies of Jesus, indicating the broad impact he had on the society around him. We are naturally drawn to writing the details of the lives of great people, and hoping to learn from their experiences. Luke read many of these attempts, and he spoke with many of the people who had personal encounters with Jesus while on earth. He probably interviewed the Virgin Mary, since he gives details that only she would know. Certainly during his time with Paul on his travels (in Acts) they shared information as they traveled to introduce Jesus to the world. The Gospel of Luke is very much based on eyewitness accounts, not on hearsay. No doubt, many of his sources were people involved in spreading the message, and thus there is a “preacher” element in the book. These preachers “delivered” the message to us, a response to a direct commissioning from the Lord.
Luke speaks of the things that “have been accomplished among us.” This is a reference to the fulfilling of God’s plan for the ages. It is not an abstract philosophical thesis, but a narrative very much grounded in things that actually happened here on earth at a specific time in history.
Luke researched his material carefully. While it seems true that both Luke and Matthew depend on the Gospel of Mark for some of their material, Luke adds many more incidents and stories; half of Luke’s material appears in no other place. This means that he isn’t merely copying from others, but has looked carefully in many sources.
There are thus four stages in his presentation, which can be guidelines for us as we do our own preparations to present the story of Jesus as well:
1. He investigated thoroughly.
2. He went back to the beginning of the story, as seen in starting with the birth of John the Baptist.
3. He was thorough in his investigations. There are ancient stories about Jesus that don’t appear in the Gospels, and we assume that Luke doesn’t include them because he could not confirm them. This gives more credibility to the things that he does include.
4. He wrote them down carefully, so they could be easily understood.
He also says he presents the material in an “orderly” fashion. The order is not always chronological, when we compare the Gospels. But in general Luke has the story moving from Galilee to Samaria to Jerusalem in terms of geography. In terms of the history of redemption, he starts with man in his sinful condition, his temptation, and proceeds toward the cross and our salvation.
Luke is not trying to present new theology, but rather to give affirmation of those things that Theophilus had already been taught. This indicates that Theophilus was already a Christ follower. It also shows us that there was some confusion among the early Christians concerning the life of Jesus.
Luke 1:5-25 Zechariah
Zechariah was one of about 18000 priests in Israel, and went with his division to Jerusalem twice a year. They sometimes made extra trips when there was need for more priests at special festivals. He and his wife Elizabeth both had priestly forbears, and this was considered especially blessed. They were righteous, even though Elizabeth was barren, which indicated that her barrenness was not caused by sin or moral failure on the part of either one of them. The name Zechariah can be translated “the Lord remembers,” and Elizabeth, “my God is an oath.” It was said of women like Elizabeth, “she deserves to be married to a priest.”
A barren woman becoming pregnant is a fairly regular theme in Scripture. Examples are Sarah (Genesis 18:11), Rebekah (Genesis 25:21), Rachel (Genesis 29:31), Sampson’s mother (Judges13:2, 5), and Hannah (1 Samuel 1&2). These “miraculous” pregnancies are associated with change in the history of the people of God.
In Jerusalem, prayers were normally offered three times a day, twice accompanied by the incense offerings. Zechariah was chosen by lot to offer the incense. He was nearing the mandatory retirement age of 50 for priests. (They could begin serving as priests at age 30. Numbers 4:3) A priest was only permitted to offer the incense once in his life, so this represented the most holy thing that Zechariah ever did in his life. The incense symbolized the prayers of the people, and as the priest offered the incense in the holy place, from which it would drift up over the curtain and enter the Holy of Holies, the people were also offering up their prayers outside as they waited for the ceremony to be completed. This may be considered a figure of what happens when we pray; we have Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary offering intercession for us, and our prayers are mixed with “incense” and made acceptable to God through Him.
When everything was ready, the president would give the signal and the priest would immediately put the incense on the fire, and the people outside would bow down in worship with their hands outstretched in total silence. The entire temple would become silent; the incense would symbolize their complete consecration. The moment would have been solemn enough for Zechariah to say, like Simeon, “Now you let your servant depart in peace.” His prayer would have been for the Messiah to come.
But today, as Zechariah is offering the incense, the angel Gabriel appears at the right side of the altar, quite unexpectedly, because there is no prophetic word concerning such an event in the Old Testament. The angel tells Zechariah that his prayers have been heard. We would assume that Zechariah was praying in his priestly role for the Messiah to appear and deliver Israel from its domination by the Romans, but the angel continues and says that Elizabeth will become pregnant and give birth to a boy whose name will be John. This is a surprise for Zechariah, and he finds it hard to believe.
The boy is to drink no wine, but he is not instructed to take the Nazirite vow, which would also require that they not cut his hair. This is in contrast to Jesus, who had no such requirement, (Luke 7:31-35.) He will be empowered by the Spirit from his mother’s womb and will turn people to the Lord from their sinful ways, and will also turn parents to their children, thus indicating reconciliation in families. He will make the people ready to receive the Lord. (Isaiah 43:7, 2 Samuel 7:24, Malachi 4:6)
Many will rejoice in his birth. The rejoicing was because a prophet had arisen after 400 years of what seemed to be silence from heaven. This was a prophet in the mold of Elijah. There are many similarities between Elijah and John. Both prophesied in difficult historical periods. Elijah had to contend with Ahab and Jezebel, while John spoke out against Herod and his brother’s wife. Both lived in the desert, and each was clearly not a “respecter of persons.” Both were called to bring Israel back to the faith of their fathers, the patriarchs, by restoring righteousness and the expectancy of the Kingdom of God. John was called to make the people spiritually alert and expectant.
Zechariah is not so expectant, and responds, “I am an old man.” He sees the natural circumstance of his own age and the advancing years of Elizabeth. Like other prophets before him (Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah) he resists the words that God is speaking to him. But the angel responds, “I am Gabriel, and I stand in the presence of God.” So the tension of faith enters the picture. Shall we say, “I am an old man,” or shall we believe the word of the angel, “I am Gabriel.” The revelation from God is the dominant factor, in spite of the weakness of our human condition.
Angels seem to be common in the New Testament. We see them in the Christmas story, and it was common to have them visit the early church, since the book of Hebrews 13:2 tells us to be careful to entertain strangers, because they might be angels. We don’t have a lot of details about them, but we know they are there to serve the heirs of salvation Hebrews 1:16). We accept them, but we don’t worship them.
A temporary judgment comes on Zechariah, and he is made mute until the child is born. He will see great miracles happening, but he won’t be able to talk about it. (It’s very difficult when a preacher can’t open his mouth!) Verses 62-63 indicate that he may also have been made deaf.
The people waiting outside are nervous, because it was the custom of the priests to come out quickly after offering the incense. This probably is a reference to the annual entry of the high priest into the Holy of Holies, where he would die if he didn’t perform the ritual exactly as prescribed. He carried a bell, so those outside could hear that he was still alive and performing his functions. Besides, there was nothing in the Scriptures that spoke of an angel coming to the altar of incense, especially on a day of ordinary sacrifice. The people would not leave until the priest came out and pronounced the benediction. In any case, Zechariah finally came out, and he had to give the benediction in sign language. The benediction would be the Aaronic blessing from Numbers 6:24-26:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
The people went home and Zechariah went home. Elizabeth conceived and hid herself for 5 months. She rejoiced because her “disgrace” had been removed. One can imagine their preparing their home for the arrival of this boy who had been prophesied about in the temple. The must have studied the passages in Isaiah 40: 3-5 and Malachi 4:5-6.
Luke 1:26-38 The Birth of Jesus Foretold
The angel Gabriel is sent on a second mission a few months later, and this shows some parallels between the birth of John and Jesus. They are interwoven in chapter 1, but there is some contrast as well. The announcement to Zechariah was spectacular, while the announcement to Mary was quiet. Zechariah was a priest; Mary a common person. In coming to Mary, the angel is coming to our everyday experience to bring hope.
Mary was betrothed to Joseph. The custom was to have one year of engagement before the marriage was consummated. During this time she was considered to be his legal wife, but they did not cohabit. Mary was a virgin, and the birth of Jesus was done without a man being involved.
There is some discussion of her virginity because the reference in Isaiah 7:14 to a virgin conceiving could have multiple interpretations, depending on how you see the fulfillment of the prophecy from Isaiah’s point of view. Some translate the word in Isaiah as “young woman” but the Greek translation definitely uses the word virgin as we understand it. We hold to the teaching of the virgin birth because the texts in Matthew and Luke are explicit in their use of the term. There are also indications in Paul, where he says Jesus was born of a woman (Galatians 4:4), and also implications in both Mark and John.
The virgin birth is an indication that God is the father of the child through the Holy Spirit overshadowing Mary. In this way, the child is not contaminated with the sin of Adam and Eve, and can serve as the pure vessel that will overcome the works of Satan and be the deliverer of all men and women who put their trust in him.
Mary is described in several ways: She is highly favored, a term that is later applied to the people of God as well. She is thoughtful, considering the things the angel said, and obedient in submitting to his word. She believes the word, which is indicated later in Elizabeth’s song, and she responds in worship in her own song. She is a faithful follower of the Law of Moses, and cannot even imagine being unfaithful to Joseph. In many ways Mary is the ideal woman, and yet she also speaks of Jesus as her savior. She needed salvation as well. Later we find her present on the day of Pentecost, when she too was filled with the Holy Spirit.
The angel gives a name, Jesus, to the child, just as he had given the name John to Zechariah. His position will be divine, as the son of the Most High. His authority will be universal, for he will be given the eternal throne of David in a kingdom that will never end. He will be tied to his divine origin by being born through the Holy Spirit coming upon Mary. (Old Testament references to him in these relationships are found in Isaiah 9:6-7, Isaiah 11:1-5, 10, Jeremiah 23:5-6)
The Jews didn’t expect a divine Messiah, but rather an earthly warrior king who would set them free from domination by gentile nations. Jesus is presented to the world simply, born in a simple place. It is true that a few wise people saw that he was a king, but he is presented as a baby, and his divinity is gradually unfolded in Luke. (This is in contrast to John’s showing forth of Jesus, where his divinity is assumed and explained. In Luke, we are allowed to watch him develop until Peter recognizes him as Messiah in chapter 9.)
Mary’s response is innocent and pure: “How shall this be, since I don’t know a man?’ The angel says, “Nothing is impossible with God.” (This comes from the Greek version of Genesis 18:14, where the angel announces to Sarah, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”, thus tying the birth of Isaac to the birth of Jesus.) Another translation says, “No word from God shall be void of power.” When God has spoken a word, it carries its own power, and will be fulfilled and not return empty.
Mary speaks again. You can almost see her head bowing as she says, “I am the Lord’s servant.” She accepts the responsibility, the glory, the potential for personal shame, and all the risk connected with being the most highly honored among women.
How does Luke know so much detail about such a personal and intimate matter? Probably from a direct interview with Mary. It is clear that she would not share all the details with an unsympathetic listener, but she also understood that the world had to know the details of the birth of Jesus. Luke writes about it with great sensitivity, and the explanation of Joseph’s conflict in Matthew is also written with sensitivity.
Mary is honored among women. It doesn’t say she is honored among virgins or among saints, but among women. In this way, respect is shown to all women. She is to be honored, but not worshiped, for Jesus teaches us to worship God alone. There are extra biblical teachings that were added long after the Bible was finalized that claim that a miracle occurred when Mary herself was conceived that freed her from original sin. Another teaching claims that her body ascended directly into heaven when she died. Neither of these teachings has a basis in the Bible.
The Greek term theotokos is applied to Mary. It means the Mother of God. This is true in the earthly sense that God became man in the womb of Mary. But Jesus existed before he was in Mary’s womb, for he is eternal. His relationship to God the Father is an eternal relationship that has no beginning or ending. One is not inferior to the other; neither is one younger than the other.
As believers, we join with all Christians in honoring and blessing Mary for her role in bringing Jesus to us. We also learn from the few words that Mary says in the Bible that our focus is to always be on the Lord Jesus.
Luke 1:39-56 Elizabeth
When Mary went to visit Elizabeth in response to the angel’s hint, it was not only an encounter between the two women, but also between Jesus and John the Baptist, even though neither of them had yet been born. The immediate response to the presence of the pre-natal Jesus was the filling with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth demonstrated it by prophesying and the baby by leaping in her womb. John later refers to Jesus as the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit, and here in his first encounter, that is what he does.
Elizabeth is filled with joy, as are all who appear in the birth narratives of Jesus. She announces that Mary is blessed above all women, and asks, “Why am I so favored that the mother of our Lord should visit me?” and pronounces blessing on Mary because she believed the word that God had spoken. The basic blessing comes to Mary because she believes God’s word, and all else is a consequence of that. She expresses the belief by her submission to the word, and by following the hint of the angel that she should go and visit Elizabeth “Hints” are often a leading of the Lord. It’s as if God is looking for our response.
Elizabeth’s pregnancy is also a confirmation to Mary that the word of the angel is true. Remember that Elizabeth had hidden herself, so most people did not know of her situation. Here we discover the reason. She was to wait with the announcement until Mary came. It was God’s way of reassuring Mary that this was the right thing. There is a temptation to doubt, but God makes provision to reaffirm His word.
Mary now speaks her longest speech in the Bible. It is called the Magnificat, and together with the Benedictus (by Zechariah in 1:57-79) and the nunc dimittus (by Simeon in 2:28-32. The phrase literally means “Now I can depart”) is one of the three “songs” celebrating the birth of Jesus.
Her soul magnifies the Lord and her spirit rejoices in God the savior. There are distinctions between man’s soul and spirit in the scriptures, with the soul representing more of the intellectual and emotional, while the spirit represents the part of man that communicates with God. But the two terms are often used interchangeable, which is probably the case here. Certainly she is expressing the great joy that she feels in her entire being, even though she is from a humble class of people.
She understands that all generations will call her blessed, but not for her own qualities; rather she is blessed because God has done great things for her. One of the themes in Luke is God’s interest in the poor, and also a certain threat against the unrighteous rich. The reference to the blessing on previous generations shows the continuity of God’s covenant. As he has blessed Israel in the past, so he shall continue to bless all the nations in the future as they respond to His word.
She speaks of mercy to the servant Israel, a reference to the “servant songs” in Isaiah, but she goes back beyond that to the promise to Abraham, a promise the predates the nation of Israel, for God promised Abraham that in his seed “all nations” would be blessed. Remember that Luke is writing to Theophilus, a Greek who is not a part of the nation of Israel.
Mary remained with Elizabeth for 3 months. Perhaps it was during this time that Joseph had his angelic visitation. When Mary returned home, Elizabeth was about to give birth to John.
Luke 1:57-80 John the Baptist
John’s birth was followed by a hymn/prophecy just as was the encounter between Mary and Elizabeth. The hymn shows the great significance of the moment.
The people witnessing the circumcision and naming are surprised when Elizabeth insists the child be named John. Tradition would demand that the child be named for the father or the grandfather, especially in a priestly family, but Elizabeth had somehow been informed by Zechariah of the angel’s name for the child. Choosing the name was an act of obedience. Zechariah confirmed the name by writing on a wax tablet, and as soon as he declared it, his tongue was set free and he began to prophecy.
There are three miraculous things occurring. The old woman gives birth, despite her lifelong barrenness. The child is given a strange name. Zechariah recovers his ability to speak. Clearly, something unusual and new is happening. The people are expectant.
Just before the prophecy, it says that the Lord’s hand was with him. This is often an indication that deliverance is coming. Some Old Testament references are Exodus 15:6, Isaiah 5:12, 66:14, Psalm 28:5, Ezekiel 1:3, 3:14. This is in contrast to the hand of our enemies mentioned in the prophecies. The hand of the Lord is on John for good; the hand of the enemy is trying to destroy God’s people.
Zechariah’s blessing is cosmic, whereas Mary’s song is very personal. It contains both spiritual and political dimensions. God redeems us from sin, and he raises up a horn of salvation. The horn of the ox symbolized its strength. Thus God gives us strength to do His work on earth. John is to introduce the One who will make it possible for man to serve Him in holiness all the days. The child of God will be able to serve God.
The end of the prophecy focuses attention on the One John is to introduce, rather than on John himself. This is in accordance with John’s later statement, “He must increase and I must decrease.”
John grew strong in spirit and stayed in the wilderness, away from the formal religious schools, until he was introduced to Israel.
Luke 2:1-21 The Birth of Jesus
While it was probably quiet in the manger, except possibly for the baby and some animals, the heavens were not silent. In the normally quiet and dark countryside, and angel appeared to the shepherds, announcing the birth of Jesus. Normally, shepherds were despised. They were not trusted to bring testimony in legal trials, and they were suspected of all kinds of evil practices. But the angels are sent first to these people, a reminder that Christian faith is not exclusively for the rich and well educated, but for all people and all peoples. In fact the angel says those very words.
The circumstances of the birth are mentioned, with the implied suggestion that the shepherds should go and see what God is doing. They hurried, they saw, and they made known what had happened in the fields.
The area where the shepherds kept their sheep was most likely Migdal Eder, a place where the sheep that were eventually killed for temple sacrifices were raised. If that is so, it is appropriate that the shepherds should be present when the “lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world” is born.
Mary is quiet, and is pondering these things concerning her child in her heart, meditating on their significance. The shepherds leave, and on the eighth day, according to Jewish custom, Jesus is circumcised and given his name. Circumcision is symbolic of cutting away the sinful nature, or the “flesh”. Jesus did not carry the sinful nature, but he did submit to the rituals of both circumcision and baptism as a way of identifying with sinful humanity.
Luke 2:22-52 Jesus Presented at the Temple
In presenting Jesus at the temple, they are also fulfilling Jewish tradition. The offering they bring is the offering of the poor people, two birds. This shows that the wise men from the East had not yet visited them; if they had more money, they would have offered a lamb. Both sacrifices are acceptable according to the wealth of the giver. Giving according to means is appropriate; to give less than your means permit is not appropriate.
The devout Simeon sees them come, and the Spirit reveals that this is the one he was waiting for. He is satisfied, and he presents the “nunc dimittus”, a song of praise to God and his song on leaving this earth. Now he can die in peace because he has seen the Lord’s anointed. The order of his blessings is interesting. First he speaks of all the peoples, or ethnic groups. Then he speaks of the gentiles, and finally he speaks of Israel. This reinforces Luke’s understanding that the Gospel is for all, not just a limited part of humanity. The special place of Israel is that their glory is in presenting this one to the nations.
The purpose of the old priest's life was to see the Lord's anointed. The key to dying in peace is to have had an encounter with Jesus.
Simeon also understood that the Christ would not come without controversy. He explains this to Mary, and warns her that it will have a deep emotional effect on her as well. It is characteristic of strong leaders that in the process of bringing change, they also upset the things that already exist. This affects their immediate family as well. The call of God always has an effect on the family.
Anna's response is less theological. She has simply been waiting for the Messiah, and has a group around her who share in the hope. Other factors in life, even the idea of remarrying and having a family, have taken second place. She spends her time in the temple, worshiping. She becomes one who announces the good news of Christ, though she will not live to see the complete work.
The family returns to Nazareth, where Jesus spends his boyhood. There, we presume, Joseph carried on his carpentry business, and we presume that Jesus also took part in the work. He had a small business that took care of the family. (It was customary for a rabbi to have a trade.) Twice in this section it says that Jesus grew and increased in wisdom and favor with God. He grew physically, spiritually, socially, and intellectually. We all want our children to be raised in an atmosphere that promotes growth in all four of these areas.
At twelve years, Jesus is brought to the Passover feast in Jerusalem, and he finds his way to where the leaders are having spiritual discussions. The parents assume he is with the company. Very possibly the men and the women traveled in separate groups, and Joseph assumed he went with the women because he was young, while Mary assumed he went with the men because he was growing. In any case, the parents turned back and found him in rapt discussion with the teachers in the temple. Consider that by now he had been there for at least two days, listening and asking questions.
I recall a time in Argentina when we had a group of preachers asking me questions. Among them was a 12 year old boy, and I was astounded at the quality of his questions. They indicated a deep understanding of the Gospel. Here in Jerusalem, Jesus is able to get to the heart of every discussion. It brings to mind the incident on the road to Emmaus, where the two men were listening to Jesus explain the Old Testament as they walked along. This man, even as a boy, was deep into the scripture.
When the parents act like parents, criticizing him for not staying close to them on the travels, he responds that he must be in his father's house, but he says it in an unusual way, “Did you not know that I must be in my father's house,” as if this is the most obvious thing. These are the first recorded words that Jesus spoke. They are the first of a number of “it is necessary” expressions found in Luke. They didn't understand the matter. He declares that his Father is God, without denying that Joseph and Mary have the stewardship of his life in his youth. He goes back with them and is submissive.
Some translations say, “About my father's business.” The original language actually says, “About my father,” without making a reference. Jesus is stating that he will be in the presence of the Father, and that will be the source of his teaching and power. In John He says that he does nothing unless it reflects what he sees in the heavenly places.
Luke 3:1-22 John’s Ministry John the Baptist is identified as the forerunner of Christ as prophesied in Isaiah 40:3-5. His ministry began around AD 29 and Luke is careful to identify both the political and religious leaders of the time. This is an indication of his carefulness with details.
It says the Word of the Lord came to him. There had been no public prophet in Israel since Malachi, 460 years before. Now John came announcing the Lord and calling the people to repent and change their ways in preparation for the Messiah. This preparation is also symbolized by the reference to the road-building image in Isaiah 57:14-17 in making the way “level”, bringing down the high and raising up the low places.
John comes with a rite of baptism, something new for those who were already Jews. Normally proselytes were baptized, while Jews trusted in their relationship as sons of Abraham. But John says that is not sufficient, that God can raise up sons of Abraham from the stones. (Remember that God made man from the dust of the earth, and John is presenting Jesus as the agent of the New Creation, so raising up sons of Abraham from “stones” is consistent.). Isaiah refers to Abraham as the “rock from which you were cut.” (Isaiah 51:1-2)
John's baptism is for repentance, a key word in Luke (5:32, 10:13, 11:32, 13:2, 15:7, 10) Repentance implies turning and acting differently, not merely feeling sorry for what you did. The Old Testament has many references to “turning.” (1st Kings 8:47, 13:33, Psalms 78:34, Isaiah 6:10, Jeremiah 36:3, Ezekiel 3:19, Amos 4:6)
The key Old Testament reference to baptism is in Ezekiel 36:25-27. John's baptism anticipates the coming of the Spirit through Jesus. By receiving baptism, the people indicated their openness to God and their willingness to follow in His ways.
[The Ezekiel passage on baptism raises a couple of questions because it refers to “sprinkling.” It is the custom of many churches throughout Christian history to sprinkle babies as a way of establishing God's covenant with them. This is like a Christian counterpart to the Jewish rite of circumcision, whereby a Jewish boy was formally made a part of the Jewish community. John's baptism was clearly not an infant baptism, but rather a baptism taken consciously by adults. It was not an alternative to circumcision. And it seems that it was done by immersion, because it was done at the Jordan River. The word baptize literally means to dip (to immerse, submerge; to make fully wet), but it is sometimes used to refer to the washing of hands. This writer holds with baptism by immersion of confessing believers. We believe that every reference to baptism in the New Testament was administered that way. But at the same time, we respect those who hold different practices because of the weight of a long tradition in church history.]
John's preaching was stern, and yet it is described as “good news” because he not only pronounces judgment but also announces the coming of the one who would save us.
When he calls people to account, they respond by asking, “What shall we do?” There is a lesson here for Gospel preachers. We want to preach for a decision that produces action, not simply to give words that don't carry any expectation.
Herod's reaction is described concisely, since John had severely criticized him for an improper marriage. Herod feared John and had him put in prison, possibly at Herodias' instigation. The description in Luke shows him adding wickedness to wickedness, thus spiraling into ever deeper sin. Such is the nature of sin when we don't repent of it.
John's preaching declares that:
Judgment is near.
Repentance also means treating others well.
John calls the people snakes, and speaks of the Day of the Lord. It is a day when all things will be judged righteously. (Isaiah 13:9, Zephaniah 2:2-3, Malachi 3; 2, 4:1, 5) The relationship to Jesus is the final determinant on the Day of the Lord. (Romans 5:9, 1st Thessalonians 1:9-10)
He calls for them to produce fruit—actions that demonstrate true repentance, especially turning from idols to God. The word for produce (poiesate) is the word that “poem” comes from, and it seems to involve creativity in finding new ways to produce the fruit of the Gospel. We think, of course, of the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), but there are many creative things we can do to demonstrate our love. Dorcas made clothes for the poor. I think of a church in Honduras that keeps two caskets available to help the families of victims of AIDS. It is a creative way of showing God's love.
When John speaks of the ax at the root of the tree, he may be referring to those who claim their godly heritage from Abraham. That is not enough. Inherited salvation is no salvation at all. God is the judge, not merely an observer or a caretaker. He looks for the fruit of salvation in our lives.
The people asked what they should do, and John responded with the behaviors he sought. The first dealt with sharing: if you have two coats, give one to someone who has none. We are to share our blessings. I, as an American, have many things, and am called upon continually to share with others. Generosity is a characteristic of God's Kingdom.
The tax collectors were told to be honest and not abuse their power. The Jews especially hated the publicans and considered them unclean. Yet Jesus called Matthew as an apostle, and he spoke kindly to Zacchaeus. John didn't tell them to stop being tax collectors; he simply called on them to be honest.
The soldiers, who had physical and military power, were treated in a similar way. John didn't tell them to stop being soldiers or to become pacifists. He told them not to take advantage of their authority, realizing that having power can easily corrupt a person. Then he told them to be content with their wages—to not grumble at the authorities above them. The instruction thus cut both ways, to those weaker and to those stronger than themselves.
In 1 Timothy 6:8 Paul teaches us to be content if we have food and clothing. Philippians 4:10-13 shows Paul learning to be content in any situation, whether abundance or scarcity. Godliness with contentment is great gain. (1st Timothy 6:6)
After the judgment preaching and the orientation to right living, Luke speaks of John's pointing to Jesus as the Christ.
John's principal role was to announce the coming of Jesus. The people wondered if John himself was the Messiah, but he made it clear that the Messiah was greater than he. “I baptize with water,” he said, “but he will baptize with the Holy Ghost and fire.” He says he is not even worthy to untie his shoes—the job of the slowest slave in a household.
There are two aspects in the coming of Jesus: one is the blessing of the Holy Spirit and the other is the severity of his judgment on evil.
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is Jesus' unique gift to us, and is often associated with water baptism both in Scripture and in church history. Some hold the two to be identical; others say the baptism in the Spirit is a second, distinct blessing. In scripture we find the Spirit coming on people repeatedly, as if to baptize them “some more.” In fact, it can be properly translated that we should “keep on being filled” with the spirit. (Ephesians 5:18)
Being filled with the Spirit brings blessing into our lives. It brings discernment and it brings enabling through the various gifts.
Jesus also baptizes with fire, which is referred to in Isaiah 4:4-5. This is a positive fire, but it also has a purging effect on the carnal nature, burning away worldliness. Fire is energy as well, as when we say, “He was a fiery preacher!” We want the warmth and energy of the fire in our Christian testimony.
Jesus also comes as a judge “whose fan is in his hand.” The fan was used for removing the chaff from the wheat. The weightier wheat would fall to the ground while the lighter chaff was blown away by the fan. (Isaiah 41:15-16, Jeremiah 15:7) John comes as the prophet, but Jesus comes as the judge. There is no room for universal salvation in this teaching; evil is judged severely. It is necessary to repent and turn to Jesus. We are accountable to him.
John preached this message and the people heard it. If we wish to hear the voice of God, we must open our hearts to Jesus and to the messengers he sends to us.
Jesus went to John for baptism. It says he was praying and the heaven was opened. It is appropriate that we give ourselves to prayer at major turning points in our lives. When Jesus was baptized, it was an indication that he was entering into his ministry. While he had no “sin” to repent of, the baptism nevertheless represented a “turning” from his life as a carpenter to one who proclaims the Kingdom of God. In this turning, heaven was opened. John 8:38 says, “I speak that which I have seen with my father.” We, as ministers, desire this open window to heaven so we can perform the works that we “see” there.
From that open heaven a voice speaks, affirming Jesus. This voice also comes in Luke 9:35 at the Transfiguration. It is a fulfillment of Isaiah 42:1, “Behold my servant, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.”
Jesus voluntarily receives John's baptism. In doing so, he identifies himself with sinful humanity, and accepts the ceremonial cleansing. There is a contrast with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. That baptism of the Spirit brings the presence of God into a person's life and gives the ability to live a life worthy of God's Kingdom.
The endorsement from heaven refers to Jesus as “my son,” a reference to Psalm 2:7, repeated in Hebrews 1:5. He is also identified as the one “whom I love” (Isaiah 41:8) and “in whom I am well pleased.” (Isaiah 42:1). The context of the Isaiah prophecy is a “servant song,” indicating God's pleasure in Jesus' assuming a servant's role. God is pleased when we determine to serve others.
Luke then gives the genealogy of Jesus. This establishes his earthly heritage among the Jews, and by going all the way back to Adam, the “son of God”, his right to bring salvation to all people. When you compare Luke's genealogy with Matthew's there are some difference, which can be reconciled through various explanations. It's interesting that Matthew starts with Abraham and moves forward through time while Luke starts with Jesus and moves backward through time beyond Abraham to Adam. This is because Matthew is writing for a primarily Jewish audience (who would identify strongly with Abraham) while Luke is writing for a gentile audience (who would want a teaching geared to all mankind).
David is mentioned to establish Jesus' claim to David's throne and Adam is mentioned to establish that Jesus is here to restore the dominion that Adam lost in the fall.
The genealogy shows the development of the plan of salvation through the centuries, until the “fullness of time” when Christ appeared. He is directly connected to the three main figures in Jewish and world history: David, Abraham, and Adam, and is the fulfillment of all of the hopes that were presented through them.
With the presentation of Jesus, the birth narrative, and the genealogy, we have the historical credentials. But in the coming experience we find the spiritual credentials emphasized in his overcoming the temptation.
Luke 4:1-14 The Temptation of Jesus
After his baptism and the wonderful experience of having heaven opened, Jesus is full of the Holy Spirit. That is when the enemy comes. When think we are strong, and we tend to let our guard down. The enemy comes with subtle temptations. He isn't asking for gross sins like murder or adultery, only seemingly small compromises.The temptation comes when Jesus is alone in the wilderness. He was led there—one could even say he was forced to go there—by the Spirit. It was a part of Jesus ministry to pass through and conquer the severe and subtle temptations on our behalf. Even when we are filled with the spirit there still remains a work in our lives that can only be done as we face and overcome trials.
Jesus tests the spirits, whether they be of God. He is concerned about the temptation itself, but he also recognizes the adversary who is behind the temptation.
There are frustrations that come to the Spirit filled life—hunger, a failure to gain high position, the failure to produce spectacular miracles. It is in these very areas that the devil tempts us with his lies.
Jesus is tempted by the devil. That is, his enemy is a specific person, not an opaque atmosphere. The temptations come from the devil himself, not from some inner psychological warfare inside Jesus. The devil comes with plausible arguments. But his purpose is to destroy.
The word devil means slanderer or false accuser. The same word is translated “malicious gossip” in Titus 2:3. How frequently he shows up in religious circles when people are seeking power! They slander the leadership that God has placed among them.
Jesus ate nothing over the 40 days. These days were a time of prayer, for prayer is always associated with fasting. The temptations came at the end of that time.
The First temptation
The devil suggests that if Jesus is really the Son of God he should command that the stone be made into bread. There were stones in the area that looked very much like a loaf of bread, so there could well have been a visual as well as a verbal temptation.
Imagine how many problems you could solve if you could turn stones into bread! Hungry people could be fed and social needs could be met. You could solve virtually every social problem. But Jesus recognized it as a temptation. The suggestion did not come from God, and Jesus would not go beyond what God commanded.
Jesus has the power to create, transform, and multiply. Certainly he made bread later when he fed the multitude. He did not refuse to make bread because he wasn't able to; he refused it because he saw the ruse the devil was presenting to him in an effort to gain control over him. The devil wanted him to use his powers apart from the direction from the Father.
In verse 4 Jesus speaks the first recorded words of his ministry: “It is written.” From the beginning God's word takes precedence over personal desires and needs.
“Man shall not live by bread alone.” Our dependence is not on material things. Matthew's text adds, “But by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God,” indicating that it is God who sustains us. Later, when Jesus had fed the multitude, some came wanting him to do the miracles again, and Jesus pointed out that they were only coming for the bread, and not for the truth that he was preaching. Often people put their personal needs ahead of the need for the truth of God.
Bread. The term comes several times in Jesus' ministry. We may consider him a “jewel,” but he says, “I am the bread of life.” In Matthew 9:7 he speaks of a child asking for bread, saying we wouldn't give him a stone. It is a kind of reversal of the temptation.
When Jesus was told in John 2 that there was no wine, he seemed to hesitate before responding. One might wonder if he was thinking of this temptation to transform the substance of something. But then it seems he got clarity, and he went on to do the miracle of transformation, turning the water into wine.
The Second Temptation
Then, in verse 5, the devil led Jesus up a high mountain where he could see all the kingdoms of the world. The world at that time was ruled absolutely by the Romans. By bringing Jesus to that place, we see that the devil has a world wide vision. The temptation was one of absolute political power, displacing even the mighty Romans, and the implication was that he would fulfill Daniel's (7:27) prophecy of the Kingdoms of this world becoming the kingdom of our Lord.(See also Revelation 11;15)
We often think that if only we had a high position, we could make things right. Remember that Adam had total dominion in a perfect place, but he still fell.
Satan showed Jesus all the kingdoms in a moment of time, a moment of intense temptation. We are tempted by the thing that seems to come quickly.
Then the devil revealed his motive. All he wanted was for Jesus to bow down to him. Some interpreters say he only wanted him to do it once. Satan had purloined authority over all creation from Adam and Eve, so he is referred to as the prince of this world. In bowing down to him, Jesus would have acknowledged that he could retain this position; in resisting him, he destroyed the devil's claim to permanent lordship over the earth.
The devil gambled everything he had to obtain the one thing he wanted most, an act of worship from Jesus. This, to him, is his “pearl of great price.” His desire is for praise, even more than his desire for power and authority. If he could separate Jesus, the agent of Creation, from his intimacy with the Father, he would himself be as God.
The Biblical pattern is for God to rule the earth through man. In the Incarnation, Jesus made possible the restoration of this pattern, first by living perfectly, and then by making it possible for mankind to receive the Spirit, and thus hear and obey God's commandments.
In verse 7, the devil is blatant in his desire to have Jesus worship him. He has a lot of power, but he doesn't have all power. He tries to deceive us, especially when we are in a “hungry” state.
Once again, in verse 8, Jesus responds with “It is written.” “You shall worship God, and serve Him alone.” There is no room for compromise. Worship is not to be divided among a pantheon of gods. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) There is no place for the true believer to place trust in any other god, charm, or magic rite. The believer rejects all other gods in a simple statement: Only God is worthy of worship. Other spirit beings may be good or bad, but Christian faith excludes them all.
To serve him only calls to mind the verse, “Whatever you do, do is with your whole heart, as unto the Lord.” (Colossians 3:23) Even the most mundane actions can be transformed into worship when we decide to do them for the Lord. We can wake up to praise in the morning. We can invite Jesus to the table when we eat. Bathing can become a parable for cleansing our soul.
To serve him only speaks of the priorities of life. Within that service comes out “waiting.” We wait on one another; serve one another, whether in the secular, spiritual, or familial relationships of our lives.
The Third Temptation
In verse 9 the devil brings Jesus to Jerusalem to the pinnacle of the temple.
Temptations can come in the holy city and in the holy place. In fact, the devil seems to specialize in bringing temptation in those places.
The pinnacle of the temple can represent the high positions we attain to in the religious world. Those positions bring special temptation. You are looking down at everyone from a superior position. You think you are superior to them, and that exalted self-concept can lead to a fall, or in this case a suicidal “leap of faith” that presumes that God will protect us against our own foolishness.
There are examples in church history of leaders who felt they had freedom to do things they condemned in other people. Some have been careless with church finances, others with personal morality, and other in abusing the people they are called upon to protect.
We must remember that teachers are held to higher standards of conduct, not lower ones. When you are in high position, people look to you and trust you. One pastor told of a problem when he counseled women: they would start to fall in love with him. He had to turn the responsibility of counseling women over to a mature woman in his congregation.
“Cast yourself down” is the challenge the devil presents to Jesus. The temptation to suicide is there more strongly when you are weak from fasting. There is also a temptation to spiritual suicide, simply giving up your faith in your calling Pastors have to live with frustration and immature people, and can be tempted to simply desert their calling, seeking relief from the pressures of the high standard the demands placed on their lives.
“The angels will protect you,” is the devil's quotation from scripture. This is a false comfort coming from his mouth. We cannot rely on divine protection when we depart from God's ways.
The temptation to do something spectacular is there as well. People asked Jesus to do miracles to satisfy their curiosity. But Jesus did not come to put on a miracle show. His miracles were the ordinary expressions of the Kingdom of God, not tricks to promote his own agenda.
The devil finishes the quotation with the very common experience, “lest you strike your foot against a stone.” All of us have stumbled, both in the natural and the spiritual. But the big concern is what makes us stumble. Jesus himself is referred to as a stumbling block. There are people who cannot accept forgiveness from the Word made Flesh, but they rather seek to remake Jesus into a figure they can control. They stumble because they think they can save themselves, rather than trusting in Jesus to save them.
We know there are spiritual “stones” around that can cause believers to fall. We have confidence that the angels are around us to help us keep balanced and to keep us from harm. One of their roles is to keep us from all that would distract us, whether physical, idolatrous, or presumptuous.
One Bible teacher put it this way:
“When I have the opportunity, keep me from the tendency;
When I have the tendency, keep me from the opportunity.”
“It is written, you shall not tempt the Lord your God,” is Jesus response. To presume on the grace of God is to tempt him. God gives direction and rules for our lives. When we violate them, we suffer. When we try to change them, there are consequences.
And yet God is merciful when we fail and provides for forgiveness when we acknowledge our sin. (1st John 1:9)
In verse 13 it says the devil ended his temptations. There are seasons of special temptation in our lives, but thankfully they pass. It goes on to say that the devil left him. Matthew 4:11 tells us that the angels came and ministered to him. Overcoming temptation releases the ministry of the angels in a special way.
Finally, in verse 14, Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit. He had gone into the wilderness “led” by the Spirit. The victory over temptation brought him to a greater dimension, the “power” of the Spirit.
Three things stand out in Jesus conquering temptation:
1. The devotion represented in his 40 days of fasting and prayer
2. The firm resistance to the various temptations.
3. The solid confidence in “It is written.”
As we face temptation, let us remember the words from Hebrews 4:15, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Certainly we are tempted often and sometimes severely. But we have Jesus interceding for us, and we have the Holy Spirit present in us to strengthen us and to give us discernment. Let us use every resource we have to overcome the enemy who wants to divert us from the path God has laid out for us.
Part 2
Luke 4:15-9:62 Establishing Jesus as the Messiah
Luke 4:15-30 The Synagogue at Nazareth
It was Jesus’ custom to go to the synagogue on the Sabbath. His parents brought him when he was young, and he continued the custom.
I wonder what he thought when he listened to the rabbis trying to explain the Hebrew Bible. We know that he had profound knowledge already when he was 12 years old. I think he had to bite his tongue many times. But he went anyway.
The synagogue was a tradition, not a commandment. Before the captivity in Babylon they had only the temple in Jerusalem. In their captivity they realized they needed something more, so they established the synagogue system. If there were 10 elders in a community, they could establish a synagogue as a place of worship and teaching. It became a model for our present church system.
They gave him the scroll in a ceremony that continues today. Jesus was probably the last of seven readers that day. He stood to read, out of respect for the Scripture. Later, he sat to teach, which was symbolic of saying the Scripture is more important than our interpretation.
He opened the book, or, more accurately, unrolled the scroll. His text was God’s word, and he opened it, made it clear, so we could understand its meaning. The Word became Flesh in Jesus. After his resurrection, when he met the two men on the road to Emmaus, he began with Moses and the prophets and interpreted the scriptures about himself. That is, he opened the scriptures. The key to understanding the scriptures is to be with Jesus. He is the one who “opens the book.”
He read the text from Isaiah 61:1-2, but he added something from Isaiah 58:6 as well. First he reads, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me.” The words are powerful, and the people are impressed because they had heard of the works he had already done. This is an announcement that he claims to be directed by God.
His work falls into several categories:
- To proclaim good news to the poor. Certainly to the physically and economically poor, for whom he has a special compassion, but also to the spiritually poor and those who hunger after righteousness.
- To proclaim liberty to the captives. We suppose he refers to those who are captives of sin or possessed and controlled by evil spirits. But we know that the righteous are also put in prison, as with Peter and Paul in Acts.
- Recovering of sight to the blind. Jesus healed the physically blind several times, be he also spoke of those who “have eyes but do not see.” This spiritual blindness is referred to in Revelation 3:17. Jesus wants us to be objective and to see clearly.
- To set at liberty those who are oppressed. This is from Isaiah 58:6 and is in contrast to those who are captives. There is a demonic oppression that is short of possession by a demon. Many people are affected by the evil spirits around them, even though their own lives are free of demonic possession. Christ takes a stand against them to set us free of their influence.
- To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. This is a reference to the year of Jubilee. Every 50 years, according to the Law of Moses, all debts were to be forgiven and all property that had been sold would revert to the family that originally owned it. In Jesus, we live in the “year of the Lord’s favor.” He is here to restore to us all the things that the devil has taken away by his deceptions.
There are many who are broken by the trials of life—sickness, bad marriages, wayward children, tragedies like fires, tsunamis, and drought. Jesus proclaims that he has come to set things right. His work is to restore not only the authority of the believer over creation and circumstances, but to restore creation itself—the environment—according to Romans 8:20-25. Creation is personified as “groaning” for the full revelation/authority of the sons of God.
So we may see 3 points in Jesus announcement:
- Jesus is anointed by the Holy Spirit.
- He is the prophet (like Moses) who proclaims the new era of salvation.
- He not only proclaims, but he is the agent of release to the people.
There are two reactions to the announcement. Some are amazed and others wonder, “Is this not Joseph’s son?” casting doubt on his claim to be the anointed one (that is, the Hebrew Messiah or the Greek Christ).
When people “think” and Jesus “speaks” he usually rebukes them, as he does here. (Luke 7:39, 49-50, 11:38-39) He responds by giving examples from Elijah and Elisha that showed God’s miracles for gentiles to the exclusion of Jews. The implication was that if the Jews rejected the message, God would work with others. This was seen as offensive and brought great anger to the people. They tried to kill him by throwing him over a cliff, but Jesus took authority over them and simply walked away through the crowd. They couldn’t touch him.
It shows us that our response to what Jesus says is very important.
Luke 4:16-42 A Series of Miracles.
As we consider miracles, we see that they function in three different ways in Jesus life and teaching:
- They give evidence of Jesus’ authority. For Jesus, a miracle was the natural expression of the Kingdom over which he has authority. He preached (that is, he proclaimed or expressed the qualities of) the Kingdom of heaven and his actions were commensurate with that Kingdom. For that kingdom, the miracle was like a law of nature, not an extraordinary thing. He was bringing that authority to earth.
- Miracles are picture of deeper realities. In a sense, every miracle is also a parable. Jesus several times warns people against focusing on his miraculous activity. (Matthew 12:39, Mark 8:12, John 6:26-27) He wants them to see the deeper meaning of the miracles.
- Miracles show the deep cosmic struggle between the forces of evil and Jesus. The miracles show that Jesus has authority over every evil spirit.
Jesus went to Capernaum, a city on the lake called Galilee. A demon possessed man immediately recognizes Jesus as “the Holy One of god.” This shows the struggle between the forces of evil, and demonstrates Christ’s victory over them. The people’s response was, “What is this word?” It is by a word that Jesus casts out the demon, not by a ritual or some action that causes the victim of possession to suffer. (I have to mention this because of some practices in Africa and because of the burning of people thought to be witches in the early history of the United States.)
Then Jesus heals Simon’s (Peter’s) mother in law. Sickness is distinct from demon possession. Some sickness may be caused by evil spirits, but most sickness is just sickness, caused by the fact that we live in a fallen world. In this healing, Jesus also uses a “word”. He rebukes the fever, as if it has a personality. (In Matthew it says he took her by the hand as well.) The woman got up and served them. Healing is to make us useful, not simply to make us feel better.
When demons were confessing that Jesus was the Son of God, he would not allow them to speak. He wanted his works to speak for him, and did not accept the demonic testimony, even though it was “true.” It was, perhaps, an attempt by the evil one to gain inroads into Jesus’ ministry by flattery.
Jesus went on to preach in other places, in accord with his calling.
Luke 5:1-11 Calling the First Disciples
Jesus called his first disciple in a way that was relevant to their occupation. The fishermen became “fishers of men.” In producing the miracle of filling the two boats with fish, Jesus is showing his authority over all the fauna of this world.
There are a number of leadership lessons here as well, if we look at the human qualities of the fishermen:
- They were willing to put their boat (or their car, their motorbike, etc.) at Jesus’ disposal.
- They were washing their nets, preparing for the next fishing expedition, even though they were very tired. They were people who prepared for the future.
- They put forth extra effort in putting the boat in the water again and rowing Jesus out in the lake.
- They obeyed when Jesus told them to go deeper and let down their nets, even thought they didn’t expect a result.
- They had a system of communication so the others would come and help. Communication ability is vital in ministry.
- They were repentant. Peter acknowledged his sin before Jesus.
- They accepted the call and left their nets. I think they had coworkers or employees who took care of the business when they were gone.
Jesus wants people who are willing to work, all night if necessary. He chose his disciples, not from the crowds who were listening, but from the fishermen who were working.
Luke 5:12-16 Healing a Leper
The term “leprosy” covered a wide variety of contagious skin diseases. A leper was ostracized from society. When the man asked if Jesus was willing to heal him, the response was “I am willing,” and Jesus deliberately touched him, something a Jew would never do because they felt it would contaminate them. (We could argue here from two points of view. First, that it was Jesus who “contaminated” the man with his divine health, rather than the other way around. The second is to say that Jesus took the sickness into himself, and carried it to the cross to destroy it forever, because it says in Isaiah 53, “He took our infirmities.”) In any case, the man was healed. Jesus sent him to the priest for confirmation of his healing and to make the offering for cleansing. In doing this, the man would be free to participate once again in society without the stigma of his leprosy.
In verse 16 we see Jesus going to a desolate place to pray, as he often did. There is a time for praying together in the church, but there is more frequently a need to be alone in a place where others don’t disturb your prayers.
Luke 5:17-26 Healing a Paralytic
People came from as far away as Jerusalem to hear Jesus teach. They also came from every village in Galilee, an area of about 30x60 miles (50x100 kilometers) There was a large crowd in the house where Jesus was teaching. Many people put forth great effort to come and hear him.
A paralyzed man wanted to come, and his four friends helped him. The crowd was too dense for them to get in the house, so they designed a strategy to take tiles off the roof, and let him down directly in front of Jesus. This story is especially fun when you imagine the various steps involved in getting the man up to the roof, and then down in front of Jesus. But neither paralysis nor people stopped the four from helping their friend meet Jesus.
Jesus saw their faith, not only the paralyzed man’s faith, but also the persistent faith of his friends, and immediately announced to the man that his sins were forgiven. Many people in the crowd immediately began to question what Jesus had said. “Who can forgive sins, but God alone?” they thought.
The people also had the concept that sickness was caused by sin, either the sin of the victim or the sin of his parents. (John 9:1) They thought that in some way he “deserved” to be sick.
Jesus didn’t argue that point here, though he did in John. Rather, he responded to the men’s faith. Then he responded to the unspoken criticism by asking whether it was easier to pronounce forgiveness of sins or to command the man to rise up and walk. I seems to me it is easier to pronounce forgiveness, since that doesn’t require external evidence. But for Jesus there is no difference, and he goes on to say that the son of man has power to forgive sins. (This is the first time he uses the title son of man, which comes from Daniel) He orders the man to take up his mat and walk, and he does so in front of all the people. Those who couldn’t make way for him to come in now made way for him to go out!
When Jesus saves us, he wants us to walk, not to remain in our previous condition. In fact, the main evidence of our salvation is that we are no longer emotionally or spiritually paralyzed. We are set free to serve God and to obey God.
What if the man had not gotten up out of fear that he would fall and hurt himself? It seems that his healing was conditioned on his obedience. In the Bible, sometimes the opposite of the word believe is disobey.
The people marveled and glorified God.
There are several important lessons in the passage:
- Jesus has authority to forgive sins.
- He did so in the presence of many Jewish leaders in a way that showed his authority from God.
- God vindicated Jesus’ statement about forgiveness by healing the man.
- Christ has the ability to raise us up from whatever disability we may have.
- Faith in Christ is the key to both forgiveness and healing.
Luke 5:27-32 The Call of Levi
Levi was a tax collector, a job that made him despicable to the Jews because he worked for the despised Roman government. Jesus had probably come into contact with him before, but on this day he took the radical step of calling him to follow. Levi was the only apostle who came from this class of people. The others were tradesmen. It was offensive to the Jews, and they immediately began to criticize Jesus for keeping bad company.
Jesus initiates the contact with outcasts like Levi. This is typical of him. (7:36-50, 15:1-2, 19:1-10)
Levi celebrated with a great feast where he invited all his friends to meet Jesus. Jesus responded to tos who criticized his participation by saying he came to save sinners, not righteous people. It didn't matter whether they were rich or poor. The Pharisees considered table fellowship to be mutual acceptance with the sinners and a compromise with their way of life. Jesus had a different world view, one of saving sinners rather than rejecting them. The word used for their complaint is the same word used in Numbers 14:26-35 (LXX), and thus their complaints are associated with the worst of Israel's sins.
Like John the Baptist, he did not criticize the tax collector for working with the Roman government. He simply called him to a higher service.
Luke 5:33-39 Fasting
The people contrasted John's disciples with Jesus' disciples regarding fasting. Jesus indicated that his presence was a celebration like a wedding, and that fasting was not appropriate, but that it would become common later.
Fasting is an indication of serious worship. The people dared to ask the question of Jesus rather than remaining silent, which is a good indication of their curiosity and courage.
Then he speaks of patching old garments with new (un-shrunk) cloth, or putting new wine in old wineskins. He was saying that the former religious customs would lead people back rather than forwards. But with time they would incorporate the old custom of fasting. He uses domestic images, the cloth and the wine. One is more appropriate to women and the other to men. He certainly is indicating that something new, and very much like a wedding celebration, is happening. When Jesus comes, a new way of doing things comes as well. Many will say, “The old wine is better,” and refuse to change. It is a danger to hold too firmly fast to your traditions. The new way has “new wine” and “new clothing.”
Where Jesus is, the approach to religious issues is creative and penetrating.
Luke 6:1-5 Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath
After teaching about not fasting while Jesus was with them, we read a controversy about eating. The disciples were rubbing grain in their hands and eating it. The grain was the gleanings left in the fields for the poor to harvest. The Pharisees considered rubbing the grain in your hands to be “work” because it represented part of the process to prepare grain for eating. This, they said, was a violation of the Sabbath commandment in Exodus 10:9-11.
They had added specific rules that came to be called “a fence around the law.” These were designed to prevent people from accidentally transgressing the law of Moses, and they came to have the force of the law itself in their thinking.
Jesus responded with the words, “Have you not read?” It is another indication that we must study the scriptures carefully in applying event the parts as sacred as the 10 commandments. It also reminds us of the temptation response, “It is written.” In a sense, he is also saying, “It is not written.” Studying scripture means we know and apply what it says, and that we don't judge people based on what the scripture does not say.
His reference is to David eating the bread of the presence, which is lawful only for priests. David and his followers all ate. They were hungry. After the priest inquired of the Lord, he gave the bread to David. It is clear that the law was not intended to make people starve, but rather to nourish them. People are more important than rules. But let us hasten to add that it was because David and his men were hungry, just as the disciples were hungry. There may be a suggestion here that Jesus in relation to his disciples is like David in relation to his soldiers.
This was not an example of deliberately flaunting the law, but of interpreting it correctly. In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus says the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27). Here he says the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath. Jesus is the one who give the correct interpretation of the commandment regarding the Sabbath. He is also one who has authority over the laws that He instituted for Israel. It is a very bold claim.
In thinking of the Sabbath, we should consider the “rest” in Hebrews 4:1-11. The Sabbath of the soul is in resting in God, not in working to fulfill a rule book's requirements.
Luke 6:6-11 The Withered Hand
We have seen that the people watched Jesus and his disciples very closely. First they saw what the disciples didn't do, namely fast. Then they saw what they did do, rub grain on the Sabbath. Now they are watching to see if Jesus will heal on the Sabbath. Their rules saw healing as “working.” The focus is on a man with a withered hand. The word used for watching indicates a deliberate looking to see if he does something wrong. They watched Jesus with very critical eyes, which is often the case when Christians are functioning in cultures where Christianity is not dominant. The people are being indirect and subversive, but Jesus responds by being open and direct.
Jesus takes the initiative by asking if it is lawful to do good or to do evil on the Sabbath. This puts the critics in a conflict, because refusing to help is to do evil. The Bible teaches that if you know to do good and don't do it, it is sin. The Sabbath was never designed to restrict a person from showing love.
Jesus looked around at them, but nobody could answer. So Jesus told the man to stretch out his hand, and he was healed.
The Pharisees were angry, to the point of being out of control. The law of love had prevailed over their legalism. Jesus didn't think the way they did. Their zeal for what they considered righteousness led them to sin.
Let us digress from the immediate text briefly as we consider the Sabbath. We know it refers to the time from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday. As more gentiles became Christians there was a shift to celebrating on the “first day of the week” (Sunday) That was the day of the resurrection John 20:21, 1 Corinthians 16:2, Acts 20:7. It was called the Lord's day in Revelation 1:10. John 20:1,26. As early as 154, Justin Martyr wrote that Christians gathered on the first day as a custom. They thought the pagan term Sunday (after the Sun god) was appropriate because Jesus is referred to as the Sun of Righteousness in Malachi 4:2.
There are Christians who celebrate on the Sabbath rather than on Sunday. In some nations where the holy day is Friday, Christians may adapt their worship day to the local custom.
Luke 6:12-16 Choosing the Twelve
The religious leaders were plotting against Jesus. His response was to spend a night in prayer. The next day he chose the 12 apostles, the leadership team for the church. He chose 12 because of the 12 tribes of Israel. The church in a way is a reflection of Israel. (In heaven there are 24 elders, which may reflect adding 12 and 12 together). Jesus is preparing for the future expansion of the church by equipping its leaders.
The fact that you have Matthew, an ex-tax-collector for the Romans, along with Simon the Zealot (who would have hated everything Matthew represented) indicates that Jesus wasn't looking for people who all thought the same way. He was molding them into a new type of community.
Luke 6:17-49 The Sermon on the Plain
In Matthew it is called the Sermon on the Mount. It is much condensed here, and probably refers to the same event. It probably took place at a level place up in the mountain. It distills the essence of Jesus' teaching.
Jesus' ministry and power goes out to all the people, not just the disciples. You don't have to be an “insider” to receive his ministry.
The first section includes blessings and woes.
The blessings
The poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
The hungry, for you shall be filled.
Those who weep, for they shall laugh.
Those who are hated and excluded, for your reward is great in heaven.
The Woes
1 The rich, for you have already received your consolation.
2 The full, for you shall be hungry.
3 Those who laugh, for you shall mourn.
4 The well spoken of, for your fathers did so to the false prophets.
These are not works that gain salvation, but rather are the qualities that God desires in his children.
The hungry, the poor, and the persecuted are those who have paid for their faith by suffering. They are the object of grace, and they are happy because of it. Their life is not easy, but it is blessed. The poor are the pious poor, not simply the people without money.
The woes fall on those who lack a genuine spiritual dimension in their lives. They are unconcerned about the needs of others. They are arrogant.
The second section: Loving your enemies
Jesus positions the attitude of the child of God against the attitude of the world with regard to enemies.
Who are the enemies? Jesus is particular in his description:
1 To those who hate you, you are not to respond in kind, but to do good.
2 When others use their lips to curse you, you respond by using yours to bless them. Children of God discipline their hearts to speak blessing.
3 When others abuse you in some way, you respond by praying for them. Our purpose is to resolve the conflicts and to bring resolution, and we need divine guidance to do so.
4 When you are slapped on the cheek (an action that indicated expulsion from the synagogue in Jesus' day), you are to remain vulnerable, and offer the other cheek as well. We can be rejected from various groups of people because of our faith. Yet we remain open even to those who severely criticize us.
5 When someone steals your coat, you are to give your shirt as well, an indication that you are considering the other person's need.
6 When someone steals from you, you are not to demand that the goods be returned.
These principles do not cause us to attain salvation, but are expressions of those who have been transformed by God's grace. The general principle is that we are to “overcome evil with good,” as it says in Romans 12:21. It is true that we hope the truth of the Gospel will be transmitted through our generous actions, but the actions are not a means of evangelism, but an expression of Christian love.
Jesus states what came to be called “the golden rule:” As you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.” This reflects Leviticus 19:18. It does not say, “Do nice things and people will do nice things to you.” Neither does it says, “Do the things you like yourself to other people.” (A little boy once bought a football for his mother!) We need sensitivity in showing our love. We gain it by listening to and serving others.
Jesus proceeds to explain the contrast between his way of thinking and the world's ways. Sinners do good things to others in hope that they will reciprocate. They lend to other sinners if they feel they will get the money back. There is no special virtue in doing that. But loving your enemies, treating them well, and even lending to them without expecting a return is rewarded greatly because we are acting like true children of the Most High. God is kind and merciful even to sinners; so can we also be.
Luke 7:1-10 The Faith of the Centurion
The centurion, a Roman soldier but not a Roman, is informed that Jesus is in Capernaum, and calls some of the Jewish elders, asking them to speak to Jesus about his sick servant. He values the servant, but the servant is at the point of death, and there is no hope outside of Jesus. The elders are willing, and go to Jesus, and then the centurion sends others, saying that he is unworthy to have Jesus come under his roof, but that Jesus should only speak a word, and the servant will be well. He cites his own authority with the soldiers as an example, and Jesus is amazed. The servant is healed.
Let us consider the character of the centurion:
He is compassionate. He cares for his servant, and makes special effort to seek healing for him.
He has authority. He says to one, “Do this,” and it is done.
He is humble. He knows he is unworthy of special attention from Jesus.
He is cooperative. He works with the Jews, even though it wasn't common for Roman soldiers to cooperate and develop relationships with them.
He is generous. He built a synagogue for the Jews.
He is considerate. He respects Jesus' time
He is efficient. He considers that giving a command is the same as accomplishing the task. He often delegates responsibilities in this way.
Jesus is willing to go, but when the second delegation comes with the centurion's words, he is “amazed” at the faith of the man. Jesus almost never commends people in the Gospels, but here he commends and affirms a gentile Roman soldier, someone whom the Jews would normally hold in suspicion.
The message and focus of the story is found in the words, “under authority.” When we are under authority, we can exercise authority. When we have authority, we can pronounce the authoritative word. The focus is actually very little on the healing itself, but rather on the faith and understanding of authority of the centurion. He could act within the realm of his authority.
Jesus, after the resurrection, says, “All authority is given to me in heaven and in earth.” Then he commissions the disciples to make disciples of all nations. Jesus gave his disciples authority to heal the sick and cast out demons; it is in that authority that they ministered. It is in obedience to that authority that we live, and can exercise authority in the Spirit.
Jesus often chides people for not having faith, but here he commends a soldier for having more faith than he has found among the Jews.
Having authority is distinct from being authoritarian. The centurion could have been like others, in simply pushing his own agenda and acting in pride. But when you look at his character traits, you realize that there was an authority different from the Roman generals’ that was controlling his life. We don't know the specific manner in which he got this revelation, but certainly he had come to respect and honor the God of Israel.
Luke 7:11-17 The Raising of the Widow's Son
Soon after the revelation of the importance of authority, Jesus shows his authority over death by speaking to the dead man being carried out of the city.
The man was the only son of his widowed mother, and thus was her only source of support. A large crowd of mourners was following her. The custom was to bury the dead quickly, but they would first assure themselves that the person was really dead before the funeral procession would start. When they came to the city gate, they encountered Jesus, who was also followed by a large crowd of people. So there are two large crowds who observe this miracle at the city gate of Nain..
Jesus has compassion on the woman, and stops to touch the bier. This was considered inappropriate and contaminating because of the prohibition in Numbers 19:11, 16. It certainly would have caused people to wonder. Then Jesus said, “Young man, I say unto you, arise.” At these authoritative words, the man arises and begins to speak. (One can wonder what he might have said.)
Jesus gave him to his mother, something that would remind the people of the miracles that Elijah (1 Kings 17:23) and Elisha (2 Kings 4:36) did in restoring life and then delivering the boys to their mother.
The people reacted with fear (who wouldn't be afraid in the face of such power!) and in glorifying God, and they said, “A great prophet has arisen.” This could be a reference to Elijah/Elisha, or possibly to Moses (Deuteronomy 18:18), especially considering how close they were to Samaria. (The Samaritans believed only in Moses as a prophet). In any case, they said that God had visited the people, and they spread the news of the miracle around.
Luke 7:18-36 The Messengers from John the Baptist
John the Baptist stayed informed of Jesus ministry, and fell into some kind of doubt. Instead of dwelling on the doubt, he sent messengers to Jesus to ask for an answer. Even though John himself had called Jesus the “lamb of God”, he still was confused. The messengers were faithful, and repeated John's question exactly.
Jesus responded indirectly, with an implied reference to scriptures that were given in the context of deliverance. (Isaiah 35:5-7; 26:19; 29:18-19; 61:1) and said they should tell John what was happening. The hour in which the men came was particularly miraculous, with Jesus healing diseases, plagues, evil spirits, and blindness. In addition the Gospel was preached to the poor. Jesus is telling John to observe the “times” and to draw his conclusions based on the fulfillment of the prophecies. We can only imagine John's reaction to this message; very likely, a light went on in his mind when his thinking was brought back to the Old Testament prophecies. It is through these same kinds of signs that the disciples come to realize who Jesus is.
Then Jesus adds, “Blessed is the one who is not offended in me.” Perhaps it is a reminder to John to not judge on the basis of the style of living, but on the scriptures.
When the representatives leave, Jesus addresses the crowds and comments on John. They didn't go to the wilderness to see a weak man or a man dressed in fine clothes, but rather a prophet. He adds that John was the greatest of the prophets (even though he “did no miracle”). He was the messenger preparing the way spoken of in Malachi 3:1 and the one going before in Exodus 23:20.
There was none born of woman who was greater than John. But he adds, the least in the kingdom of God is greater than John. This is because of the difference between being “born of woman” and receiving the new birth from above. The least in the Kingdom of God is still a true child of God; he is a member of the New Creation.
The people immediately agreed, and called God just. These were the people who were baptized by John. But the Pharisees and lawyers “rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not being baptized by John.” In the baptism of repentance, there is also an accepting of the purpose of God for your life. Baptism is not simply a ceremony, but a receiving of a new purpose in life, and a commitment to fulfilling that purpose.
The flute illustration from a children's game follows. Many, on hearing happy music, refuse to dance; hearing sad music, the refuse to weep. The Pharisees and lawyers give no emotional response; they simply try to place more arguments, and respond only with minds that have been corrupted by their sin.
Jesus brings up the contrast in lifestyles between himself and John. When John lives an ascetic lifestyle in the wilderness, they accuse him of being demon possessed. When Jesus brings the Gospel to sinners at their gatherings, he is accused of being a sinner himself. No matter how you live, there will be people who criticize you!
Luke 7:38-50 The Sinful Woman
A Pharisee named Simon invited Jesus to his house to eat, and Jesus took his place at the table. We learn later that the host did not perform the usual duties of a host in washing his guest's feet and anointing him with perfume. One questions the man's motives in inviting Jesus, as the development of the story reveals.
The woman, however, hears that Jesus is there, and she has been blessed by him in some wonderful way, so she takes the opportunity to express her appreciation. She goes to her home and gets an alabaster box of perfume, evidently a very costly perfume, and she returns to the Pharisees house. The custom was often to allow observers in the eating area who would be allowed to listen in on the conversation. When the woman saw Jesus reclining at the table, she went to him and was weeping for gratitude, and her tears fell on his feet. Thus she did with her tears what the Pharisee had neglected to do. Then she loosened her hair, which was considered scandalous, and dried his feet with her hair. Then she broke the box of perfume and anointed the feet. Certainly her action drew a lot of attention.
The reaction was not to her act of love, but rather to her past character. The Pharisee saw the woman as a sinner, and then he reasoned that a prophet would not allow a sinful woman to do this. Jesus, of course, realized what the man was thinking, and asked his permission to speak. He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman?” indicating that the Pharisee wasn't seeing her correctly. He told the story of the one with great debts and the one with small debts who were both freely forgiven, and asked the Pharisee which one would love more. The Pharisee answers carefully, “I suppose, the one with the larger debt,” and Jesus marks his answer correct. Then he comments on the Pharisee's hospitality in contrast to the woman's.
He announces to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” And the people all begin questioning his ability to forgive sins. But the woman, saved by faith, goes her way in peace.
The Pharisee could tolerate the woman as an observer of the dinner, and even a listener to the conversation. But when she began to worship in her unique way, he thought it was out of order. He had invited Jesus in order to judge him, and he judged poorly, basically accusing him of not being a true prophet. But Jesus overrode his judgment by expressing the overriding forgiveness of God.
Luke 8:1-3 More villages
Jesus kept his focus on reaching to more cities and villages. He did not delegate the villages to others, but went there himself, bringing the good news of the Kingdom of God. Perhaps he was concerned that the message be delivered accurately, and that is why he brought the 12 with him. They would not only help him to organize things, but would also be listening to the messages as he taught. It is easy to get careless when you go to the villages. We need to remember that the people deserve our very best efforts.
Women also accompanied him, which was unusual in the culture of the day, and 3 of them are mentioned in particular. Mary Magdalene (that is, from Magdala, a town on the Sea of Galilee) had been set free from 7 demons. Joanna, who was married to Herod's household manager, was from the high political class, and was probably wealthy. We know nothing of Suzanna. When it says “many others” the word in Greek is in feminine form, indicating that they were women followers.
These women helped Jesus and the disciples financially. They not only followed, but they contributed as well. This follows immediately on the story of the woman washing Jesus' feet, and indicates once again that Christian faith is for women and men equally. Experience shows us that women are frequently quicker to respond to the Spirit of God.
Luke 8:4-15 The Parable of the Sower
People from town after town came to Jesus, which indicates that when they heard him, they wanted to hear more. In the context of their walking among the fields, Jesus tells the parable of the sower. They were directly familiar with the rocky places, the thorny places, the pathways, and the good soil, so Jesus used the illustration at hand to convey his teaching.
The surprise is that the good soil yielded enough fruit to more than justify the loss on the poor ground. The normal yield in fields of the day was 30-35 to one, but Jesus speaks of 30 and 60 and 100 fold results. The seed that he gives is very productive!
His explanation is adequate; we need add nothing to it, but we do need to meditate on what he says.
We can look at the parable from various perspectives. One is the sower's perspective. He continues to sow seed, even though he knows he does not have complete control over where the seed falls. (Sowing in that day was done either by putting the seed bag on an ox, and walking through the field, letting the seed spill out through holes in the bag, or by the farmer carrying the seed and throwing it out by hand onto the field. In either case, he did not have control over the specific places where it was planted. It would be difficult and inefficient to plant one seed at a time.) So when we preach and teach the Gospel, we remain faithful, even though some of the work seems to be in vain.
The second perspective is that of the ground. What kind of ground is our own heart? Can we make adjustments in our way of living so that we are more receptive to the Word of God? If less important things are getting in the way, can we eliminate or control them so we are attentive to the more important thing?
We could also consider the parable from the point of view of the seed itself. Is it destined to be productive or simply to rot in the ground?
(1) The parable is for you, specifically. We must receive the word personally.
(2) Jesus says the parable is “given;” that it is a gift from God.
(3) It reveals the secrets of the Kingdom of God.
(4) It judges those who do not hear/obey. When we hear the revelation, but don't respond, it becomes judgment against us.
We hold to the promise that the word “shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11) So we trust in God's sovereignty over the seed itself.
A man in Argentina once asked me about a vision of 5 Americans, each with a piece of gold that represented a million dollars. They gave him the gold pieces. I stalled a little before finding an answer, but then realized I had some sweets wrapped in golden paper in my bag. I distributed them, and jokingly said, “Here is the gold.” Then I said to him that I didn't have even one of those pieces of gold, but I had something better. I came with the word of God, which is living and active and sharp according to Hebrews 4:12. If something is living, it can grow and produce fruit. Gold is not alive, and cannot reproduce itself if you bury it. The word that we preach is better than gold!
The word is often attractive when we first hear it. But later, other things come and interfere with its growth in our lives. That is why it is important to continue to hear God's word. It constantly reminds us of its power to make our lives fruitful for God. The good seed is compared to those who persevere. Because of that, we want to have constant exposure to the Word throughout our lives. There are pressures around us that tend to destroy our faith, but hearing God's word reinforces our faith.
Luke 8:16-18 The Lamp under a Jar
Jesus shows us that the word of God is light, and it manifests all things, both good and bad. For that reason, it is not to be kept hidden, but is to be held high. It exposes things the way they truly are. Then he changes the picture to paying attention how you hear. When you hear attentively, you are given more; when you fail to hear, you lose even the little that you have. This reinforces his parable of the Word, showing us our personal responsibility in absorbing what God is saying to us.
It is true that we are also the light of the world, but only to the extent that God shines through us. We don’t put ourselves on a pedestal, showing off our spirituality. That would be contrary to Christ’s teaching on humility.
Luke 8: 19-21 Jesus' Mother and Brothers
The relationship with his family is contrasted with the truth he is teaching when his mother and brothers want to see him. (Catholics say these brothers are sons of Joseph by a previous wife) Jesus says his true family are those who not only hear God's word, but who also act upon it in obedience. To be a brother to Jesus means responding to his message.
Luke 8:22-25 Jesus Calms a Storm
There are 4 examples of Jesus' authority in the rest of the chapter. All of them are used to benefit others; they are not simply random acts. They all point to the answer to the question in verse 25, “Who is this then, that he commands even the winds and water, and they obey him?” Jesus' authority over every force of nature, evil spirit, illness and even death is established.
First, his authority over nature. The lake here is unusual in that it is 200 metres below sea level. The cause of the storm (the word used means a whirlwind) is that cold air from the surrounding hills came across the top of the warm air trapped in the bed of the lake. The disciples' lives were at risk, but Jesus was unconcerned and asleep in the boat. (It occurred to me once that when the disciples were praying, Jesus was sleeping; later, in the garden, when Jesus was praying, the disciples were sleeping!)
Jesus rebukes the wind and the waves. He who created them also has control over them. There are numerous references to God's control over the weather. (Psalm 18:16, 104:3, 107:23-30, 135:6-7, Nahum 1:4). When he speaks to them, it is as if he is speaking to a person. It may also bring our minds back to Jonah, where the waves rose up and seemed to be demanding a human sacrifice. When Jonah was thrown overboard, the sea immediately calmed. Here it may be that the enemy was creating a torment in a similar demand for Jesus’ life. But his time had not come yet. Later he would speak of the sign of the prophet Jonah, as an indication of his time among the dead.
But he also rebukes the disciples for a lack of faith. Jesus was in the boat with them, of course, but they still didn't understand the full significance of who he was. Jesus is gradually revealing his power before them, and they are beginning to understand. This question of “Who is this?” comes up frequently in Luke. (9:7-9, 18-20; 20:41-44; 23:49. Acts 2:30-36, 10:34-43)
When a “storm” comes, Jesus has the power to restore order. Our great hope is that everything in creation will be restored at the coming of the Lord and the revelation of the sons of God. (Romans 8:18-25)
Luke 8: 21-39 The Demon-possessed Man at Gedara
(The second demonstration of authority) Jesus demonstrates his power over every evil spirit. In this story we see the nature of the demons, the results of demon oppression, the authority of Jesus, the change in the man after the encounter with Jesus, and the reaction of the people who see the miracle..
When Jesus comes to the shore of the lake in a gentile area near Gedara (some think it was Gerasa. The two towns were close to each other) the demons immediately recognize who Jesus is. They ask if he has come to torment them, thus acknowledging his authority. The demons want to be left alone, and not cast into the abyss. (Passages concerning hell as the place for demons are in 2 Peter 2:4, Jude 6, Revelation 9: 1,2,11; 11:7, 17:18, 20:1) The abyss is often associated with the sea. They begin to negotiate with Jesus.
The demons have destroyed the man's life. Several have entered into him. He is naked, and has been so for a long time, a behavior that is offensive. He lives among the tombs, holding company with death and destruction. This leaves him deserted and alone. His family doesn’t know what to do with him. Even the authorities are not able to control him. His demons seem to have super-human strength. This is different from mental illness or psychological confusion. Jesus tells us that the thief comes to kill and destroy, (John 10:10) and he has certainly done so with this man.
Jesus asks the demon’s name and the response is “Legion”, a name given to a group of thousands of Roman soldiers, perhaps a way of indicating their great power. They ask to be sent to the pigs nearby rather than into the abyss, and their stay with the pigs is very short-lived. The pigs run off into the lake and are drowned, and presumably the demons remain in the deep.
The information gets to the people in the city, and they come to find the man seated, clothed, and in his right mind. They are amazed. But their reaction to Jesus is to ask him to depart from them. They find his power too threatening, perhaps because of the influence of the Greeks and Romans in their area, and perhaps also because of their connection with the pigs that were considered unclean by Jews. There are people who do not want the true power of God around them because it will make demands on their lifestyles. The question is whether we want to be free, or whether we want to continue in our familiar bondages.
The man himself wants to follow Jesus, but Jesus tells him to go home. There is teaching here that can help us. Not everyone is called to formal service, or even to preparation for ministerial work. With the disciples, Jesus said, “Follow me.” With this man he said, “Go home.” We are called to follow his direction. So the man stayed and was a living demonstration to the people of the area of the power of God. He was obedient to his call, just as the disciples were obedient to their call.
We should also note that this was done in a gentile area, which reinforces Luke's presentation of the Gospel as being for all people. That is why keeping pigs was both tolerated and profitable.
A few days before writing this I talked with a pastor who had been ministering in India. A village leader challenged him about his “religion” and asked if it had power. They brought the pastor to the man's home, where there was a young demonized woman. She was kept in a small enclosed room, and was fed through a window at the bottom of the door. When the pastor went in, he gently said, “We are here to help you,” and the girl suddenly hit him in the stomach, so that he fell down. When he got up, he went to her more firmly, took her by the arms, and commanded the spirits to come out of her in the name of Jesus. She immediately changed, and calmed down. The entire village heard what was happening, and came around to see the girl who had been kept hidden for so many years. The meetings went on, and many were converted. They understood that there is power in Jesus’ name.
God still has power over demons. Jesus commanded the disciples to cast out devils. We continue to obey that command.
Luke 8:40-56 A Miracle Interrupted by another Miracle
(these are the 3rd and 4th demonstrations of authority) As you read each of the miracles in this chapter, they get more and more inward, until these, first sickness, and then the last one, the victory over death. Jesus demonstrates that he is here to overcome every evil thing, up to and including death itself.
Jairus, a synagogue official had an only daughter who was dying, and he pleaded earnestly with Jesus to come and help her, falling at his feet. As a synagogue official, he certainly was aware of the controversy surrounding Jesus, but he humbled himself when he was faced with a desperate need. It was not a request sent by email or a messenger; the man came and begged Jesus to help, and Jesus responded immediately. As they were walking to see the girl, a sick woman in the crowd came and touched Jesus garment, and was instantly healed.
The woman’s situation affected her in many ways, because the nature of her sickness meant that she was “unclean” according to Leviticus 15:25-31. That meant she was shut off from religious life. She couldn’t go out socially. Her family was affected because she couldn’t live a normal married life with her husband. She came with the hope that by merely touching Jesus’ garment she would recover.
Given the intimate nature of her sickness, she would want to remain anonymous after touching Jesus’ garment, but Jesus immediately senses that power went out from him, and he asks, “Who touched me?” She came trembling with fear to give testimony of her healing. Perhaps she thought she had “stolen” it, or that she had violated social custom by touching a man, and was going to be rebuked. But Jesus comforts her with the words, “Your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” Now she could go back to living normally with her husband and family. She could attend the synagogue. She could be with her friends. She was healed in more ways than one! She was made “whole”, complete.
Jesus also established that the healing comes through faith and it not caused by a ritual of touching Jesus’ garment, or perhaps touching the tassels on the garment that represent the laws of Moses. (They were called phylacteries) God responds to faith more than to ritual.
Now the situation with Jairus’ daughter has worsened, and the report comes that the girl has died. Jesus says she is merely asleep, but to him sleep is a picture of death. (He did this with Lazarus. John 11:11) The people respond skeptically.
We can easily imagine ourselves into the situation of a man who has only one child, a girl who is just at the stage of becoming a woman. Dreams go through his head about her future, about grandchildren, about someone to care for him in his old age. It is a poignant moment, and he is torn between hope and despair.
Jesus enters the room with Peter, John, James, and the girl’s parents. The skeptics have to stay outside. Everyone says the girl is dead, but Jesus takes her hand and says, “Child, arise!” She sat up immediately, and was given something to eat. Hope wins out over despair!
Jesus tells them to say nothing of the miracle. He did not come to put on a miracle show, but to demonstrate the nature of the Kingdom of God. He was not even promoting himself, but he was demonstrating what the glorious future will be like when we are free from the bondages that sin has laid on us.
Luke 9:1-11 The Ministry of the Twelve
Jesus does not keep his power to himself, but calls the twelve together and delegates power over demons and diseases to them. We see the process:
- He gives them authority. There is a spirit of generosity in Jesus.
- He sends them out. Notice that he sends them with authority; he has shown them how to function, and he has trained them.
- He gives them instructions
- They obey, going throughout the villages, healing everywhere
- They return and give an account to him.
Remember that they have first been with him in the villages, watching and learning from Jesus. Then they are sent out to other villages. This whole process can be a model as we develop people for ministry.
Authority for ministry comes from Christ. (see also Luke 10:16, 19-20; 11:19) We are accountable to God (1 Corinthians 4:1-6; Hebrews 10:17). With our authority comes also the responsibility to follow his instructions.
The instructions are:
- To proclaim the kingdom of God. This implies that they are not to proclaim personal opinions, cultural preferences, or things that exalt the kingdoms of man.
- To perform healing. Healing shows the arrival of God’s power (10:9) The healing is a sign to the people that the Kingdom has arrived.
- To travel lightly, taking nothing for the journey, not even money. They are being tested with regard to their dependence on God. (Later, when they go into more hostile areas, the disciples are told to take money with them.)
- To not move about to different houses when in a town. To move to a different place would involve new social adjustments. There can also be a tendency to seek “better” accommodations. The philosophers of the time went looking for money and nice places to stay, seeking personal gain; the disciples are not to do this.
- To shake the dust off their feet and leave when they are rejected. If people reject the message, we don’t blame ourselves; we move on to where they will receive the message. There can be a tendency to persevere when it would only be wasting our time.
We recognize that ministers of the Gospel in developing nations often have little money. The Biblical pattern is that the congregation should support its pastor through tithes. When Paul quotes, “You shall not muzzle the ox that treads the corn,” he applies it directly to sustaining those who preach and teach among us. Sometimes when a pastor goes to offer prayers for someone, they give some money. There is a temptation to think of prayers as something financially profitable, and to turn it into a business. This attitude is what caused the troubles of Simon Magus (Acts 8: 19-20). He wanted to buy the ability to impart the Holy Spirit, probably with the motive of selling it, just as he did his other magic arts. This attitude has come to be called Simony in the church. People would purchase positions in order to enrich themselves.
The disciples obeyed, and went about doing the same things that Jesus was doing. They preached the Gospel, and they healed people.
The activity comes to Herod’s attention. He is the ruler of the area, and he was confused. Some people said that John the Baptist, whom he had killed, had risen from the dead; others that the prophet Elijah had appeared. Herod wanted to see Jesus, but Jesus made no special effort to see him, even though he was the ruler.
When the disciples returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. There must have been great excitement, even though we don’t have a specific account of their work. There is an implication of what the report would have been like in Luke 10:17-21. Jesus realized that they needed rest from the journey, and also further teaching, so he took them apart to Bethsaida (which means “fishertown”), a village on Lake Galilee. His intention was for a spiritual retreat, so they could process their recent experiences, but the people heard he was there, and they came. He spoke to them of the Kingdom of God and healed those who needed healing.
There are times when ministry is forced on us, even though we feel we should rest. We recognize the need to be apart to renew our energy and to receive new teaching from God, and we need to deliberately make time for that. But in spite of that need, it says here that Jesus welcomed them. His heart was open to people in need.
I heard a story from one of Billy Graham’s closest associates. They were in New York on the 4th of July, a major American holiday when there are great fireworks displays in the evening. Billy Graham went out with my friend and some other workers to see the display, but he went in disguise so he wouldn’t be disturbed. A woman recognized him anyway, and said, “Oh, Mr. Graham, can you help me to receive Christ!” Billy Graham told the others to go on and see the fireworks, and he stayed back to minister to the woman so that she could receive her salvation. It is a wonderful example of responding when there is opportunity for ministry.
Luke 9:12-17 Feeding the Five Thousand
Here we see Jesus authority and ability to provide what we need. He who resisted the temptation to turn stones into bread now initiates a miracle of providing bread for many people. The miracle occurs in all four Gospels, and is especially emphasized in John 6:1-15, where we see Jesus as the bread of life. (In this section, I discipline myself to teach from Luke; it is good in preaching to stay with your text and not jump around into other parts of the Bible if you don’t have good reason to do so. I say this because we often end up far away from the original text, and the people who listen get confused.)
The miracle does two things: 1) it further identifies who Jesus is. Remember the question “who is this.” 2) It teaches the disciples about trust and provision. There are Old Testament precedents. Moses provided manna for the people in the wilderness in Exodus 16 and Numbers 11. Elijah provided food from a man’s firstfruits in 2 Kings 4:42-44.
There is no reaction from the crowd; perhaps they thought the disciples had some store of food available. The miracle is aimed at teaching the disciples that the Lord will provide.
After teaching and healing throughout the day, the disciples suggest they close the meeting so the people will go home and eat, when Jesus surprises them by telling them to give food to the people. The total amount of food they have is 5 loaves and 2 fish, not even enough for Jesus and the disciples to eat. There is no place to buy food, and it would cost a lot of money.
Jesus organizes the people into groups of 50. That means there were about 100 groups to feed, but perhaps breaking the large crowd into a number of smaller crowds would make it easier to distribute the food. Then Jesus takes the bread, blesses it, breaks it, and has the disciples distribute it. All are fed, and there are 12 baskets of fragments left over, which the disciples gather up. As they distributed to the people, they were provided for themselves.
I recall hearing a Scottish preacher talk about the four steps in Jesus’ miracles.
- He took the bread. (In John it was a little boy who provided it, and Jesus received his gift).
- Then he blessed the bread, putting something into it that was not there before.
- Then he broke it, which is a symbol of what must happen to our self-reliance when we operate in the Spirit. You might say he took something out of the bread that didn’t belong there.
- Finally he used the bread to feed the people. So with our lives as God’s servants; He takes us, he blesses us, he breaks us, and he uses us.
The fact that the miracle is recorded in each of the Gospels indicates its importance in the early church. It suggests a foretaste of the coming messianic banquet where Christ will serve us (Psalm 81:16, Isaiah 25:6; 65: 13-14)
As Moses provided manna and as Elijah provided food, so Jesus provides.
A blind evangelist in Sweden wrote of his experience. People would come to his home for prayer, and it was their custom to always give them something to eat. They were in a period of financial testing, and didn’t have money for food. That week, an unusual amount of people came to the house for prayer, and his wife always put out the bread and cheese to feed them. At the end of the week, she led the evangelist to the kitchen and took our the bread and cheese and put his hands on them. Then she said, the bread and cheese were the same size at the beginning of the week, and we have fed at least 30 people with it. God had multiplied their bread!
Luke 9: 18-27 Peter’s Confession and the Way of the Cross
It seems strange when it says that Jesus was praying alone, but the disciples were with him. I suppose he went off someplace and then returned to the disciples, perhaps in response to something that he felt while he was praying. He normally prayed before major turning points in his ministry. He came with the question, “Who do the people say that I am?”
We recognize the context of the past few events. He has
- calmed the sea,
- cast out devils,
- healed the sick,
- raised the dead and
- fed the multitudes.
The question now is what conclusion the people are drawing from this series of acts of power. There is much discussion regarding the great question, “Who is this man?”
Some think John the Baptist has been resurrected because he was a dynamic public prophet in Israel. (We saw that Herod feared this earlier.) Others thought of Elijah, because of the prophecy that he would come. Suggestions were made of other prophets, especially Jeremiah in the Matthew account, which is more fully developed. The people knew he was “somebody,” and not just a figure who appeared by accident.
When Jesus asks “Who do you say that I am?” he uses the plural form, asking the question of all the disciples. Peter speaks for them all in saying, “The Christ of God.” They recognize that Jesus is on a different level from all the preceding prophets. He is the unique representative of God on earth. He is not merely a prophet, as the Muslims admit. Rather he is who he claims to be, the incarnation of God.
In declaring that Jesus is the Christ he is saying he is the Messiah. Jesus warns them not to spread that message. The Jews were expecting the Messiah, but not in the way that Jesus came. They expected a military figure like David, not a suffering figure like the one presented in Isaiah 53 and Psalms 16 and 118. To broadcast the word “messiah” would have awakened the warrior instincts in people. But here it is clear that Jesus accepts the title. (In John 4, he clearly says that he is Messiah, but it is to a Samaritan woman, who sees the Messiah as a Moses-figure, rather than a David-figure.)
This marks a turning point in Jesus’ ministry. At this point, he begins to reveal the way of the cross to the disciples.
He immediately begins to speak of his suffering and death, and is constantly repeating the message as he prepares for the cross. He “sets his face to Jerusalem.” He speaks of his rejection at the hands of the chief priests and elders and scribes. He is beginning to show them the nature of the true Messiah. When he says they must take up the cross, he is consciously taking up his own cross in directing his path towards Jerusalem, where he will suffer for the sake of others.
In recognizing Jesus as Messiah, the disciples may have thought that victory was just around the corner, and everything would be easy. We see indications of this thinking later in their striving for position, and even in Acts 1:6-11, where they expect an earthly kingdom to be ushered in suddenly.
Jesus continues to teach them that the Kingdom comes not for power and privilege, but for humility and service. In ministry, we give ourselves on behalf of sinners.
There are many references to his suffering in Luke. (9:44; 11:29-32; 12:50; 13:31-35; 17:25; 18:31-35; 20:9-18; 22:19-20,28; 24:7,46-47) The word “must” is an emphatic word. He does not suffer accidentally, but is compelled to suffer. It is clear that his followers will follow in the same way.
There are Old Testament themes that anticipate the suffering. Psalm 118 predicts the suffering of a kingly figure. Isaiah 52:13-53:12 shows the suffering servant who takes away sin. Many Psalms show the righteous sufferer. (18, 22, 32, 69) The Jews did not expect the Messiah to suffer. Peter eventually realized the truth when he preached in Acts 2:24-28 and made reference to the necessity of suffering, quoting from Psalm 16:10.
The constant repetition of the theme of the Messiah’s suffering indicates that it was not easy for the disciples to understand it. Suffering is difficult. Nobody wants to go through it. And yet, strangely enough, after going through suffering for the Gospel, something wholesome takes place inside of you, and you learn to value the experience.
Christian living is no an easy trip to heaven. Rather it follows in the way that Jesus went. Peter later describes the tension in 1 Peter 1:3-12.
To take up the cross daily means that we approach ministry as Jesus did. He served and gave of himself daily, even in the face of persecution and rejection. We have seen this kind of faithfulness in India in recent times, where pastors have continued their ministry in the face of threats to their lives. Several have given their lives. They have gained the crown of the righteous, and we honor them.
The sequential steps of the disciple are:
Desire to come after Jesus
Deny yourself
Take up your cross
Follow Jesus
Daily
1. First he says “If anyone wishes to come after me.” The word used implies a firm decision of the will. It is not an unintentional following, but an intentional act. It is not imposed from the outside, but proceeds from within. The desire itself is planted by the Holy Spirit.
2. “Let him deny himself.” “To deny ourselves is to deny our own will where it does not fall in with the will of God…It is to deny ourselves any pleasure which does not spring from, and lead to, God.” (John Wesley) We know that our will has been corrupted by sin, and has a natural tendency to indulge our natural corruption. There are times when we deny ourselves in a conscious way by fasting or by giving ourselves especially to some spiritual discipline beyond our regular practices. But denying ourselves is to be a daily practice as well. How often we are very spiritual for a while, and then we back off. God wants us to be consistent. We trust that God will give us access to higher joys and pleasures, including the desires of our hearts, when we live a life of self-denial.
3. “Take up his cross.” Taking up our cross is distinct from having a cross laid on us. It is true that many believers have difficult situations (“crosses”) forced upon them, and they struggle under those burdens. Some pastors are really forced to tend God’s flock, even though they don’t feel qualified, and sometimes don’t even feel “called.” Others are forced to take care of a sick person, simply because there is nobody else to do it. Yet they are faithful in bearing that cross.
But to take up a cross is a deliberate act that embraces the suffering that accompanies the action. There are things that must be done, but that we hate to do. Suppose someone who contributes a lot of money to the church is living in some kind of sin, and as part of our ministry we are to admonish and bring correction. We know that we can meet with rejection, and very possibly the loss of that income. And yet, we remain faithful to the call of God. Some members commit themselves to traveling great distances at their own expense in order to bring the Gospel to a village that has no church. We take up the cross, because it is Christ that we are following. Again, from John Wesley, “A cross is anything contrary to our will, anything displeasing to our nature. So that taking up our cross goes a little farther than denying ourselves; it rises a little higher, and is a more difficult task to flesh and blood; -- it being more easy to forego pleasure than to endure pain. Jesus “who for the joy set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame,” (Hebrews 12:2) is our example.
4. Then Jesus says, “Follow me.” The immediate context is to follow him to Jerusalem where he will be killed. When we follow him, there is often a cross lying in the way, something that is painful to us. And yet we voluntarily suffer, even though we can choose to avoid that stress, in order to embrace the will of God. When Christians were being persecuted in Orissa state in India, a pastor had to decide whether to go and help them, risking his own comfort and possibly his life, or to stay at home saying, “It is their problem, not mine.” He chose to go, because Jesus goes to people who are in need, and the people were blessed.
5. “Daily.” The discipline of the Christian life is a constant challenge, and we have a natural tendency to back away from our diligence. Hebrews 10:39 encourages us: “But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.” Our Christian walk is not “weekly,” but “daily.” Our spiritual disciplines are not occasional, but constant.
Jesus goes on to motivate us further, talking about whether we want to save our soul or lose it, whether our own integrity is worth more than all the riches of this world, and whether we can endure shame in order to experience the coming glory of the Son of Man, the Father, and the holy angels. He also reminds them that some will see the kingdom of God before they die. (This is fulfilled in the following passage of the Mount of Transfiguration, and also in the casting out of demons and healing the sick.)
Luke 9:28-36 The Transfiguration
There have been various answers to the question of “Who is this?” The crowds think of Jesus as a great man, certainly on par with the prophets, and very possibly a resurrected prophet. The disciples come to realize that he is the Messiah, the son of God. Jesus himself knows who he is, and doesn’t need external confirmation. Here in the Transfiguration, the Father speaks his answer to the question: he says “This is my son, my chosen one. Listen to him.”
Jesus went to the mountain to pray, along with Peter, John and James. While Jesus was praying, the disciples were sleeping, which also happens in the Garden of Gethsemane. (It seems that when something dynamic is happening in the Spirit world, we have a tendency to disconnect from it.) Jesus’ appearance is suddenly transformed and his clothes are suddenly white and gleaming. Moses and Elijah appear with him and they are talking together about his “departure”, a word that literally means Exodus. It is a mysterious passage. We know that Moses died, but it was God who buried him, and nobody knows where he was buried. He was forbidden to enter the Promised Land while alive, but now he is there. Elijah did not die, but was carried directly to heaven. Jesus appears in the glory that he had before the incarnation. It is a glimpse into what his glory is like now that he has returned to heaven. (Philippians 2:5-10 shows this)
The topic of discussion is his departure. There must be parallels to the experiences of Moses, who was willing to die rather than have the people disgraced, and to Elijah, who would ascend like Jesus did. They must have discussed the demands of the law and the promise of the prophets. But the central theme was departure in Jerusalem, the suffering and the cross that Jesus was facing. If the angels desire to look into these things (1 Peter 1:12), it is reasonable to assume that Moses and Elijah would also like to understand them.
The disciples wake up and see it. The phrase is, “when they were fully awake they saw his glory.” Too often when we experience God’s revelation, we are half asleep. The challenge of being “fully awake” is always there
Peter wants to stay on the mountain, just as we all do. It is a good thing to be in the presence of Jesus in all of his glory. “Let us build three tents here,” he said. His thoughts immediately went to the feast of booths, which was a celebration of the harvest.(Deuteronomy 16:13-15) He thought that the coming kingdom was here in all its fullness, and that they would now see the complete fulfillment of the meaning of that feast. But the text adds that he didn’t know what he was saying. (Most of us who preach have had the same experience. We got all emotional about something, and said things that were not right or not appropriate!)
A cloud came and covered them. This is another reference to the Exodus experience, where they were led by the cloud in the wilderness, and where the cloud separated them from the Egyptians who were chasing them. God also descended in a cloud on the tabernacle in the wilderness when he would speak to Moses, and the cloud also came on the temple. (Exodus 13:21, 14:19, 19:18, 33:9;1 Kings 8:10-11) God, who is not seen, may be clothed in light, but his manifestation comes disguised as a cloud.
From the cloud comes the voice telling them to listen to Jesus. God comes with a higher revelation than Moses and the Prophets. This is the highest revelation of Jesus in his glory, except for the cross. It is a culmination to the works of power that led to the confession of Jesus as the Messiah. Here it is the main lawgiver and the main prophet who both affirm Jesus, and finally the Father Himself gives the ultimate endorsement of who Jesus is. This is a cosmic confession.
Peter is more deeply moved by this experience that any other single thing in his life. Many years later, in 2 Peter 1:16-21 he refers to the words of the prophets made more sure. He tells us how he was actually there when the words were spoken.
As Jesus was transformed, so we are also in a process of transformation by “the renewing of our minds.” (Romans 12:2). In the passage we have Moses and Elijah appearing in glory. We have the hope in us, that we shall also be transformed into the likeness of Jesus when we see him as he really is. (1 John 3:1-3, 2 Peter 1:4)
Luke 9:37-45 The Demonized Boy
Coming down from the glorious experience, they encounter the other disciples who have failed to cast demons out of a boy. The boy is an only child (like Jairus’ daughter) and represented all his hopes for the coming generation.
This is the first of a series of failures by the disciples and others. Later they argue over who will be greatest. Then they want to destroy a Samaritan village. Then others tell him they have other things to do before they can come and follow Jesus.
The boy’s seizures are consistent with epilepsy, but here it is stated that they are caused by demons. Epilepsy is a sickness, and can be treated medically, so we don’t say most cases of epilepsy are caused by a demon. We should be careful before attributing anything to demons. In this case, Jesus interviewed the father, investigating the situation, before acting to cast out the spirit.
Jesus speaks of the unbelieving and perverted generation. (Deuteronomy 32:5 is a precedent) The entire atmosphere seems to reject the presence of God. There is frustration with the way things are, and also a frustration with the fact that the disciples cannot connect with the power to deliver the boy. (In Matthew the story is further developed, and he speaks of the power to deliver as coming through prayer, and in some versions, fasting.)
Crowds come to observe, which may happen when a demon is manifesting itself. Jesus rebukes the demon and reverses its power and gives the boy back to his father. The crowd is amazed at the greatness of God.
But at the very time that Jesus is overruling the evil spirit, he tells the disciples that he is going to be delivered into the hands of men. The disciples could not understand the statement. It seemed to them that there was no power that could conquer Jesus, and they had no concept of his voluntarily submitting to the power of evil men. They had to be taught over and over again what it was to carry the cross.
Luke 9:46-50 The Disciples Seek Greatness
For most people having status is equal to having power. Jesus teaches the disciples that humility and a lack of concern about your status relative to the others is fundamental to the disciple.
They are arguing about their rankings. So Jesus takes a child and sets it before them. A child was considered to have no status at all in their culture. In fact they had a saying that “chattering with children” would destroy a man. Jesus, contrary to rejecting the child, welcomes it, and he indicates that in welcoming the child, we are welcoming Jesus himself. The child, like the woman, and the poor person, and every other person, is made in the image of God, and deserves to be treated with respect. Every person has dignity. Nobody is so low that they are beyond the reach of God’s love.
To pursue position is to pursue elitism. The next story tells of the disciples trying to prevent someone who was not in their group from exercising power to cast out demons. They wanted to preserve that right for themselves alone, and seemed to feel threatened if someone else had the same power. Jesus, like Moses in Numbers 11:29, is only happy that others beyond the immediate circle are exercising the authority of the Kingdom of God. True ministers seek to multiply their ministry, not to keep it to themselves.
Luke 9:51-56 Can we burn the Village?
Verse 51 marks a turning point, as Jesus “sets his face” to Jerusalem. (Genesis 31:21, Jeremiah 21:10; 44:12 connect setting your face with resolving to do something) He sends messengers ahead of him, and they find that the Samaritans don’t want to receive him because he is going to Jerusalem. (The Samaritans believed that Mount Gerizim is where they should worship. John 4:20). The disciples ask permission to call down fire from heaven to consume the Samaritans. They have great confidence in their ability to do so, but they ask Jesus for permission first. Jesus rebukes them for their spirit, and declares that the Son of Man didn’t come to destroy men’s lives but to save them. Jesus and the disciples went on to another village. (This is the only passage where Samaritans are portrayed negatively. But Jesus makes special effort to reach out to them.)
A pastor friend had a visit from an itinerant evangelist who wanted to preach in his church. He didn’t know the man, and they had no mutual acquaintances, so he told the man he would not give him a meeting. The man felt like God had sent him specifically, and argued for an opportunity. Finally he went outside and turned to the north, the south, the east and the west and pronounced judgment on the church. His judgments never came, but his proud spirit was revealed. He proclaimed judgment, not salvation.
Luke 9:57-62 The Cost of Discipleship
Someone comes offering to follow Jesus wherever he goes, and Jesus responds that he has no home. Even the birds and foxes have a place to stay, but Jesus is constantly traveling. Ministry, especially itinerant ministry, can be quite uncomfortable.
Jesus calls another person, saying “follow me.” But that person says he wants to bury his father first. It seems cruel to not let a person bury his father; after all, we are to honor our father and mother. But perhaps the father isn’t dead yet. The man may have been waiting for an inheritance before following Jesus. He may be afraid that by following Jesus, he would be disinherited by his family. Jesus demands absolute priority.
Another wants to follow, but wants to say good-bye to his family first. There is precedent for this in the story of Elisha (1 Kings 19:20), but Jesus (also referring to Elisha) says, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God.” Going back to the family could be going back to pressures to not follow Jesus fully.
It is clear from these stories that there are failures in both action and discipleship. The Gospel is not a way for weak and indecisive people. There is a price to pay if we are to gain the promised reward.
Luke. Section 3.
Luke 10:1-19:48 Moving towards Jerusalem and the Cross.
Luke 10:1-24 The Seventy Sent Out
Jesus presents a lesson in efficiency, in addition to expanding the ministry team. He chooses 70 (or possibly 72) additional people to go and prepare the people in the places where he is to come. That means that when Jesus came to a town or village, it wasn’t a surprise to the people, but his coming had already been announced.
One can imagine how these “forerunners” went about their work. They would need to find a good place for Jesus to be able to speak so many people could hear. They might need to arrange for food and housing for the disciples. They would go around to the people, informing them of the event. The entire planning would take time; that is why there were so many people. 35 places were being prepared at the same time, and those who were preparing the way for Jesus were also doing the works of Jesus, as we see when they reported back to him.
Using the number 70 (or 72) may be a reference to the number of the “nations” in Genesis 10-11, or the number of Moses’ elders (Numbers 11:16-17; 24-25).
When Billy Graham had a crusade, the planning would begin over a year ahead of time. A full time representative went to the city one year before the crusade, and he contacted all the churches and arranged for the preparation of counselors, prayer support, the rental of the venue, the lodging of the team members, and a thousand other details involved in planning an event for 50 or 100 thousand people. That same representative remained in the city for 6 months after the crusade in order to supervise all the follow up of those who committed their lives to Christ. During the months before the event, Billy Graham would read the major newspapers from the city, so he would have an understanding of what was important to the people there. In fact, they claim that the meetings themselves represent only about 10% of the work that goes into a crusade.
But back to Luke. It seems that these 70 were distinct from the 12. They did not have the 3 years of training that the 12 had, but they still were granted power and authority. It shows us that formal training is good, but that there is a role for many others to be used by God. (Romans 12:3-8, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4:1-16)
Jesus reminds them that the harvest is large, but the laborers are few, but he doesn’t tell them to go and recruit workers or to force people into ministry. Instead he tells them to ask the Lord of the Harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Ministry is not a career that an individual chooses; it is a calling from God. But that calling takes place in the context of our praying. It is difficult to find people who are both gifted and committed, especially to the work of reaching the villages. And yet God chooses individuals, and they respond with joy. Pray that the Lord will send laborers!
They are to go as “lambs among wolves.” The world is hostile to those who confess and proclaim the Gospel. Yet they are not to imitate the world’s ways by acting like wolves themselves. Lambs have no natural means of protecting themselves; their only protection is the shepherd.
They are to travel light with no money bag, no shoes, no bag. They are not to greet anyone on the way. This is a reference to the culture, which still exists in parts of the world. If you greeted someone, you had to inquire about all their relatives, and you may have had to go and eat with that person; it could occupy a whole day, and hinder you from doing the job you were sent to do.
There are many time wasters in the life of a minister. There are people who want attention, and they occupy many hours of our time in counseling. There are others who want to stop us from our work, and they call us to committee after committee to try to dissuade us. Then there is our own tendency to be only with the people who are easy to be with.
The culture of the day expected hospitality. Jesus advises them to live simply, not demanding special treatment. He tells them not to move from house to house. They are to bring peace, not disturbance, to the house. The itinerant teachers and philosophers had the habit of demanding payment for their teaching, and of looking around to find who had the nicest house and food for them. The disciples were not to follow that custom
Jesus gives them authority to heal the sick, and tells them to announce that the Kingdom of God is near to them. The healing is proof of the Kingdom
Some cities will reject the message, and they are not to stay there struggling. Rather they are to shake the dust off their feet as a testimony against them. God will judge those who reject the message; it is not our responsibility. Jesus begins to pronounce woes on Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, cities that had rejected him.
He reminds the disciples that they speak for him. Those who hear them, hear Jesus; those who reject them, reject Jesus.
The seventy went out, and returned with great joy. Even the demons were subject to them, though casting out demons was not part of their instruction. Jesus replied that he saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. The question is whether he is referring to their ministry, and his spiritual presence with them, or whether it is referring to the event prior to the creation when Satan and his angels were cast out of heaven (Isaiah 14:12-14). Either, or both, are possibilities. Certainly Jesus rejoices when we see victories over Satan’s power.
He grants them further powers over serpents and scorpions, but reminds them that more important than all spiritual power is having your name written in heaven. Serpents and scorpions probably refer to evil spirits. They have no power over us. This is a reference to the ancient promise in Genesis 3:15. The serpent would bruise Jesus’ heel, but we see from this text that he cannot hurt us in any spiritual way.
We get a glimpse into Jesus’ personal joy at the success of the disciples in his prayer. His excitement is that the secrets of the kingdom were revealed to “infants” rather than the wise people of the world. (The 70 are referred to as infants, which can be a comfort to those of us who don’t feel very smart.) They receive the message because Jesus chose to reveal it to them, in accord with the Father’s will. To receive the Son is to receive the message, and to receive the Father as well.
Then Jesus addresses the disciples and tells them that prophets and kings wanted to see and hear the things they are hearing. The contrast between “infants” and “prophets and kings” is radical. We should remember it, even when we confess that we are “priests and kings” in the sight of God. Pride of position does not bring the kingdom of god.
Luke 10:25-37 The Good Samaritan.
The story of the Good Samaritan and the following two incidents (the dinner at Mary and Martha’s and the teaching on prayer) give us teaching about 1) our attitude towards our neighbor, 2) spending time with Jesus, and 3) praying to God. Our attitude toward God is directly connected with our attitude toward our neighbor. It is our focus on Jesus (the Word made flesh) that makes the ethical connection between God and neighbor.
A lawyer asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. He does not say “earn” eternal life, but “inherit” eternal life. An inheritance is by nature not something you earn. Someone else has earned it and has left it to you in their will. It is not given by the receiver’s choice, but the giver’s.
In spite of that, the one who makes the will may choose on the basis of character, friendship, relationship, or any other factor to provide and inheritance or to disown the recipient.
In this context we understand that the goal of life is related to God’s purpose for us. (References to “inheriting” life are found in Matthew 19:29, Mark 10:17, Titus 3:7, 1 Peter 3:7) In the Old Testament you inherited the land (Genesis 28:4, Deuteronomy 1:8, 2:12, 4:1). Daniel 12:2 speaks of the just ones rising to eternal life.
The lawyer assumes he must do something. In fact you could organize the inquiry around five questions:
- What must I do?
- What does the law say?
- Do I love God?
- Who is my neighbor?
- Which of the 3 was a neighbor?
1. What must I do? There is a deep desire to be worthy of the Kingdom (Ephesians 4:1, 1 Thessalonians 2:12, 2 Thessalonians 1:5, 10). So the question is natural, not contrived. We all want to live adequate lives, but we are often uncertain what that means in practical terms. That is the question Jesus addresses.
2. Jesus responds with a question, “What does the law say?” and he asks for the lawyer’s interpretation, “How do you read it?” The lawyer responds with the Great Commandment in Deuteronomy 6:5 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind; and, ‘love your neighbor as yourself.”
3. The question when we hear the Great Commandment is, “Do I love God fully?” That is the starting point. All else grows out of our relationship to God.
Jesus responds, “Do this and you shall live.” We were designed to love. But we have to love the right person. We have to love God wholly. The result of that love is that we also love those who are made in his image—those who are next to us as neighbors. This is frequently repeated (Matthew 5:43, 19:19, Galatians 5:14, etc)
4. The lawyer still thinks eternal life is earned rather than flowing from a love relationship with God. The previous incident (vs. 21-24) shows that the relationship to God is the basis for all action. 1 Corinthians 2:9 shows that the glorious things are prepared for those who love God.
But the lawyer wonders if there is a limit to who is my neighbor. He wants to justify himself—to declare himself good enough. It is common to speak of only your own ethnic or language group as your neighbor. Perhaps only those with your own political opinions. It is common to “demonize” people who think differently. The Law says (Leviticus 19:34-35) that you must treat the alien (the “different” person) as if he were born among you.
Jesus responds with a story which may be based on an actual event. It shocks the listeners because the “bad guy,” the despised Samaritan was the hero. He was the last one the Jews would expect to show mercy.
The road from Jerusalem to Jericho was about 25 Km. long and had many caves and hiding places where thieves would lurk. It was a very dangerous stretch of road, and travelers frequently brought weapons to defend themselves against attack. The victim in the story fell prey to the thieves and was left for dead after all his goods were stolen.
“By chance” a priest passed by. One would think it lucky that a “shepherd in Israel” would come just then, but the priest actually crossed the road to put as much distance as possible between himself and the person in need. A Levite does the same. He was a temple servant, but seemed not to care about being a people servant.
Why do they pass by? Perhaps from fear of ritual uncleanness. Touching a dead body would render you “unclean” and they may have feared the man would die. Perhaps from fear that it may be a trap, and that the thieves were using the wounded man as bait so they could rob the next person to come along. Perhaps because getting involved could be costly. In any case, they refused to help, and that was a moral failure.
Then a Samaritan comes. He performs 6 actions: He comes to the man, binds his wounds, anoints him with oil, loads him on his mule, takes him to the inn, cares for him and cares for him, and leaves money for his continued care. In fact, the money he leaves could pay for 3 ½ weeks lodging.
5. That brings us to the fifth question. “Which of the three do you think was neighbor to the injured man?” The lawyer can’t bring himself to say “Samaritan”—his prejudice is still there, so he says, “The one who had mercy on him.”
“God and do likewise.” Don’t be particular about who you treat well. Simply be a neighbor.
Luke 10:38-42 Mary and Martha
The story of Mary and Martha shows the difference between what is urgent and what is important. Mary understands the importance of being in fellowship with Jesus, while Martha is distracted by her preparations.
Bethany was about 3 kilometers from Jerusalem. This is one of several meal scenes in Jesus’ ministry. Mary is sitting at Jesus’ feet listening. She is not chattering in nervousness, but allows Jesus to speak. He is welcome in their personal space. This is in contrast to the Pharisees, who generally invited Jesus in order to observe him and look for fault. (I recall talking with some women in Uganda. Conversation was polite, when it started to rain, and we went into their kitchen hut for protection. As soon as we went in, they began to open up their hearts. It was as if they were more comfortable to speak their hearts when they were in their own kitchen.)
In some ways it reminds me of the story of the Shunamite woman in 2 Kings 4. Martha invites Jesus to her home. We see him coming there again when Lazarus is raised, and later during the Passion Week it seems that he went back to Bethany each night. It was a place of refuge for Jesus. They experience the resurrection of Lazarus in John 11. It seems clear that this was Jesus’ favorite place in the Jerusalem area.
The story is not about women as such, but about the priorities in discipleship. Men are caught up in activity that hinders their relationship to God just as much as women are. Spiritual things were considered “men’s work” in their culture. But the story does show that God expects women to attend to spiritual matters. They are not relegated to only housework. This is a characteristic of Christianity in contrast to other religions. Women are given a significant role.
Neither does Jesus say that Martha’s activity is bad. In fact Martha continued her ministry in the kitchen (John 12:2), but we presume it was with a different attitude. There are good things, and there are better things.
When my father turned 75, the pastor of the leading Pentecostal church in Sweden came to the United States to honor him. A group of women were in my house preparing, and the pastor of this very large church saw that there were still things to do in preparing for the celebration. He sat down at the table and began peeling eggs to put in the salad. To me, it seemed almost a reversal of the Mary/Martha situation. There was a complete willingness to do “women’s work” even though he was pastor of one of the most important churches in the world!
Jesus talks to the women, while some of the writings of the time said that it was a waste of time to talk with a woman. He respects them.
It is good to invite spiritual people into your home.
Martha frets because she is distracted in the preparations. (Perhaps the rice is burnt. Perhaps she is missing some spice. Perhaps the chicken isn’t as good as she thought. Perhaps. Perhaps. Perhaps.) “Please tell Mary to quit sitting at your feet, and to come help me in the kitchen,” she asks Jesus. I suppose she had tried signaling Mary before she spoke up, but Mary was giving Jesus her total attention, and would not be distracted. Jesus does not take sides in the dispute, which is typical (Luke 12:13, John 8:4-7) Rather he speaks Martha’s name twice, a sign of tenderness. (Luke 6:46, 8:24, 13:34, 22:31).
He addresses her attitude of worry. “You are upset about many things.” “Only one thing is needed.” There may be a double meaning in “one thing”. It’s possible that Martha was preparing a very elegant meal requiring much preparation, and Jesus says, “I don’t need all that stuff; just give me a bowl of rice.” And of course, the classical answer is that fellowship with Jesus is the one thing that takes priority over trying to make everything taste good.
Meals are often associated with divine fellowship in the Bible. But it is clear that “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” There is the “food that you don’t know about” (John 4:32). Jesus’ teaching is our principal food.
We also know that food preparation can become a matter of pride and even of competition, if the attitude is wrong. Proverbs 17:1 says, “Better a dry morsel with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting with strife. Proverbs 23: 1-3 says you should be careful about your appetite (“put a knife to your throat!”) when you sit down to eat with a ruler.
I was in a home in Romania where they served me some delicious chicken. They prepared a table in the nicest room in the house, and put me there. Then they came in with a salad, followed by the main course. They brought me a dessert and coffee. It was all very good. But I was all alone in that room. There was no fellowship. Of course, we had some language problems, but not enough to put me in isolation. When I was eating there, I could only think about Martha. She was so busy serving Jesus that she didn’t have time to be with him
Luke 11:1-13 The Model Prayer
The disciples asked Jesus to teach them a formal prayer that represented the group. It was now distinct from those allied with John, who apparently had their own formal prayer. The Jews had a group of 18 blessings (actually 19) that they invoked. It is clear that the Jesus group is becoming independent of the other groups.
This request indicates the importance of the public prayer. It has some of the characteristics that should be present: it is short, specific, and it does not repeat itself. It is also not a wish list or a check list. The prayer represents all the people, not just the desires of a few.
In addressing God as Father, it establishes the common nature of the group. They are a communal family under God as Father.
Careful analysis shows many implied characteristics of Christians: dependence on God, holiness, the ruling presence of God, a life of forgiveness, recognition of God as the source of forgiveness and protection. It seeks obedience from the heart and is submissive to God’s will.
In addressing God with the word “abba” it combines God’s authority with an intimate relationship to him. (It is interesting that one of the first things a baby says in any language is abba. It may well be a principal word in “heart language.”)
“Hallowed” means set apart, or unique. This implies submission to God and also making known the name of God. (Isaiah 52:5-6, Ezekiel 36:20-21, Romans 2:24) The name is honored above all other names.
“Kingdom” refers to the full realization of God’s promise. This goes beyond “eternal life.” The desire is for the Kingdom to be manifested here and now. The Kingdom of God is the full range of his effectual will, which means this is a cry for God to rule in every person’s heart and to rule in all situations from the most domestic to the broadest political events.
The requests follow. Give us our daily bread. Bread refers to the basic needs of our lives. The Jewish “18 blessings” spoke of “annual” bread, but Jesus makes it “daily.” He teaches us to call for God’s continual presence and care on a daily basis. Bread carries the broad meaning of all of our daily needs.
Forgiveness is seen not as a right, but as a gift from God. If we are to receive it, we must be ready to extend it to others as well. Sin is seen as a debt to be forgiven, that is, when you act against another person, you incur a debt. We recognize the universal need for forgiveness, because all have sinned. (Romans 3:23). Don’t ask for forgiveness if you aren’t willing to give forgiveness to those who have hurt you.
Without forgiveness, animosity tends to escalate. We recognize that sin is not only against another person, but also against God.
Humility asks for forgiveness. This saves us from the mentality of “us” and “them”.
Then the prayer deals with spiritual protection. We know that God doesn’t tempt people (James 1:13-15). We also cooperate with the petition by avoiding sin and going where God leads us. We embrace the wisdom, provision and protection that he provides.
As to food, we must remember that in Jesus’ day, food was prepared daily, and there were few methods of preserving it. There was also a premium placed on hospitality. In the story of the man pestering his neighbor for bread we see the conflict he had between feeding his guest and bothering his neighbor. It is a lesson about boldness in our prayer. The word actually implies shamelessness. (Hebrews 10:19-22)
Jesus proceeds with the "ask, seek, knock" sequence of prayer. Each step can be developed. Simple asking is almost always the first step, but some people don’t even get that far. I recall an incident in Sudan. A man was telling me how he needed money for his wife’s sickness, for his children’s schooling, and other things. I realized that he was praying to me for a solution because he thought I had money. So I stopped him and told him to pray to God instead of me. When he prayed, it became very formal and vague, so I stopped him again and instructed him to ask specifically for the things he needed. He did that. The following year when I returned, God had answered each of the petitions.
Seeking involves some specific effort. There are many hindrances to our prayers, sometimes in the external circumstances and sometimes within ourselves. When you lose something, you try to retrace your steps. So it is in seeking answers. We want to know if we have gone wrong somewhere. In our seeking, we try to eliminate the things (like disobedience or selfishness or sin) that stand in the way of the answer. Often we seek a scripture on which to base our prayer.
To knock, speaks of persistence. We don’t give up in our praying!
In the story of how children ask for food, Jesus shows us that the request for the Holy Spirit is a mature and proper request. It is the fundamental need of the Christian if he is to live as a true representative of the Kingdom of God on earth. We ask for the daily bread—the presence of the Holy Spirit in us.
Luke 11:14-28 Jesus and Beelzebul
This is the first of a series of controversies that occupies chapter 11. People are beginning to have to decide about Jesus, whether he is the true Son of God or an imposter. As Jesus moves on towards Jerusalem, there is an increasing division between him and the religious authorities. There is also more emphasis on teaching than there is on miracles.
In this passage, the emphasis is not so much on the miracle as the reaction of the people to the miracle. A man who could not speak can suddenly speak after Jesus casts a demon out of him. Critics cannot deny that a miracle has occurred; after all, the man is there speaking. So they speculate on the source of Jesus’ power, saying it is through Beelzebul, the prince of demons. (2 Kings 1:2, 3, 6, 16) This is probably a derisive Jewish reference to the Philistine god Ekron. The word means “lord of the mansion” but the Jews changed it to mean “lord of filth” as a derisive term used for Satan. (An English novel uses the term “Lord of the Flies.”) They imagined that Satan had “double agents” working to deceive the people by casting out his own subordinates.
Other people wanted Jesus to show a sign from heaven, as if casting out devils wasn’t enough of a sign that the Kingdom of God was near. The first group were cynics; the second skeptics.
Today, skeptics would question whether a miracle had really occurred, and would attribute demon possession not to a demon, but to some inner psychological turmoil. They would claim that Jesus had a primitive world view because he didn’t understand the dynamics of mental sickness. We counter that Jesus has full understanding, and that his world view is true to reality. Even Jesus’ critics clearly understood that there was a spirit force involved. If they could have disproved or explained away the miracle, they certainly would have.
Jesus understands their thoughts and responds with simple logic: if Satan is divided against himself, how can he stand? Then he asks them by what power their sons cast out devils. The people considered casting out demons a sign of the Kingdom of God. So when Jesus applies their own logic to their own people, they are forced to retreat from the argument.
The demons are cast out by the “finger of God.” The miracles are signs that the Kingdom of God has come. They show that Satan’s power has been met with a stronger power, and that he is on the road to complete defeat.
To say that the Kingdom has arrived is not to say that it has been consummated; only that it has begun. It comes into the world through the believers who submit themselves to God’s rule. The Gospel, Paul teaches us, is “the power of God.” (Romans 1:16). He says the Kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. (1Corinthians 4:20) There is a power encounter that we face as Christians.
Jesus continues to talk about the encounter in the parable of the strong man in verses 21-23. This is a picture of someone defending his territory. He is “lord of the mansion” until someone stronger comes along and disarms him completely so that he can no longer dominate his household. Jesus is the stronger man. He is the one who disarmed Satan completely. (Colossians 2:15) He did so in the temptation and in the work of the cross, fulfilling the prophecy in Isaiah 53:12. (Isaiah 49: 25-26 anticipates this victory)
This is a cosmic victory that releases all the benefits of salvation to the believer.
Jesus completes the argument by arguing against neutrality. “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters.” It is not enough to simply be set free from your demons. There needs to be positive commitment to the Lord. When a man is delivered from his demons, it seems that everything is all right. But he has not built up the defense against the demons. He can come into a worse situation. His “house” is clean and respectable but it has no master, and the demons return and it still seems that the man is clean and respectable. In fact, he is in a worse condition. Beelzebul always wants to return.
The lesson is that we not only deliver people from the power of Satan; we must also bring them under the authority of God. There is no room for neutrality. Their house (your life and your church) must have a master.
At the end of the teaching a woman in the crowd calls out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.” The Pharisees are thinking about Beelzebul; the woman is thinking about the Virgin Mary! She has not been thinking so much of the arguments themselves, but rather the quality of the teacher presenting them. Her cry is a compliment to all mothers (and fathers) who raise their children well. We might say, “What a mother you had!” Jesus response is instructive. “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” (Luke 8:21 reflects the same teaching.) There is something that supersedes having good parents. The thing that produces character in an individual is to hear and obey God’s word. That is the primary change agent in life, and it can be more influential than even your upbringing.
Luke 11:29-36 The Sign of Jonah and the Light in You
Jesus calls his generation wicked. The people are seeking a “sign” when there are signs of the kingdom all around them, but they are not willing to see them as signs. The problem was in the way they saw rather than in the signs themselves.
When Jesus speaks of the sign of the prophet Jonah, he goes on to explain what he means. Certainly in the long term fulfillment, we have the resurrection of Jesus from the dead as a parallel to Jonah’s being brought up from the belly of the fish. But in the short term, Jesus speaks of the repentance of the Ninevites when they heard the preaching of Jonah. His preaching itself was a sign to the people that they had gone too far with their violence. They responded to Jonah’s message of “yet forty days, and Nineveh will be destroyed” by repenting from the highest to the lowest levels of society. It was 200 years, not forty days, before Nineveh was finally destroyed. (They returned to their old ways after the period of repentance.)
Then Jesus raises the issue of the Queen of Sheba, who when she heard of Solomon’s wisdom, came from far away to see him and hear his wisdom. Oh, that the world would come to seek God’s wisdom. Times and generations have not changed. They still come to see the spectacular miracles and the healings, but they are slow to respond to the message of repentance, discipleship, the cross, and wisdom! In fact, the church often cooperates with these requests for “signs” by appealing to selfish motives in advertising its healing and miracle services, while it fails to prepare itself properly for the teaching of repentance and wisdom.
For that reason, both the men of Nineveh and the Queen of the South will rise up to join in the judgment of the generation that rejects the revelation of God. Jesus announces that he is greater than Solomon and greater than Jonah.
This leads Jesus to talk about the way we see the events around us. “Your eye is the lamp of the body.” If you have a problem seeing the light of truth, you will be filled with darkness, but if you see the truth clearly, you will be filled with light, and that light will be demonstrated to the world. Unbelief, worldliness, and sin hinder us from seeing the light that Christ brings. We must be careful what we take into our soul! We must make a covenant with our eyes. (Job 31:1)
Luke 11:37-54 Rebuking the Pharisees and Scribes
Jesus is invited to eat at a Pharisee’s house and seems to deliberately avoid the ceremonial washing of hands, a custom referred to in Genesis 18:4 and Judges 19:21. Such washings were not commanded in the Old Testament, but they were customary. The host apparently doesn’t say anything, but Jesus responds to his thoughts by talking about washing the dishes. It is more important to wash the inside of the dish; if you do that, the outside will get clean as well. (The law spoke of washing dishes, but not of washing hands. Leviticus 11:32-33, 15:12) But the Pharisees were full of greed and wickedness on the inside, while they were compulsive about their outward behavior. He calls for self examination, so that the inner man is pure.
When he speaks of giving “alms” from the inner man, it can mean two things: 1) that we are generous with others from the heart, and not simply for appearances. True generosity is a mark of spiritual cleanliness, and is the opposite of the extortion and evil they were practicing. 2) One should apply the same careful consideration they give to almsgiving to the condition of their own heart and motives. If you pay attention to your heart, the outward manifestations will follow.
He pronounces a series of six woes. A woe is a cry for God’s just judgment when someone has done something that deserves a divine response. In the first woe, he says they count out their tithes on the smallest things, but ignore the great issues of justice and love. They had elaborate rules about the small things, but they missed the big things entirely. The big things are relational. (Micah 6:8, Zechariah 7:8-10, Colossians 3:12-15). Jesus does not tell them to ignore the small things, but to emphasize love and justice. This is well established in the Old Testament.
The second woe addresses their pride. They seek out the best seats in the synagogue, and they even had elaborate rules about greetings in the marketplace. All these were designed to draw attention to their own importance and spirituality.
The third woe, calling them unmarked graves, which men walk over without knowing it, is very direct. The custom was to bury someone in the place where he died, if he happened to be traveling. This meant that the road to Jerusalem had many graves. They were marked by whitewashing them a month before the Passover so people would not inadvertently step on them. Contact with things associated with death brought ceremonial defilement. (Numbers 19:11-22, Leviticus 21:1-3.) But Jesus says the Pharisees are like graves that people cannot see. Thus the people become defiled by associating with them. He takes their unspoken accusation about his “unclean hands” and turns it against them, saying that they are spiritually dead, and therefore completely unclean. But their uncleanness is hidden, even from themselves.
A lawyer present at the dinner realizes that Jesus is insulting him as well. Jesus agrees, and continues his list of woes. (fourth woe) The lawyers (scribes) load people with burdens, but are not willing to even lift a finger to help them. (Compare Jesus’ attitude: “Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest” Matthew 11:28) They are either hypocrites in not following their own rules, or they are heartless in not helping others. In either case, they are failing to show mercy and encourage people in their walk with God. “Quick to point a finger, but slow to lend a helping hand.” True devotion to God is never cold and withdrawn.
The fifth woe is their support for the slaying of the prophets. The irony is that their fathers killed the prophets, and they are building their tombs. (The death of Zechariah is described in 2 Chronicles 24:21.) Jesus indicates that they will continue to persecute and kill God’s messengers. It may be that the construction of an elaborate tomb for 4 prophets was taking place at that very moment in the area.
The final woe is that they have taken away the key of knowledge, and have not entered themselves. They are an active hindrance to people coming to know the truth. They have become a wall against blessing rather than a door that leads into blessing. (Malachi 2:7-8) The role of the religious leader is to bring people into fellowship with God, not to turn them away from it.
(There are New Age people who see the “key of knowledge” as a gnosis that gives secret knowledge of spiritual things. We reject this idea. Rather we understand that the keys to the kingdom were given to the apostles and passed on to us. We seek to increase in knowledge of God’s ways, and to encourage others in the way.)
Jesus’ critique of the Pharisees and Scribes is severe. It attacks the pride and self-assurance of the principal religious leaders. They had rules for everything except for how to be honest with God and with others, and how to demonstrate love and justice.
Why is Jesus so harsh with them? They would not hear him when he spoke gently, and they would not accept the signs and miracles that he did, so he had to escalate his attack in an attempt to get them to see the right way. I heard good advice from John Garlock: he said that God speaks only as loudly as he has to in order to make us hear. In this situation, Jesus had to speak very bluntly, but they still closed their ears. If we don’t listen to the still small voice, we may end up receiving judgment like thunder!
So the opposition is growing, and the Pharisees are “pressing Jesus hard” in order to trap him in his words. Luke is showing us what rebellion and disobedience looks like when he describes the reactions of the religious leaders. Instead of hearing the word of correction, they unite themselves in seeking to destroy Jesus’ credibility and life.
Luke 12:1-12 Pharisees and Blasphemy
Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem to be crucified, and he has just created quite a controversy by his strong attack on the scribes and Pharisees. The multitudes, several thousand strong, are always eager to observe a good confrontation, and they gather together. They were “stepping on each other” to hear the Lord. (Getting too many people together can lead to problems with crowd control. We might also note that there were no microphones; yet the people managed to hear what Jesus was saying.)
Jesus begins his talk aggressively: Beware the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Leaven is what makes the bread rise. Sometimes it is used as a good image, and other times as a corrupting influence. Here it is bad. When a little hypocrisy comes into a person or community of believers, there is risk that it will spread through the whole body. The problem with the Pharisees was that they were slowly realizing that Jesus really was a man of God. The evidence was there, and they could not deny it. Among themselves, they apparently had conspired to continue to keep a united front and maintain their consistent position of opposition to Jesus. But Jesus says, “What you have whispered in the inner rooms shall be proclaimed from the housetops.” Their dishonesty would be revealed.
The Pharisees were afraid to change their position, for fear that the other Pharisees would accuse them of “heresy.” They were afraid of being put out of the synagogues or losing their influence. Fear of what men could do. But Jesus warns them rather to fear the one who can both kill and consign a person to hell. Jesus is forcing the Pharisees to come out and declare their true beliefs. If they have been convinced that Jesus is indeed the Messiah of God, or even a prophet of God, they should openly and publicly declare it. If they close their eyes, they are being false to themselves, false to the Lord, false to the truth, and false to Judaism. They knew that only the truth could set them free, and Jesus here reminds them of it. They are put in a position where they can do nothing but change their statements if they are to remain true to themselves.
Jesus follows his challenge with comfort for those who are persecuted. You may be rejected of men, for sure, but God will not reject the one who trusts in Him. The sparrows, worth two cents for five of them, are remembered before God. Jesus says men are worth more than many sparrows. Acceptance by God, for the one who makes Jesus Lord, will more than compensate for the rejection by people.
There is eternal, cosmic value in our taking a stand. If we confess him before men, he will confess us before the angels. If we deny him before men, he will also deny us before the angels of God. Remember who Jesus is referring to—the Pharisees, who have been observing him, but trying to deny the obvious truth he was presenting.
We face these situations in places where some religion is dominant. There are people who choose not to believe in spite of both the miraculous and the logical evidence that is presented. Often their opposition arises from their fear of their own peers. They confront believers with violence, false accusations, and disproportionate reaction. They limit their freedoms, and have imposed additional taxes on Christians in some nations simply because they follow Christ.
Jesus is willing to forgive those who speak against him personally. But one can blaspheme the Holy Spirit, and that is a sin which cannot be forgiven, but remains with a person for both time and eternity. Jesus is warning the Pharisees that they can yet be forgiven, but there is coming a time when the Spirit will reveal to them the truth in such a way that it cannot be denied, but they must say (like the magicians in Exodus 8:19), “This is the finger of God.” When the Spirit has given such convincing testimony, and men still choose to please men and continue to deny the truth, the Spirit will cease to work with them. Phineas Dake defines blasphemy as, “to maliciously and knowingly attribute the works of God to Satan.” It is a very conscious sin, and is not committed without the individual’s own recognition that he is lying. He knows it is God, but he says it is the devil. He does so from an evil motive.
Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit results in a complete searing of the conscience—right and wrong are no longer relevant to the individual. The Spirit no longer works bringing home conviction of sin because He has been made unwelcome.
Paul says, in 1 Timothy 1:13, that he was once a blasphemer, but that God had mercy on him because he did it in ignorance. As soon as he saw and understood the truth, he made a complete turnaround, and began proclaiming Jesus in the synagogues. You need not, therefore, fear that you might have unconsciously committed the unpardonable sin before you were saved. It doesn’t matter how seemingly blasphemous you used to be. If God showed you your sin and you received his salvation, you are forgiven. The sin of blasphemy is for those who know better, but are too concerned with their position to acknowledge the truth.
Further, if someone is concerned that they have committed the unpardonable sin, that concern in itself is evidence that they have not done it. If they had sinned in such a way that the Spirit could not work in them and make them concerned for their spiritual welfare, they wouldn’t care if they had blasphemed. An over-concern with blasphemy on the part of some is Satan’s attempt to rob them of effectiveness in the faith realm by sending a spirit of self-condemnation.
Again Jesus contrasts the hard message on blasphemy with an encouragement to those who are still sitting on the fence, wondering whether to declare themselves for the Lord. (Certainly there were “secret Christians” in the crowd.) He says that the same Holy Spirit that is convincing them of the truth now will also be with them when they are brought before the rulers and the synagogues. He will teach them what to say in that moment. Later in the book of Acts we see examples of this with Stephen, Paul, and Peter in the book of Acts.
The essence of these first twelve verses is, “Declare yourself for Christ. Trust the Holy Spirit. Follow me.”
Luke 12:13-21 Divide the Inheritance
A man comes ask Jesus to tell him to advise his brother to divide the family inheritance with him. This is the sort of question pastors get on occasion. Someone has been wronged, and has a legitimate complaint. They have confidence in the pastor, and they ask him to help them get what they want. This man was not looking for an arbitrator, but an advocate. Jesus answers with “Man, who made me a ruler and judge over you?” The word for man is a kind of disrespectful word, as if he were saying “mister!” Jesus proceeds to tell him to quit worrying about his inheritance. (One of the reasons for preparing a will is to avoid these kinds of problems among your children.)
We might also note that it is better to trust the promises of God than the promises or intentions of people.
Jesus then tells the story of the rich fool. He had a lot of crops and decided to build bigger barns, fold his hands over his belly, and take it easy. His wealth had been acquired honestly; he had worked hard and faithfully, and if anyone deserved to have a long rest, he certainly did. He keeps repeating the words I and my, indicating his selfishness. But God calls him a fool, and informs him that his soul is required of him that night. When the man comes to judgment, God asks him what he did with his wealth, and his response is that he laid it up for his own secure future. God tells him that he didn’t look far enough into his future, because he wasn’t rich toward God.
Why is he called a fool? Psalm 14:1 gives a definition of a fool as one who says in his heart, “there is no God.” This man, in practice, denied God’s existence. He thought all his things were his own, and that he didn’t need God. He didn’t choose to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” not did he choose to divide his riches with the poor. He had put his trust in the wrong thing.
I wonder what the man who asked the question thought when he got such an answer. He realized that he was talking with a radical. (Radical means literally from the root—Jesus went to the root of the problem, which was not the inheritance, but his greed.) This teaching went against his carnal nature, just as it goes against our selfish nature. The man was being wronged in the inheritance that was rightfully his, and Jesus told him to forget it and deal with his own spirit instead. His brother may be like the rich fool, but he himself need not be that way. In any conflict, we must pay attention to the attitudes in our own heart.
Paul says in 1 Timothy 6:10 that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evils, and admonished Timothy to flee from the love of money. Those who are wealthy are charged that they should not be high-minded—that is that they not decide that since they are rich they must also be spiritual and influential in the church
In 1 Timothy 6:17, Paul tells Timothy to speak with those who are wealthy and warn them to maintain a right attitude. It is part of the ministry of a pastor.
Luke 12:22-35 The Lilies of the Field
Jesus tells us to trust in God rather than be anxious for food or raiment. “Which of you by being anxious can add a cubit to your span of life?” The wording is a mixed metaphor. The original text speaks of adding a cubit (half a meter!) to your stature, which seems totally impossible, no matter how positively you think! So we generally speak a time line of life, and trying to make it longer, like Hezekiah did in Isaiah 38. In fact, worrying is likely to shorten your life, not lengthen it. Exercise might be more effective than worry in increasing your life span.
Consider the lilies, he says. What is their secret in their beauty? The neither toil nor spin, but they are more beautiful that Solomon in all his fancy clothes. They have tapped into the source of beauty and life. They have let their roots sink into the soil, and draw the natural nourishment that it provides. They have let their leaves stretch up toward heaven to receive both sun and rain. So we, like the lilies, dig deep and receive nourishment from the scriptures, the soil of our faith. We worship Jesus, who is called the Sun of Righteousness in Malachi 4:2, and we receive both the former and the latter rain (James 5:7) of the Spirit at the hand of God.
Lilies don’t always blossom. They hibernate in the winter. Many birds migrate with the seasons. That is, both birds and flowers adapt to the reality around them. We should “consider” these facts as well when we have to face decisions.
Jesus certainly is not saying that we shouldn’t work. He is addressing the issue of worry, not the issue of facing up to your responsibilities.
The lilies then are beautiful by their very nature. They do not put on new suits and ties every day, but the expression of their being is beauty. So it is with the one who, free from the cloaks of Pharisaism and the old nature, expresses the beauty of the Lord.
Seek his kingdom. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. Not grudgingly, but gladly. Let us receive that kingdom with the same gladness that the Father has in giving it to us.
Luke 12:35-48 Be Ready for the Appearing of Jesus
I remember a birthday party I went to many years ago, where the man’s wife stood up and said, “He put the Lord first.” Behind those words lay many ethical decisions, and on some occasions, personal loss. But his treasure and his heart were both in the kingdom. Thank God for such saints who show us the way.
Jesus tells of a man going to a wedding, and expecting his servants to stay up so they can open the door when he comes back. They are to be alert to the decisive moment, in this case the return of the master. In order to be ready, the servants forgo even their food. Their devotion is deep and eager. When the master returns, the roles are reversed. The master girds himself, instructs the servants to take their places at the table, and he serves his servants.
Certainly this parable has to do with the return of the Lord. We watch for and await his coming. He, who once girded himself and washed the disciples feet as a gesture of service will welcome them into the place that had been prepared for them, and will serve them at the wedding supper of the lamb.
But there are other decisive moments in our lives, when God enters into our actions. There are special moments of comfort, admonition, and direction that we must be alert to. We want to be alert to what the Spirit is saying, so we will be like those servants who with their lamps lit were always ready for the master.
The metaphor is suddenly and drastically switched to that of a thief. Some wait for the Lord as those who wait for the master to come home; others fear that a thief will come to the place that they themselves are master of. If you are the master of your own life, you can only expect a thief to come and destroy (John 10:10). But if Christ is your master, you can live in great expectation of his return. It depends on who rules your life.
Peter was concerned with the practical application of the parable, and turned to Jesus and asked, “Lord, are you addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?” Jesus responded indirectly with the parable about a steward set over his master’s house. Here we understand that the house is the church, and the steward is the elders who lead the church. Jesus says, “Who then is a faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their portion of food at the proper time?”
This stewardship is reflected after the resurrection when Jesus asked Peter if he loved him (John 21), and then directed him to care for his sheep. This makes it clear that there is a role for the minister, and that his primary responsibility is to care for the people of God. Such ministers, who give themselves to the study and development of the kingdom of God, will be put in charge of all the master’s possessions. They will be given increased responsibility in the kingdom.
There are clearly levels of leadership. There are those who are placed in positions of full responsibility who are derelict in their duty, will not be able to rely on their position to get to heaven, but will be assigned a place with the unbelievers. They will be punished in accordance with their knowledge and their neglect of their responsibilities. Those with lesser responsibility who fail will be punished accordingly, but will not be placed with the unbelievers.
Verse 48 says “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded.” It seems that this parable and the parable of the doorkeeper are especially directed at the scribes, who prided themselves on knowing the things of God so thoroughly. When the day of reckoning came, they could not be judged on the basis of their knowledge and understanding, but in accordance with the way they cared for the people of God.
Both of these parables speak of the time between when the master leaves and the time when he comes back. They are especially applicable to the church age in which we live. This period of time is a testing period for the disciples. Can we watch, both for his coming and for the thief? Will we be faithful? Will we use the ministry the Lord has called us to for the benefit of his people?
Stewardship is a kind of charged word. A woman once asked, “Does stewardship only have to do with money?” 2 Corinthians 8:5 says, “First they gave themselves to the Lord.” We are stewards of the life that God has given us. If God has given you a gift of healing, you are steward of that gift; you can use it as little or as much as you will. So it is with all the gifts and ministries of the Spirit.
Luke 12:49-53 Divisions
Jesus continues to describe the effects of the kingdom on the disciples. “I have come to cast fire upon the earth.” The fire probably refers to the coming of the Holy Spirit. The fire is both destructive and creative. It will destroy some and will refine and energize others.
Households will be divided. There was a common Jewish idea that when the Messiah came, the Jewish nation would immediately be led to victory over all their enemies and then they would forever live an untroubled life. Jesus will not give this false impression to his disciples, and he declares that there will be tremendous tensions as the kingdom of God takes over. Some will side with him and others will reject him.
Luke 12:54-59 Interpreting the Times
Jesus again picks up his appeal to the Pharisees and scribes who were still trying to avoid the truth of his message. They analyzed the signs of the sky, but they were unable to analyze the signs of the times that they lived in. (These signs are given in Luke 5-9) He calls them hypocrites. What were the signs they should have seen? They should have recognized that Jesus was who he said he was, since there had been so many convincing proofs (Acts 1:3). But they missed it because they were too tied up in their own traditions. Things were too comfortable the way they were, and they did not want to risk being expelled from the synagogue by siding with Jesus.
Jesus calls them hypocrites. The word did not even exist in the Hebrew vocabulary. Alfred Edersheim says the individuals were not necessarily hypocrites, but the entire system of Pharisaism was hypocrisy. It was a hypocrisy not directed so much at the people around them as it was at God himself. It was this leaven that pervaded all that they did, and Jesus warns us against it. The opposite of hypocrisy is not sincerity, for these people were sincere in their very bones. Rather the word means “unreality.” It was a self-deception. The Pharisee has fooled himself into believing if things went along just as they went for his parents, everything would be all right with God. But this definition of hypocrisy as unreality disturbs me. I fear that we deal with paper tigers at times, and pretend that we have been exercising great spiritual power. We hide behind complicated spiritual formulas that make other people think we are spiritual. But when it comes to ministering to those around us in a language they can understand, we go off and seek an “expert.”
What was the dark sign of the times in Jesus’ day? One of them was certainly hypocrisy. Having eyes, they saw not. What should they have been seeing? They should have seen the daystar rising. What about us today? What is the sign we are looking for? Fundamentally there is one, the coming of the Holy Spirit. The sign is within us, and works so that those around have their needs met and invite God to rule their lives.
Jesus makes yet another appeal to the hypocrites. If you know that your opponent has the best of you while you are on your way to the judge, settle out of court. That is to say, the moment of crisis is coming, and you must make your decision. If you don’t, you will be judged and condemned.
The whole thrust of this discourse by Jesus is that we are standing before the crisis moment, and we must order our lives so that we watch for that moment, and act accordingly. We must be faithful in doing our duties, and also be aware how important those duties are to the kingdom.
Luke 13:1-5 You Shall Likewise Perish
Some people came to Jesus reporting about some Galileans whose blood had been mixed with sacrifices by Pilate. Probably they had come to Jerusalem to sacrifice, and Pilate found some reason to kill them in the very act of heir sacrifice, thus "mixing their blood." The attitude of the Jews was that they must have been terrible sinners for something like that to happen. It had not occurred to them that they could just as well be called martyrs. But Jesus, instead of making a sad commentary and asking why God permitted it, says that "unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." And he gives another example to reinforce the fact that the Jews must repent. The immediate prophecy referred to the destruction of Jerusalem and the scattering of the Jews, and thus Jesus words were fulfilled within a generation, when the temple was destroyed in AD 70.
Luke 13: 6-9 The Unfruitful Tree
Jesus continues by talking about a fig tree that had been growing for three years, but had not born fruit. He expected fruit because the normal 3 year period for developing maturity had passed. The owner said to the gardener, "Cut it down. Why does it even use up the ground?" The gardener answered that he wanted to try to get it to produce by digging around it and fertilizing it for one more year. If it then did not bear fruit, the master could feel free to cut it down. The reference again is Israel. In fact, Isaiah 5 is an Old Testament commentary on this scripture. You could even say that the three years have reference to Jesus ministry on earth. The cutting of the fig tree is the rejection of Israel, as John the Baptist prophesied, 'The ax shall be laid to the root of the tree."
But it is simple to say this is Israel and that is Israel. We must remember that we, the church, are incorporated (grafted) into the Israel of God (Romans 11). And that we can be afflicted with all of the attitudes and shortcomings of the Israel that existed in Jesus day. We as individuals are also like trees. We can be there, exhausting the soil in which we exist, depleting resources that could be effectively used to produce a fruit bearing tree. And when the master comes to inspect the vineyard, he is looking for only one thing, high quality fruit. If we are not producing fruit, we are using up the provision that is made for us.
If the tree is the individual and the church is the vineyard, there are those who think that the mere fact that they are present in the vineyard is sufficient. That somehow the gardener is responsible only for having certain kinds of plants present in the garden, and is not responsible for their fruitfulness. But the master is looking for fruit. For the fruit of the Spirit, for the fruit of righteous living and ethical actions. For the ability to reproduce oneself. Without fruit, the tree receives the curse and is dried up from the roots.
Luke 13:10-17 Delivering a Woman in the Synagogue
Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the Sabbath. This is the last time we find him in the synagogue teaching. Evidently they now rejected him, and he did not force himself on them. (Later we find him in the temple in Jerusalem, but not to teach—he is throwing the money changers out with a whip.) Jesus is not the only one there in the synagogue. He notices a woman in need and calls her over. It is good to be a servant in church and to notice those in need, not so you can go home and say, "Didn't Brother Winston look miserable today?" but so you can minister to that person. The woman came to church too. I admire her. She had for eighteen years been bent over double because she was vexed with an evil spirit. But in spite of that she was present. She must have disturbed the people there.
The evil spirit was ruining her life, and the people in the synagogue could do nothing about it, or else they chose not to do anything about it. They just wrote her off as someone with an evil spirit, and looked past her when she came in.
Contrast Jesus attitude toward her, He takes the initiative to heal her. He calls her a daughter of Abraham, the most honorable title that could be given to a Jewish woman. He doesn't see her as a demon-possessed, immoral, cursed by God, bound individual. He sees a daughter of Abraham and he proceeds to lay hands on her and administer to her the blessings of Abraham. She is immediately and without question healed.
There is a sort of controversy going on among charismatics about whether someone who is saved can be possessed by a devil. This situation is one that can be used for either side of the argument. Either she was demon possessed, and bowed down by the evil spirit in her. Or she was oppressed by an evil spirit and the oppression diminished her ability to stand up straight. I personally don’t know very much about demons, but I know there are times in my life when it seems that I don’t rise up to the full stature of Christ because of the evil pressures around me. I am not possessed, but even sons and daughters of Abraham can be attacked and sometimes diverted by evil influences. That is what I think happened to this woman.
The ruler of the synagogue didn’t attack Jesus directly, but stated to the multitude that you should heal on the other six days and not on the Sabbath, without marveling at the miracle that has just taken place. Jesus demolished his argument by telling him that he treated his animals better than that. They were set loose on the Sabbath and led to water, and there was no law against such. Should not the woman also be let loose? People, after all, are more important that either animals or regulations. So if you want to go and visit the sick on Sunday, go right ahead. Pray for them and deliver them. In doing so you are fulfilling the Sabbath. It was made for man.
Luke 13:13-21 Mustard Seed and Yeast
Jesus gives two parables of the kingdom of God. The expectation among the Jews was that the kingdom would be established suddenly, not gradually. First, Jesus says it is like a grain of mustard seed. The mustard seed was very small, but it had amazing life within it, enough for it to grow very quickly into a plant between two and four meters tall. So the kingdom of God on earth seemed very small, but very quickly, after Pentecost, it grew into a great kingdom. The little flock was given the kingdom. The birds of heaven which were to rest on the branches of this mustard plant, are a symbol in rabbinical literature for the gentile nations. The fig tree is cut down, and the gentiles go to the mustard plant.
The second parable is that of leaven. The yeast is hidden in three measures of flour, but irresistibly it comes to permeate the entire loaf. (Three measures would produce a very large loaf, weighing about 20 kilos, which shows us that Jesus is thinking much more expansively than the others. I am reminded of the very large loaves they baked in Romania.) This is an internal work. While the kingdom grows outwardly like a mustard plant, it also grows inwardly to the perfecting of the saints like yeast in bread. Using yeast in a positive way just before the Jews’ feast of unleavened bread is another example of Jesus using harsh methods to try to overcome their failure to see the kingdom developing among them.
Both of these parables are remarkable in showing the originality of Jesus thinking. I would never think of a mustard plant as symbolic of the kingdom of God. But Jesus didn't share my prejudice about mustard plants. And certainly in a Jewish community that was approaching the feast of unleavened bread, I would not compare the Kingdom to leaven, but Jesus understood that his images had to be almost brutal to get through to the people. (Remember that earlier he used a Samaritan to make his point.)
Luke 13: 22-30 Who Will be Saved?
Some people came to Jesus and asked how many people were going to be saved. Perhaps someone had suggested 144,000. Jesus ignored the question and came to the basic point, that it isn't whether the whole world will be saved, but whether you will. Strive (The word means to make every effort.) to enter by the narrow door, for many will seek to enter and will not be able. We know the straight gate is repentance, turning from our sins and trusting in the Lord for salvation. But the gate will one day be shut at the time when the head of the house gets up and shuts the door. Again Jesus warns that the time for salvation is limited. There is a time coming when men will beg to be saved, but it will be too late. Their argument will be, “We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets. We know your doctrines. But the demand is not for knowledge; the requirement is not solely to take part of communion; even Judas did that. Jesus says that others, from every direction on the compass, will come instead. “Some who are last shall be first, and some who seem to be first shall be last.” Like Noah's neighbors, you could be knocking on the door of the ark of salvation one day. The point of Jesus parable is "now is the accepted time; today is the day of salvation.
An English rhyme could summarize the teaching:
Will the saved be few? Will the saved be you?
Luke 13: 31-35 Herod’s Threat
Some Pharisees came and told Jesus that Herod wanted to kill him. His life was threatened. Jesus calls the ruler a fox, because he was sly, but also in contrast to a lion. He would twist his words around for his own ends, and he had no courage to stand for his convictions. He was neither straight nor great. So Jesus doesn't come to him. Rather, he sends a message with an insult, and later at the trial, Jesus doesn’t have a word to answer to Herod. The man had become so base that even Jesus did not have a word to say to him.
But Herod (who ruled in the north, but not in Jerusalem) must not be greedy for Jesus blood, because a prophet cannot die outside Jerusalem. Jerusalem has first claim on the prophets, and Jesus must go there on the third day—the poetical way to say when something is fulfilled or completed. There he will die, and not in Galilee or Trans-Jordan. Pilate will give the order, not Herod.
And Jesus sighs over Jerusalem. He longed to gather Israel together. Now in the robe of flesh, he had desired to do it. Before, when he was robed with his divine nature solely, he had longed to gather Israel. But Jerusalem refused both the prophet-servants and the Son of the master. Now their house would remain desolate until the end time revival, when she will say, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord."
How sad it was to live in the beginning of this scattering of Israel. To see God's timepiece in creation, as it were, taken apart piece by piece and spread throughout the earth. But imagine the joy now at the end of the age, when we see that clock put back together and keeping God's cosmic time again. This is the time when we shall see Israel, as well as the gentile nations, saying of the Lord, "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." The desolation of Israel is ended.
Can the culmination of the age be far away?
Luke 14: 1-5 Healing on the Sabbath
Again Jesus brings up the issue of the Sabbath, and what is permissible on it. He was eating dinner on the Sabbath in the house of a Pharisee. The Jews normally ate two meals a day, but on the Sabbath they ate three, and it was customary to have guests for this main meal in the middle of the day. I like the custom, because it gives more opportunity to get to know others in the church. We are to be given to hospitality according to Romans 12.
Jesus was there, and so was a man with dropsy, a disease characterized by swelling of the limbs. He may or may not have been invited, for it was custom for uninvited people to stand around and listen to the conversation. But instead of healing the man directly, Jesus brings up a question for the Pharisees to answer: “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” What could they answer? If it were unlawful, they stood accused of neglecting mercy in favor of legalism. If it were lawful, they had to defy the tradition of the elders. So they kept silent, and the Jesus, the incarnate Law of God, took hold of the sick man, healed him, and sent him away. He explained that in cases of necessity and mercy, the Sabbath law must take second place.
Why do we set aside a day for worship? We do it because we want to be made consciously aware of our dedication to the Lord. We go to the house of God, renew our vows, perhaps even confess our sins. We devote the day to doing good and resting in the truest sense—giving ourselves consciously into the keeping of the Lord. Sunday is a foretaste of the eternal Sabbath rest that remains for the people of God (Hebrews 4:9). In that rest there will be no sickness, and hence no need to heal on the Sabbath or any other day. But here on earth we see the shortcomings, and even on the Sabbath we can do our part to create divine rest for others.
Luke 14:7-14 Seeking Position
The invited guests at the Pharisee’s house were seeking the best positions at the table—perhaps they wanted to be closest to Jesus. He reminds them that you shouldn’t seek out the place of honor, lest you be asked to move away from it. That would put you to shame. Rather, you should take the low place, and if the master of the house chooses to, he will raise you higher.
A friend of mine, a doctor, was going through emotional trauma because of a disagreement with his colleagues at a clinic. Eventually he left. I said to him, “Nobody can destroy you, because you have your education and your skill with you all the time. The only thing they can hurt is your pride, and that is probably good for you.” If others are competing for places of honor, whether in your work or in your church, don’t fret; rather be faithful. God has told us that if we are faithful in the small things we will be put in charge of the big things. He who humbles himself will be exalted.
Jesus goes on to talk about who you should have over for dinner. It is natural and acceptable to invite friends, relatives, and rich neighbors, of whom you can expect some favor in return. But we are admonished to consider the poor, the lame, and the blind; that is, those who have nothing they can give us in return. You will be repaid according to the promise of Jesus himself at the resurrection of the righteous. Once again, the issue is hospitality, the receiving of people that you normally don’t have anything to do with. We need to conscientiously make hospitality a part of our everyday lives.
Luke 14:15-24 The Parable of the Great Banquet
One of the people at the table with Jesus offered the comment, “Blessed is everyone who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.” I don’t know if he was trying to change the subject, or if he was trying to show Jesus that those people “out there” may not understand you; but we who are on the “inside” are going to make it to heaven. Jesus answers indirectly with the parable of the great supper.
A man has invited many people to his banquet, and in accordance with eastern custom there is a double invitation. He first sent a servant to announce the day of the feast. The people accepted the invitation at that time. Then he sends his servant at the time of the banquet to tell everyone that all is ready, and they should come now. (In today’s world, he might send emails!) They give excuses for not coming. One has bought a property; another wants to try out his new oxen; a third has married a wife, and for that reason cannot come. (It was customary for men only to come to the feasts, and this man didn’t want to leave his wife alone.) The householder was angry with their alibis, and sent the servant out to the streets of the city to find the poor and rejected. When they had come, there was still room, so he sent the servant out into the country areas outside the city to find more people and compel them to come to the feast. Those who were originally invited were rejected from the feast, and others were brought in their place.
Someone once said, “Nature and grace abhor a vacuum.” If there is space, it must be filled. So it is with God’s feast, which is salvation and the kingdom of God. A first invitation was given for the coming feast in the prophets and the Law and the Psalms. The coming feast was announced. At the hour of the feast the announcement was brought to those who were invited to come, perhaps a reference to John the Baptist, but they were so attached to worldly and visible things that they rejected him. Even their religion was tied up in the worldly and the visible. Somehow the Jews didn’t take the feast seriously, and they refused the invitation. In the Arab nations, to refuse such an invitation is in effect declaring war.
The people in the “city streets and lanes” is probably a reference to the children of Israel, They would know who the person was who is inviting them, while the people in the country “highways and hedges” is most likely a reference to the gentiles, who would probably not know the person who was inviting them. These people have to be compelled to come, by persuasive argument. There were the ones who would feel out of place at the feast. They couldn’t really believe that the servant who invited them was serious. But finally they were convinced, and they came.
What did all this mean to the Pharisee who started it with his comment on the bread in the Kingdom? He had received the first invitation, in the Old Testament, but when the Lord came to invite him to the feast of salvation, he rejected it. He was too blinded by worldliness to accept the invitation. So the Bible says, “tax collectors and sinners heard him gladly.” The lesson for us is that we can get so religious that we reject the Savior.
Luke 14:25-35 The Cost of Discipleship
Jesus addresses the multitudes about the exacting cost of discipleship. To be a follower of Jesus is not to be in a political party opposed to the scribes and the Pharisees, but to be entirely devoted to the kingdom of God. It is not the negative that unites us, but the positive. Jesus says, “If anyone comes to me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” This is difficult, because it seems to be in such contrast to everything that we associate with Jesus. Hate seems not to be a Christian word, but Jesus uses it here. He says it is required if you are to be a true disciple. It’s true that the sign of the Christian is his love, but it is also true that he must hate. I’m sure that this verse has to do with the relative love of the Lord. If your family is against you in your service of the Lord, you may have to treat them as if they were your worst enemies.
Sometimes you hear criticism of missionaries who have taken their families into difficult, dangerous situations to serve god. The thinking runs that this man’s first responsibility is to his family, and God doesn’t lead us to jeopardize their well being. They use 1 Timothy 5:8 as their proof text. But here Jesus seems to say the opposite. We know that Abraham, the father of faith, brought Isaac up to the mountain to offering him to the Lord. I don’t have a quick and easy answer to some of the demands that Jesus places on us, but they are there in the Bible. We must consider them so our faith doesn’t become one-sided.
“Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” Jesus speaks here of carrying one’s own cross. You cannot make Christian discipleship into a mold that will fit each individual. Rather, God has a design for each individual; the trials that you go through may never be a part of my life. The things that give me difficulty, may not even be temptations for you. One is tested in his family; another in his business; another in another way.
If you are going to build a tower, you first should plan so you are sure you can finish; otherwise you will be left with a useless half-tower, and will be disgraced. (“This fellow” would be a term of contempt.) So it is with following the Lord. There is a dedication at the altar in the church that we appreciate. But that dedication also involves some decisions that are made in the home. To follow Christ is to change the goals in your life, to stop seeking your selfish desires, to abandon your worldly interests in favor of the interest of the kingdom of God. For some, this means leaving their business; for others it means giving the business over to the Lord’s direction; for still others it may mean starting a new business for God’s glory.
The stronger king illustration is a direct comparison between the power of God and the power of their religious ideas. There are people whose pride leads them to their own destruction because they refuse to acknowledge that God is stronger than they are.
In counting the cost, it is better to leave sorrowing, than to remain pretending you are following Christ. I have to respect a policeman in Honduras who said he couldn’t present himself for baptism because of the corruption he was forced to undergo in his work. He refused to pretend he was all right. He respected the Gospel’s demands.
Finally Jesus speaks of salt; “If salt has lost its savor, it is good for nothing.” It is profitable only when it possesses the quality of saltiness. So a follower of Jesus is of use and a blessing only when he possesses the character of a true disciple. He must be unselfish and loyal to the Lord. Professors of faith with no life to back it up should be cast out, lest they infect others.
These chapters (9-14) that describe Jesus’ journey toward Jerusalem serve as a basic course in Christian discipleship. Many turned away from Jesus at this time because they realized that there was more to it than a few miracles. Some heavy demands were put on them, and this free grace of the Lord became the costly grace of the disciple. Many desired to be disciples, and rather than enrolling them right away, Jesus said they should consider the cost to themselves and their families before they committed themselves. Discipleship is not a mass movement. The taking up of the cross, especially in that society, was a deliberate, voluntary acceptance of martyrdom. We recognize that many Christians have been attacked in India and other places for their Christianity, but by the grace of God our faith will be strong enough to withstand such a trial should it come. God give us a faith that will hold firm even if we disagree with someone else in the church. Give us a Biblical, sure, and true discipleship.
Luke 15:1-10 The Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin
Tax collectors and sinners were coming to Jesus to listen to his teaching, and it upset some of the Pharisees and scribes who didn’t like being near such people. They accused Jesus of eating with these people, which they took to be a sign of approving what they did. Jesus also ate many times with Pharisees, but it would not occur to a Pharisee to eat with one of these people.
In response, Jesus tells a series of 3 parables. These first two are a double parable, with both making the same point. Two things are lost, a sheep and a coin. The sheep represents 1% of a flock of 100, and the coin (possibly a day’s wage) represents 10% of the money the woman had.
The sheep is lost on the countryside, away from the other sheep. The coin is lost inside the house, close to the rest of the things there, but not visible to the housekeeper. When we think of the application to sinners, we understand that some drift away from the fellowship into the world, though not intentionally (like the boy in the next parable), while some are still there supposedly in the fellowship of the believers, but they are still lost to the Savior. There are people who are obviously lost, and there are those who are not so obviously lost.
Both instances call for a search. The shepherd, who has a system of keeping track of the sheep (he counts them every night) leaves the 99 in the care of someone else in the country and starts to retrace the paths they passed during the day. He searches “until” he finds the sheep; that is, time is not the factor in the search. When he finds the sheep, he does not begin to punish or discipline it, but puts it on his shoulders and carries it back to the other sheep. When they all return home, he has a special celebration where he tells of the experience so that all the other shepherds will learn from it as well. (The shepherd theme is common in the Bible. Isaiah 40:11, 49:22, Psalm 23, Jeremiah 31:10-14, Ezekiel 34:11-16, Micah 5:1-4, John 10:11-12)
The woman, I suppose, suddenly realizes that a coin is missing. (I have heard that these coins were carried in a headband, but I cannot confirm it.) In any case, she immediately sets about cleaning the house. She sweeps. She lights a lantern so she can see in the dark corners. She also searches until she finds the coin. When she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, and they all rejoice together. (I once heard a radio preacher say he thought she spent the entire coin on the party to celebrate finding it! That seems in character with the rejoicing in heaven.)
In both instances Jesus describes the reaction of his home territory, heaven. The angels rejoice over sinners who repent more than they rejoice over those who “need no repentance.” Finding the lost one causes more rejoicing than those who were never lost in the first place! For the believer, the stories indicate that our priority should be to find lost “sheep” and missing “coins.” We must involve ourselves with sinners. The fact that one of the parables speaks of a man searching and the other a woman indicates that the work of the kingdom is for both men and women.
These parables and the one that follows are very simple stories, and yet they have a profound impact on our hearts because of the love they convey. There is a risk that we “over-teach” them by explaining too much detail, and thus lose their emotional impact
Luke 15:11-32 The Forgiving Father, commonly called the Prodigal Son
Several relationships are described in the parable. Father-younger son, Father-elder son, and elder son-younger son.
The Father’s attitude is to care for his sons, no matter what their condition. He is interested in the integrity and well being of the family. It is natural to show a special interest when the younger son comes back “from the dead.” It is also natural that he should go and try to reconcile the elder son to the action he has taken. Real fathers care about their children.
The younger son asks for his portion of his inheritance, which would be 1/3, the elder son getting 2/3 according to their custom. We can presume that he had no intention of wasting all the money, but probably wanted to go to the “far country” and set himself up in some kind of business. But it didn’t turn out that way because of a lack of discipline. He lived “un-savedly” (asozo in Greek), and wasted all the inheritance he had received. When all was gone, he “attached” himself to a citizen of that country. The word implies that he forced himself into his service, begging for work. (Note that he was willing to work.) He was sent to take care of pigs, a job odious to Jews. He was hungry and wanted to eat the pigs’ food, but nobody would even give him that food.
So he “comes to himself,” and begins to think about how well his father’s servants live. The “free” life that he dreamed of has turned to a nightmare, and he realizes that the disciplined life of the servants is better, so he practices his speech to his father. He will ask for a job as a servant on his father’s (actually his brother’s now) estate. When he left, he had said “give me;” when he returns he says, “Make me.” His attitude has changed from one who takes to one who serves.
The father sees the boy coming and (giving up his dignity) runs to meet him. He embraces him and completely restores the son and orders that a feast be prepared with the fatted calf. He dresses the boy and puts a ring on his finger, which is an indication that the father will give him credit to start anew. The seal on the ring was akin to a credit card; it served as a guarantee that the debt would be paid. The party is a noisy one with singing and dancing.
The elder brother hears the noise and is offended when a servant tells him what has happened. He refuses to participate in the celebration. The father hears of his attitude and comes out to the field to try to persuade him to come in. The elder brother even refuses to acknowledge the younger brother, calling him “this son of yours.” He imagines that he had wasted his money on prostitutes, which is not indicated in the younger brother’s story, but which may show something about the elder brother’s imagination. He is too consumed in thinking of legal issues and his own rights to celebrate the joy of having his brother return. It is curious that the brother who was on the outside is now on the inside, while the brother who was on the inside is now on the outside.
The father responds that a celebration is fitting, because “this your brother (reminding him that the younger brother is restored to the family) was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.”
The story ends abruptly, and we never find out if the elder brother accepted his brother or not. Jesus is directing the story to the Pharisees, who are criticizing him for going to sinners in order to restore them. They find it offensive that there should be celebration, especially since they have been following the “rules” all their lives. To them it seems unjust to welcome sinners back into the fold.
But Jesus has made it clear that heaven doesn’t think like the Pharisees. The angels rejoice. We also rejoice when someone repents and comes in humility to the Savior.
Luke 16:1-13 the Unjust Steward
This is the most difficult of the parables to interpret because there are a number of possible variables affecting the actions of the steward. Certainly it is not a defense of poor stewardship, nor is it a defense of stealing from or deceiving your master. If anything is praised, it is the fact that the steward took specific and drastic action to try to rescue his own situation.
This steward was an unfaithful servant and was dismissed by his master, but he had to get all the accounting in order for the next steward. He had grown careless and had squandered his master’s possessions, just as the prodigal son had wasted his own substance. He was called to an accounting, and he came up short.
The steward decided that, since he not strong enough to work in the fields and he was ashamed to beg, he would go to the creditors one at a time (perhaps before they knew he was being dismissed) and reduce their debts, in hopes of being cared for by them when he was finally dismissed from his stewardship. The debts were large ones, indicating a very large farming operation. The steward was the only one entrusted with the responsibility for these debts. The master praised the steward for taking decisive action in the crisis moment in order to protect his own future.
This story may have been taken from real life. There are at least two possibilities about how the steward could reduce the debts of the creditors. One is that he simply adjusted the books so that the owner would lose money. Another is that the steward had built in commissions for himself into the original sales, and he was now giving the master his due, but putting the commissions in a different account, to be paid after he was dismissed from the master.
Jesus indicates that the children of this age are wiser in relation to their own kind that the sons of light. This steward realized he was in trouble. There was no spiritual myopia that tried to pass it off as a bad mood on the part of the master. The man was caught in his incompetence. He was unwilling to ask for forgiveness, which happens in another parable. We have no indication that the master was any more righteous than the steward; he was simply concerned with his own interests.
But the steward acted when he faced his crisis. The problem with the Pharisees was that they were in a spiritual crisis that demanded decisive action, and the still refused to commit themselves to the Lord. They were about to be called to account for their poor stewardship of the people of God, and they were showing themselves to be more foolish that the embezzler.
If there is an accounting of your stewardship of the gifts entrusted to you, will you be welcomed into the joy of the Master, or will you come short? The proud man tries to get away from it with provision for himself. The humble man repents and turns to the Lord, asking for mercy. (In the parable of the talents, the one who owed many talents was freely forgiven. That is the nature of God when we come in humility.)
Verse nine indicates that we can be received into eternal dwellings with the correct use of the mammon of unrighteousness. You can’t take your wealth with you when you die, but you can send it ahead of you while you are alive, and thus prepare an eternal dwelling.
Jesus comments on the story. “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much.” Actually, all our earthly possessions are “a very little thing” no matter how much we have. But by being loyal to the Lord in those things, we are promised stewardship of the eternal things of the Spirit. In relation to the deacon, it says he should have his own house in order, and having proven himself there, he can be given responsibility over the things of God in the church. (1 Timothy 2:12)
What we have is not our own; it is entrusted to us, but it belongs to the Lord. He is preparing a place that will be our own in the heavenly places. When we go there we will leave behind what we have here, to be divided up among our heirs. It didn’t belong to us before, and it won’t belong to us when we leave. So how shall we use our possessions? Can our bicycle or our house be used to purchase an eternal inheritance? Are there things that are no longer useful to us that can be used to purchase an eternal inheritance?
We are in a crisis, just like that steward. We are at a point of action, and we want that all the goods under our responsibility shall be used for the glory of the Lord. In the story, it seems the steward’s actions were unrighteous, but he did take action. We want actions that are both right and righteous as responsible stewards of the grace of God.
Luke 16:14-18 Legalism and the Kingdom of God
When the Pharisees heard about the unjust steward they reacted very much like we would if someone other than Jesus had told the story. They began to ridicule Jesus because it seemed so out of place for the master to praise the unjust steward. Their attitude was that God had blessed them with wealth because they had carefully observed the law of God. They loved their money, and that caused their loyalties to be divided. They found that money-making and religious separation went well together. But in reality they had only demonstrated that they were unfaithful with their abundance, just as others were unfaithful with little. There is no special point in finance where God’s standard of faithfulness either increases or decreases. We are to be faithful with all that we have. Jesus uses a very strong word, abomination, to describe their failure. An abomination is the opposite of an acceptable offering.
Verse 16 says the Law and Prophets were proclaimed until John; since then the Kingdom of God is preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. (It is possible to construct the Greek to mean that people are being “pressured” into the Kingdom of God, which would show God’s aggressive pursuit of sinners.) The time in which we live is special. The Old Testament could only prophesy about it. John could only prepare the way for it. But you and I can enter into it, seize hold of it, gain it, and participate in it. But in order to enter the realm of the kingdom we must press into it. To be partakers of divine nature (2 Peter 4:1) requires that we go against the stream of our society. Like the woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment, we may have to force our way through the crowd, fighting the legalistic nature, working out our salvation with fear and trembling. (Philippians 2:12)
This is not to say that it is difficult to be saved. Salvation is simple: we receive the Lord, and he cuts away the root of sin and cleanses us. He gives the power of the Holy Spirit to help us overcome. But the daily struggle continues. God lets us know that his kingdom has only begun, but has not come in all of its glory as yet. Every step forward that we take in the kingdom brings us face to face with some aspect left over from our old sinful nature that we must deal with. Our growth in the kingdom can bring us into direct conflict with ourselves.
Jesus reaffirms all that the Law has said, lest someone accuse him of straying away from it. He was always very critical of the Pharisees traditions, but always reaffirmed the Law and the Prophets. But the purpose of the Law was never to make us good. You could follow the rules and still be, like Saul of Tarsus, “breathing threats and murder.” (Acts 9:1) The Law was the guardian to bring us to Grace (Colossians 3:24). It was written to judge us, to condemn us. Its rules were designed to prevent us from getting into further mischief and deeper sin. But Grace, the New Birth, the coming of the Holy Spirit were given in order that our inward person might be changed. The Law would then be fulfilled as a matter of course, being “written on your hearts.” Then your righteousness would exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees.
Jesus gives an example of a law that the Pharisees frequently abused to illustrate their disregard for the spirit of the Law. His assumption was that marriage vows are made before each other and before God, and should not be broken. He raises the issue of their easy divorce laws, and calls the result of them adultery. He apparently was addressing a very common situation, and was informing the legalists that they were not only committing adultery, but were forcing others to commit adultery as well. But they were hiding behind the law given in Deuteronomy 24:1-4. They were not obeying that law; they were making a mockery of it. (This mockery occurs in some Muslim nations today, where prostitution is blessed by creating a temporary “marriage” that is quickly followed by “divorce.”)
Luke 16:19-31 The Rich Man and Lazarus
Jesus continues his long attempt to win the Pharisees over to the kingdom with his story of the rich man and Lazarus. He who came to show us another world here gives us a little glimpse of it. Some critics claim that this is an actual example and not a parable at all. Others claim it was based on a popular rabbinic saying of that time. The rich man is sometimes called Dives because that is the Latin word for a rich man. He ate well, dressed well, and was held in honor by everyone around him. Unfortunately, God has given him no name. God never knew him, and therefore there was no need for a name.
Lazarus, by contrast, has a name and a place in the heart of God. (His name comes from Eleazar—God helps, He is the only named character in Jesus’ parables.) But his worldly situation is different. A cripple, he is laid (literally “thrown”) at the rich man’s gate every day. He had a skin disease that made him perpetually covered with sores. You and would probably try to avoid him. He wanted crumbs from the rich man’s table, but the dogs got there before he did, and then they came to lick his sores. If you contrast the wealthy man and poor Lazarus, you might question which one is blessed by God and which one is not.
That is the first lesson of the story. Things are not always the same in the sight of God as they are in the sight of men. The Pharisees assumed that earthly blessings signified the presence of spiritual blessings. By contrast, they also assumed that the lack of earthly blessings indicated a lack of spiritual blessings.
Then both men died. The rich man was buried, presumably with great ceremony. Lazarus died and was carried by the angels into the bosom of Abraham. Now the roles are reversed. The rich man is thirsty, but unfortunately, not dying of thirst. He will continue in the flame for eternity, and he wishes he had only one drop of water from the fountain of life to appease him. He asks “father Abraham” for a drop on the finger of Lazarus. “I am in agony in this flame,” he says. Abraham responds that he has gotten what he deserves, and that even if he wanted to, he couldn’t send Lazarus (who never speaks in the parable) over because there was a great gulf fixed between them that nobody could cross over. The rich man had received all his comforts in life, and destruction was reserved for him. Lazarus, who had received only hardship in life, was now secure for eternity.
What will happen when we die? Before God, we have identity because our names have been written in His book. The angels will gently come and carry our spirits home to God where they belong. The best description that could be given of the eternal habitation of the righteous in the time of Christ was the “bosom of Abraham.” One thinks of Psalm 131:2, “I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.” Like Lazarus, we shall rest in Abraham’s bosom.
But the parable does not end there. The story is not primarily a social commentary on the covetousness and selfishness of the Pharisees. It does not primarily aim at their selfish use of both their material and spiritual riches. The publicans and sinners were there at their doors, but they refused to share their spiritual wealth with them; rather, they condemned them. But this secondary truth in the parable is nevertheless important. We cannot ignore the poor among us.
But the primary thrust of the story comes at the end. The rich man still sees the poor man as a servant, and says that if Lazarus cannot come and give him water, at least they could send Lazarus back to the living to warn his five brothers who have not yet died. Tell them they must share their wealth rather than hoarding it. (Some people want to call this the parable of the six brothers: One died unrepentant, while the other five were still alive and unrepentant.) Abraham responded to his attempt at negotiation that his brothers had Moses and the Prophets just like he himself had. “Let them hear them.” But the rich man thought that if someone went back from the dead, they would listen. Abraham retorted, “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.”
What was the brothers’ problem? They thought just like the rich man. They thought their wealth was a sign of God’s favor and that poverty was sign of disfavor. But neither wealth nor poverty is an indication of favor or disfavor with God. To please God we must do what He says.
At the end of Luke Jesus meets two men on the road to Emmaus. He has just risen from the dead, and the two are asking about Jesus. They don’t recognize him, and Jesus doesn’t identify himself. Rather he begins with Moses and the Prophets and explains all the scriptures concerning himself. He doesn’t talk about the realm of the dead or who was in Hades and who was in the bosom of Abraham. He doesn’t talk about the experience of walking out of the grave on Easter morning. He talks about Moses and the Prophets and the fulfillment of the Old Testament scriptures in Christ.
It is clear that the people will not be convinced even of someone rises from the dead. When the other Lazarus was called forth from the tomb (John 11), the Jews tried to deny it and to kill Lazarus so he would die a second time. The miracle might get attention, but it can never save anyone. It is the word of God that does that. We are not persuaded by outward appearances, not even by the testimony of famous people. Those things are foundations of sand, and we will sink if we build on them. It is the scripture and the scripture alone that we build on.
After the resurrection, the Pharisees were still trying to deny the truth of the Gospel, bribing the Roman soldiers as false witnesses to give a different story. They could not be persuaded. Their hearts had been hardened like that of Pharaoh.
What we do then? The world will only scoff if we bring someone up from the dead. Rather, we present the scriptures, offering Christ, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, crucified, dead and buried. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and shall return to judge the quick and the dead. The greatest miracle—the resurrection of the dead—cannot save us by itself. We must submit to the word of God. We are saved by the hearing of faith. (Galatians 3:5).
Luke 17:1-10 Sin, Forgiveness, Serving
Jesus warns us to be careful that we not cause anyone to stumble in their Christian walk. One of the first requirements is to cause no harm to others by bad example, by evil talk, by neglect in our duty, or by a neglectful attitude. There are those who are new in the body of Christ who can be led astray by what we call our “liberty” in Christ. We do have liberty in all things, but the scriptures also teach us that not all things are helpful. (1 Corinthians 10:13) When we speak of liberty, we mean liberty of the Spirit, not liberty of the flesh. We want to be liberated from bondage to the fleshly nature.
Jesus speaks of rebuke and forgiveness, which seem to be related. In rebuke, we are taking responsibility for the spiritual lives of our brothers and sisters in Christ, pointing out where they need correction. This role is primarily the responsibility of those who are spiritual (Galatians 6:1). At the same time, Jesus speaks of forgiving others, time after time if necessary.
The disciples’ response is, “Lord, increase our faith.” To be so involved in both rebuke and forgiveness demands great faith. True faith is willing to confront evil, but is also quick to forgive an offense. As to forgiving “seven” times, we know that we have a natural tendency to meditate on wrongs that have been done to us. We often have to remind ourselves that we have forgiven that wrong, and we will not let it stand in the way of our relationship.
Our attitude in the kingdom can never be, “Look how successful I am.” Rather, when we have done all that is required of us, our response is, “We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.” Pride enters in so easily, and it leads to Pharisaism or a feeling that we are better than the others. We cannot take pride in how God moves in our church; the glory belongs to God alone.
Luke 17:11-19 The Ten Lepers
This story emphasizes the reaction to the miracle more than the miracle itself.
Ten lepers met Jesus as he was entering a village, and appealed to him for mercy from a distance. They were a mixed group of Jews and Samaritans, united by their common affliction. Jesus told them to go to the priests, so their healing would be properly confirmed, and they would be released to go into society freely. This would also give testimony to the priests of the authority Jesus had over sickness. (Leviticus 13:1-8, 14:1-11) One of the ten, a Samaritan, returned to give glory to God. He calls Jesus, “Master,” indicating his authority. Presumably the other nine were also healed, but they saw no greater significance in the healing. Perhaps they were too occupied with themselves. But the tenth one was made “whole.” One could say he became a man of faith, a total person. His responsiveness released full blessing into his life. Many are content with outward healing and nothing more. But the Samaritan realized, as he went on his way and was overtaken by healing, that there was a healer who deserved worship and glory. He came back and fell at Jesus’ feet in worship and thanksgiving. That turned the man into a disciple. Jesus makes a point of the fact that he was a Samaritan, that is, a person normally despised by the Jews.
Luke 17:20-37 The Coming of the Kingdom
The Pharisees asked when the kingdom of God was coming. Their question shows that some of them, at least, perceived that something divine was afoot in the person of Jesus. But they still wanted Jesus to set a date. They lived in the same tension that we live in today. Something eternal was going on; the kingdom was coming, and something unusual was about to happen. But they wanted so much to be able to say what the single sign would be. They wanted to be able to put a headline in the newspaper says, “The kingdom of God began this morning at 2 O’clock. “ (The subheading, I suppose, would be that the zookeepers let the lions and tigers out of their cages, since they had now become vegetarians, and would lie down with the lambs.)
Jesus answered, “The kingdom is not coming with signs to be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom for God is in the midst of you.’” The kingdom they wanted so badly to see was already there among them. It shows that the Pharisees were not really longing for the kingdom of God, for had they been, they would have seen it. Nathanael, the Israelite “in whom was no guile,” recognized it the first time he met the Lord. (John 1). What the Pharisees really meant was, “When are the Jews going to get political power?” The kingdom, however, is not carnal. It is spiritual.
Jesus establishes the fact that the kingdom is there among them. It is not a secret kingdom that is inside the people as a hidden glow. Some translations seem to indicate that the kingdom was “within” them, that is, the Pharisees. But it was not; if it were, they would not be asking the question. It was within the true family of Israel, but not every person with the nation was a part of the true family (Romans 11:17). The kingdom is not a psychological or imaginary kingdom; it is an historic kingdom. It is not hidden; it is visible. Its victories (and defeats) are not only visible to faith’s eye, but also to the physical eye. The kingdom is among you—there are those among us who acknowledge Jesus as Lord, and this acknowledgement has changed our lives, which in turn will change the world we live in. The restoration starts with Jesus. What seems a small amount of “leaven” at the moment will soon permeate the entire loaf.
In Acts 1 the disciples asked almost the same question of the Lord. “Lord, is it at this time you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” Jesus answered, “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, by you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you shall be my witnesses.” The disciples wanted so much to see a sign that could be externally observed. Jesus redirected them from watching for the signs to reaching out to the world with the gospel. The signs of the times are certainly important, but the Promise of the Father is more important.
If the beginning of the kingdom comes without signs that can be observed, the culmination of the kingdom will be quite the opposite. But before that time there will be a time of testing. “The days are coming when you will desire to see the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.” In those days seducing spirits will try to mislead men by false promises of the exact time or place of his appearing, or by pointing to some human figure as the Messiah who has arrived. We are not to be deceived by such pronouncements, because the coming of the Lord will be sudden and universally visible. There will be no time for preparation when we see him, because it will come like lightning. Now is the time for preparation; not the last minute.
How will it be? It will be like in the days of Noah. They were eating, drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage. Then when Noah entered the ark, the flood came and destroyed them all. Of course, people have always had their festivities, but here their entertainments became the dominant purpose of their lives. And that is where we must compare it with our own society. In my own nation, there is an elevation of the chef to a place of high honor. The wine specialist gives his advice to the home cook. Some years ago a credit card company had a contest whose prize was dinner for two at any restaurant in the world. The winner chose a place in Paris, and the bill for the meal was four thousand dollars! The super rich in India have rented entire hotels in exotic places to hold their weddings, at costs that one can only imagine. Are these things not signs of the times we live in? Are we not like the people in Noah’s day?
In the days of Lot they were also caught up with other things: eating, drinking, buying, planting, selling, building. All of these things are acceptable in themselves. But when they become ends in our lives, we have become slaves.
Certainly the Bible does not teach us not to plant, build, marry, and so forth. But our spirit must be prepared for the return of the Lord. We are instructed to love his coming and to look for his appearing. (Titus 2:13) We recognize that we are not finally at home in the present world system, but we wait for our eternal home.
Jesus says that if he should come while we are on the housetop, we should not go down to get things in the house. If we are in the field, we should not go back to the house. (If he comes at tea-time, we must leave our tea.) “Remember Lot’s wife.” She looked back and was destroyed. On the day when the Lord returns, we will leave behind every earthly thing, even our lives. This can only happen if we are prepared today to leave all and follow Jesus. The commitment to Christ starts now, not at his coming.
What if two are in one bed? The bed is warm and comfortable, and sleep is good. Both people wake up, but one is taken; the other left. Why? One saw the bed as the proper place and the other saw heaven as the proper place. His heart responded to the call from above. Two women are grinding at the mill. One of them wanted to wait so she could finish her grinding; the other understood that what we do here is only temporal and responded to the upward call immediately.
The question comes to all of us. Are we too settled and comfortable, or are we waiting to be released from the gravity of this earth so we can forever be with the Lord? Jesus gives a gruesome image of those who are left behind. They are dead, and the vultures come to feast on their flesh.
Several of the recent stories deal with the hour of crisis, and the decisive action that must be taken. It is foolish to pretend that we will respond to God’s call when he returns, but to refuse to respond to his call now because we are bound by earthly things. We have many examples in the Bible of those who left their earthly security to follow Jesus: Matthew left his tax collecting business. Elisha left his farm. Abraham left his home country, and then, in essence, left his son Isaac. The disciples left their fishing nets.
A crisis time is a time for action. When God is speaking, we need to respond quickly and wholeheartedly.
Luke 18:1-8 The Persistent Widow
This is sometimes called the parable of the unjust judge. It has two purposes, to encourage in persevering in prayer, and to remind us that the Lord is coming to make things right, even though there seems to be a long delay. Luke says the purpose is that we ought to pray and not faint or lose heart. Either we are praying or se are losing heart. If we pray we will not lose heart, and if we lose heart, we will not pray.
A judge was in a certain city, and was not moved by the highest motive, the fear of God, and he was not moved by consideration of public opinion. The widow was poor, so she could not bribe him, and being a poor widow, she was not influential. Her only weapon was perseverance. The only one who could help her was the judge. Eventually, her perseverance conquered the wicked judge, and he granted her petition because she was getting on his nerves.
It is good to pray with perseverance and to pray your true need, rather than simply “saying prayers”. Many of the Psalms (which is a guidebook for praying) are Psalms of lament, complaining to God about the situations we find ourselves in.
But don’t be fooled into thinking God is like the unjust judge who doesn’t care about his people. The parable is for contrast, not for comparison. “And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily.”
The Jews were accustomed to praying three times a day. The righteous in this story are praying day and night, without ceasing. Their inner cry is not so much for vengeance or judgment on the world, but rather as it says in Revelation 22:20, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus.” The prayer of the entire Bible is summed up in these words. When he comes he will administer judgment and justice speedily—the patience that we live with here will be met by a quick justice. Our living in hardship and even privation will be quickly rewarded when he says, “Well done, good and faithful servant’ (Luke 19:17).
We often face frustrations in life, and yet we trust in God. He allows our faith to be tested, and when the test is over, he can change the entire circumstance in a day. Let us live in expectation, and believe it when God moves to deliver us.
Jesus ends the parable on a solemn note. “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” Will we still be praying, or will we lose heart along the way? Will we have given up hope? We belong to God, who is able to keep us from falling by the Power of the Holy Spirit working in us. But whatever we do, let us be conscious that we act in faith and not unbelief. When we face a trial, let it be a growing and learning experience, so our faith is increased.
Luke 18:9-14 The Pharisee and the Tax Collector
These two characters represent the best and the worst in Judaism, and their roles are completely reversed. The very pious Pharisee is set against the tax collector who works for the despised Roman government as is seen as a traitor to Judaism. They come into the temple together. Both of them come to pray. Their outward appearance and reputation give us an idea of which one the preacher would like to shake hands with.
The Pharisee goes in closer and stands, head lifted to heaven in the customary manner, lifts his hands and begins and ends his prayer with thanksgiving. He compares himself to the others, and seems to thank God for his own superiority to others, tithing more than he needs to, and fasting twice a week. It says he stood by himself, separating himself from the other worshippers, and especially from the tax collector.
The Pharisee actually was outwardly more righteous than those around him. Fasting was only required once a year, and he did it twice a week. He gave tithes on everything he received, whereas the law only required tithes on the increase of your goods, something like a value added tax. It was a voluntary self-denial. The Pharisee had all the qualities we look for: praise and thanksgiving, personal righteousness, generosity towards God.
The tax collector had none of it. He also separated himself, standing far off, but his separation was the separation of humility and not pride. While the Pharisee’s prayer contained only thanksgiving, the publican’s prayer contained only petition. “God be merciful to me, a sinner.” It was an outburst of despair, for how could this publican restore to everyone that he had defrauded, adding the fifth part that was required by the law. He had no righteousness or goodness to use to appeal to God. All he could do was look down, beat his breast, and beg for mercy.
It is a good thing that God is merciful. It is a good thing that he judges on the heart attitude and not on outward appearance; otherwise this tax collector would have not hope. But from the point of view of the Pharisee, it is a bad thing, because it is his destruction. The Pharisee was not justified. It is the tax collector who is justified. In God’s sight, the Pharisee was clothed in filthy rags, when he thought he was wearing the garment of praise. But the tax collector was given God’s righteousness as his clothing.
The Pharisee felt no need, uttered no petition, asked for no mercy; the tax collector felt only need and uttered only one petition, a request for mercy.
There is a way of thinking today that you have to praise God for forty minutes and then slip your requests in to the prayer, as if God needs to be flattered before he will answer you. That is wrong. We do worship God, and we do enjoy coming into his courts with thanksgiving and praise. But that is not a formula. When we are in need, we run to the father, and we don’t need to soften him up. His heart is already soft to us. We can come boldly in the time of need, and he will hear us immediately.
Luke 18:15-17 Jesus and the Children
I presume it was the mothers, not the fathers, who brought the babies and little children to Jesus so he might touch them. The disciples wanted to the children to stay away, which was in line with Jewish thinking, but Jesus rebuked them and welcomed the children. They received his blessing, wholeheartedly, freely, and without reservation.
The disciples were caught in a way of thinking that was disciplinary and severe towards children; Jesus was tender and sympathetic. He liked children. He placed a child as an example to the disciples. He referred to the way they played games. It is obvious that he had watched them at play. He refused to silence them when they cried “Hosanna” in the temple. He said, “Out of the mouths of babes you have perfected praise.” He received the boy’s lunch. All these incidents show us how Jesus loved the children.
This short passage is the basis for serious ministry to children in the church, as well as the basis for dedicating them to the Lord when they are small. Church finances need to consider effective ministry to all age groups, but it is especially important to get the children and young people well taught, so they will be a blessing in the future.
Luke 18:18-30 The Rich Ruler
The rich ruler asked Jesus what he should do to inherit eternal life. Jesus referred him to the Ten Commandments, and he was disappointed. He had kept the commandments all his life, and he still wasn’t satisfied. The Law couldn’t give him peace in his soul. This man also had social acceptance and was a ruler, so he had signs of spirituality. (Proverbs 10:22 says, “The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and adds no sorrow to it.) Jesus response seemed ridiculous to those around. The Pharisees even had a rule that you couldn’t give away everything you had. It was regarded as a sin. But Jesus told him to give everything away.
This ruler was held in bondage by the power of his possessions, and there was only one way to be set free from them. His credentials couldn’t save him. He went away sorrowful.
Jesus added his teaching. “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.” Many have struggled with interpreting this verse. The main explanation is that there was a small gate in Jerusalem called the needle’s eye, and they say a camel could only get through that gate with great difficulty. I prefer to think Jesus meant exactly what he said. Wealth neither provides eternal life, nor does it prove God’s blessing.
But we might also say that it is impossible for a poor man to be saved. If you trust in riches, or if you trust in poverty, neither one will do any good. It takes a miracle to be saved, and it comes by trusting in the Lord.
Earlier, we saw that the Pharisees were bound by their pride, especially religious pride. We have seen people who were bound by evil spirits. The disciples were bound by their “adultness” in rejecting the children. Lot’s wife was bound by her worldliness. There are many things, including wealth, that can hinder us from seeking first the kingdom of God.
Peter is set to thinking by the discussion, and says to the Lord, “We have left our homes and followed you.” Jesus responds that he and all who leave behind their earthly attachments for the sake of the kingdom of God will receive many times more in this life, and in the age to come, eternal life. The disciples who left their nets at the beginning are beginning to see the blessing of their sacrifice.
We need free spirits, not hindered by the things of this world.
Luke 18:31-34 Jesus Predicts his Death for the Third Time.
Jesus realized that the critical time was coming when he would be persecuted in Jerusalem, and he tried to get that message across to the disciples, but they could not grasp it. Everything had been going so well, and they assumed that the popularity they had with the people would overrule the authorities. But Jesus said, “All things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished.” The disciples did not understand that the prophets predicted that the Messiah would suffer. They did not understand Isaiah 53.
Luke 18:35-43 Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar
As they were approaching Jericho, a blind man by the road heard the noise. As he had no eyes to see, he used the facilities he had, and enquired as to what the commotion was about, and was told that Jesus was passing through. The man, whose name was probably Bartimaus, immediately began to cry out, “Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me,” thus taking advantage of the opportunity that presented itself.
There was a crowd around, which was customary, not only because Jesus was there, but also because a band of pilgrims was on its way up to Jerusalem for the Passover, and the people always went out into the streets to welcome them. Jericho was about 10 kilometers from Jerusalem, and was the last stop before the holy city. It was a beautiful city with many palm trees. The crowd may have been especially attentive to this group of pilgrims because they knew that Jesus had healed the sick, and raised Lazarus in Bethany, a town not far away. They also knew that the leaders in Jerusalem had taken counsel to put Jesus to death, and that Jesus was going to Jerusalem to meet them.
The crowd pressed against Jesus, hoping to hear what he had to say. Suddenly they heard the loud cry from the side of the road. People nearby told him to be quiet because they wanted to hear what Jesus was saying, but he continued to “interrupt the sermon” with even louder shouts. “Son of David, have mercy on me.” In calling him “Son of David” he was recognizing that Jesus was heir to the throne of David.
The One who hears all cries of despair, and who knows our needs even before we know them, stopped the teaching and the procession, and asked them to bring the man to him. “What do you want me to do for you?” The general request for mercy could mean anything, for example, alms. But Jesus teaches him to be more specific in his request. “Lord, I want to receive my sight.” He has heard that Jesus can do that sort of thing. Jesus heals him and says, “Your faith has made you well.” (The word for well—sozo—has the broadest meaning and includes forgiveness and well-being.) Everybody praises God.
God, in his mercy, hears when we cry, “Be merciful to me.” He calls us to himself. We acknowledge him as Lord and become his disciples. But God does not stop there. He says, “What do you want me to do?” He welcomes us to bring our specific need, whether for healing, for faith, for money, for joy, or any other thing. We know that he has helped others before. When we have made our request specific, he responds with, “Your faith has attained your answer.” It is almost as if he was just waiting for us to ask. Don’t be afraid to be specific in your requests to God!
Luke 19:1-10 Jesus and Zacchaeus
Both incidents in this chapter have to do with faithfulness in the use of resources.
Zacchaeus also lived in Jericho, and this incident probably occurred a little further down the same road where Bartimaus was healed. The people were still out in the street welcoming the pilgrims. By this time some of the leaders of the people had probably joined the crowd. They had mixed feelings about the prophet from Nazareth. Was he a good man, or had he done miracles in the power of Beelzebul? Was he the Messiah, or an anti-Christ? Would he save the world or bring ruin to his own nation? Was this only one more in a long list of delusions, illusions, and false messiahs, or was this the long-promised dawn of the kingdom of heaven? The questions that went through their minds have gone through our minds as well. Curious men were there, some of them half-convinced and some of them angry. Women probably held up their babies so they could later boast that they had seen Jesus. Traders and soldiers turned out. From every walk of life they came, wondering if Jesus would perform some additional miracle, wondering if Jesus would utter some earth-shaking prophecy.
Everyone was there, but one man was not welcome; he could not break through the crowd to see the Lord. He was despised by the rest because he was a tax collector. Christ had recently talked about how hard it was for the rich to enter the kingdom of heave. How much harder then for such a one as this, who had gotten his wealth by extortion, to enter the kingdom.
And yet, Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector, was there. What had brought him? Not only curiosity. Not a desire to welcome the pilgrims. He was rejected from such fellowship. Perhaps it was the culmination of a long working of conscience, finally taking form when the loving and righteous Jesus came. He had heard how Jesus didn’t judge harshly like the rulers of Israel who rejected and consigned to destruction all tax collectors. No doubt the story had made the rounds among the tax collectors of how Matthew/Levi had left his profession to follow the Lord. Zacchaeus thought, “If one tax collector can come, so can another.” Maybe he was drawn by an inner compulsion of the Holy Spirit. He was just there, and he really may not have known why himself.
But he was hindered from getting close to Jesus by two things. He was short, and the crown had little concern for him. One of the hindrances had to do with his own nature, almost as if God had punished him with shortness because of his sins. This man was not the “full stature” of Christ, not even the height of an ordinary Jew in his day. He was small and insignificant when it concerned the things of God.
And the crowd hindered him. His name means “pure” and seemed to be a mockery of his entire life style. People didn’t care about him. The Pharisees came close to Jesus; they wouldn’t allow a tax collector to do that. They made him feel very uncomfortable.
So the one who had the hardest time getting close became persistent to the point of losing his dignity. He ran ahead on the road. He found it unsuitable to cry out, “Have mercy on me,” like the blind man did. But he found a tree by the road and climbed up in it, becoming like a little child. As the procession came, Jesus looked up, and took the initiative, saying, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” Jesus knew his name, and called him by it, giving it its deepest and truest meaning, “pure one.”
Zacchaeus, filled with joy, hurried down from the tree. How childish he is. He responds quickly to Jesus’ call. (Luke often speaks of joy in the encounter with God’s call. Luke 1:14, 2:10, 10:20, 13:17, 15:5,,32, 19:37, 24:41,52)
The joy of the moment is interrupted by the grumbling of the people, especially those who had been cheated by Zacchaeus. “Jesus has gone to be a guest of a man who is a sinner.” They wanted to isolate Zacchaeus, not reward him with a visit from a distinguished guest. But what are they going to do with the next verse?
“Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” There is no more greed in Zacchaeus. No more extortion. It is replaced by a deep social concern and a generous fulfillment of his pure name. Zacchaeus has just defiled the custom of the Pharisees. Their rules forbad anyone from giving more than 20 percent to the poor. The Law of Moses said you should normally add 20 percent if you had stolen from anyone (Leviticus 5:26, Numbers 5:7), but in some cases (Exodus 22:1) you restored up to fourfold! He did the maximum. He was the rich man who passed through the eye of the needle!
What is the Pharisee going to do when Zacchaeus comes knocking on his door one day. He won’t have him in his house since he is a tax collector, so he stands outside on the street to talk. Zacchaeus pulls out a paper and tells the Pharisee he had cheated him out of two pounds on two different occasions, and that since he met Jesus his attitude had changed and he belt compelled to make things right. So here are the four pounds that I owe you. And since I know how you have felt about me and my unrighteousness, I want you to have these twelve pounds besides. About that time, another man walks up the street and says, “Zacchaeus, bless you, brother.” This man was poor, but the tax collector had helped him, had nursed him back to health, and now he was able to work and care for his family again. What shall the Pharisee do? Can he disbelieve in Jesus any longer? Can he grumble about being a guest in the house of a “sinner?”
Zacchaeus is a son of Abraham. Like the woman who was oppressed of an evil spirit, Zacchaeus is given the highest title a Jew can have. Salvation has come to his house.
Let us be like Jesus, able to see the pure, able to see the son of Abraham, able to see childlike faith, even when it is in the most despised people in society. Let us also be like Zacchaeus, childlike in faith, truly repentant, and reaching out with a practical testimony of our Christian life. “The Son of Man has come to seek and save that which was lost.” The nation had failed to do that (Ezekiel 34).
Luke 19:11-27 The Parable of the Minas
The parable of the minas was told because there were people who thought the kingdom was going to come immediately. They assumed that Jesus was on his way to take his throne without having to endure the cross. They wanted to associate the events of the Second Coming with the experience that Jesus was facing now.
Jesus told of a man who went to a distant country to obtain the rights to a kingdom. (This was probably modeled on Archelaus, Herod’s son, who went to Rome to get authority over Palestine. The Jews sent a delegation after him, trying to have him replaced with someone else. When Archelaus was given authority, he killed the leaders who had opposed him.) Before leaving, the master gave each of ten servants a mina, which was the equivalent of 3 months wages for a common laborer. It was an adequate sum to work with, but nowhere near the “talents” in another parable in Matthew. We are told of only three of the servants. One multiplied the mina by tenfold, and was given authority over ten cities. The second multiplied it fivefold, and was given authority over 5 cities. The third hid his mina in a handkerchief, the cloth normally used to wipe sweat from his brow, and returned the mina intact when the master came. His pound was taken from him and given to the one with ten.
The master instructed the servants to do business with his minas until he returned. This business was done in a world that was hostile to the master, and thus involved the servant in situations that could give rise to personal hostility. Further, if the master failed to return, they might be embarrasses by the master’s replacement because they had been so outspoken about their loyalty. But, being loyal servants, they obeyed the command, and they did business with the master’s money. Except for one. He did not do as the master had commanded, but rather did no business at all with the mina given him.
For us there are two questions involved here. One is what we have done with the resources and abilities that God has entrusted us with. Have they been used to further his kingdom and increase his glory? The second is whether we have been obedient to his parting command, to go into all the world and preach the Gospel.
The first servant says, “Master, your mina has gained ten more minas.” It wasn’t as if it was his own gift. But later he is given the slothful servant’s mina, and it is assumed that he was allowed to keep the ten he already had. In eschatological terms, he got both an earthly and an eternal reward.
The second part of the reward is intriguing. Jesus places the servants over ten cities and five cities respectively. Could this be a glimpse of our responsibilities when the kingdom is fully established in the resurrection? Will we be made stewards of cities because we have proven our faithfulness here in this life? Whatever those references might mean, it is interesting that it is faithfulness with money that produces them.
The third servant brought his mina wrapped up in a cloth. Instead of using the cloth to wipe his sweat when he was working, he used it to avoid working with the thing entrusted to him. Both the money and the handkerchief were used wrongly. This man saw only threat, and not opportunity, and saw the master as a severe man. And yet he was a servant, outwardly loyal to his master. In the parable, he is not destroyed with the master’s enemies, but neither is he invited to share in the kingdom and glory of the master.
The attitude of the servant toward his responsibility seemed to determine his attitude toward the master. Neither of the first two refers to the harshness of the master. They are all free to use the money, perhaps risk it, because you don’t reproduce money that fast without taking risks. But the third doesn’t really have the master’s business in his heart, so he sees him as a harsh taskmaster, rather than a leader fulfilling his management objectives. The master confirms his suspicion by removing his mina, but he shows his generosity by giving it to the other servant. He rewards success and punishes failure.
To those who have, it shall be given, and those who don’t have will lose even the little that they have. The only difference was in their diligence in using three months’ wages! The one who used his, who acted and produced results, was given more, but the one who failed to act, whether out of laziness, lack of vision, or personal pressures, lost what he had.
We can see this parable as both a challenge and a threat. We need to examine ourselves and the things entrusted to us to assure ourselves that we are walking in obedience. A day is coming when our stewardship will be evaluated, and rewards commensurate with our faithfulness will be granted.
The Passion of Christ
Chapters 20-24
Luke 20:1-8 Challenge to Jesus’ Authority
After purifying the temple by driving out the moneychangers, the temple leaders came and asked by what authority he had done those things, and also by what authority he taught. They assumed there was a kind of “apostolic succession” within Israel, and that if someone was not acknowledged by the local hierarchy in Jerusalem, he didn’t have authority to do things like cleansing the temple. The only exception to this general rule was that the Messiah could do as the Spirit directed him. So when they challenged Jesus, they were trying to claim that he was not the Messiah, and thus did not act under proper authority in casting out the moneychangers.
Jesus responded with a question: “Was John’s baptism from heaven, or from men?” In essence he was asking if John acted on his own authority or on God’s authority. John was the one who announced Jesus as the Lamb of God, and the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. The temple leaders were threatened by John’s preaching; and privately they thought he was a fanatic, and not sent by God at all. (Some however had gone to be baptized). But they could not proclaim publicly that John was a false prophet because it would go against the opinion of the people. They saw John as a prophet and a martyr. So the leaders refused to answer Jesus.
Jesus, in turn, refused to answer their question, but the answer was implied. He acted on the same authority as John. Now he was prepared to lay down his life on that basis. The leaders, who believed differently, were not prepared to lay down their lives (or reputations) for their opinions; rather, they backed down. They demonstrated their incompetence as spiritual leaders.
Jesus identifies himself with all the prophets when he identifies with John. He renews the mission of the prophets, and is now fulfilling it.
The conflict still exists in our lives. Are we following God or man? Are we directed by the Spirit or by our traditions?
Luke 20:9-19 The Parable of the Wicked Tenants
Jesus reinforces his teaching on the leaders’ rejection of the will of God and the Messiah with a parable. A man planted a vineyard, rented it out to vine-growers, and took a long trip, apparently going to live in a distant country as an absentee landlord. At harvest time he sent a servant to collect some of the harvest, but the servant was beaten and sent away empty-handed. A second and third servant were similarly treated, and finally the owner sent his son, thinking that they would respect him. The son was cast out and slain, in hopes that the vineyard would then go into the possession of the caretakers. What will the owner do? He will destroy the vine-growers and give the vineyard to others.
The parable is an allegory. The owner is God. The vineyard is the planting of the Lord, or Israel (Isaiah 5). The servants are the prophets, like Isaiah and Jeremiah, who were persecuted and rejected by the people. The son is Jesus; he was cast out of the city and killed there. The son is different from the other messengers, and has special authority. In addition, he is the last one to come. After his coming, no higher manifestation of God’s love is to be expected.
It seems that the husbandmen should have more sense than to kill the son. They should realize the consequences of their action. Strangely, in the context of the times, the story is reasonable. The husbandmen knew the law that if a field was left without an heir, the occupiers of the field could, after a period of time, take possession of it. When the son came, they assumed that the father was going to stay away, or else that he had died. This son was probably an only son, for the term “beloved” carries that implication. So if the father was dead or would never return, and the son was slain, the husbandmen could keep the vineyard for themselves and their own purposes.
That is what the leaders were trying to do with Israel. They had established a spiritual tyranny over the people that was very comfortable for them. The only thing they didn’t reckon with was that the Father was alive, and that is was He who had sent the Son. They had begun to think that tending the garden was all there was to it; there was no larger or more eternal purpose. And in their carelessness they killed the Son.
Jesus ends the parable, “The stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief cornerstone.” Suddenly the leaders realized that the parable was spoken against them. Not only that, but they missed the meaning entirely, because right away they took counsel to do away with Jesus, fulfilling the message of the parable.
Luke 20:21-25 Paying Taxes to Caesar
The scribes and chief priests tried to catch Jesus in his words, because they knew human nature quite well. You can almost always catch someone in his words if you phrase your question right. An old joke represents it: “Have you stopped beating your wife?”
They flattered the Lord, or at least they thought they were flattering him. They said three things that were all true. First, you speak and teach correctly; second, you don’t fear anyone and are no respecter of persons; and third, you teach the truth. Then they sprang their trick question, “Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” This was a hot issue, especially among the Zealots. They thought that any cooperation with the Roman officials was sinful, and contrary to the Kingdom of God.
Jesus asked them for a denarius. It was a small coin that represented a day’s wages, and had a head of Caesar on it. The inscription said (in Latin) Tiberius Caesar Augustus, son of the divine Augustus. That showed that Caesar was considered the god of the Roman Empire. To pay taxes to him could imply that you recognized his divinity. (Jesus asked for the denarius rather than a smaller coin because the smaller coins did not have Caesar on them, but rather lesser images, like olive trees or corn.)
So the conundrum faced Jesus. If Jesus favored Caesar, the multitudes would turn against him. If he failed to recognize Caesar, the Roman authorities could turn against him. (Certainly if Jesus refused Caesar’s authority, the questioners would immediately go to the Romans, accusing Jesus of treason.) They bring him the coin, which indicates that it was in common use among the Jews. This indicates that, as a practical matter, they accepted the rule of Caesar, because the accepted idea at the time was that a ruler’s power extended as far as his coins were in use.
Jesus replies simply, “Give Caesar what belongs to him. And give to God what belongs to Him.”
The fact that the Jews used Caesar’s coins shows that they acknowledged him as their earthly ruler, and therefore were under obligation to pay their poll-taxes. We can extend the implication and say that we ought to obey our laws, except when they conflict with our moral principles and duties to God.
Jesus didn’t evade the answer at all, but straightforwardly said it is lawful to give tribute to Caesar. But he added the second phrase, “Give to God the things that are God’s.” This put Caesar in his place, as inferior to and subordinate to God. It is a tacit protest against emperor worship, and it shows that all human government is merely the government of man. It also implies that Caesar is not God.
What was Caesar doing with that money? He was oppressing the Jewish people (and many others). He was financing war efforts, supporting ungodly people in his palaces, and making himself rich. It was mostly “taxation without representation.” In my own nation there is a tradition of “civil disobedience” that allows some leeway in protesting government actions. Some protest by refusing to pay taxes. As Christians, we hold that in matters of faith and conscience, we must be true to our core beliefs. If we disobey unjust laws, it is not for personal benefit, but to indicate that there is a higher law. If we exercise “civil disobedience” we are also willing to suffer the consequences of that disobedience.
Overall, we support our governments. We recognize that it is only a government made up of fallible human beings. We also recognize that government systems change over time.
A German theologian expands further on the interactions, saying, “The coin bears Caesar’s image; man bears the image of God. So give the coin, the tribute, to Caesar and give yourself to God.” We are God’s image-bearers, his medium of exchange in this world. It is to His Kingdom alone that we are finally and eternally responsible.
Luke 20:27-40 Question about the Resurrection
The chapters we are dealing with concern the last days before the crucifixion of the Lord. During these days something was going on in Jerusalem that we don’t read about in the Gospels. The priests were examining the lamb that was chosen to be sacrificed at the Passover, in order to be certain that it was entirely without blemish. Then, when the Day of the Passover came, they would be assured that this lamb was qualified. That was also happening to Jesus, but in a spiritual sense. He had been presented to all of Israel, but now there was a sort of final examination, where some of the most difficult questions were put to the Lord. He passed his examinations, and thereby showed himself worthy to reconcile the world to God.
In this section the Sadducees came to test Jesus. This is only the second time that they encountered him formally. They wanted to discount him, because he was clearly of the party of the Pharisees when it came to belief in the resurrection. They had not taken him seriously before, and now they wanted to ridicule him by asking a question that they thought would force him to back off his belief in the resurrection.
Up to this time the doctrine of the resurrection had not been clear to the Jews. The Baal worshippers that lived around them believed in a resurrection only in a symbolic sense—the plants “resurrected” every spring, and by implication man resurrected trough his children. The fertility cults had similar beliefs. In addition, the people living around the Israelites believed that the body was an unworthy repository for the soul, as was thus separate from the body. Israel knew better; the body was made in the image of God, and thus was every bit as important as the soul. So the conflict arose. The Pharisees believed that there was a great unseen world, and that there would be a bodily resurrection and a union with God for the righteous. The Sadducees did not believe these things. For them, there was no spirit world: hence there could be no angels, no resurrection, and even no miracles.
Even for the Pharisees the doctrine was not finally established. They used scriptures that seemed to imply a resurrection—notably Isaiah 23:19, “Your dead shall live; their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead.” But they couldn’t take it at face value because it seemed to be a symbolic description of Israel. Alfred Edersheim says of the Pharisees, “The resurrection was yet a matter of hope; not of faith: something to look forward to; not something to look back upon.”
Further, they could not reason from mere restoration of life. A resuscitation is not a resurrection, for the one who is resuscitated is still mortal. Another point is that the Sadducees believed only in the Pentateuch as having doctrinal authority, and the Pentateuch seemed to be unclear about the resurrection.
The Sadducees knew of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, and that it implied Jesus’ belief in the resurrection. They also knew that Jesus had proclaimed himself to be the resurrection (John 11:25). So they meant to imply that there is no resurrection, or else there is immorality in heaven, where a man would be married to seven women.
Jesus gives two answers. The first is concerning marriage. There is no marriage in heaven. We are like the angels there. And there is no death in heaven. Marriage is the closest we come to anyone on earth, but it is strictly an earthly institution and is not eternal. In the Garden of Eden, God said, “It is not good that man should dwell alone.” Marriage, we know from Ephesians 5, is a picture of the relationship between Christ and the church. In heaven the picture will not be necessary, because the reality is there.
Then Jesus adds the defense of belief in the resurrection. He quotes from the Pentateuch in Exodus 3, where God says, “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” The implication is that they are still living, because God could not establish an eternal covenant with a person who would cease to be. The Sadducees were astonished at the answer, because it showed such perception of the scripture. “Teacher, you have spoken well.” They had no further questions.
I am also astounded at the answer. Who would ever think of those words as implying the resurrection? But in the context of Judaism, the reasoning is utterly sound. God could not maintain a covenant with death or the dead; it had to be a covenant with the living.
Later, as the church grew, their main persecution came on account of their belief in the resurrection. It is ironic that while Jesus taught, the disciples didn’t want to believe in the crucifixion. After he rose, the critics didn’t want to believe in the resurrection. But it was fundamental and life giving. “If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.” (1 Corinthians 15:19). It is clear that the denial of the resurrection even crept into the teaching of the early church, and was answered by Paul in 1 Corinthians.
Why is it that we are faithful and willing to die for the cause of Christ? Because we believe in the resurrection. Otherwise there is no point in offering our lives. Paul teaches us in 1 Corinthians 15 that it is not only our spirits that will rise, but our bodies as well. We have been planted corruptible, but will be raised incorruptible. We have been planted in dishonor, but will be raised glorious. Planted weak; raised powerful. Planted carnal; raised spiritual. We have the image of the earthly, but we shall have the image of the heavenly. Can we dare to believe that these bodies of ours will actually become all of those things? The Word of God says so. What can we do but run to the cross, and be fully identified with the Crucified One. We shall be like him in the resurrection as well!
Luke 20:41-44 Whose Son is Christ?
The leaders of the people stopped asking Jesus questions because they realized that he answered their questions so completely and effectively that they either had to change their way of thinking or else live in hypocrisy. Jesus answered well because he is the answer. The questions vary, and the answers vary, but Jesus is the Truth.
Now Jesus presents a question of his own. David called the Messiah Lord in Psalm 110. How can the lord be David’s son? The two statements contradict each other, because the older one simply does not call the younger one Lord. This had happened with Joseph and his parents and brothers in Genesis, and it was considered out of order. The question implies that the Redeemer is not earthly, but divine. And exclusively earthly descendant of David could only be a human ruler.
Remember that the leaders attacked Jesus for calling himself the Son of God. If he had tried to set up an earthly kingdom, they very likely would have supported him, but he overcame that temptation in the wilderness (Luke 4) as he began his ministry. The kingdom could not be merely of this world; it had to come from heaven, for the ruler of this kingdom was also the Lord of David.
There is only one way to reconcile the two statements: God had to become incarnate. Only then could David’s Lord also be his descendant. The leaders could not answer Jesus’ compelling logic. If they acknowledged the truth of what he said, they would be forced to change their minds, thus losing face before the people and the other leaders. They were unwilling to do that.
Luke 20:45-46 Warning against the Scribes and Pharisees
Jesus followed up by warning against the scribes and Pharisees because they are concerned with position and religious display rather than with the realities of the faith. They were solemn, but they were not serious. They had form, but not substance. This was Jesus’ last warning against the false religion of the Jewish spiritual elite. Their teaching was clothed in perfect orthodoxy, but it was wrong at its heart.
Luke 21:1-4 The Widow’s Mite
Jesus was evidently discouraged by the refusal of the leaders to receive the truth. He sat in the temple, and it says he looked up. That means he had been looking down like we so often do when we can’t see a way out. When he looked up he watched the giving. The rich and the poor gave, but the widow gave only two mites. The mite was the smallest coin, worth perhaps five minutes of work. It wasn’t much. Others were throwing in bigger money, but the widow had only the little coins that couldn’t possibly do much. But they were given with a pure heart and a sincere spirit, and were better than the riches of the Pharisees, which were given out of less sincere motives.
We observe that Jesus pays attention to our giving and to the spirit behind it. Pastors, as part of their ministry, should also pay attention to the giving of the people, because it also shows their attitude.
Luke 21:5-24 Prediction of the Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
This passage is a challenge to our own faithfulness, but also to our ability to interpret scripture. Jesus is speaking about two events, one near to his time, and the other in the distant future. Within the lifetime of those then living, Jerusalem was destroyed and the stones of the temple were literally torn down. Other aspects of the prophecy seem to refer to the Second Coming of Christ, an event for which we are still waiting.
Luke’s description puts greater emphasis on the destruction of Jerusalem. In Matthew 24:1-35 and Mark 13:1-37, the parallel passages, more emphasis is placed on the signs of the Second Coming. The teaching is commonly called the Olivet Discourse.
The two events are related. In a sense the destruction of the temple in A.D.70 and the events surrounding it were a preview of the final judgment at the end of the age. What happened in Jerusalem will be repeated and enlarged at the coming of the Lord.
We have seen many of the reasons for the destruction of Jerusalem as we have studied Luke. Hypocrisy (11:37-54), oppressing the poor (18:7, 20:47), rejecting the Messiah (13:33-34, 20:13-18), missing the day of visitation (19:44), and slaying God’s Son (9:22, 18:31-33, 19:47, 20:14-19 and the events yet to be discussed in 22:1-2, 52 and 23:1-25). These can be warnings to us, lest we become complacent.
People were admiring the temple. It was adorned with noble stones (some of them 20 meters long!) and offerings. (Contrast their adoration of the formal offerings in the temple with the preceding section, where Jesus admires the widow’s pennies.) The temple was for them one of the wonders of the world in all its magnificence. One thinks of the great basilicas and mosques and other temples around the world, where much money and effort has gone into creating structures for worship. In the context of their awe at the temples grandeur, Jesus announces that it will be entirely destroyed within their generation. It was a shocking statement to them. They could not imagine that God would permit the destruction of his own temple.
They ask for a sign and a time for the destruction, and Jesus responds with his “mini-apocalypse,” lest they be led astray by false messiahs. Many will come claiming to have special knowledge, but the people are warned not to go after them. (In my lifetime I have heard of one person who predicted an exact date, and another who predicted the year of the Lord’s return. Both were wrong, of course.) Wars and tumults will come, but in themselves they are not signs of the times. Nations and kingdoms will fight one another, and there will be fearsome events in nature itself: earthquakes, famines, pestilences. Not only on earth, but also in the sky there will be great signs.
The Jewish historian Josephus tells of the approach of the Roman soldiers and of the many terrible phenomena as the siege of Jerusalem was approaching.
But before those signs, they would lay hands on the disciples, delivering them to synagogues and prisons. They would be brought before kings and governors for Jesus’ name’s sake. This would be an opportunity to bear witness of their faith. He promised to give them words to answer their accusers that they would not be able to withstand or contradict. The book of Acts records the initial fulfillment of this prophecy.
Families would be broken up, with close relatives and family members betraying the believers. Some would be killed. The believers would be hated by all. In spite of this, Jesus promised that not a “hair of your head shall perish.” He encourages them to endure.
Following these events, Jesus said Jerusalem would be surrounded. That was a sign that its desolation was near, and was a time for the people of Judah to flee to the mountains. The people living in Jerusalem should leave the city, and those living outside the city should avoid going into it. One of the great tragedies in the destruction of Jerusalem is that many pilgrims were there for worship in the temple, disregarding the warning of Jesus.
The judgment is called the “days of vengeance” to fulfill what is written. It would be especially difficult for pregnant and nursing women. There would be distress and wrath and many would fall by the sword. Others would be taken as captives to all nations. Jerusalem would be trampled by the gentiles until the times of the gentiles are fulfilled. (Romans 11:25-36 may be a reference to that future time when Israel is restored.)
Luke 21:25-28 The Coming of the Son of Man
There will be signs in the Sun and the stars, as well as distress of nations on the earth. There will be perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint form fear and foreboding. The powers of heaven will be shaken.
Then they will see the Son of Man coming with power and great glory. When they see these signs, they should rejoice because redemption is close. The Son of Man is a title for Jesus coming from Daniel 8:13.
Jesus says the fig tree and all trees show when summer is near by producing leaves. So also when these signs appear, the full manifestation of the Kingdom of God will be near.
Luke 21:29-35 Be Alert
Then he says, “Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” These words have caused problems in interpretation. We know that many of the things Jesus said were directly fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem. But we also know that some of the things, like the full realization of the Kingdom, don’t seem to be fulfilled as yet. That is why we see a double reference, the first to the more immediate destruction of Jerusalem and the second to the Coming of Christ at the end of the age. “This generation” most likely refers to the generation of the people to whom Jesus was speaking, and the fact that Jerusalem was destroyed within the lifetime of people who heard him makes it likely that he meant the term literally. (Some claim that it refers to a future generation; some say that “generation” is a reference to the Jewish people.)
The practical teaching is very clear. Hearts can be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness so that when the day comes suddenly, we are not aware of it. Jesus says it will come upon all who dwell on the whole earth, and not as a regional or secret coming. It is not an exclusively “spiritual” coming. We are to stay awake and pray for strength to escape and stand before the Son of Man.
Luke 21:37-38 Getting up Early to Hear Jesus
The chapter ends telling us that Jesus taught during the day and retired to Olivet at night. He returned to the Temple early and people came there to hear him teach. It was interesting and challenging to hear him teach.
Luke does not deal with the resurrection of our bodies in this chapter. Nor does he speak of the rapture or the anti-Christ or a host of other issues associated with eschatology. There are many opinions and interpretations. The study of eschatology calls for comparing many scriptures, and trying to create some kind of organization of the events. That is beyond the scope of this teaching. Rather, we are challenged in this chapter to be prepared for any way in which the Lord may manifest himself.
Luke 22:1-6 The Plot to Betray and Kill Jesus
During the first three days of the Passion Week, Jesus was teaching in the temple during the day. Many were coming to hear him and the chief priests were afraid to arrest him because it would cause uproar. They were looking for a way to put him to death. The teaching was radical and it threatened their positions. They either had to admit that they had been wrong and were unqualified leaders, or else they had to use their authority to get rid of Jesus. Their entire perspective was distorted by their pride and self-interest.
Then Judas came, probably as they were discussing how to get Jesus secretly so the masses wouldn’t be stirred up. A good time to do this would be while the Passover meal was being observed, because everyone would be inside. Judas could lead them to the place of the Passover, but Jesus and the disciples had continued to Gethsemane to pray. The betrayal by Judas was probably the biggest disappointment that Jesus faced.
Why did Judas betray the Lord? Let’s briefly look at his life and how he may have thought. Judas was the only one of the twelve from Judea, the religious center of Israel. The others were from Galilee; they were country boys, so to speak. Judas’ background was apparently from the Zealots, those who advocated a violent overthrow of the Roman government. He may have felt superior to the other disciples because of his cosmopolitan background. Judas had followed Jesus, leaving all. He had been given authority over devils. He was a good administrator, and this natural talent was put to use in making him the treasurer of the group. (He did pilfer from the money bag, according to John 12:6)
But somehow Judas had been disappointed and lost the faith. When John the Baptist was beheaded, it says that Jesus withdrew himself. Judas may have thought that this was the time for Jesus to push himself forward. But he withdrew from both his enemies and his successes. When they wanted to make Jesus king, he withdrew. When the apostles came elated saying, “even the devils are subject to us,” Jesus said, “Rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” Jesus had consistently refused to show the Pharisees a sign from heaven, and now in the last days he had spoken only of gloom and destruction—the cross, the suffering, and the agony.
These facts, which emphasized the moral and spiritual aspects of Christ’s kingdom, seemed to discourage many, including Judas. Furthermore, Judas had been excluded from the Mount of Transfiguration; perhaps he was one of those at the base of the mountain, powerless against the demon in the possessed boy. He got tired, I suppose, of the quarrels over who would be the greatest, the misunderstandings, and the petty questions. His love for the master was overshadowed by a gnawing concern that the kingdom could never be established in an earthly sense with the techniques that Jesus was using. Finally, when Mary anointed Jesus with the expensive ointment, he protested. His charitable contributions became more important than his love for the Lord; “Why was this not sold and given to the poor?” Jesus had ceased to be central, in favor of the poor. The spiritual Gospel had been supplanted by the social gospel.
Later he sold the Lord for thirty pieces of silver, the price of a slave, according to the prophecy in Zechariah 11:12-13. Finally that money was used to buy a burial place for the poor, in an ironic fulfillment of his protest on behalf of the poor. When money is involved in a plot, it gets more complicated and seems more sinister. The Jews who paid the money were also in conflict with what to do with it when it was returned. They knew it was unrighteous money.
The early Christians fasted every Wednesday in penitence for the actions of Judas. (His name means praise, but he did not live up to his worthy name. Iscariot means dagger-man.) Perhaps they recognized that there is something of Judas in all of us. There are those of us who separate ourselves from their brothers because of frustration and disappointment. We are not suddenly and uncontrollably demon-possessed; we just follow through on the natural process of getting discouraged by various things. And so, like Judas, we leave the communion table. Perhaps not in the outward form, but in our hearts. We go to the place of prayer and we greet each other with the traditional greeting—in Judas’ case, the kiss—but in our hearts we have betrayed the Son of Man.
There was another Zealot present at the Last Supper, Simon Peter. (James and John, the sons of thunder, were also Zealots.) But Peter stands in contrast to Judas. He had every reason to lose the faith. He had been called Satan by the Lord when he spoke too quickly. He had lost faith while walking on the water. And soon the Lord openly declared that Peter would deny him three times. But Peter had a basic foundation of faith in spite of his weakness. Jesus affirmed it when he said, “I have prayed for you that your faith fail not.”
Peter, when he realized who the Lord was, impulsively said, “You are the Christ of God.” When Jesus asked if they were going to leave him, Peter said, “To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Peter had openly and freely declared his faith and his love for the Lord. Judas had been silent, brooding, still wondering if this was really the right thing.
Some critics claim that Judas did not intend to kill Jesus, but just to precipitate the crisis that would usher in an earthly kingdom of God, as was commonly expected. Perhaps Peter thought this as well when he cut off the guard’s ear. Perhaps Judas thought that now the people would rise up and overthrow Rome. We don’t know his inner motivations. But we know that when we look inward, we see some of the same discouragements that faced Judas and Peter. We pray that God will help us keep the faith like Peter did, and not destroy ourselves like Judas did.
Luke 22:7-23 The Passover
The time for the Passover had come. This was the last feast Jesus was to celebrate with his disciples, and he longed for it “with desire.” I suspect that same desire exists in his heart for the celebration of that feast “anew” in the Kingdom of God.
Jesus’ ministry opened when he went to John in the wilderness and was baptized. That was the first sacrament. It closes with the Lord’s Supper, the last sacrament. Baptism is an earthly sacrament, signifying our separation from the deathly ways of this old world and entrance upon the heavenly walk. The Lord’s Supper remembers the sacrifice that brought us into the Kingdom of God and looks forward to the great supper in heaven; it is a peculiarly heavenly sacrament.
Jesus did not want the last supper disturbed, and so the place of it was kept secret until the last minute. Peter and John went ahead and found a man carrying a pitcher of water. (Normally, only women carried pitchers of water) They followed him to the house of a probably disciple (he acknowledged the Lord) and prepared there. Some think this was the home of Mark’s father. (2 Chronicles 35:16-19 describes the greatest Passover kept in Jerusalem during the reign of Josiah. The Passover presided over by Jesus was less spectacular, but was certainly the most important Passover ever celebrated.)
Luke gives us an unusual order from our normal Christian custom. The cup comes first, and then the bread, and then the cup again. It is not a problem. In the Passover, the cup was passed around four different times. The cup where he says, “This is my blood” would have been the third cup of the Passover feast. The first cup was passed at the beginning of the celebration. The second cup was served just before the meal. The last cup was to close the feast.
The disciples were there, and he was the head. Judas was even there, but not Mary, the mother of Jesus. Normally the Passover was served family by family, with the father offering the sacrifice. But now there is a friend who is closer that a brother. He not only presided over the ceremony, but like Abel, totally identified himself with the lamb that was killed for the meal by proceeding to the cross to take on himself the sins of the world. We often call it the Lord ’s Table. It is he who invites us to partake.
There are those who do not have family with whom to worship the Lord. But they are still part of the fellowship. They are brothers and sisters in the Lord. We all remain so, unless we deliberately pull ourselves away from the community, like Judas did.
The Passover lamb was a major sacrifice in Israel. It was instituted in Egypt before they left for the Promised Land, before crossing the Jordan, before the wilderness experience, and before the Law. It was a feast celebrating deliverance from the power of Egypt, which symbolizes the world in which we live. During the celebration, they reviewed its significance. The Passover anticipated the settlement in the world to come, the Promised Land. It was a serious feast, having to do with death, and it was also a joyous feast, having to do with belonging to the people of God. For Christians, it also reminds us of the resurrection and the promise of eternal life.
One of the highlights of my own experience came in 2000 in the Amsterdam conference for evangelists, sponsored by Billy Graham. There were 10,000 people in a communion service, representing virtually every nation and people on earth. Almost all Christian groups were there. Among others we the son of the martyr Nate Saint, along with the man, now converted, who had killed his father. We all shared the communion together, expressing our common faith in Jesus!
Luke 22:24-30 Who is Greatest?
Here, in the first Lord’s Supper, the disciples are arguing over who will be greatest among them. What a temptation it must have been for the Lord! We know from John that he immediately girded himself with a towel and washed the disciples’ feet. Then he taught them that the greatest one is the one who serves. Not the one who serves the Communion, for that can be a status symbol in itself, but the one who washes the feet of the disciples. There is no status in that role.
Then Jesus, in spite of their weakness in seeking position, says, “You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom.” He promises that they will eat and drink at Jesus table in the Kingdom and will judge the twelve tribes of Israel. They are given privilege—eating and drinking at the Lord’s Table—and responsibilities—judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
What happened at this Passover? What happens at our communion services? First we come together, recognizing one another as members of the body of Christ. If we have a disagreement, we lay it aside and recognize that we are washed in the same blood and belong to the same body. This is known as “discerning the Lord’s body.” When we “examine ourselves it is not to assure ourselves that all our teaching is perfect, not even to assure that we are free from things like position seeking, though it is good to do that. We examine ourselves to be sure that we are pure in our spirit toward all the others in the body of Christ. Secondly, we identify ourselves with the body of Christ that was given for us. That is, we willingly offer ourselves for his service just as he offered himself for our benefit. Thirdly, we acknowledge the fact that we have received atonement and spiritual strength through his blood. The bread and the cup become food for our spirits, just as our natural bread and drink are food for our bodies. In doing this we show the Lord’s death—death for all our sins—until he comes on that glorious future day.
Luke 22:31-34 Jesus tells of Peter’s Denial
As the Passover meal ended Jesus turned to Peter with a warning that he would be severely tempted, sifted as wheat. The image was familiar in the Middle East. The wheat was thrown up in the air, and the wind blew the chaff out of it as the heavier grain plummeted to the ground. Satan had obtained permission to tempt Peter. Jesus addressed him as Simon. That was his former name; Jesus had renamed him Peter. But he reminded him of what he used to be in an effort to make him understand that he was only flesh. After he passed through his failure, Jesus told him to strengthen his brothers. Peter did, and we feel his strengthening when we read 1st & 2nd Peter.
Peter was confidant, and could not even imagine such a situation. He thought he would never deny the Lord. He was one of those closest to him. Jesus responded by calling him Peter (rock!) and said that the rooster would not crow before he had denied Jesus three times.
What was the matter? Was the temptation too great for anyone to withstand? Remember that all the disciples forsook the Lord, and as usual Peter was in the forefront, doing it in the most dramatic way. Or was it that Peter was overconfident and had to be humbled so he realized that he could do nothing in the Kingdom in his own strength, but only in the strength of God? I think the latter is what Peter had in mind when he wrote (1 Peter 1:5) that we are “kept by the power of God through faith.” Peter did not have the strength to hold on; only the Spirit could give such strength to any person. It is still so.
An English song has a verse that says, “I’ll never forsake him, because he first loved me.” I don’t sing it. Peter did in his way, but he was singing a lie. His intentions were wonderful, but he lacked the strength. We all lack the strength. The only way we can ever be kept is to be kept by the power of God, the Holy Spirit working within us.
Luke 22:35-38 An Adjustment in the Instructions to the Disciples
Jesus referred to the time when he sent the disciples without extra clothes and extra money. They survived well. Now he changed the rule and told them to take their purse as well as a bag, and to make sure they had a sword as well. The whole thrust of their ministry was changing; instead of walking only over the familiar roads of Israel, they were going to the uttermost pasts of the world. They would face hostility, and consequently they couldn’t expect to find much hospitality. So they must prepare.
Often, when we are starting in ministry, we have to go out with very little, trusting in the Lord to supply. He does. But as we mature in ministry, the Lord also gives us a greater sense of security and faith for provision. In a sense, he sees that our faith has been tested and proven, and now he brings us into more stable preparations.
It is hard to interpret the command to buy a sword. Later in the chapter Jesus stops Peter from using the sword and cutting off the ear of the high priest’s servant. Perhaps he thought this would be the blow that would start a revolution. So it is clear that the sword is not to be used as a weapon of war. It was probably designed for protection from wild animals they could encounter on the road. Whatever it was, when Jesus was with them in person, they didn’t need them, but now that Jesus was leaving they were encouraged to have them. We never read of the disciples using the sword outside of this incident. Of course, metaphorically, we take the Sword of the Spirit, but Jesus was not speaking metaphorically here.
Luke 22:39-46 Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives
Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane at the Mount of Olives, where he often went to pray. He told the disciples, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation,” and proceeded to put his advice into practice for himself. He knelt when he prayed, which was not Jewish custom; normally you stood. But Jesus was bowed down under the burden that night.
Jesus’ request was that if it were possible, the cross would be avoided. But within himself he knew the answer, so he added, “Not my will, but yours be done.” The intention and plan of God from before creation was that Jesus should go to the cross, and thus reconcile the world to God. But when the time came to carry out the plan, even the sinless and perfect Son of God shrank from it. We have all experienced making decisions like New Year’s resolutions, that we failed to carry out because of our human failings and weaknesses. But here was the resolution made long before God even created the world that the plan of redemption would be carried out, no matter what the agony and no matter what the cost.
How can we grasp the significance of the struggle? Certainly not by comparing it to not do something like overcoming a temptation to smoke or drink. Here the Son of God had to show a commitment that was stronger than the resolve of Satan. We saw in the temptation that Satan wanted so badly to thwart God’s plan that he offered Jesus total control over the entire world if he would bow down. Now comes the last and greatest temptation for Jesus. He has made his mark on the world. He has presented the wonderful teaching of the Sermon on the Mount. He would be justified to retire and live the rest of his life in peace rather than enduring death by crucifixion. Call twelve legions of angels to deliver you (Matthew 26:53). Jesus overcomes the temptation. “Not my will, but yours.”
Satan still preaches that message. Take the easy way. But he has demonstrated that he is not willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice himself. He is not willing to die for his disciples. Only Jesus does that.
How do you determine loyalty and love? See who is willing to give his life for the sake of the Kingdom of God. Satan was willing to give away everything. But when it came to shedding blood, he fell short.
Think of the similarities between Satan and Jesus. Satan is among the “sons of God” in the book of Job. He has authority in the world, and is thus the grand administrator of a kingdom that even Jesus recognized as united. He has and uses absolute authority within that kingdom, and he doesn’t make mistakes. Satan is no vacillating, sheepish figure, nor is he weak-minded. He is goal oriented, and is perfect in his dedication to that goal. Satan if full of the positive mental attitude that often masquerades as faith in our world. He is a powerful adversary. But he is unwilling to lay down his life and be made nothing for the sake of others. He knows power, and understands it well, but he does not know love. He is well able to bargain and negotiate, but he is unable to give.
Jesus said, “What does it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul.” He knew what he was talking about because he had the world offered to him if he would give up his soul. Satan, before the creation, looked for personal advancement, and so lost the presence of God. In essence, he gained the world but lost his soul.
So here in the Garden Jesus prays, “Not my will, but yours.” Here is the perfect union of the divine and the human finally coming into conflict. If the human is to have its way, it must reject the divine; it must cease to love. But if the divine is to have its way, it must willingly sacrifice the human on the cross. In a final irony, the human was crying that a divine intermediation might come in the form of twelve legions of angels to rescue him while the divine was calling for crucifixion.
A single angel appeared to strengthen Jesus, not to rescue him. He prayed again, and his direction was set. The rest was anti-climax from a personal standpoint. He decided to go to the cross and the plan of the ages be culminated.
The disciples, meanwhile, were sleeping for sorrow. They understood that a great struggle was going on, but instead of praying, the opted for rest. It can be so when we are in despair and don’t know what to do. We often seek the refuge of sleep. Jesus says to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” There is a time to shake off sleep and rise up to pray.
Luke 22:47-53 Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus
Judas came to the garden with a crowd and betrayed Jesus with a kiss. Realizing this was a betrayal, Peter drew his sword and aimed for the head of the high priest’s servant. He missed and cut the ear off instead. Jesus promptly healed the man, demonstrating that he loved his enemies. This indicated that we don’t use the sword against our enemies, but pray for them.
Luke 22:54-62 Peter’s Denial
They took Jesus away, and Peter followed, but not closely. As he sat by a fire in the courtyard of the high priest’s house, a servant girl said she had seen him with Jesus, and Peter denied it. Two more times people said that he was with Jesus, and two more times Peter denied. Then the rooster crowed. The Lord looked at him, saying nothing, and he realized what he had done, in spite of his protestations of loyalty. He went out and wept bitterly in repentance. He realized that his human strength had failed him. He was convicted; the only thing he could rely on was grace.
Luke 22:63-65 Jesus is Mocked
Those who mocked were with the group that came to arrest Jesus. He was mocked again by the Roman soldiers ((Mark 15:16-20). Jesus maintains dignity in spite of their blasphemies.
Luke 22:66-71 Jesus before the Council
There may have been as many as five trials for Jesus (Annas in John 18:19-22, Caiaphas in Matthew 26:57-68, this one, and the appearances twice before Pilate and once before Herod). This trial is before the Sanhedrin, a group of 71 leaders with the high priest presiding. They were permitted to make judgments only during daylight hours, which means that the nighttime investigations did not have legal validity.
Their question was whether he was the Christ, or the Messiah. The reason for this question is that they wanted evidence to present to the Roman authority (Pilate) that Jesus claimed to be king of the Jews. If he claimed that, they would have leverage to present him as a threat to the Romans, and it would be easier to have him executed. Jesus responded that even if he told them, they would not believe.
Then he reverses the situation and says that if he asked them about the same claim, they would not answer. This is probably a reference to his previous response when he asked them whether John’s baptism was from God or from man. It was John who made the formal announcement of who Jesus was. The leaders were afraid to answer him then, and they continued to refuse to answer him now. They were not prepared to discuss the prophetic implications of the term Messiah either. They wanted to kill Jesus, not discuss the prophecies of the Old Testament.
Jesus made an aggressive addition that sealed his crucifixion when he said
“From now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” The implication was clear to all that he was claiming to be the Son of God, and that he would enter into the place that is even holier than the holiest place in the temple. He would judge from there, and would be in a position to judge the very people sitting in judgment over him in the Sanhedrin. The Son of Man refers to Daniel 7:13, and was immediately considered as blasphemy by the leaders because they knew it was a divine title.
They asked him, “Are you the Son of God?” and Jesus answered “You say it.” This was a common way of saying, “that is correct.” Jesus has in essence elicited a confession from the leaders of Israel that he is the Son of God. This was the first time he made an explicit claim to Sonship. (In John 4, he announced to the Samaritan woman that he was the Messiah, but here he took it a step further.) It was very offensive to the Jews to claim to enter heaven’s judgment throne.
The leaders said, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it from his lips.” They considered that he was not the Son of God, and therefore his claim was blasphemy. For them, this was an argument that would bring the multitudes to agree with them.
So they had an argument to use with Pilate and an argument to use with the people.
We should note that Luke, in his description of the trial, does not give as much detail as the other Gospels, but focuses especially on the nature of Christ. His interest is Christology.
[An interesting side note. As the book got longer, Luke was also running to the limit of the scroll he was writing on, and he seems to get more condensed as he comes to the end.]
Luke 23:1-25 Jesus before Pilate and Herod
After the Jews had tried Jesus privately for blasphemy, they wanted to have him killed, so they brought him to the Roman governor with different charges. The blasphemy charge would not be important to a Roman ruler. The Jews did not have authority to impose a death sentence, so they had to find a charge that could elicit it from the Romans.
They accused Jesus (impersonally calling him “this man.”) of doing all the things they wished he would have done. Leading the nation against the Romans, refusing to pay taxes to Rome (which Luke 20:25 shows was blatantly false) and providing political leadership for the Jews. Remember that they had once tried to take Jesus by force and make him king (John 16:15). Pilate saw through their plot. He knew they had brought him for other reasons, because they would never turn in a true revolutionary. In fact, when Pilate released Barabbas, he released someone who actually was trying to do the things they accused Jesus of.
Pilate tried to get out of passing judgment, and sent Jesus to Herod, who happened to be in Jerusalem at the time. (Herod was the ruler in northern Israel.) Jesus had nothing to say to Herod, and no miracles to perform for him (Isaiah 53:7). Herod had heard his judgment from John the Baptist long before, and Jesus last words to him were to call him a fox. Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate after having his soldiers mock him. The mocking indicates that he did not perceive a threat from Jesus. Verse 15 indicates a not guilty verdict.
Pilate had to make his decision, and he pronounced Jesus not guilty. By now there was a crowd, and they, motivated by the leaders’ charge of blasphemy, kept clamoring for the death sentence, regardless of guilt. Pilate agreed. Groups that hated each other, like the Pharisees and Sadducees united in their desire to destroy Jesus. Pilate wanted to keep all the Jews happy, and he knew they could twist the story to his disadvantage if they sent a group to Rome to protest his rule. It was easier to kill an innocent man in order to keep the peace. But it was his custom to release a political prisoner to them at the Passover, and he thought he might release Jesus. After all, if he was that “anti-Roman” it should be to their advantage to have him released to help them cause more trouble. But they wanted Barabbas instead. They wanted Jesus crucified. Policy prevailed over justice. Pilate ordered Jesus flogged severely so that death would come more quickly, and then crucified.
Notice that the leaders of the Jews went into the houses of two gentile rulers, thus defiling themselves just before the Passover sacrifice in the temple. Not only that, but they went there in order to assure that the innocent blood of Jesus would be shed. I suppose they went home to find in their law books some justification that would justify their actions. They had also violated their own ethic in paying Judas to betray Jesus.
Barabbas went free. Jesus died on the cross that Barabbas should have died on. I wonder what he thought and how it affected his life. He was like us all, except it took on a much more personal note. Could he be callously indifferent to it, and go his imagining that it was just a lucky break? Or did it intrigue him, so that he had to find those who had followed Jesus. What was Barabbas attitude toward the cross?
Luke 23:26-31 The Crucifixion
As they approach the hill called the skull, Jesus has lost his physical strength, and an African named Simon is compelled to carry the cross for Jesus. He just happened to be there at the right time. He was strong. He was able. He was probably not overly willing, but was nevertheless compelled to carry the cross. Like so many of us, he was not destined to physical crucifixion, but in spite of that, he was still allowed to share in the sufferings of Christ. Tradition holds that he became a disciple and that his two sons became disciples. It doesn’t surprise me, because he started his acquaintance with Jesus on the right basis. He was carrying the cross. Jesus has born the suffering for us, and the sting of death is removed. But the cross is not removed. It remains to be carried.
Women were following, mourning and lamenting. Jesus turns to them and says they should weep for themselves and not for him. There are elements in the crucifixion that drive us to our knees in tears. But it is not the tears that we shed when our child has hurt himself and we sympathize. Campbell Morgan says, “In the last analysis, Jesus is never an object of pity on the part of sinful, condemned humanity.” It is not so much Jesus that I weep for, but myself. The just man is on the cross, being crucified, and we carnal ones stand here below, watching, some of us from a great distance. Like Peter, like these women, we can only weep repentant tears. We are not worthy of the honor of the cross, and that judges us.
Luke probably got the testimony of the conversation with the thieves and the reference to Psalm 31:5 from the women who were close to the cross. He accepted their testimony, even though they were women. These words are unique to Luke.
Jesus again prophesies the destruction of Jerusalem, his last call for their repentance. “For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will they do when it is dry?’ Here the anointed, living one, is crucified. He is the “green tree.” What shall it be with lesser specimens of humanity? The whole Jewish temple system was the “dry tree” and would be destroyed within a generation. If you can’t contend with me, how shall you contend with the horses? Weep for your own weakness, daughters of Jerusalem.
Luke 23:32-49 The Two Thieves
Jesus was crucified with two criminals, one on either side.
From the cross, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” In the soul of Jesus there was no resentment, no anger, no lurking desire for punishment upon the men who were mistreating him. This is unlimited love for sinners, the true attitude to have towards your enemies. If ever there should be an unpardonable sin, this should be it. But Jesus prays for them. His prayer is heard and answered, for Jesus spoke only as he was directed by the Spirit, and thus in perfect accord with the will of the Father. Those who crucified Jesus were forgiven, both Jew and Roman.
This means that we cannot hold the Jews in special contempt. They will be judged as all of us are judged, and the role of both Jew and Roman in the crucifixion will not be held against them. They and we can find forgiveness in the work of the cross that was done for all men and women who believe.
The rulers sneered at Jesus saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ.” It fascinates me that they acknowledge that he saved others. But they were still waiting for a political miracle worker who would act with power and violence, vindicating himself by force and destroying all opposition and proclaiming himself as the absolute potentate. In a sense they may have wished that he would call 12 legions of angels to produce a military victory. They didn’t understand that accepting the cross was the ultimate saving act.
Pilate had a sign made in mockery saying, “This is the king of the Jews.” In short, it implied that anyone who challenged his authority would end up on a cross like Jesus. Of course, we realize that he is not only king of the Jews, but the Lord of the universe, creator of all things. This “king of the Jews” became the religious leader of the entire Roman Empire within 300 years.
One of the criminals saw Jesus as an earthly Messiah, and hurled abuse at him, requesting him to save them all, in order that they might escape crucifixion. The second, in identical circumstances, acknowledged the righteousness of Jesus saying, “This man has done no wrong.” He added, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He recognizes that the kingdom is not earthly, but heavenly. And he calls Jesus by name.
This criminal, facing death, suddenly had the theological problem concerning the afterlife cleared up for him. He glimpsed the other side, and appealed to Jesus for help. Jesus responded, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.”
When you and I die, we are not going to rest in the ground in a kind of limbo until Jesus comes. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. The same day! Not the next day or a week later, but the moment that we leave this life. Blessed moment! To be released like a bird, to fly home. “Today you will be with me in Paradise.”
We have heard of brothers killed for their faith in recent times. In Orissa state in India, several have been killed. Just as I write this, I read about two in Pakistan who died for their faith. They have recognized that this earth is not their permanent dwelling place, but that they have a city with foundations in heaven. Their killers think they are destroying the faith, but they are wrong. They have simply opened heaven for the martyrs (Acts 7:56), and have encouraged believers to follow their example. We are not suicide bombers; we are soldiers of love, willing to give our lives so that others will be saved. We grieve for those we have lost, but we don’t grieve as those who have no hope. They are in Heaven, and we shall follow them there.
It was about noon when Jesus received the criminal into his kingdom, and then there were cosmic signs. It got dark until about three in the afternoon, which is perceived as an act of divine judgment (Joel 2:10, 30-31; Amos 8:9). During this time the curtain in the temple was torn in two. The curtain separated the holy of holies from the holy place, and had come to signify the inaccessibility of God. Only the high priest was permitted to enter the holy of holies, and that only once a year. Now the curtain was gone. God had “torn his garment” and opened his heart to us. There were many priests in the temple at the time, according to Josephus, and he also claimed that at the time of the crucifixion the temple doors opened of their own accord.
Jesus cried our loudly, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” Luke is the only evangelist that records this statement from Psalm 31:5. Then he breathed his last. We know from the other Gospels that he also said just before this, “Why have you forsaken me?” But the final words were not forsaken words, but comforting words. Again Jesus is master, totally at rest in his spirit.
Luke 23:50-56 Jesus is Buried
Cruel hands had nailed Jesus to the cross; loving hands took him down and buried him. Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin, went to Pilate to request the body of Jesus, and thus openly declared himself as a disciple. We know that Nicodemus also helped in the burial. Here at the end, two secret disciples declared themselves, while all the avowed disciples had fled. They brought his body to the tomb, laid it carefully and lovingly, and allowed Jesus’ body to rest over the Sabbath, the last Sabbath of the old dispensation.
The description of the Crucifixion is understated in its physical aspect, in contrast to the film called The Passion. The Bible certainly recognizes the injustice of the trial, but the purpose is to show us the redemption that comes through Jesus’ work. It emphasizes the love of God more than the cruelty of man.
Luke 24:1-12 The Resurrection
The resurrection came on the first day of the week. It was as if the old week had passed and an entirely new era had dawned. The Old covenant had been tried and found to be good as prophecy, but now the New Covenant had begun which gave victory over sin in everyday life. Sin was conquered in reality, not only in symbol. Some would call it the “eighth day”, the first day of a new era. It was a time for new beginnings, and it began with the Lord.
Women came to the tomb, fully expecting to find everything quiet as a graveyard, and instead they found that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb. If you had been coming to that cemetery and had met two men dressed in white, I suspect you would have been afraid, just like the women. It seemed spooky, and certainly in line with folklore about cemeteries. Would a person take leave of his grave temporarily to avenge himself, and then return later? If we didn’t have a total confirmation of the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, this would have made a good setting for a horror movie!
But the angels did not say that the dead man had temporarily gone away to scare people. They said, “Why are you seeking the living among the dead?” this was not the place to find Jesus, and they could never again expect to find him there. Now he was living, resurrected and glorious. He was living eternally, and would never again die. The angels refer to him as the Son of Man, as Jesus said in Luke 9:22 and 18:32-33.
It was the living Christ that produced the revival. It is still so. A dead man does not produce the kind of life that Jesus produces in us.
But many of us are still like these women, coming to a place that is often much like a cemetery, and expecting quite naturally that we will find a dead Christ there. I have visited churches where they have kings buried in the walls. But even there, surrounded with somber eloquence and dead men’s bones, you can find the living Christ. It depends not on the location, but on the fact that Jesus has risen and has been seen walking among the churches. We may seek him among the dead, but when we find him, we will find him to be very much alive.
The women returned to the apostles to tell them the good news, but the apostles apparently didn’t trust lady preachers, so they said it was just nonsense and refused to believe them. Peter and John, however, went to the garden tomb to be absolutely sure, and found the story to be true.
The resurrection is central to the church and the proclamation we have to make to the world. It is not simply a happy ending to a story. Some may reason that Jesus came to reconcile us to God and that when he died, that reconciliation was accomplished. He presented the blood of the sacrifice in the heavenly sanctuary, according to Hebrews 9:12. Sins were forgiven. But in the Old Testament, nobody expected a sacrificed lamb to rise up alive from the altar.
Jesus rose not only to show us that our sins were forgiven, but to make us overcomers who are able to live in fellowship with God. Forgiveness is only an introduction to our fellowship with God. Paul speaks of “newness of life” in Romans 6:4. Jesus spoke of being “born again” in John 3:3. The resurrection is important to us because that is what happens when we come to the Lord. Our sins are forgiven, and we receive the Spirit—the breath of God—that enables us to walk in the Spirit.
Suppose Jesus had not risen. I think he still would have had a following, and we would still have a Christian religion in the world today. His teaching, even in a human sense, was so superior that it would attract thinking people. We have examples of that kind of religion throughout the world. My father flew over the place where Mohammed is buried once, and said to himself, “Mohammed, you are dead.” He had many good things to say, but he died. Confucius also had many good things to say, but he also died. They built a religious system around what he said, and it has helped many people live better lives.
But Jesus placed new life within us, a growing faith that reproduces life. The Holy Spirit is a person, taking residence within us to direct our lives and thoughts.
Romans 8:2 says, “For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” If our faith is based on simply obeying rules which permit us certain actions and prohibit others, it will lead us to sin and death. Not because the rules aren’t profitable, but because they become an excuse for us not to listen to the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit. Why should I listen to the Spirit telling me to give 50% when I have already obeyed the rule and given 10%? The Law awakens sin in us, not because it hints to us that there are attractive sins out there to be avoided, but because it makes us too content with doing a limited amount of service to God. The Law only demands part of us; Grace demands everything from us.
If Jesus had only died and not risen, we would still be in legalism. We would say, in Christian terms, that Jesus was the final Old Testament sacrifice, and that all sin was forever taken away. But we would go on in our defeated lives because we would not have the Spirit of the living Christ, the Holy Spirit, dwelling with us as our helper. This new way of living is what Paul describes as the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus .
Being subject to the Law of Moses does not produce life in us. Those laws were helpful in preventing us from straying too far from God. But even though we are free from that l\Law, we are subject to another law, the law of the Spirit of life. That is the law that God has written on the heart. It is, as Jesus demonstrated in the Sermon of the Mount, a more stringent law because it demands that we live in intimate fellowship with the Holy Spirit. The law of the Spirit does not have a finalized and set system of theology, though it is always within the framework of the Scriptures. You might say the law of the Spirit takes those things that are “between the lines” of scripture and quickens them to our hearts, thus providing new directions for us. But it is a law, and God will hold us responsible for our obedience to the law of the Spirit.
I believe there is much that we have not yet learned because we have not learned to recognize and obey the voice of the Spirit. It is not the fault of the Holy spirit, as if he is some terribly shy and retiring person who flees from us the moment we resist. In Genesis 6:3 is says, “My Spirit will not always contend with man.” The Holy Spirit contends with us, struggling to make his direction known to us. But, as Stephen said in Acts 7:50, we often resist him.
Jesus did not replace Old Testament legalism with New Testament legalism. He opened the way for the Holy Spirit to be released into our lives to guide us. It is true that the written scriptures provide guidelines and checks to help us. But the law written on our hearts is a direct contact with the Lord through the Holy Spirit. I’m tempted to use the word “instinct” to describe it, but it is much more than that.
Of course, we recognize the challenges in this teaching, because we have met people with mystical and un-biblical interpretations of the work of the Spirit. Foolish things have been done, and then blamed on the guidance of the Spirit. Some come with strange teachings and imaginative revelations. But the fact that those things happen does not mean that the Spirit cannot direct our lives. It only means that it is much more important that we be in submission to him, and that we have spiritual counselors around us to help us keep walking straight. Many can testify to specific guidance from the Spirit that has produced revival, and sometimes saved their lives when they were in danger.
But to get back to our central point, the resurrection is the incident that shows us that we must live life in the Spirit, not merely to have the sacrifice offered for our sins. The resurrection shows us that the overcoming life is possible once the sin question has been settled.
Luke 24:13-31 The Road to Emmaus
Later on that Sunday Jesus walked on the road to Emmaus together with two disciples. He held a Bible study from the Law and Prophets for them, and I for one would have liked to hear it. Jesus could have talked about his experiences among the dead or about the wonderful experience of coming out of the tomb on Easter morning, but he chose not to; instead he talked about the important things, the Scriptures that told about the Lord. Later, the two men urged him to stay for dinner, being given to hospitality as elders should be. Jesus broke the bread with them, and then they recognized him. He vanished suddenly.
We get a fuller revelation of Jesus when we are in intimate fellowship, that is when we break bread, with him. On the road to Emmaus, the disciples first got an intellectual understanding, and then a personal connection. When we invite him into our lives and sit with him, we come to know him better.
Jesus could explain the scriptures so well because he was in intimate communion with their author. He lived in the Holy Spirit, and thus was qualified to expound the scriptures. By the way, it was no special miracle that Jesus disappeared. The miracle was that he appeared. It seems that during these forty days, Jesus frequently appeared, just as he occasionally appears in our day. But the appearances were the exception, and not the rule.
Evidence for the Resurrection
Many have challenged the resurrection, and it is not our purpose to answer all those challenges. But let us keep these facts in mind:
- The disciples did not expect the resurrection, and their attitude suddenly changed from total despondency to total joy. This transformation shows that they were sure of its truth.
- The New Testament was written by different authors in different places because of their belief in the resurrection. The testimony of resurrection is consistent.
- The sepulcher was empty in spite of being guarded. Nobody could produce a body to prove that Jesus was still dead. If they could have, they would have.
- The church celebrated Sunday from an early date, because that was the day of the resurrection. (Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:2, Revelation 1:10)
- The early church celebrated the Lord’s Supper to remember the Passion and Resurrection.
- Christians over the centuries have testified to the power of the living Christ in their own lives.
Luke 24:35-52 Jesus appears to the disciples
Jesus later appeared to all the disciples. They touched him, and he, recognizing perhaps that they were hungry, asked for food. I presume that they all ate. Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. He commissioned them to preach the Gospel to all nations and instructed them to wait for the promise from on high. Finally he went to Bethany, blessed the disciples, and was parted from them. They were filled with joy, and continued praising God in the temple. This was not mere obedience, but exuberant joy!
The lesson opening the scripture was concise. First, that Christ had to suffer (Psalm 22; 31:5; 69; 118; Isaiah 53) Second that Messiah was raised (Psalm 16:10; 110:1, 118:22-26. Third, that work remains to be done. They will preach. They will call for repentance. Sinners will be forgiven. They will go in the authority of Jesus’ name. And they will go to all nations. This will be done after they have received the promise of the Father and been clothed with power from on high.
Conclusion
That brings us to the end of Luke’s Gospel. After the story of Jesus’ birth, the book describes how he ministered to the multitudes, preaching the Kingdom of God, healing the sick, delivering the demon possessed, cleansing the lepers, feeding the multitudes, and raising the dead. Through these works and signs, the disciples came to recognize Jesus as the Anointed One of God. When that happened, Jesus immediately began to talk about the cross and his coming death. He set his face to Jerusalem, and many stopped following him. He spent more and more time with the disciples, and less with the multitudes as he came closer to the cross. The book closes with the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension.
Throughout the book we find Jesus reaching out to the poor and needy. But he is also reaching out to the Pharisees, just as the father in the parable of the prodigal son went out to the elder brother.
The scripture that has moved me most in these studies is, “If anyone will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.” I want to follow the Lord. I want to be so wrapped up in him that self-denial becomes natural. I want the cross in my life, especially the attitude that cries out to those who have caused my suffering, “Father, forgive them.”
Again I acknowledge my indebtedness especially to Norval Geldenguys and Darrell L. Bock for their commentaries on Luke. They have been my principal resources aside from the biblical text itself.