Week 26
Monday, June 23
Luke
10:21-42
Commentary
Picking
up from where we left off yesterday, Jesus rejoices that God has revealed his
wisdom to the “children” of the world, those who know they need God’s help,
rather than the wise and self-assured. We need God’s help even to understand
who he is and place our faith in Jesus. All the power, knowledge, and wealth in
the world still cannot overcome the effects of sin in our minds and hearts; we
need spiritual sight and renewed life from God himself. A lawyer, an expert in
the Law also called a scribe, asks Jesus what he must do to obtain eternal
life. Jesus replies with a fitting summary of the Law: love God and love your
neighbor. Loving God and loving others is reasonable and simple enough, but the
lawyer tries to find a loophole. Surely, we do not have to love everyone,
because that would include those we do not like!
Jesus
teaches what loving God and neighbor looks like with a parable. The priest and
Levite, who knew better than anyone that we must sacrificially love others,
pass by the injured man. The Samaritan, the outsider that Jews would have
hated, gives incredibly generous help to the injured man, and at his own
expense. The priest and Levite kept the “letter” of ceremonial purity by
avoiding a possibly dead person, but the Samaritan kept the “spirit” of
ceremonial purity, separating oneself from sin to represent God to a broken
world. The Samaritan truly keeps the law, the priest and Levite only
hypocritically pretend.
On
our own, we cannot perfectly obey and please God. We sinfully put others above
God and ourselves above all in various ways. Jesus perfectly pleased and obeyed
God in our place. Jesus faced rejection and hatred yet died to save us, his
enemies. The end of the chapter reinforces what Jesus taught in the parable. Martha
overwhelms herself trying to serve Jesus and is corrected; Mary is content to
be with and lean on Jesus and is commended.
Application/Discussion
1. Are
there people in your life you shy away from or avoid serving?
2.
Why are we unable to sacrificially love others on our own? How does God help us
love others? How is Jesus our supreme example of loving others?
3.
Are you trusting in Jesus for your salvation, or trying to work your way to God
on your own? What does this passage tell us about our need for a perfect
Savior?
Points
of Prayer
Adoration:
Praise God for making loving and glorifying him as the purpose for all
creation.
Confession:
Ask God to help you see how you fail to love others rightly.
Thanksgiving:
Thank God for Jesus’ perfect obedience to the Law and perfect love of others on
our behalf, to be the sacrifice for our sins and our great example.
Supplication:
Pray for the Holy Spirit’s conviction and encouragement for your church members
to love the lost around them enough to share the gospel and build relationships
with them.
Tuesday,
June 24
Luke
11:1-26
Commentary
Today’s
reading contains Jesus teaching about prayer and about the demonic. Jesus
teaches the disciples how to pray, in a similar but shorter prayer to the one
in Matthew 6. The prayer has two petitions: for God to provide 1) daily needs
and 2) forgiveness for and protection from sin. In the following parable, Jesus
illustrates that if sinful men will answer persistent requests and provide for
their children, God will certainly hear our prayers and provide for us. Jesus
does not teach that we must bully God into helping us or that he will grant
every request in exactly the way we ask. Rather, Jesus illustrates that God
expects us to pray continually and confidently (the verbs in verses 9 and 10
are even in a continuous tense). Verse 11 is key here: to those who ask for and
rely on God’s help, God will give the Holy Spirit, who guides and encourages
us, helps us know what to pray, and intercedes for us when we do not know how
to pray (Romans 8:27).
After
this, Jesus casts out a demon but is accused by some of casting out demons by
Satan’s power. Jesus replies that the accusation is nonsense because Satan has
no reason to work against himself and to do so would be to Satan’s detriment.
Jesus casts out demons by the power of God, meaning that God’s kingdom has
arrived. Jesus is the one stronger than Satan who will defeat him. Every person
is either on Jesus’ side and working with him, or against him and doomed like
their master, Satan. Jesus also adds an important caveat to his demon-casting
ministry: being freed of a demon will do a person no good unless he turns to
and serves Christ. We must remember that while healing and help are good
things, the greatest need of all of us is to trust in Christ for salvation. You
can have all the other problems in your life solved, yet if you do not solve
the problem of your sin against the sinless God, you will perish. Make that
your priority and prayerfully trust that God will provide all the rest.
Application/Discussion
1. How
does Jesus saying God will give us our daily bread and the Holy Spirit help us
set right priorities as we pray for ourselves and others? How does Jesus’
illustration of the person cleansed of one demon, only to soon be filled with
even more, help us set right priorities as we pray for ourselves and others?
Points
of Prayer
Adoration:
Praise God for his wise and gracious provision for the world and his holy
separation from sin.
Confession:
Ask God to forgive you for any times you may have resented him for not giving
you exactly what you want or neglecting the privilege of prayer.
Thanksgiving:
Thank God for providing what we need and giving us the blessing of prayer.
Supplication:
Pray for the Holy Spirit’s conviction and enlightenment of a lost person you
know and for the Holy Spirit to help you witness to him or her.
Wednesday,
June 25
Luke
11:27-54
Commentary
In this passage, Jesus emphasizes the
necessity of trusting in and obeying God for salvation and condemns the
religious leaders of his day. In reply to a woman who expresses praise (and
probably envy) of his mother, Jesus says the truly blessed person is the one
who knows and obeys God. Mary was remarkably blessed to bear and raise Jesus,
but God’s greatest blessing to Mary, and to any other person, is the gift of
salvation.
Jesus
then replies to those who want signs to confirm his claims, saying that they
will only get the sign Jonah gave to Nineveh, a warning of God’s impending
judgment for their sin. Jesus mentions the Queen of Sheba, who traveled from an
empire away to hear God’s wisdom from Solomon, to indict these sign-seekers,
who are hearing God the Son himself teaching right in front of them, yet will
not listen. Jesus repeats his teaching about light and darkness, warning his
hearers of the spiritual darkness they are in if they cannot “see” his
teachings.
In
the rest of the passage, Jesus decries the Pharisees and the scribes for
focusing on external religion and ignoring internal sin. The Pharisees love
notoriety and are like unmarked graves. They defile those who come in contact
with them, but appear innocent. The scribes create and uphold rules in addition
to God’s Law, disobey God themselves, and keep others from knowing God. Just as
the ungodly have always persecuted the godly, so the scribes continue to
persecute God’s messengers (like Jesus) and will face God’s wrath. The
Pharisees and scribes then double down on trying to catch Jesus in some
religious or legal technicality to prosecute him. Ironically, it is Jesus
himself who allows his prosecution and death, as we will see in the days to
come.
Application/Discussion
1. Are
you tempted to make yourself look more spiritual or godly than others? Are you
tempted to scrutinize yourself against the examples of others? What does this
passage teach that we should value and aspire towards?
2. If
we do not know whether people will respond affirmatively to the gospel, why
should we do evangelism? Is it a waste of time to share the gospel with someone
who will turn out to never believe in the gospel?
Points
of Prayer
Adoration:
Praise God for his holiness and his impending judgement and destruction of his
enemies.
Confession:
Ask God’s forgiveness for your tendencies towards legalism or moral laxity.
Thanksgiving:
Thank God for giving his people conviction of sin, spiritual sight, and
salvation.
Supplication:
Ask for the Holy Spirit’s help in your church’s godliness and in representing
God well to the lost in your community
Thursday,
June 26
Luke
12:1-21
Commentary
In
today’s reading, Jesus gives a sobering warning to those who heed the religious
leaders or fear their influence. Like a bit of yeast that can raise a huge lump
of dough, even a bit of the self-righteous, God-opposing influence of the
Pharisees can lead someone away from God. The religious leaders may have
authority and power here and now, but God has much more power and holds it
eternally. It is far better to die for confessing Christ than to go to Hell for
listening to the Pharisees or any other authority that is opposed to God. Those
who do follow Christ do not need to fear how to respond in times of persecution
and pressure because the Holy Spirit will help us to say what we need and hold
to our faith.
Someone
in the crowd interrupts Jesus’ teaching by shouting out that his brother will
not split his inheritance with him. Jesus warns against coveting and making
life about money or things and tells a parable. In the parable, someone has
foolishly devoted himself to acquiring more and more for a sort of retirement,
but he dies before he can enjoy it. You cannot bring your things into the grave
with you, but you can let those things keep you from heaven, where the greatest
treasure lies. As Jim Elliot, a missionary who died trying to share the gospel
with a lost people group, famously said, “He is no fool who gives what he
cannot keep [the things of this life], to gain what he cannot lose [salvation
in Christ].”
Application/Discussion
1. Reflect
on how, in the last several days of reading in Luke, Jesus has emphasized that
God will provide for us, but we must turn to him for salvation. What keeps us
from being content in God? How does Scripture encourage us and steer us away
from these temptations?
2. How
does Jesus’ teaching on wealth and God’s provision in this passage help you
think about your job or career plans?
Points
of Prayer
Adoration:
Praise God for defending his truth and correcting his opponents.
Confession:
Ask for God to help you make your life about him, not possessions or money.
Thanksgiving:
Thank God for the salvation he gives us through Christ and the riches of heaven
that await all who know Christ.
Supplication:
Pray for the Holy Spirit’s encouragement and strength for someone you know who
is in great financial need.
Friday,
June 27
Luke
12:22-34
Commentary
In
today’s passage, Jesus illustrates God’s providential care for his people. Jesus
says “Therefore,” connecting what he is saying now to what he said in
yesterday’s reading. Since those who make life about possessions and money will
lose it all, we should not worry about these things. Jesus gives several
additional reasons to trust in God’s provision: 1) life is about more than
these things, 2) God provides even for the birds and the plants, 3) worrying
does not help any, 4) everyone else is desperate for provision as well, and 5)
God is well aware of our needs. Jesus tells his followers to “Fear not, little
flock” because God will give the kingdom itself to them. The resources
believers, God’s flock, possess should be used for kingdom purposes. Earthly
money and means are perishing; God’s kingdom is eternal.
While
material resources are temporary, they can be used to bring others into the
kingdom. Think of something like an Operation Christmas Child shoebox. It takes
$10 or so to ship it, and another $10 to $20 to fill it up, and the child who
receives that gift will not only receive that kind gift, it will be accompanied
by missionaries who present the gospel. You can spend $30 for that knick-knack
or to eat out and skip an hour of kitchen work, or you can help a child hear
about Jesus. You can sponsor a child to receive food, clothing, education, and
job training at a Christian school or orphanage in a dangerous, impoverished
country, or you can add that extra streaming service or cable package to your
bill every month. You can get a fancy new car with high payments every month,
or you could get one a couple years old with lower and give the extra money to
your church so your church can keep reaching and discipling people for Christ.
Your Father is giving you his own kingdom, use whatever else you have now to build
that kingdom up and bring others to be part of it.
Application/Discussion
1. How
much is a soul worth? How much would you give just to save one person from
eternal agony in Hell? How does this help you evaluate how you spend your
money?
2. How
do you use your money for kingdom purposes? How do you use your money to help
and encourage your family? How do you completely waste your money?
Points
of Prayer
Adoration:
Praise God for his glory, majesty, and worth.
Confession:
Ask God to help you see how you can better use your financial and other
resources for his glory.
Thanksgiving:
Thank God for the rich inheritance that awaits all his children.
Supplication:
Pray for the Holy Spirit’s help for your church to give generously, spend
wisely, and faithfully evangelize the lost and disciple the saints.
Saturday,
June 28
Luke
12:35-59
Commentary
In
today’s reading, Jesus teaches that we must always be ready for his return
because we do not know when he will return. Jesus’ followers must prepare for
his return by serving him faithfully, working heartily, living faithfully, and
expecting him at any moment. We can serve our master by being part of a
faithful church, sharing the gospel with those around us, raising our kids to
know and serve the Lord, giving generously to our church and other gospel
causes, and using our unique passions and places in life to bring glory to God
and tell others about him. Jesus especially warns Peter and the disciples, and
all Christian leaders by implication, that they must be especially wary of
laziness or mistreating the ones God entrusts to them. Bad leaders, if they are
genuinely saved, will not face hellfire, but they will face God’s discipline
and they will be ashamed when God confronts them about their poor stewardship.
Jesus
then laments his own distress, knowing he will soon face the cross, and warns
of the distress that his followers will face. Jesus did not come to earth to
bring peace but division – the dividing of the faithful from the faithless, the
sheep from the goats. Believers will face rejection, alienation, and
persecution, sometimes even from within their own families. Finally, Luke tells
us of Jesus addressing the crowds, perhaps on a separate occasion, since the
last several verses have been Jesus addressing the disciples only. As Leon
Morris explained, “[The crowds] understood the winds of earth, but not the
winds of God; they could discern the sky, but not the heavens. Their religious
externalism prevented them from seeing the significance of the coming of Jesus.”[1]
Similarly, as people know it is better to resolve an issue before it escalates
to court, they should repent rather than waiting for their “court date” in
God’s throne room. We never know when that day will be, but when that day
comes, it will be too late to repent.
Application/Discussion
1. Has
your faith “cost” you anything – a relationship, a job, influence, and so on? How
does Jesus’ obedience all the way to the cross encourage you to hold to your
faith?
2. How
does this passage encourage you to be right with God and tell others to do the
same?
Points
of Prayer
Adoration:
Praise God for his merciful offering of Jesus to pay the price for our sins.
Confession:
Ask for God’s forgiveness for any ways you have fallen short today.
Thanksgiving:
Thank God for his warnings and encouragements in his Word.
Supplication:
Pray for the Holy Spirit’s help to make the gospel the greatest priority of
your life.
Sunday,
June 29
Luke 13:1-21
Commentary
In
today’s reading, Jesus uses recent tragedies to teach the urgency of repentance
and faith and exemplifies the restoration he brings to the repentant. Death,
whether a grotesque death tantamount to a hate crime or a construction
accident, may befall any of us at any moment. However we may die, we are all sinners
and all fall short of God’s glory. We will all face God one day, either
appealing to our own pathetic attempts at righteousness or appealing to the
perfect righteousness of Christ. Jesus then tells a parable about a vineyard
owner. He continually hopes for fruit from a fig tree, then finally decides to
give the tree one more year before he destroys it. God will indeed destroy
those who are fruitless for him, but he is kind in delaying his punishment and
giving us the chance to repent. The deaths of others are a sobering reminder
that we will all die, and we never know when, so we should reconcile with God
while we can and urge others to be reconciled to him.
Next,
Jesus heals a woman who has been disabled by a spirit for years. The religious
leaders attack Jesus for “working” on the Sabbath. Jesus, in turn, scolds them
for their hypocrisy because they are fine with watering their animals on the
Sabbath and thus should be fine with a person, who has much greater worth,
being healed of a great calamity. The woman, on the other hand, immediately
praises God, recognizing he has empowered Jesus to heal her. The religious
leaders are ashamed while the people rejoice. Despite the opposition from the
religious leaders, God’s kingdom would grow and flourish, as Jesus depicts with
two brief parables.
Application/Discussion
1. C.
S. Lewis described pain as God’s megaphone to get our attention. How do the
tragedies that befall our neighbors here at home and across the world point us
to God?
2. Helping
the helpless is good and God-honoring cause. While healings or even exorcisms
alone will not save a person’s soul, helping others can point them to God,
especially when accompanied by explicit sharing of the gospel. How can you help
the helpless in your community? Consider asking your pastors where you can
serve in your church or reach out to local parachurch ministries for volunteer
opportunities.
Points
of Prayer
Adoration:
How can you praise God based on what you just read?
Confession:
Is there unconfessed sin in your heart today?
Thanksgiving:
How can you thank God based on what you just read?
Supplication: What can you ask for God’s help with based on what you just read?
[1] Leon Morris, Luke: An Introduction and Commentary,
Tyndale New Testament Commentaries vol.3 (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity
Press, 1988), 238.
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