Week 27

 Monday, June 30

Luke 13:22-14:6

         

Commentary

This is a passage full of “hard sayings.” First, Jesus answers an inquirer that few will ultimately be saved, though many more will claim they have been with Jesus and thus should be let into his kingdom. We are sinners, rebels against the goodness and holiness of Almighty God. We should not wonder why few are saved; instead, we should marvel that God is so merciful that he sent his Son to die so that those who look upon him would be saved.

Jesus next laments the persistent unbelief of Jerusalem. From the wilderness generation constantly distrusting God’s provision, to those who ignored and even attacked prophets like Jeremiah and Isaiah, to the Pharisees and their followers, the Israelites had fought against God again and again. He tells the Pharisees they will not see him again until they hail him as blessed and sent by the Lord. This is likely a reference to the Day of the Lord, when everyone shall bow to Jesus and confess him as Lord (Isaiah 45:23, Phil 2:10-11).

J. C. Ryle commented, “The recollection of this passage should help us to set a right estimate on things around us. Money, and pleasure, and rank, and greatness, occupy the first place now in the world. Praying, and believing, and holy living, and acquaintance with Christ, are despised, and ridiculed, and held very cheap. But there is a change coming one day! The last shall be first, and the first last. For that change let us be prepared.”[1] We finally see a similar event to the beginning of chapter 13. Jesus heals someone on the Sabbath, the Pharisees are outraged, and Jesus points out their hypocrisy. This story shows that tensions continue to rise between Jesus and the Pharisees and that he has compassion for those that the Pharisees disregard.

 

Application/Discussion

1. J. C. Ryle helpfully asks: “Now let us ask ourselves whether we are among the many or among the few? Do we know anything of striving and warring against sin, the world, and the devil? Are we ready for the Master's coming to shut the door? The man who can answer these questions satisfactorily is a true Christian.”

 

Points of Prayer

Adoration: Praise God for his merciful warnings and just judgement.

Confession: Ask God to forgive your sins, help you to resist temptation, and live for Christ.

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 to draw a lost person you know to Christ and to give you opportunities and boldness to witness.

 

Tuesday, July 1

Luke 14:7-35

 

Commentary

This passage continues the scene we saw yesterday. Jesus is a guest in the house of a Pharisee and now boldly addresses their sin. He tells the host that he only invites those of status to eat with him, but he should invite the vulnerable and overlooked to eat with him and receive God’s approval rather than the praise and status of men. Jesus next tells a parable about a man who holds a feast. The invited guests make excuse after excuse to not come, so the man then invites the same sort of folks Jesus told the host of the (non-parabolic) party to invite and vows that none of the invited will be allowed into the feast. The invited guests in the parable are the religious leaders (or perhaps the unbelieving Israelites as a whole), who have neglected those who most need their help and ignored God and his Christ.

The scene then shifts to Jesus addressing great crowds as he tells them the true cost of discipleship. Following Jesus means forsaking everything else, at least in comparison to how much one regards Jesus, and being the salt and light of a flavorless and dark world. C. S. Lewis eloquently explained this in his classic, Mere Christianity: “Give up your self, and you will find your real self. Lose your life and you will save it. Submit to death, death of your ambitions and favourite wishes every day and death of your whole body in the end: submit with every fibre of your being, and you will find eternal life. Keep back nothing. Nothing that you have not given away will ever be really yours. Nothing in you that has not died will ever be raised from the dead. Look for yourself, and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin, and decay. But look for Christ and you will find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in.”

 

Application/Discussion

1. How does your church serve the vulnerable and hurting in your community? How do you serve them? Consider asking your pastors how you can help at your church and in local parachurch ministries.

2. What does it mean to “count the cost” of following Jesus? Have you considered how much more you are supposed to love Jesus than anything else? How can you grow in your love for Jesus?

 

Points of Prayer

Adoration: Praise God for being worthy of every bit of our love and devotion.

Confession: Ask God’s forgiveness for making him second-place to anything else.

Thanksgiving: Thank God for providing Jesus to be our sacrifice and Savior and for the privilege of following him.

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, July 2

Luke 15:1-32

 

Commentary

          In today’s passage, Jesus tells three parables that teach how much God loves and is willing to receive and forgive the lost. The first two parables are straightforward, but the third is worth further explanation. The parable of the Prodigal (money-squandering) Son is one of the most well-known parables. As John Calvin explains, “The first part shows how willing and ready God is to receive sinners, and the second part shows the great evil and stubbornness of those who grumble at his compassion.”^[2]

The younger son demands his inheritance early, essentially declaring his father dead and only worth the cash he leaves behind. The son foolishly spends his money and is left begging for pig sloop. He returns home in shame and begs to work for his father in any demeaning role his father might be merciful enough to give him. The father is instead so overjoyed, he welcomes his son back as a son, not a worker, and throws a banquet to celebrate the son’s return. The older son resents this joy, angrily telling his father he has been a faithful son for years but had no party of his own. The father repeats what he said at the feast – he is glad because his son was dead and is now alive. He was glad for his older son’s continued faithfulness, but a resurrection is worth celebrating! This parable is a powerful picture of our sin, for we are dead in our sins and can only be made alive through Christ. Despite our foolishness, our Heavenly Father is always glad to receive the repentant as his children!

 

Application/Discussion

1. How do you feel, knowing the extent of God’s love for you as displayed in these parables?

2. Have you felt overlooked when someone becomes a new believer, a new leader begins to serve, or similar situations in your church? Remember to rejoice with those who rejoice and that your value comes from God, not people’s attention. To do otherwise dishonors God and makes people miserable.

 

Points of Prayer

Adoration: Praise God for his providential care for all and his compassion towards the repentant.

Confession: Ask God’s forgiveness for desiring the praise of people more than his love.

Thanksgiving: Thank God for offering salvation and new life freely to all.

Supplication: Ask for the Holy Spirit’s help for your church to reach, convert, and disciple the lost in your community.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday, July 3

Luke 16:1-18

 

Commentary

In a big picture view, as James Edwards notes, “Luke 16 teaches that wealth and possessions, like allegiances to masters, spouses, and Torah, are given their rightful place in life and fulfill their purpose when they are made subservient to the sovereignty and service of God.”^[3] When we zoom in on the parable of the dishonest manager, however, we may be a bit puzzled. In the parable, when the manager knows he is going to be fired, he gets his master’s debtors to “cook the books” and make their debts appear smaller. The manager recognized the peril he was in and did what he could to help himself by earning the favor of his master’s debtors. The master finds out, but he applauds the manager’s shrewdness (cleverness).

The next parable Jesus teaches is about the rich man who did not use his wealth for God or his life to come to know God, and thus suffers in hell. At least the dishonest manager was a problem-solver! Jesus uses the parable to teach his disciples to, like the dishonest manager, “use their wits and wealth in ways that please and serve God, for in so doing they will be received into the eternal tabernacle of God, rather than into the transitory earthly tents of debtors.”^[4]

What Jesus teaches in the following verses sheds further light into the parable’s meaning. We should wisely use everything God gives us, whether great or small, even “unrighteous wealth.” Money can be used for good, but it can also lead us away from God (1 Tim 6:10). The Pharisees now enter the scene, apparently having heard what Jesus said, and are offended because they love money more than God. Jesus knew the Pharisees ignored the Scriptures, John, and himself and wanted to strongarm their way into heaven. He warns them that God knows their hearts and sin. He knows your heart and sin, too. Rather than shrink from him, draw near to him in faith.

 

Application/Discussion

1. What is the difference between a life devoted to God and a life devoted to wealth, possessions, and comfort?

2. How are you using God’s blessings in a wise, worshipful way? Where can you grow in this area?

 

Points of Prayer

Adoration: Praise God for his surpassing worth as the creator and ruler of all.

Confession: Ask for God to help you use your blessings for his glory.

Thanksgiving: Thank God for the guidance and encouragement of his Word.

Supplication: Pray for the Holy Spirit’s encouragement and wisdom for your church to give and spend money wisely.

 

Friday, July 4

Luke 16:19-31

 

Commentary

This is one of the most vividly told of Jesus’ parables, so much so that is worth taking a minute to re-read. The rich man, who Jesus does not give the dignity of a name, lives in opulence but ignores poor Lazarus starving in squalor just outside the door. Both men die, with Lazarus going to Heaven and the rich man going to Hell. He begs for Abraham to send Lazarus to bring him just a drop of water, then for Lazarus to be sent to warn his brothers. Abraham tells him there is a chasm that cannot be crossed, he is in Hell for good, and that no miracle would convert his brothers, if they would believe in God, they would have already been convinced by the Scriptures.

J. C. Ryle brings out four key teachings from the story: 1) a person’s worldly status does not indicate his status with God, 2) death comes to people of every class, 3) God cares for the souls of believers, 4) Hell is real and eternal, 5) the damned realize their mistake too late, and 6) the greatest of miracles will not help those who refuse to believe God’s Word. On this last point, he noted, “The Scriptures contain all that we need to know in order to be saved, and a messenger from the world beyond the grave could add nothing to them. It is not 'more evidence' that is needed in order to make men repent, but more heart and will to make use of what they already know.”[5]

 

Application/Discussion

1. How does the rich man’s negligence of Lazarus make you feel? Are you disgusted, outraged, filled with pity? If you do know Christ, yet keep the gospel to yourself as those you pass by every day are perishing, you are just like the rich man was with Lazarus.

2. There are people in your community suffering with physical needs – how can you help meet some of those needs and point them to Christ?

 

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 conviction and enlightenment of a lost person you know well and for the passion and boldness to share with that person.

Saturday, July 5

Luke 17:1-19

 

Commentary

This passage starts a section of Jesus’ teachings to his disciples as the narrative moves us closer and closer to the cross. Jesus gives an intense warning against being a source of temptation for anyone. He also admonishes his followers to rebuke (i.e. address) but forgive each other seven times, a complete or unlimited amount of times. The disciples ask for more faith, perhaps because they recognize the difficulty of extending this much forgiveness. Jesus directs them to think not about the amount of faith, but the sincerity of faith and who it is placed in.

In exercising faith in and serving God, Jesus’ followers should remain humble, recognizing they are only doing their duty. If we are called to pour out our very lives in service to God, then we should not allow doing that very task to give us a big head. Further, serving God does not indebt him to us; we are always indebted to him. The story of Jesus healing the ten lepers has nine bad examples and one good example of realizing God does not owe us anything. Jesus tells the ten lepers to present themselves to the priests, as if they are being inspected to confirm that have recovered and can reintegrate into society (Lev 14:2). They are healed as they are going to the priest. For whatever reason, nine of the men do not thank Jesus. One man, who turns out to be a Samaritan, is overflowing with thankfulness and returns to thank Jesus, seemingly before being inspected by the priest or enjoying his returned freedom for himself.

Jesus remarks that the man’s faith has saved him. “Well” here does not mean cure of leprosy because the other men were also cured. As in similar miracles, Jesus is saying this man’s faith in himself has saved him from his sins. The lepers were freed of leprosy, but would soon find themselves suffering like the rich man of yesterday’s reading. The thankful Samaritan was freed of his leprosy, too, but even more importantly, he was freed of his sin.

 

Application/Discussion

1. Are you withholding forgiveness from anyone? How can you justify not forgiving someone, even if only in your heart, when God is willing to forgive you of so much more?

2. How often do you thank God compared to how much you ask for his help or complain to him?

 

Points of Prayer

Adoration: Praise God for his truthfulness, wisdom, and brilliance.

Confession: Ask for God’s forgiveness for any ways you may be holding grudges or refusing forgiveness to others.

Thanksgiving: Thank God for your salvation, or ask for his help to accept it, and for his deliverance from a personal hardship.

Supplication: Pray for the Holy Spirit’s help to make the gospel the greatest priority of your life.

 

 

Sunday, July 6

Luke 17:20-17:37

 

Commentary

In today’s reading, we have an abbreviated version of the Olivet Discourse or a similar but separate teaching event. Jesus stresses that, in one sense, the kingdom of God is already here on earth. At that moment, the kingdom was there through the person of Jesus being embodied and the kingdom’s presence continues through Jesus’ work through his people. When Jesus does return for the judgement, his return will be obvious and undeniable. We do not have to worry that the muttering man at the bus stop really may have seen Jesus returning on a Grayhound bus last week – when Jesus shows up, people will know. Before Jesus’ second coming, however, the mission of his first coming must be completed by Jesus dying on the cross and resurrecting. Jesus looks back to instances of old when God’s judgement came suddenly and unexpectedly and indicates the beginning of the final judgement would arrive in the same way. The only way we can be sure to be safe eternally is to reconcile with God without waiting another moment. The next moment is never guaranteed and once our endcomes, it will be too late.

James Edwards, wisely observed, “By including eschatological instruction in his earthly ministry rather than at the end of it, Jesus signals that eschatology is not an appendage to the gospel, icing on the cake, as it were. Rather, like leaven in dough (13:21) and seed planted in a field (8:8), eschatology is inherent to Jesus’ ministry. The future victory of the Son of Man over sin, death, and Satan is therefore essential to the faith and behavior of disciples in the present world. Disciples are not relegated to passive roles as observers or spectators, helplessly longing for the Not Yet. They are given a vision of the One who will come in glory so they may, with hope and resolve, follow the same One who journeys to Jerusalem to “suffer many things and be rejected by this generation” (v. 25).”[6]

 

Application/Discussion

1. Life is certainly busy – busy enough to keep us distracted from what matters most of all. How are you spending time to prepare for eternity?

2. How does the Bible’s teaching on the end times comfort us? Encourage our continued faithfulness? Motivate evangelism? Reprioritize how we spend our time and affections?

 

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?

 

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[1] J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, Luke 13:22-30.

^[2] John Calvin, Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists Matthew, Mark, and Luke, vol. 2 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 343. Language modernized by me.

^[3] James R. Edwards, The Gospel according to Luke, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2015), 449.

^[4] Ibid., 457.

[5] J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, Luke 16:19-31.

[6] James R. Edwards, The Gospel according to Luke, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2015), 455.