http://www.esvbible.org/Luke+8/
Jesus travels around with the twelve and many others. Among them, there are many women who Jesus has cured. Mary Magdalene; Joanna, the wife of Herod's manager, and Susanna, who has nothing else written about her. This is a big deal because women at the time had very low status, but everyone matters to Jesus because He looks first and foremost at the heart. Then, Jesus tells on of His parables. He talks of a farmer who throws seed. Some of it lands on the path where birds eat it, some of it lands in the rocks where it can't take root, some of it lands among weeds that choke it out, and some falls on good soil and reaps a hundred times what is sown. Jesus calls a lot of attention to this because He tells all who can hear with their ears to hear this. The disciples don't quite understand what Jesus is talking about in His parable, so He breaks it down for them. The seed is the word of God. The seed on the path represents those who hear the Word, but the devil comes and takes it away before they are saved. The seed in the rocks represents the people who hear the Word but take no root in Jesus , so when the testing comes, they fall away. The seed in the roots represents those who hear the Word and believe but let life's worries choke their faith away. The seed on the good soil represent those who hear the Word, retain it, and through perseverance produce a crop.
Jesus talks about putting a lamp on a stand to reveal what is hidden. He speaks of Judgement Day when everything will be revealed, no matter how well you hide it, Jesus knows where it is. We must be careful that our teaching are in the Truth. To have faith and neglect it is to lose it.
Jesus' mother and brothers come to see Him, but there is such a crowd around Jesus that they cannot see Him. Someone in the crowd tells Him, and He responds by saying anyone who takes His Word and puts it into practice is His mother or brother.
Jesus and His disciples cross a lake in a boat. Jesus falls asleep on the journey before a huge storm hits. The boat looks like it will be overtaken, and the disciples wake Jesus up because they are afraid. Jesus, and I like the wording Luke uses, rebukes the storm. Then, He turns to the disciples and asks where their faith is. They have seem to forgotten who they follow. Often times, we forget who we follow, and Jesus has to take control and ask us where our faith is. The disciples respond by asking each other who Jesus can be that even the winds obey Him. I think this is where they start to get the power of the one they serve. They seem to understand for the first time what all of Jesus' teachings apex to.
Jesus went to the town across the lake from Galilee. When He stepped out of the boat, a demon possessed man was waiting for Him. The man had not worn clothes or lived in a house for a long time. Instead, he lived in the tombs. His name as legion. The demons asked what Jesus, the Son of God, wanted with them. Even the demons know who Jesus is. Admitting who He is does not get you salvation. You have to place your sole faith in Him. Jesus commanded the demons to leave multiple times, but they seized the man, begging Jesus not to send them to the abyss. Sometimes, our sins or demons or habits resist Jesus, but He is stronger, and He has more power, so He will drive them away. They asked Him instead to go to the herd of pigs nearby. Jesus allowed them, and the herd ran into the lake and drowned. When the pig herders saw this, they told the towns people. The towns people found the formerly demon possessed man dressed and in his right mind sitting at Jesus' feet. The towns people feared Jesus because of this and sent Him away. So Jesus got in a boat and left. The people witnessed a miracle as demons were driven from a man, but instead of being pleased and finding hope in Jesus, they feared Him. There are times when some people fear change so much that they even reject the good change such as Jesus coming to heal them. The man wants to go a Ross the lake with Jesus, but Jesus sends him home to tell people about what God has done for him. God has a plan for how to use each of His followers, and sometimes His plan differs from ours.
A synagogue leader named Jairus came to Jesus and asked Him to heal his daughter. As Jesus was on His way to Jairus's house, the crowds pressed tight against Him. Here, we have a story within a story. The original story gets interrupted for a few verses. In this way, God causes interruptions in our lives to do big things. Also, we can never be so much of an interruption to Jesus that His will is not done or that He misses out on an opportunity to do a good work. There is a woman in the crowd who has suffered chronic bleeding for twelve years. She reached out and touched the edge of Jesus' cloak and was healed. Jesus stopped in the middle of all of this and demanded to know who touched Him. The woman eventually realized she could not hide and stepped forward. She told what happened to her. No doctors could heal this woman. She was a reject from society because anyone who touched her would become dirty. Yet when she touched Jesus, He was clean enough for both of them. She brought her issue to Jesus even though it had been going on for twelve years. He instantly cured it. He was aware of the change. He this story ends and we pick the Jairus story back up. A servant comes from his house to tell him the daughter is dead. Jesus goes on anyway. He tells the mourners outside the house not to mourn for the girl because she is only asleep. The people laugh at Him. When He goes inside, He only allows Peter, John, James, and the girl's parents inside. He touches her hand and tells her to wake up, and she does. Jesus goes after what seems like a hopeless cause and brings back the hope and life. When He talks to the mourners, they think He's crazy because what He tells the doesn't make sense to them. So often Jesus tells us He can make a difference in our lives and we write Him off before we give Him a chance, and more often then not, He'll prove us wrong.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Luke 7
http://www.esvbible.org/Luke+7/
The next story is that of a centurion, whose favorite servant falls ill. He sends Jewish elders to Jesus to ask Him to save the man's life. They pleaded with Jesus because the man was wellcrespected in Israel. Jesus went back to the man's house, but before He got there, the man sent out more people. They delivered a message from the centurion saying that he is not worthy to have Jesus in His house. He is not even worthy to go to Him, which is why the centurion sent others to ask. The centurion says he also is under authority and commands soldiers. He tells them to come and go, and they listen. In the same way, the centurion knows that Jesus does not even need to go inside to heal the man. Jesus is amazed by the man's faith, and when He sends the others back to the centurion, they find the servant is well again. This man, who was not Jewish, knew that Jesus was Lord, and he knew he was undeserving of the Lord's healing, but he asked anyway because he had faith that Jesus would come through for him. Jesus was amazed by this faith and provided healing. None of us is worthy of the Lord's healing, but He heals us anyway if we just have faith enough in Him to ask.
As He was traveling with many followers, Jesus came across a funeral procession in which the only son of a widow had died. When Jesus saw this, He had compassion on her and stopped the procession to raise the boy to life and give him back to his mother. Sometimes, God does great miracles in our lives even without us asking. Most of the healing Jesus does is from people who ask Him, but this mother never asked. Jesus stopped this funeral procession already in motion to bring the boy back to life. Jesus does this all the time. People heading off to their graves already playing their funeral songs are interrupted by Jesus and brought back to life. And here again Jesus sets an example of compassion for us to follow. He has compassion and goes to the woman. He doesn't stay on the other side of the street. Compassion requires action. When we see someone, and our hearts go out to them, we need to take compassion through an action.
John the Baptist heard about all the thigs Jesus has done, so he sent to of his disciples to ask Jesus if He is the Messaiah. Jesus healed many people in their prescence and told the servants to tell John to report what they had seen. The blind see, deaf hear, lame walk, dead live, and good news proclaimed to the poor. After they had left, Jesus spoke about John the Baptist. He said that John is the greatest man who has ever lived, yet even the least in Heaven is greater than Him. Jesus says that John the Baptist is more than a prophet. He has been prophesied about as the messenger who comes before Jesus. Many people there believed in Jesus then because they had been baptized by John, but the Pharisees still maintained their unbelief because they had not been baptized by John. Jesus told them that John came neither eating nor drinking, and they called him possessed, and Jesus came eating and drinking and they called Him a glutton and a drunkard who hung out with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus compares them to children because God has offered them so much, and they have rejected it all.
Jesus goes to eat a a Pharisee's house. A sinful woman hears of this and takes her bottle of perfume to go see Him. She washes Jesus' feet with her tears and wipes them with her hair. Then, she pours the perfume on them. The Pharisee thinks to himself that Jesus would not be so pleased if He knew who the woman was and what she'd done. Jesus, knowing this, tells the Pharisee a story of a moneylender who had two men owe him money. One owed five hundred and the other fifty. The moneylender forgave both debts. Then Jesus asked the Phariseemwhich person loved the moneylender more. The Pharisee correctly guesses the one with the bigger debt. Jesus then says that the Phariseemgave Jesus no water for His feet, but the woman washed them with her tears and hair. He did not pour perfume on His head, but the woman poured it on His feet. The Pharisee did not kiss Jesus, but the woman repeatedly kissed His feet. Jesus tells the woman that because of her great love for Jesus, her sins are forgiven. The people are amazed and ask Amon themselves who Jesus could be to even forgive sins.
The next story is that of a centurion, whose favorite servant falls ill. He sends Jewish elders to Jesus to ask Him to save the man's life. They pleaded with Jesus because the man was wellcrespected in Israel. Jesus went back to the man's house, but before He got there, the man sent out more people. They delivered a message from the centurion saying that he is not worthy to have Jesus in His house. He is not even worthy to go to Him, which is why the centurion sent others to ask. The centurion says he also is under authority and commands soldiers. He tells them to come and go, and they listen. In the same way, the centurion knows that Jesus does not even need to go inside to heal the man. Jesus is amazed by the man's faith, and when He sends the others back to the centurion, they find the servant is well again. This man, who was not Jewish, knew that Jesus was Lord, and he knew he was undeserving of the Lord's healing, but he asked anyway because he had faith that Jesus would come through for him. Jesus was amazed by this faith and provided healing. None of us is worthy of the Lord's healing, but He heals us anyway if we just have faith enough in Him to ask.
As He was traveling with many followers, Jesus came across a funeral procession in which the only son of a widow had died. When Jesus saw this, He had compassion on her and stopped the procession to raise the boy to life and give him back to his mother. Sometimes, God does great miracles in our lives even without us asking. Most of the healing Jesus does is from people who ask Him, but this mother never asked. Jesus stopped this funeral procession already in motion to bring the boy back to life. Jesus does this all the time. People heading off to their graves already playing their funeral songs are interrupted by Jesus and brought back to life. And here again Jesus sets an example of compassion for us to follow. He has compassion and goes to the woman. He doesn't stay on the other side of the street. Compassion requires action. When we see someone, and our hearts go out to them, we need to take compassion through an action.
John the Baptist heard about all the thigs Jesus has done, so he sent to of his disciples to ask Jesus if He is the Messaiah. Jesus healed many people in their prescence and told the servants to tell John to report what they had seen. The blind see, deaf hear, lame walk, dead live, and good news proclaimed to the poor. After they had left, Jesus spoke about John the Baptist. He said that John is the greatest man who has ever lived, yet even the least in Heaven is greater than Him. Jesus says that John the Baptist is more than a prophet. He has been prophesied about as the messenger who comes before Jesus. Many people there believed in Jesus then because they had been baptized by John, but the Pharisees still maintained their unbelief because they had not been baptized by John. Jesus told them that John came neither eating nor drinking, and they called him possessed, and Jesus came eating and drinking and they called Him a glutton and a drunkard who hung out with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus compares them to children because God has offered them so much, and they have rejected it all.
Jesus goes to eat a a Pharisee's house. A sinful woman hears of this and takes her bottle of perfume to go see Him. She washes Jesus' feet with her tears and wipes them with her hair. Then, she pours the perfume on them. The Pharisee thinks to himself that Jesus would not be so pleased if He knew who the woman was and what she'd done. Jesus, knowing this, tells the Pharisee a story of a moneylender who had two men owe him money. One owed five hundred and the other fifty. The moneylender forgave both debts. Then Jesus asked the Phariseemwhich person loved the moneylender more. The Pharisee correctly guesses the one with the bigger debt. Jesus then says that the Phariseemgave Jesus no water for His feet, but the woman washed them with her tears and hair. He did not pour perfume on His head, but the woman poured it on His feet. The Pharisee did not kiss Jesus, but the woman repeatedly kissed His feet. Jesus tells the woman that because of her great love for Jesus, her sins are forgiven. The people are amazed and ask Amon themselves who Jesus could be to even forgive sins.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Luke 6
www.esvbible.org/Luke+6/
The disciples go through a field on a sabbath plucking wads of grain and eating them. The Pharisees see them doing this and ask Jesus why they do this because there is supposed to be no sort of work on the sabbath, and they consider plucking grain to be work. Jesus recounts a story from scripture in which King David and his men go into the temple and eat the bread reserved for the priest. This is the man after God's own heart. He did so out of necessity, just as the disciples now eat. Then, Jesus tells them the the Son of Man is The Lord of the Sabbath. It is a statement that serves dual purposes. First, Jesus states (albeit a little shroudedly) that He is the Son of Man, and second, He reminds the Pharisees that the sabbath is not about just simply following rules as they had been a accustomed to using it for, but the true purpose, which they had lost sight of, is actually to worship and be mindful of God.
The Pharisees try to catch Jesus doing wrong again on another sabbath day. Jesus taught at a synagogue where a man with a paralyzed right hand worshipped. The Pharisees wanted to see if Jesus would heal the man so they could accuse Him of doing something wrong. Jesus, however, knew what they were trying to do, so He called them out. He brought the man to the center of the synagogue and asked all the people what the sabbath should be used for: doing good or doing evil, giving a man health or destroying him. Then, He healed the man. Again, the Pharisees did not recognize what the sabbath is truly for because they were obsessed with making people follow the rules. Jesus points out that it is important more important to do a good deed on the sabbath when God presents the opportunity than it is to do evil by ignoring it under the guise of honoring the sabbath.
Jesus went to a mountain to pray, and when He came down, He chose twelve of His disciples and called them apostles. It is important to note that Jesus consulted with God about His choice of disciples. We cannot forget to listen to God when we make desicions. The twelve apostles Jesus chose we're: Simon, his brother Andrew, James, John, Phillip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James, Simon the Zealot, Judas, and Judas Iscariot (the traitor).
When Jesus and the twelve came down, there was a huge crowd from all over waiting for Him. They wanted to hear Him teach and be cured. They all tried to touch Him because the power radiated from Him. An interesting observance is that only people who want to be healed are healed. People go up and ask or touch Jesus and that is when they are cured. In doing this, these people are first admitting that they need to be cured. Jesus says the sick need a doctor, not the healthy. Only people who know they are sick and will admit it go to the doctor. This is true in the people that come to Jesus, bits those who need physical healing and those who come to receive their salvation.
Jesus teaches His disciples of the way things will be in Heaven. He says blessed are the people who are poor in this world because they will be rich. And He warns the rich because He says they have had their comfort in this world. This isn't to say that everyone who has a lot of money will go to hell. But it talks more of generosity. Are you using your wealth generously, or are you living in excess? He says the hunger are blessed and they will be we'll fed, but the well fed will be hunger. This means that we must rely on the Lord, and be thankful for what He provides us. Finally, He says blessed are you when people insult you because you follow the Son of Man and warns you when everyone has only nice things to say about you. You must be unashamed of what Jesus has done for you. You must speak boldly about Him and His gospel. Otherwise, your heart is not really in it, and Jesus is after the heart.
Jesus teaches a hard lesson. He tells us we must love our enemies, be kind to those who hate us, bless those who insult us, etc. This is where He teaches us to turn the other cheek. He tells us if someone takes our coat, we should offer them our shirt. Give to everyone who asks for something and expect nothing back. Do for other people what you would want them to do for you. After all, how great is it if you only love those who love you? Anyone can do that. Anyone can lend to those from whom they expect something in return or help those who have helped them. There's no honor or reward in that. If you love, help, and lend to your enemies without expecting anything back, you will be rewarded, and God will call you His child. After all, God loves those who are evil and unkind, and a child does what the parents do by example. Be merciful as the Father is merciful.
God uses the standards to treat you that you use to treat others, so if you forgive, you will be forgiven; if you stop judging, you won't be judged; if you don't condemn others, you will never be condemned. Jesus gives the illustration of the blind leading the blind. Both will fall into the same pit. If you send out evil thoughts towards others, it will come back to get you in the same way. No student can be better than the teacher, but a good student who tries will learn to be like the teacher. How can you say to another be,I ever that he has a piece of sawdust in his eye when you have a wood beam in your eye. First you must remove the wood beam in your eye so that you can clearly see the sawdust in your friend's eye. Don't go around pointing out the sins of others because you are not sin free. Just by pointing out the sins of others while you ignore your own sin is sinning. First, clear up your problem with God, then you may help your friend with their problem. Also, when we see the sawdust, we are only seeing and judging based on a small problem because we are distant from it. We are quite close to our own problems, so they are even bibgger to us and blinding.
Jesus uses an illustration of a tree. A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. In this way, a good person will do the good things in them while the evil person will do the evil within them. What people say comes from inside them. If someone speaks of good, they are good, but if someone speaks of evil, there is evil inside them.
Jesus asked why the people listen to Him but do not do what He says. He tells them that those who listen and obey Him ate like the man who built his house on the bedrock. When the flood came, the house stood strong. The person who hears but does not obey, however, is like the man who built his house on the sand. When the flood came, it collapsed the house.
The disciples go through a field on a sabbath plucking wads of grain and eating them. The Pharisees see them doing this and ask Jesus why they do this because there is supposed to be no sort of work on the sabbath, and they consider plucking grain to be work. Jesus recounts a story from scripture in which King David and his men go into the temple and eat the bread reserved for the priest. This is the man after God's own heart. He did so out of necessity, just as the disciples now eat. Then, Jesus tells them the the Son of Man is The Lord of the Sabbath. It is a statement that serves dual purposes. First, Jesus states (albeit a little shroudedly) that He is the Son of Man, and second, He reminds the Pharisees that the sabbath is not about just simply following rules as they had been a accustomed to using it for, but the true purpose, which they had lost sight of, is actually to worship and be mindful of God.
The Pharisees try to catch Jesus doing wrong again on another sabbath day. Jesus taught at a synagogue where a man with a paralyzed right hand worshipped. The Pharisees wanted to see if Jesus would heal the man so they could accuse Him of doing something wrong. Jesus, however, knew what they were trying to do, so He called them out. He brought the man to the center of the synagogue and asked all the people what the sabbath should be used for: doing good or doing evil, giving a man health or destroying him. Then, He healed the man. Again, the Pharisees did not recognize what the sabbath is truly for because they were obsessed with making people follow the rules. Jesus points out that it is important more important to do a good deed on the sabbath when God presents the opportunity than it is to do evil by ignoring it under the guise of honoring the sabbath.
Jesus went to a mountain to pray, and when He came down, He chose twelve of His disciples and called them apostles. It is important to note that Jesus consulted with God about His choice of disciples. We cannot forget to listen to God when we make desicions. The twelve apostles Jesus chose we're: Simon, his brother Andrew, James, John, Phillip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James, Simon the Zealot, Judas, and Judas Iscariot (the traitor).
When Jesus and the twelve came down, there was a huge crowd from all over waiting for Him. They wanted to hear Him teach and be cured. They all tried to touch Him because the power radiated from Him. An interesting observance is that only people who want to be healed are healed. People go up and ask or touch Jesus and that is when they are cured. In doing this, these people are first admitting that they need to be cured. Jesus says the sick need a doctor, not the healthy. Only people who know they are sick and will admit it go to the doctor. This is true in the people that come to Jesus, bits those who need physical healing and those who come to receive their salvation.
Jesus teaches His disciples of the way things will be in Heaven. He says blessed are the people who are poor in this world because they will be rich. And He warns the rich because He says they have had their comfort in this world. This isn't to say that everyone who has a lot of money will go to hell. But it talks more of generosity. Are you using your wealth generously, or are you living in excess? He says the hunger are blessed and they will be we'll fed, but the well fed will be hunger. This means that we must rely on the Lord, and be thankful for what He provides us. Finally, He says blessed are you when people insult you because you follow the Son of Man and warns you when everyone has only nice things to say about you. You must be unashamed of what Jesus has done for you. You must speak boldly about Him and His gospel. Otherwise, your heart is not really in it, and Jesus is after the heart.
Jesus teaches a hard lesson. He tells us we must love our enemies, be kind to those who hate us, bless those who insult us, etc. This is where He teaches us to turn the other cheek. He tells us if someone takes our coat, we should offer them our shirt. Give to everyone who asks for something and expect nothing back. Do for other people what you would want them to do for you. After all, how great is it if you only love those who love you? Anyone can do that. Anyone can lend to those from whom they expect something in return or help those who have helped them. There's no honor or reward in that. If you love, help, and lend to your enemies without expecting anything back, you will be rewarded, and God will call you His child. After all, God loves those who are evil and unkind, and a child does what the parents do by example. Be merciful as the Father is merciful.
God uses the standards to treat you that you use to treat others, so if you forgive, you will be forgiven; if you stop judging, you won't be judged; if you don't condemn others, you will never be condemned. Jesus gives the illustration of the blind leading the blind. Both will fall into the same pit. If you send out evil thoughts towards others, it will come back to get you in the same way. No student can be better than the teacher, but a good student who tries will learn to be like the teacher. How can you say to another be,I ever that he has a piece of sawdust in his eye when you have a wood beam in your eye. First you must remove the wood beam in your eye so that you can clearly see the sawdust in your friend's eye. Don't go around pointing out the sins of others because you are not sin free. Just by pointing out the sins of others while you ignore your own sin is sinning. First, clear up your problem with God, then you may help your friend with their problem. Also, when we see the sawdust, we are only seeing and judging based on a small problem because we are distant from it. We are quite close to our own problems, so they are even bibgger to us and blinding.
Jesus uses an illustration of a tree. A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. In this way, a good person will do the good things in them while the evil person will do the evil within them. What people say comes from inside them. If someone speaks of good, they are good, but if someone speaks of evil, there is evil inside them.
Jesus asked why the people listen to Him but do not do what He says. He tells them that those who listen and obey Him ate like the man who built his house on the bedrock. When the flood came, the house stood strong. The person who hears but does not obey, however, is like the man who built his house on the sand. When the flood came, it collapsed the house.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Luke 5
http://www.esvbible.org/Luke+5/
Jesus taught by the Sea of Galilee, and He saw some fishermen cleaning their nets. He went up to Simon and asked him to take the boat a little off shore so that all the people could hear Him. Simon complied, and after Jesus finished teaching, He told Simon to lower the nets in the deeper water. Simon told Jesus that he and his partners fished all night and caught nothing, but he still lowered his nets. He started catching so many fish that he had to call James and John, his fishing partners, over to help him haul in the catch. Simon fell on his face and told Jesus to leave because Simon is sinful. At once, Simon knew who Jesus was and believed. He also knew that he was not worthy of being in the presence of God, but Jesus was all about doing things despite our sin. Jesus told Simon not to be afraid and to come with Him to catch people instead of fish. Simon, John, and James left everything and followed Jesus. I think that the phrase "and didn't look back" should be added on. They knew that a relationship with Jesus was worth so much more than anything that they had that it was an instantaneous decision to follow Christ.
At one town, Jesus encounters a man with a skin disease. The man bows down and says if Jesus wants to, He can heal the man. Jesus says He wants to and touches the man, and the man is clean. A recurring theme with these healings is Jesus touching the sick. In those times, the Old Testament was the only Word of God, and it said that if a sick person, who was considered dirty, touched a non-sick person, the non-sick person also became dirty. Jesus, however, never becomes dirty. He is so clean, because He is God and dirty things are ungodly things, that there is nothing dirty enough to make Him dirty. He takes on the sins of the world, but He comes up clean again. Jesus tells the man to not tell people what happened but to go instead to the temple, present himself to the priest, and offer the sacrifices required of him. The news of Jesus continues to spread. Even with the crowds following, Jesus always made time to be alone in prayer. Jesus' time revolved around God. These are how our priorities should be set.
Jesus taught in front of some Pharisees. Some men tried to bring their paralyzed friend, who was on a stretcher, to Jesus, but they could not find a way in. Finally, they got up onto the roof, removed some tiles, and lowered the man on his stretcher in front of Jesus. Jesus was amazed by their faith, and He told the paralyzed man that He forgave the man's sins. The Pharisees were shocked by this, and they said to each other that Jesus dishonors God because only God can forgive sins. Jesus knew what they were thinking and said that it may be easier to say your sins are forgiven than get up and walk. He tells them that He has the authority to forgive sins on Earth. Then, He tells the man to get up and walk, and the man does. All of the people who saw this were amazed, and they could hardly believe what they had witnessed.
Jesus sees a tax collector named Levi (later Matthew) in his booth. Jesus tells Levi to follow Him. Levi gets up, leaves everything, and follows Jesus. Tax collectors were corrupt, and that made them rich. Jesus called this corrupt man, and Levi left all of his wealth to follow Jesus. Then, he threw a party for Jesus at his home. Many other tax collectors came. The Pharisees complained about why Jesus ate with tax collectors and other sinners. Jesus told them that healthy people don't need a doctor, sick people do. In the same way, Jesus came for those who know they need a savior, not those who think they have God's approval. We have to confess that we need Jesus in order for Him to save us, and most of the Pharisees thought they were good with God, and they missed out on their chance with Jesus.
The Pharisees also complain that Jesus' disciples don't fast. Jesus tells them that wedding guests don't fast while the groom is still there. Later, the groom leaves and the guests fast. Jesus and God are often compared to a groom in Scripture. Jesus is foretelling His death although no one realizes it. At that time, the disciples will fast out of obedience, but right now, all they have to do is follow Him. Then, Jesus gives two illustrations. The first is about tearing a new coat to patch an old, and that would tear the old fabric. Then, He talks of putting new win in old wineskins, which would burst the skins. He talks of the new way of doing things because Jesus came. There is a difference now. The new way overpowers the old way, and it doesn't make sense to use the old way when the new way is so much better. But He adds on a final thought that many people will reject the new wine because the like the old wine. Many of the Jewish people rejected Jesus, especially when He was on trial. Jesus says this is primarily because they like the way things are, and they don't want to have to do things the new way.
Jesus taught by the Sea of Galilee, and He saw some fishermen cleaning their nets. He went up to Simon and asked him to take the boat a little off shore so that all the people could hear Him. Simon complied, and after Jesus finished teaching, He told Simon to lower the nets in the deeper water. Simon told Jesus that he and his partners fished all night and caught nothing, but he still lowered his nets. He started catching so many fish that he had to call James and John, his fishing partners, over to help him haul in the catch. Simon fell on his face and told Jesus to leave because Simon is sinful. At once, Simon knew who Jesus was and believed. He also knew that he was not worthy of being in the presence of God, but Jesus was all about doing things despite our sin. Jesus told Simon not to be afraid and to come with Him to catch people instead of fish. Simon, John, and James left everything and followed Jesus. I think that the phrase "and didn't look back" should be added on. They knew that a relationship with Jesus was worth so much more than anything that they had that it was an instantaneous decision to follow Christ.
At one town, Jesus encounters a man with a skin disease. The man bows down and says if Jesus wants to, He can heal the man. Jesus says He wants to and touches the man, and the man is clean. A recurring theme with these healings is Jesus touching the sick. In those times, the Old Testament was the only Word of God, and it said that if a sick person, who was considered dirty, touched a non-sick person, the non-sick person also became dirty. Jesus, however, never becomes dirty. He is so clean, because He is God and dirty things are ungodly things, that there is nothing dirty enough to make Him dirty. He takes on the sins of the world, but He comes up clean again. Jesus tells the man to not tell people what happened but to go instead to the temple, present himself to the priest, and offer the sacrifices required of him. The news of Jesus continues to spread. Even with the crowds following, Jesus always made time to be alone in prayer. Jesus' time revolved around God. These are how our priorities should be set.
Jesus taught in front of some Pharisees. Some men tried to bring their paralyzed friend, who was on a stretcher, to Jesus, but they could not find a way in. Finally, they got up onto the roof, removed some tiles, and lowered the man on his stretcher in front of Jesus. Jesus was amazed by their faith, and He told the paralyzed man that He forgave the man's sins. The Pharisees were shocked by this, and they said to each other that Jesus dishonors God because only God can forgive sins. Jesus knew what they were thinking and said that it may be easier to say your sins are forgiven than get up and walk. He tells them that He has the authority to forgive sins on Earth. Then, He tells the man to get up and walk, and the man does. All of the people who saw this were amazed, and they could hardly believe what they had witnessed.
Jesus sees a tax collector named Levi (later Matthew) in his booth. Jesus tells Levi to follow Him. Levi gets up, leaves everything, and follows Jesus. Tax collectors were corrupt, and that made them rich. Jesus called this corrupt man, and Levi left all of his wealth to follow Jesus. Then, he threw a party for Jesus at his home. Many other tax collectors came. The Pharisees complained about why Jesus ate with tax collectors and other sinners. Jesus told them that healthy people don't need a doctor, sick people do. In the same way, Jesus came for those who know they need a savior, not those who think they have God's approval. We have to confess that we need Jesus in order for Him to save us, and most of the Pharisees thought they were good with God, and they missed out on their chance with Jesus.
The Pharisees also complain that Jesus' disciples don't fast. Jesus tells them that wedding guests don't fast while the groom is still there. Later, the groom leaves and the guests fast. Jesus and God are often compared to a groom in Scripture. Jesus is foretelling His death although no one realizes it. At that time, the disciples will fast out of obedience, but right now, all they have to do is follow Him. Then, Jesus gives two illustrations. The first is about tearing a new coat to patch an old, and that would tear the old fabric. Then, He talks of putting new win in old wineskins, which would burst the skins. He talks of the new way of doing things because Jesus came. There is a difference now. The new way overpowers the old way, and it doesn't make sense to use the old way when the new way is so much better. But He adds on a final thought that many people will reject the new wine because the like the old wine. Many of the Jewish people rejected Jesus, especially when He was on trial. Jesus says this is primarily because they like the way things are, and they don't want to have to do things the new way.
Luke 4
http://www.esvbible.org/Luke+4/
Following His baptism, the Holy Spirit filled Jesus, and led Him in the desert. Matthew said the Sprit led Him into the desert, and Mark says that immediately after the Holy Spirit filled Jesus, the devil took Jesus out to the desert. While Jesus is out there for forty days, He eats nothing. When the devil comes to tempt Jesus, Jesus is very hungry. The devil tells Jesus to turn a stone into bread, but Jesus quotes Scripture against the devil. This example is one reason it is important to memorize Scripture. When life comes to tempt you, throw Scripture at it not only to put it at bay but also to remind yourself what you need to do and who you serve. Next, the devil shows Jesus great kingdoms and tells Him that the kingdoms are under the devil's command, and if Jesus bows down to him, the devil will hand them over to Jesus. Jesus remembers He only bows down to God, and He uses Scripture again against the devil. Another interesting note about this part is that the world is the devil's domain. He has command over the things of this world, and that is why Paul says that when we have our Salvation, we are no longer part of this world. Jesus breaks the devil's hold on us, and we are Jesus' domain. This is why immediately after baptism, the tempting becomes the worst, even for Jesus. After we are filled with the Holy Spirit, the devil comes trying to break that bond, but we must remember that God is stronger, and God is our strength. We must remember the promise we made Him that He is the only one we will worship. No other name shall be higher than His. Finally, the devil takes Jesus to the top of a temple and tells Him to jump because Scripture says the angels will come and protect Him. That's right. The devil knows Scripture, and he will take it out of context and out of place to tempt us. Jesus uses a different Scripture against the devil saying that we should not tempt or test God. Luke says that the devil tempted Jesus in every way but did not succeed. He left Jesus until another time. The devil won't leave you alone after round one. He will be after you as long as you stand with God. If you have no struggles with sin in your life, that means you are already in the devil's pocket.
Jesus traveled around teaching in synagogues for a while. Then, He returned home. On the day of worship, He went to the synagogue and read Scripture. He read from Isaiah where the prophet speaks of one who has the Spirit of the Lord to tell Good News. He is sent to heal and forgive. Then, Jesus closed the book and handed it back to the attendent. Everyone watched Him, so He told them that the passage came true on the day they heard Him read it. The people were amazed. They asked each other if that was Joseph's son. Jesus told them that prophets are always rejected in their hometowns. Elijah lived in a time of many widows, but God sent Elijah to a widow outside of Israel. Elisha lived in a time of skin disease, but God only used him the cure a Syrian. This made the people in the synagogue angry, so they took Jesus to the edge of the cliff, where they intended to throw Him over, but He simply walked past them because it wasn't His time. Everything has to happen according to God's time, and if it looks like it's not, God will fix it so that it stays on track. Jesus knew this, so He spoke the truth to the people, and God blessed Him for it.
Jesus spoke in a synagogue on a day of worship when a demon possessed man came up to Him and asked Him what He wanted. The demon said he knew who Jesus was and called Him the Holy One. Jesus ordered the demon to stay quiet and leave the man. Then, it happened, and the man remained unharmed. The people who witnessed this were amazed that Jesus could give a command to a demon, and the demon would obey. News about Jesus spread to nearby villages.
Jesus went to Simon's (who later becomes Peter) house. There, he sees Simon's sick mother-in-law. The family asked Jesus to help her, and He cured her. She got up and made a meal for them. Then, everybody brought their sick to Jesus to be healed. The faith of Simon's family is amazing because they may have heard stories from the nearby regions, but Jesus had not been in action where they lived yet. Still, they had faith that He could heal the sick. Then, as soon as the woman is better, she gets up and serves Jesus. That is what we all should do. When we find our salvation, and Jesus brings us to life, we should immediately serve Him. Later, demons come to Jesus and shout that He is the Son of God, but Jesus commands them to be silent.
In the morning, Jesus went to be alone. It is important to be alone with just God. It refreshes the soul. Then, the people searched for Him. When they found Him, they tried to keep Him from leaving, but He told them He had to go spread the Good News in other cities.
Following His baptism, the Holy Spirit filled Jesus, and led Him in the desert. Matthew said the Sprit led Him into the desert, and Mark says that immediately after the Holy Spirit filled Jesus, the devil took Jesus out to the desert. While Jesus is out there for forty days, He eats nothing. When the devil comes to tempt Jesus, Jesus is very hungry. The devil tells Jesus to turn a stone into bread, but Jesus quotes Scripture against the devil. This example is one reason it is important to memorize Scripture. When life comes to tempt you, throw Scripture at it not only to put it at bay but also to remind yourself what you need to do and who you serve. Next, the devil shows Jesus great kingdoms and tells Him that the kingdoms are under the devil's command, and if Jesus bows down to him, the devil will hand them over to Jesus. Jesus remembers He only bows down to God, and He uses Scripture again against the devil. Another interesting note about this part is that the world is the devil's domain. He has command over the things of this world, and that is why Paul says that when we have our Salvation, we are no longer part of this world. Jesus breaks the devil's hold on us, and we are Jesus' domain. This is why immediately after baptism, the tempting becomes the worst, even for Jesus. After we are filled with the Holy Spirit, the devil comes trying to break that bond, but we must remember that God is stronger, and God is our strength. We must remember the promise we made Him that He is the only one we will worship. No other name shall be higher than His. Finally, the devil takes Jesus to the top of a temple and tells Him to jump because Scripture says the angels will come and protect Him. That's right. The devil knows Scripture, and he will take it out of context and out of place to tempt us. Jesus uses a different Scripture against the devil saying that we should not tempt or test God. Luke says that the devil tempted Jesus in every way but did not succeed. He left Jesus until another time. The devil won't leave you alone after round one. He will be after you as long as you stand with God. If you have no struggles with sin in your life, that means you are already in the devil's pocket.
Jesus traveled around teaching in synagogues for a while. Then, He returned home. On the day of worship, He went to the synagogue and read Scripture. He read from Isaiah where the prophet speaks of one who has the Spirit of the Lord to tell Good News. He is sent to heal and forgive. Then, Jesus closed the book and handed it back to the attendent. Everyone watched Him, so He told them that the passage came true on the day they heard Him read it. The people were amazed. They asked each other if that was Joseph's son. Jesus told them that prophets are always rejected in their hometowns. Elijah lived in a time of many widows, but God sent Elijah to a widow outside of Israel. Elisha lived in a time of skin disease, but God only used him the cure a Syrian. This made the people in the synagogue angry, so they took Jesus to the edge of the cliff, where they intended to throw Him over, but He simply walked past them because it wasn't His time. Everything has to happen according to God's time, and if it looks like it's not, God will fix it so that it stays on track. Jesus knew this, so He spoke the truth to the people, and God blessed Him for it.
Jesus spoke in a synagogue on a day of worship when a demon possessed man came up to Him and asked Him what He wanted. The demon said he knew who Jesus was and called Him the Holy One. Jesus ordered the demon to stay quiet and leave the man. Then, it happened, and the man remained unharmed. The people who witnessed this were amazed that Jesus could give a command to a demon, and the demon would obey. News about Jesus spread to nearby villages.
Jesus went to Simon's (who later becomes Peter) house. There, he sees Simon's sick mother-in-law. The family asked Jesus to help her, and He cured her. She got up and made a meal for them. Then, everybody brought their sick to Jesus to be healed. The faith of Simon's family is amazing because they may have heard stories from the nearby regions, but Jesus had not been in action where they lived yet. Still, they had faith that He could heal the sick. Then, as soon as the woman is better, she gets up and serves Jesus. That is what we all should do. When we find our salvation, and Jesus brings us to life, we should immediately serve Him. Later, demons come to Jesus and shout that He is the Son of God, but Jesus commands them to be silent.
In the morning, Jesus went to be alone. It is important to be alone with just God. It refreshes the soul. Then, the people searched for Him. When they found Him, they tried to keep Him from leaving, but He told them He had to go spread the Good News in other cities.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Luke 3
I've already done Luke 1 and 2 around last Christmas because they are the Christmas story. So we pick up with Chapter 3: http://www.esvbible.org/Luke+3/
God called John the Baptist to begin telling people the Messiah was coming and to teach about repentance. Repentance is simply the act of changing your actions or thoughts. God wanted wicked people to abandon their wicked ways and do what pleases God. John traveled the desert, and many people thought he was crazy. Others thought that he could be the Messiah, but he guaranteed them that the Messiah was far more powerful. John baptized with water as a symbol of cleansing the wicked ways away. Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit. He literally lays the Holy Spirit upon you. John says he is unfit to untie the Messiah's sandal. As we see later, we are all unworthy of what the Messiah does for us. While spreading the Good News of what would come to the people, John also warned that the Messiah was preparing for judgement. He would separate those who accepted salvation from those who didn't and keep those who did in His Kingdom while throwing those who didn't into the eternal fire. All sorts of people came to John. Tax collectors, who were considered the most sinful, came to John and asked him what they should do. He told them to only take the money they were required to take. Soldiers asked the same question to John the Baptist, and John answered that they should take their pay and not blackmail others for money. John begins preaching the message of love that Jesus will expand upon. John the Baptist criticized Herod, the ruler of the region because Herod married his own sister-in-law. Herod also did many other evil things, and according to Luke, added one more evil deed to his list when he locked John the Baptist in jail.
Jesus went to John the Baptist to be baptized just like the people. As He prayed, the Holy Spirit came down upon Him, and a voice said, "This is my Son. I am pleased with you." At this point, God openly calls Jesus His Son, and Jesus begins His ministry. He was thirty years old. If your opportunity to serve God in big ways hasn't come yet, do not be discouraged. We are missing almost all the information from Jesus' life from the time He was born until He's thirty, and He's the most important person ever to serve God.
Luke traces the lineage of Jesus back through David, back through Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham, all the way back to Adam. That's pretty cool!
God called John the Baptist to begin telling people the Messiah was coming and to teach about repentance. Repentance is simply the act of changing your actions or thoughts. God wanted wicked people to abandon their wicked ways and do what pleases God. John traveled the desert, and many people thought he was crazy. Others thought that he could be the Messiah, but he guaranteed them that the Messiah was far more powerful. John baptized with water as a symbol of cleansing the wicked ways away. Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit. He literally lays the Holy Spirit upon you. John says he is unfit to untie the Messiah's sandal. As we see later, we are all unworthy of what the Messiah does for us. While spreading the Good News of what would come to the people, John also warned that the Messiah was preparing for judgement. He would separate those who accepted salvation from those who didn't and keep those who did in His Kingdom while throwing those who didn't into the eternal fire. All sorts of people came to John. Tax collectors, who were considered the most sinful, came to John and asked him what they should do. He told them to only take the money they were required to take. Soldiers asked the same question to John the Baptist, and John answered that they should take their pay and not blackmail others for money. John begins preaching the message of love that Jesus will expand upon. John the Baptist criticized Herod, the ruler of the region because Herod married his own sister-in-law. Herod also did many other evil things, and according to Luke, added one more evil deed to his list when he locked John the Baptist in jail.
Jesus went to John the Baptist to be baptized just like the people. As He prayed, the Holy Spirit came down upon Him, and a voice said, "This is my Son. I am pleased with you." At this point, God openly calls Jesus His Son, and Jesus begins His ministry. He was thirty years old. If your opportunity to serve God in big ways hasn't come yet, do not be discouraged. We are missing almost all the information from Jesus' life from the time He was born until He's thirty, and He's the most important person ever to serve God.
Luke traces the lineage of Jesus back through David, back through Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham, all the way back to Adam. That's pretty cool!
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Philemon
Fun fact about the Letter to Philemon: while it may only be 25 verses long, it helped abolish slavery 1800 years after it was written. http://www.esvbible.org/Philemon/
Paul again opens his letter by identifying himself as its author and addressing it to Philemon and Philemon's sister. The church at Colossae, where the letter to the Colossians was written, met in Philemon's house.
Paul says that he is thankful for Philemon because Philemon has a pure heart and is able to extend the love of Christ. He has remained faithful to the work the God set out before him. Paul prays that Philemon will have an even deeper understanding of the blessings we receive from Christ. So often, we overlook things that Christ has done for us. Sometimes, as the old expression goes, we need to "stop and smell the flowers." Philemon is a comforter to God's people. Comforters are very important in the body of Christ because as another expression goes, "God gave you two ears but only one mouth." We need to be there and listen to what troubles other believers.
The main point of this letter is that Paul asks Philemon to free his runaway slave Onesimus, whose name literally means "useful." Onesimus ran away from Philemon, his owner, and found Paul in prison. He eventually accepted Christ as his Savior. Then, he and Paul became friends. He wants to help Paul spread the Good News since Paul is in jail and can't travel around. Paul desires this greatly, but he does not want to hurt his relationship with Philemon, so he sends Onesimus back to Philemon with this letter beseeching him to free Onesimus. He says that Philemon must see Onesimus's value as a person and a Christian. This part could have gone to freeing the slaves in 1865 because slave owners at that time did not view their slaves as people. Paul says that he can even see Onesimus staying with Philemon forever as a brother instead of a slave. He brings up that God wants Paul to command Philemon to do what is right, but Paul knows the best way to to that for Philemon is through an appeal of love. Paul also says that Philemon owes Paul his life, but Paul says he doesn't want to use that because he knows Philemon will see what the right thing to do is. Paul tells Philemon that if he considers himself a partner to Paul, he should treat Onesimus as he would treat Paul. We later see that Philemon must have obeyed because Onesimus serves in the church at Colossae in Colossians. Finally, Paul tells Philemon to prepare the guest rooms because he knows that the people's prayers will free him, and he will be able to visit.
Paul closes the letter with some greetings from fellow Christian prisoners.
Paul again opens his letter by identifying himself as its author and addressing it to Philemon and Philemon's sister. The church at Colossae, where the letter to the Colossians was written, met in Philemon's house.
Paul says that he is thankful for Philemon because Philemon has a pure heart and is able to extend the love of Christ. He has remained faithful to the work the God set out before him. Paul prays that Philemon will have an even deeper understanding of the blessings we receive from Christ. So often, we overlook things that Christ has done for us. Sometimes, as the old expression goes, we need to "stop and smell the flowers." Philemon is a comforter to God's people. Comforters are very important in the body of Christ because as another expression goes, "God gave you two ears but only one mouth." We need to be there and listen to what troubles other believers.
The main point of this letter is that Paul asks Philemon to free his runaway slave Onesimus, whose name literally means "useful." Onesimus ran away from Philemon, his owner, and found Paul in prison. He eventually accepted Christ as his Savior. Then, he and Paul became friends. He wants to help Paul spread the Good News since Paul is in jail and can't travel around. Paul desires this greatly, but he does not want to hurt his relationship with Philemon, so he sends Onesimus back to Philemon with this letter beseeching him to free Onesimus. He says that Philemon must see Onesimus's value as a person and a Christian. This part could have gone to freeing the slaves in 1865 because slave owners at that time did not view their slaves as people. Paul says that he can even see Onesimus staying with Philemon forever as a brother instead of a slave. He brings up that God wants Paul to command Philemon to do what is right, but Paul knows the best way to to that for Philemon is through an appeal of love. Paul also says that Philemon owes Paul his life, but Paul says he doesn't want to use that because he knows Philemon will see what the right thing to do is. Paul tells Philemon that if he considers himself a partner to Paul, he should treat Onesimus as he would treat Paul. We later see that Philemon must have obeyed because Onesimus serves in the church at Colossae in Colossians. Finally, Paul tells Philemon to prepare the guest rooms because he knows that the people's prayers will free him, and he will be able to visit.
Paul closes the letter with some greetings from fellow Christian prisoners.
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