This is the second of two lessons on Chapter 16. The message of the chapter, told in two parables and a showdown with the Pharisees, is that the disciple of Christ must use the temporary resources of this sinful world to affect eternity. The believer is a steward of what he has and knows the […]
The message of Chapter 16, told in two parables and a showdown with the Pharisees, is that the disciple of Christ must use the temporary resources of this sinful world to affect eternity. The believer is a steward of what he has and knows the rewards of this life are finite, thus it makes no […]
Chapter 15 illustrates the two sides of Jesus’ ministry. On the one side are the sinners and tax collectors – the deplorables of society – who are attracted by Jesus’ compassion and teaching of forgiveness. On the other are the religious leaders – the elite of society – who are threatened by Jesus and horrified […]
Jesus’ approach to ministry is unconventional to say the least. In this passage He notices the huge crowds that follow Him and decides to winnow their numbers by giving them a sobering picture of discipleship. His sales pitch to them is, “Follow Me and your life will be really hard.” It’s not exactly a hard […]
The first 24 verses of this chapter all revolve around a meal. There are four vignettes in this passage, but all take place during a dinner at the house of a prominent Pharisee. Jesus uses the setting to point to a truth that’s repeated throughout Luke and all the gospels: self-righteousness and its associated spiritual […]
There is no reason to be a hypocrite. That’s the overarching message of the first twelve verses of Luke 12. Hypocrites are hypocrites because they care about themselves and the opinions of others more than they care about God, His love, or His judgment. And while there are dire ramifications to this kind of duplicity […]
This is the second awkward meal involving Jesus and a Pharisee that Luke records. Before (7:36-50), the meal was dinner. In this text, it’s lunch. Regardless of the time of day, it’s pretty much a given that planning a get-together around food for Jesus and a Pharisee is not going to end well. In both […]
American presidential elections are amazing, aren’t they? They truly are unique in the world. No other country on earth has election seasons that last as long, consume as much money, or dominate as much media as ours do. Our campaigns last the better part of a year and seem to go on forever. They divide […]
A merciful and miraculous act by Jesus causes the Jewish religious leaders to show the worst side of their unbelief. What should be a cause for celebration instead triggers blasphemy and arrogant demands. How Jesus answers these sinful reactions teaches us much about the evil of the human heart, the dangers of self-righteousness, the choice […]
Luke does not record the Sermon on the Mount in its entirety as Matthew does. He spreads the teaching throughout the book and highlights different teaching at different points. In this passage, he records what Jesus says about prayer as found in Matthew 6, but takes a slightly different approach and adds to it a […]
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