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Section Introduction
Matthew 19; 20; Mark 10; Luke 12:13–19:27

The first section of the study of the Gospels in chronological order covers the pre-arrival, arrival, and pre-public ministry of Jesus.

Section Two walks through the ministry of John the Baptist; the baptism, temptation, and early ministry of Jesus; the calling of the disciples; the first public miracle; the cleansing of the temple; conflict with religious leaders; and the sermon on the plain.

Section Three focuses on the Beatitudes, wherein Jesus provides a wide range of teaching for the righteous Christian.

Section Four covers passages where Jesus in His travels teaches on a number of topics, many of which are reviewed in prior sections of this series.

Section Five reviews Jesus' continuing pattern of miracles and teaching and His use of many parables, explaining their vexing purpose to His disciples.

In Section Six Jesus raises the level of challenge to His followers, uses continued healing and miracles to illustrate the power in His message, hears of the execution of John, and explains the meaning of the bread of life.

Section Seven covers the feeding of the four thousand, the demand for a sign, the yeast of religious leaders, Peter's confession, predictions of Jesus' death and resurrection, the call to discipleship, the transfiguration, the disciples concerns regarding who is the greatest, rejection in Samaria, challenging professed followers, the disciples failure to heal, and who is on Jesus' side.

Section Eight revisits past teachings and focuses on some notable new material, including Jesus as the Good Shepherd and the Parable of the Good Samaritan.

This ninth section will cover passages including Jesus speaking on divorce, the third prediction of Jesus' sacrifice, and several parables.

Sunday

Luke 12:13–13:35

The Parable of the Rich Landowner

12:13 Then someone from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 12:14 But Jesus said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator between you two?” 12:15 Then he said to them, “Watch out and guard yourself from all types of greed, because one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 12:16 He then told them a parable: “The land of a certain rich man produced an abundant crop, 12:17 so he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 12:18 Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 12:19 And I will say to myself, “You have plenty of goods stored up for many years; relax, eat, drink, celebrate!”’ 12:20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded back from you, but who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ 12:21 So it is with the one who stores up riches for himself, but is not rich toward God.”

Exhortation Not to Worry

12:22 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. 12:23 For there is more to life than food, and more to the body than clothing. 12:24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn, yet God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than the birds! 12:25 And which of you by worrying can add an hour to his life? 12:26 So if you cannot do such a very little thing as this, why do you worry about the rest? 12:27 Consider how the flowers grow; they do not work or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these! 12:28 And if this is how God clothes the wild grass, which is here today and tomorrow is tossed into the fire to heat the oven, how much more will he clothe you, you people of little faith! 12:29 So do not be overly concerned about what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not worry about such things. 12:30 For all the nations of the world pursue these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 12:31 Instead, pursue his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

12:32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is well pleased to give you the kingdom. 12:33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide yourselves purses that do not wear out – a treasure in heaven that never decreases, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 12:34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Call to Faithful Stewardship

12:35 “Get dressed for service and keep your lamps burning; 12:36 be like people waiting for their master to come back from the wedding celebration, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 12:37 Blessed are those slaves whom their master finds alert when he returns! I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, have them take their place at the table, and will come and wait on them! 12:38 Even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night and finds them alert, blessed are those slaves! 12:39 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 12:40 You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

12:41 Then Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for everyone?” 12:42 The Lord replied, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his household servants, to give them their allowance of food at the proper time? 12:43 Blessed is that slave whom his master finds at work when he returns. 12:44 I tell you the truth, the master will put him in charge of all his possessions. 12:45 But if that slave should say to himself, ‘My master is delayed in returning,’ and he begins to beat the other slaves, both men and women, and to eat, drink, and get drunk, 12:46 then the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not foresee, and will cut him in two, and assign him a place with the unfaithful. 12:47 That servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or do what his master asked will receive a severe beating. 12:48 But the one who did not know his master’s will and did things worthy of punishment will receive a light beating. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required, and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be asked.

Not Peace, but Division

12:49 “I have come to bring fire on the earth – and how I wish it were already kindled! 12:50 I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is finished! 12:51 Do you think I have come to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! 12:52 For from now on there will be five in one household divided, three against two and two against three. 12:53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

Reading the Signs

12:54 Jesus also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A rainstorm is coming,’ and it does. 12:55 And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and there is. 12:56 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how can you not know how to interpret the present time?

Clear the Debts

12:57 “And why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? 12:58 As you are going with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, so that he will not drag you before the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. 12:59 I tell you, you will never get out of there until you have paid the very last cent!”

A Call to Repent

13:1 Now there were some present on that occasion who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 13:2 He answered them, “Do you think these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered these things? 13:3 No, I tell you! But unless you repent, you will all perish as well! 13:4 Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower in Siloam fell on them, do you think they were worse offenders than all the others who live in Jerusalem? 13:5 No, I tell you! But unless you repent you will all perish as well!”

Warning to Israel to Bear Fruit

13:6 Then Jesus told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. 13:7 So he said to the worker who tended the vineyard, ‘For three years now, I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and each time I inspect it I find none. Cut it down! Why should it continue to deplete the soil?’ 13:8 But the worker answered him, ‘Sir, leave it alone this year too, until I dig around it and put fertilizer on it. 13:9 Then if it bears fruit next year, very well, but if not, you can cut it down.’”

Healing on the Sabbath

13:10 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath, 13:11 and a woman was there who had been disabled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten herself up completely. 13:12 When Jesus saw her, he called her to him and said, “Woman, you are freed from your infirmity.” 13:13 Then he placed his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. 13:14 But the president of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the crowd, “There are six days on which work should be done! So come and be healed on those days, and not on the Sabbath day.” 13:15 Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from its stall, and lead it to water? 13:16 Then shouldn’t this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be released from this imprisonment on the Sabbath day?” 13:17 When he said this all his adversaries were humiliated, but the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things he was doing.

On the Kingdom of God

13:18 Thus Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? To what should I compare it? 13:19 It is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the wild birds nested in its branches.”

13:20 Again he said, “To what should I compare the kingdom of God? 13:21 It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of flour until all the dough had risen.”

The Narrow Door

13:22 Then Jesus traveled throughout towns and villages, teaching and making his way toward Jerusalem. 13:23 Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” So he said to them, 13:24 “Exert every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 13:25 Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, then you will stand outside and start to knock on the door and beg him, ‘Lord, let us in!’ But he will answer you, ‘I don’t know where you come from.’ 13:26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 13:27 But he will reply, ‘I don’t know where you come from! Go away from me, all you evildoers!’ 13:28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves thrown out. 13:29 Then people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and take their places at the banquet table in the kingdom of God. 13:30 But indeed, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

Going to Jerusalem

13:31 At that time, some Pharisees came up and said to Jesus, “Get away from here, because Herod wants to kill you.” 13:32 But he said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Look, I am casting out demons and performing healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will complete my work. 13:33 Nevertheless I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the next day, because it is impossible that a prophet should be killed outside Jerusalem.’ 13:34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would have none of it! 13:35 Look, your house is forsaken! And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

Prayer

Lord, those who are inclined toward truth will always recognize You, and those who are stiff-necked and resistant to truth will always resist You. May I be found to be inclined toward truth, so that You may teach and transform me.

Commentary

A man, worried that he was not getting as much from the estate of his father as his brother, challenged Jesus to intervene. Jesus rebuked him with a warning and a parable illustrating that ones priorities must be for the things of God and not the things of man.

The disciples are worried about clothing, food, and other worldly things. Jesus reminds them that if they will only focus on the Kingdom, their Father in Heaven will meet all of their lesser needs.

Jesus utilizes a combative-natured parable in His teaching about faithful stewardship. His challenge is that we should always be “dressed for service” (12:35), not in fancy and fine clothes, but ready to serve at the call of the Master. His disciples ask to whom He is speaking; He answers, essentially, all Believers. The parable describes severe consequences for a deliberately neglectful and rebellious “servant who knew his masters will but did not get ready” (12:47).

Jesus encourages them to be constantly ready and informs that, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be required, and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be asked” (12:48).

Jesus reminds that the consequence of His ministry will be a refining fire, and warns that when some accept Him there will be resultant conflict in both families and neighborhoods. Jesus did not look forward to what He would soon willingly suffer in order to provide for our salvation or to the division it would generate among the people; rather, He longed for the day when His work would kindle fire.

He challenges them that their discernment of physical things, such as the weather, is good, but that they lack discernment of spiritual things.

Jesus cautions a Believer not to drag a fellow Believer before an unsaved magistrate, lest the accuser be accused of something as well. His counsel is to rather work it out along the way.

Jesus calls upon all to repent of their rebellion against the Lord God, no matter the circumstances surrounding their rebellion. One must repent of denying God Lordship in their lives, or they will not gain salvation.

Jesus specifically uses two events of that time to make His point:

1. Pilate mixes the blood of Galalians with the sacrifices of the people; the

superstitious belief of the people is that in so doing they are cursed. Jesus assures

that the practice of Pilate is irrelevant to the standing of the Galalians before God.

2. Eighteen people die when a wall in Siloam falls on them; the superstitious belief is

that they are somehow cursed or otherwise evil and that is why it happened. Jesus

denies this to be true.

All need to repent if they want to be saved — nothing else matters.

Jesus uses the parable of a fig tree to illustrate His expectation that Israel must bear fruit else be abandoned by God. He offers the “fertilizer” (13:8) of His ministry and teaching, but if they refuse to accept their Messiah's care and pruning, and there is no longer any hope of their bearing fruit, then they are fit only to be cut down.

Jesus heals a woman on the Sabbath, creating a teachable moment. The arrogant and legalistic religious leaders condemn Him for violating their no-work-on-the-Sabbath rule. Jesus challenges them that they water their donkeys on the Sabbath yet condemn Him for healing a man—the woman's bondage of infirmity being lifted on the Sabbath is improper “work” (13:14), but watering their donkeys is not? "You hypocrites!" (13:15), Jesus declares.

Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed from which a plant grows and becomes attractive to many and likens faith to a small amount of yeast mixed with flour (the world) from which the Kingdom of God is "risen" (13:21).

Jesus warns the Jews to make a decision for Him before the opportunity, also made to non-Jews, is missed — there is a deadline for everyone. He closes with a plea to Jerusalem [rhetorically, all Believers] that He, speaking for God, has “longed to gather your children together … but you would have none of it!” (13:34) — thus they condemn themselves via rebellion.

Interaction

Consider

Do the things about which we worry sometimes become more important in our minds than the things of God?

Discuss

How is the ministry of our day-to-day life attractive to the unsaved, so that the Holy Spirit may use us to draw, save, and disciple many and grow the Kingdom?

Reflect

Do we Christians sometimes entrust the resolution of matters of conflict between two Believers to an unbeliever? Does that make any sense?

Share

When have you worried about something so much that it interfered with your relationship with others and with the Lord God?

Faith in Action

Prayer

Ask the Holy Spirit to make you aware of at least one circumstance, need, relationship, or want about which you worry.

Action

Today I will confess at least one thing about which I worry unnecessarily, and I will surrender that in trust to the Lord. I will ask a fellow Believer to pray in agreement with me for the strength to not return to that worry. My prayer is that doing so will be evident to someone in the world, and that I will be attractive as a worry-free Christian and that not worrying will free me to serve.

Be Specific _______________________________________________________

Monday

Luke 14–15

Healing Again on the Sabbath

14:1 Now one Sabbath when Jesus went to dine at the house of a leader of the Pharisees, they were watching him closely. 14:2 There right in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy. 14:3 So Jesus asked the experts in religious law and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” 14:4 But they remained silent. So Jesus took hold of the man, healed him, and sent him away. 14:5 Then he said to them, “Which of you, if you have a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” 14:6 But they could not reply to this.

On Seeking Seats of Honor

14:7 Then when Jesus noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. He said to them, 14:8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, because a person more distinguished than you may have been invited by your host. 14:9 So the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this man your place.’ Then, ashamed, you will begin to move to the least important place. 14:10 But when you are invited, go and take the least important place, so that when your host approaches he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up here to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who share the meal with you. 14:11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

14:12 He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you host a dinner or a banquet, don’t invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors so you can be invited by them in return and get repaid. 14:13 But when you host an elaborate meal, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14:14 Then you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

The Parable of the Great Banquet

14:15 When one of those at the meal with Jesus heard this, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will feast in the kingdom of God!” 14:16 But Jesus said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many guests. 14:17 At the time for the banquet he sent his slave to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.’ 14:18 But one after another they all began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please excuse me.’ 14:19 Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going out to examine them. Please excuse me.’ 14:20 Another said, ‘I just got married, and I cannot come.’ 14:21 So the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the master of the household was furious and said to his slave, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ 14:22 Then the slave said, ‘Sir, what you instructed has been done, and there is still room.’ 14:23 So the master said to his slave, ‘Go out to the highways and country roads and urge people to come in, so that my house will be filled. 14:24 For I tell you, not one of those individuals who were invited will taste my banquet!’”

Counting the Cost

14:25 Now large crowds were accompanying Jesus, and turning to them he said, 14:26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 14:27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 14:28 For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t sit down first and compute the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 14:29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish the tower, all who see it will begin to make fun of him. 14:30 They will say, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish!’ 14:31 Or what king, going out to confront another king in battle, will not sit down first and determine whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 14:32 If he cannot succeed, he will send a representative while the other is still a long way off and ask for terms of peace. 14:33 In the same way therefore not one of you can be my disciple if he does not renounce all his own possessions.

14:34 “Salt is good, but if salt loses its flavor, how can its flavor be restored? 14:35 It is of no value for the soil or for the manure pile; it is to be thrown out. The one who has ears to hear had better listen!”

The Parable of the Lost Sheep and Coin

15:1 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming to hear him. 15:2 But the Pharisees and the experts in the law were complaining, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

15:3 So Jesus told them this parable: 15:4 “Which one of you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go look for the one that is lost until he finds it? 15:5 Then when he has found it, he places it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 15:6 Returning home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, telling them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 15:7 I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to repent.

15:8 “Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search thoroughly until she finds it? 15:9 Then when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 15:10 In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”

The Parable of the Compassionate Father

15:11 Then Jesus said, “A man had two sons. 15:12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that will belong to me.’ So he divided his assets between them. 15:13 After a few days, the younger son gathered together all he had and left on a journey to a distant country, and there he squandered his wealth with a wild lifestyle. 15:14 Then after he had spent everything, a severe famine took place in that country, and he began to be in need. 15:15 So he went and worked for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 15:16 He was longing to eat the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 15:17 But when he came to his senses he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have food enough to spare, but here I am dying from hunger! 15:18 I will get up and go to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 15:19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired workers.”’ 15:20 So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way from home his father saw him, and his heart went out to him; he ran and hugged his son and kissed him. 15:21 Then his son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 15:22 But the father said to his slaves, ‘Hurry! Bring the best robe, and put it on him! Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet! 15:23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it! Let us eat and celebrate, 15:24 because this son of mine was dead, and is alive again – he was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.

15:25 “Now his older son was in the field. As he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 15:26 So he called one of the slaves and asked what was happening. 15:27 The slave replied, ‘Your brother has returned, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he got his son back safe and sound.’ 15:28 But the older son became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and appealed to him, 15:29 but he answered his father, ‘Look! These many years I have worked like a slave for you, and I never disobeyed your commands. Yet you never gave me even a goat so that I could celebrate with my friends! 15:30 But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your assets with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 15:31 Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and everything that belongs to me is yours. 15:32 It was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost and is found.’”

Prayer

Lord, You have made Yourself known to me, and You have made Your priorities clear. May I use the wisdom I receive from the Holy Spirit to recognize You in my world and to make Your priorities mine.

Commentary

Jesus heals as He has before on the Sabbath, but the religious leaders remain silent this time. They are twice challenged by Jesus to respond to what He did and said in justification of what he did. He then challenges them to be humble and to illustrate humility by taking seats of lesser importance, inviting the needy to their special events, and being genuine in their caring. He notes that those who are humble and care for the needy will be blessed at the resurrection, the corollary being that the arrogant and selfish will not.

In the Parable of the Great Banquet, Jesus makes the point that the nation of Israel (those on the initial guest list) refuse to respond to His invitation (for salvation) so He invites anyone and everyone to come — those who refuse His invitation will suffer the consequences. He warns Believers that when we make excuses for our living too much in the world — neglecting our time in His Word, failing to pray, missing fellowship and worship — then we are missing the banquet of blessing He has for us.

Jesus challenges those who might follow Him to “compute [count] the cost” (14:28) to carry the cross of discipleship. He reminds them that they need to be prepared to lose everything in the world, indeed voluntarily abandon it all as a condition of true salvation, and allow Him to choose what He restores to them.

Jesus shares the parables of the one lost sheep and the one lost coin to make the point that God cares about each unique person saved from sin, and there is "joy in the presence of God's angels over one sinner who repents" (15:10).

The parable of the compassionate father, also known as the parable of the prodigal son, focuses on the father (God) and not the son (rebellious man). The point is that, despite the horrific selfishness of a son wishing his father an early death so he could have his inheritance and the son's demeaning sinful waste of those resources, the father humbles himself to run and greet his lost son. The father sacrifices to celebrate his son's return home. The older son's jealousy of the younger presents a teachable moment: Jesus explains that God does not reward merely those who come to Him easily, but He celebrates with those who come down a more difficult road.

Interaction

Consider

God, Who humbled Himself to come in the form of man so that He could redeem man, continues to love and offer redemption despite thousands of years of man's disrespect and wasted resources.

Discuss

How do traditional gatherings of Believers (involving buildings, staff, budgets, and traditions) breed competition for title and position or encourage adulation and opportunistic behavior?

Reflect

Jesus affirms the general nature of God's invitation to salvation: there are no favorites or undue respect given for a predetermined list of names, family lines, gender, or denomination. All are invited and welcomed, but one must choose to accept the invitation.

Share

Does the way that you present the message of salvation to others include the clear understanding that everything, including ones free will, must be surrendered for their salvation to be genuine?

Faith in Action

Prayer

Ask the Holy Spirit to search you for any place where you are holding back anything from His Lordship

Action

Today I will pause to celebrate a loving God Who, despite a Creation in rebellion against its Creator, loves us so much that He chooses to forgive and welcome us Home. I will surrender any place where I am holding back anything from His Lordship, understanding that everything I have and everything I am belongs to Him.

Be Specific _______________________________________________________

Tuesday

Luke 16–17:19

The Parable of the Clever Steward

16:1 Jesus also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who was informed of accusations that his manager was wasting his assets. 16:2 So he called the manager in and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Turn in the account of your administration, because you can no longer be my manager.’ 16:3 Then the manager said to himself, ‘What should I do, since my master is taking my position away from me? I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m too ashamed to beg. 16:4 I know what to do so that when I am put out of management, people will welcome me into their homes.’ 16:5 So he contacted his master’s debtors one by one. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 16:6 The man replied, ‘A hundred measures of olive oil.’ The manager said to him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and write fifty.’ 16:7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ The second man replied, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ The manager said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ 16:8 The master commended the dishonest manager because he acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their contemporaries than the people of light. 16:9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by how you use worldly wealth, so that when it runs out you will be welcomed into the eternal homes.

16:10 “The one who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and the one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 16:11 If then you haven’t been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will entrust you with the true riches? 16:12 And if you haven’t been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you your own? 16:13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

More Warnings about the Pharisees

16:14 The Pharisees (who loved money) heard all this and ridiculed him. 16:15 But Jesus said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in men’s eyes, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly prized among men is utterly detestable in God’s sight.

16:16 “The law and the prophets were in force until John; since then, the good news of the kingdom of God has been proclaimed, and everyone is urged to enter it. 16:17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tiny stroke of a letter in the law to become void.

16:18 “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery, and the one who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.

The Rich Man and Lazarus

16:19 “There was a rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 16:20 But at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus whose body was covered with sores, 16:21 who longed to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. In addition, the dogs came and licked his sores.

16:22 “Now the poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 16:23 And in hell, as he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far off with Lazarus at his side. 16:24 So he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in anguish in this fire.’ 16:25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus likewise bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish. 16:26 Besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us, so that those who want to cross over from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’ 16:27 So the rich man said, ‘Then I beg you, father – send Lazarus to my father’s house 16:28 (for I have five brothers) to warn them so that they don’t come into this place of torment.’ 16:29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they must respond to them.’ 16:30 Then the rich man said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 16:31 He replied to him, ‘If they do not respond to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Sin, Forgiveness, Faith, and Service

17:1 Jesus said to his disciples, “Stumbling blocks are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! 17:2 It would be better for him to have a millstone tied around his neck and be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. 17:3 Watch yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him. 17:4 Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to you saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

17:5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 17:6 So the Lord replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this black mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled out by the roots and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

17:7 “Would any one of you say to your slave who comes in from the field after plowing or shepherding sheep, ‘Come at once and sit down for a meal’? 17:8 Won’t the master instead say to him, ‘Get my dinner ready, and make yourself ready to serve me while I eat and drink. Then you may eat and drink’? 17:9 He won’t thank the slave because he did what he was told, will he? 17:10 So you too, when you have done everything you were commanded to do, should say, ‘We are slaves undeserving of special praise; we have only done what was our duty.’”

The Grateful Leper

17:11 Now on the way to Jerusalem, Jesus was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 17:12 As he was entering a village, ten men with leprosy met him. They stood at a distance, 17:13 raised their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 17:14 When he saw them he said, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went along, they were cleansed. 17:15 Then one of them, when he saw he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. 17:16 He fell with his face to the ground at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. (Now he was a Samaritan.) 17:17 Then Jesus said, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 17:18 Was no one found to turn back and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 17:19 Then he said to the man, “Get up and go your way. Your faith has made you well.”

Prayer

Lord, our healing depends upon Your grace and mercy, which calls for our hearts to be right with You in order that we might become vessels to hold Your healing. May I come to know You better, that I might draw ever nearer to You.

Commentary

Jesus tells the Parable of the Clever Steward to illustrate how the world is impressed by a clever person, even if their skill is used for self-serving and dishonest gain. He then instructs Believers to be clever (wise) and righteous in the use of their worldly resources, so as to earn treasure in Heaven. Either God or money can be a primary priority; they cannot both share a man's heart. The Pharisees “who loved money” (16:14) are rebuked by Jesus, for they are known by God for the “detestable” (vs. 15) priorities of their hearts.

The intent of "The Rich Man and Lazarus" (16:19–31) is not to teach that there is an immediate conscious presence of the dead in Heaven and Hell, nor to instruct that people in both places are aware of or in communication with one another (only a symbolic "Abraham" communicates with the rich man in Hell). The purpose of the parable is otherwise: The rich man, who during his life ignored the suffering of the poor man, is now asking that the poor man be sent from Heaven to give him water and to warn his brothers still on Earth. Abraham describes a “chasm” (16:26) between Heaven and Hell — the rich man's earthly power and wealth are now meaningless, and there is nothing to be done for him.

Jesus reminds His listeners that Moses and the prophets told them everything they needed to know to recognize Him, and that they would fail to be “convinced even if someone rises from the dead” (16:31). In the parable, the poor man Lazarus rises from the dead — in the real world, Jesus is referring to His own imminent death and resurrection.

Jesus reminds of the obligation to forgive one who repents, no matter how often they offend, and He responds to their appeals for greater faith with the illustration of a "mustard seed" (17:6), a tiny amount of faith, displaying much power. He warns that the obedient should not expect praise for merely doing as they are told.

Jesus heals a group of ten lepers; only the Samaritan, none of the Jews among them, returns to give thanks. The nine Jews are healed of their leprosy, the Samaritan healed of leprosy and saved as well — “Your faith has made you well” (17:19).

Interaction

Consider

Those who fail to listen to God miss even the most profound of miracles, such as the resurrection of Jesus.

Discuss

What appears to have priority in the hearts of most people, God or money (or other things of this world)?

Reflect

God may heal an illness, but lacking faith-driven gratefulness and failing to acknowledge Who the Healer is, He may not give the gift of salvation. [Note: This applies to the not-yet-saved person not the saved. The saved person misses out only on receiving earthly blessings, their salvation remains intact.]

Share

When have you experienced false forgiveness, either the receiving or offering of? ("False," because forgiveness is predicated upon confession and repentance, a turning-away from the sin, and does not rely merely on someone's disingenuous request for forgiveness absent true repentance.)

Faith in Action

Prayer

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart, schedule, and checkbook for signs of where your priorities truly are.

Action

Today I will prayerfully join the Holy Spirit in searching my heart for where my priorities lie and make the necessary adjustments to assure that they are with God in an unshared first place. I will also partner with a fellow Believer to prayerfully identify a gift from God for which I have not been truly grateful, and I will pause to give thanks from a faith-driven heart of gratefulness.

Be Specific _______________________________________________________

Wednesday

Luke 17:20–18:14

The Coming of the Kingdom

17:20 Now at one point the Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God was coming, so he answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, 17:21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

The Coming of the Son of Man

17:22 Then he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 17:23 Then people will say to you, ‘Look, there he is!’ or ‘Look, here he is!’ Do not go out or chase after them. 17:24 For just like the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. 17:25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 17:26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so too it will be in the days of the Son of Man. 17:27 People were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage – right up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. 17:28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot, people were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building; 17:29 but on the day Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. 17:30 It will be the same on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 17:31 On that day, anyone who is on the roof, with his goods in the house, must not come down to take them away, and likewise the person in the field must not turn back. 17:32 Remember Lot’s wife! 17:33 Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it. 17:34 I tell you, in that night there will be two people in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 17:35 There will be two women grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.”

17:36 [[EMPTY]]

17:37 Then the disciples said to him, “Where, Lord?” He replied to them, “Where the dead body is, there the vultures will gather.”

Prayer and the Parable of the Persistent Widow

18:1 Then Jesus told them a parable to show them they should always pray and not lose heart. 18:2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected people. 18:3 There was also a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 18:4 For a while he refused, but later on he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor have regard for people, 18:5 yet because this widow keeps on bothering me, I will give her justice, or in the end she will wear me out by her unending pleas.’” 18:6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge says! 18:7 Won’t God give justice to his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he delay long to help them? 18:8 I tell you, he will give them justice speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

The Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector

18:9 Jesus also told this parable to some who were confident that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else. 18:10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself like this: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: extortionists, unrighteous people, adulterers – or even like this tax collector. 18:12 I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’ 18:13 The tax collector, however, stood far off and would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, be merciful to me, sinner that I am!’ 18:14 I tell you that this man went down to his home justified rather than the Pharisee. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Prayer

Lord, You will return at the time of Your choosing, we need not be distracted with worry about that. May I focus today on Your presence and Your call upon my life, leaving what is Yours alone to decide to You.

Commentary

Jesus is challenged by religious leaders to describe when the Kingdom of God will come. His reply is that it is “in your midst” (Luke 17:21). [Note: NET translator notes inform that another possible translation would be "in your grasp."]

Responding to His disciples questions regarding His return to establish His eternal Kingdom, Jesus reminds them of the Old Testament judgment of Noah and the destruction of Sodom. He advises them that “like the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to another” (17:24), so will be His return — everyone will see it and know Who and what it is.

Jesus continues to explain that some will be taken at that moment and others left behind. Jesus' reference to dead bodies and vultures illustrates the Wrath of God.

The most common views of the last days of the End Times, especially as they address the Rapture, the Tribulation, and the Wrath, include the teachings of:

1. No Tribulation (The whole concept is said to be rhetorical and not intended to be taken literally.)

2. Pre-Tribulation Rapture of Believers (No Believer suffers through the tribulation.)

3. Mid-Tribulation Rapture (The specific beliefs are somewhat unclear.)

4. Pre-Wrath Rapture (The tribulation, endured by Believers and unbelievers alike, is the last-chance for those considering Christ to commit, for those who remain stiff-necked to harden their position, and for Believers to be instruments of the harvest — then immediately prior to God pouring out his Wrath on those who rejected Him, Believers are raptured.)

The Parable of the Persistent Widow and the unrighteous judge is how Jesus segues to His teaching that Believers need to be faithful and enduring when crying out to God for comfort and provision, strength and wisdom as we await His return — He will be faithful to provide.

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector is used by Jesus to remind us to be discrete and humble in our giving and our petitions, not boasting about ourselves in contrast to those we misperceive as lesser, unless we want God to humble us.

Interaction

Consider

When Jesus returns everyone will know at once — Believers will be raptured and the Wrath of God will be poured out on unbelievers.

Discuss

Are we aware that the Holy Spirit is the presence of the Kingdom of God within every Believer? Do we know that we are to remind the unsaved around us that God is inviting them to become part of His Kingdom on Earth and they should do so, despite the discomforting disapproval of Satan (and his earthly helpers)?

Reflect

There are many different, and often incompatible, teachings about the last days of these End Times (the period between the ascension of Jesus to His throne in Heaven and His triumphant return to judge and to redeem). Therefore, to avoid being unnecessarily confused, Christians might best concern themselves with maintaining their faith in both word and deed, ready to be taken to God whenever He calls them Home.

Share

Have you experienced failure in being able to successfully discern who is spiritually mature and who is not? To succeed, perhaps one may begin by observing their practice of “praying without ceasing” and their humility before God and man?

Faith in Action

Prayer

Ask the Holy Spirit to give you opportunity, some time during the day, to share His invitation to become a part of His Kingdom with someone who has not yet surrendered-for-salvation.

Action

Today I will wait on the Lord to give me opportunity to share His invitation with someone to become a part of His Kingdom.

I will ask a fellow Believer to pray and reflect with me upon the quality of my constant prayer life and the degree to which I am humble rather than arrogant about my walk with God.

Be Specific _______________________________________________________

Thursday

Matthew 19:1-12; Mark 10:1-12; Luke 16:18

Matthew

Questions About Divorce

19:1 Now when Jesus finished these sayings, he left Galilee and went to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan River. 19:2 Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

19:3 Then some Pharisees came to him in order to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful to divorce a wife for any cause?” 19:4 He answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female, 19:5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be united with his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? 19:6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” 19:7 They said to him, “Why then did Moses command us to give a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her?” 19:8 Jesus said to them, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hard hearts, but from the beginning it was not this way. 19:9 Now I say to you that whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another commits adultery.” 19:10 The disciples said to him, “If this is the case of a husband with a wife, it is better not to marry!” 19:11 He said to them, “Not everyone can accept this statement, except those to whom it has been given. 19:12 For there are some eunuchs who were that way from birth, and some who were made eunuchs by others, and some who became eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who is able to accept this should accept it.”

Mark

Divorce

10:1 Then Jesus left that place and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan River. Again crowds gathered to him, and again, as was his custom, he taught them. 10:2 Then some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 10:3 He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 10:4 They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.” 10:5 But Jesus said to them, “He wrote this commandment for you because of your hard hearts. 10:6 But from the beginning of creation he made them male and female. 10:7 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother, 10:8 and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 10:9 Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

10:10 In the house once again, the disciples asked him about this. 10:11 So he told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. 10:12 And if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

Luke

16:18 “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery, and the one who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.”

Prayer

Lord, You have experienced separation (a spiritual "divorce") from those you love over and over again: Satan and the fallen angels, Adam and Eve in the Garden, Israel demanding a human king instead of You as their King. May I never think of looking away from You and never ever contemplate breaking fellowship with You.

Commentary

The accounts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke agree that God dislikes divorce and that it was not His pre-Fall design for man. All three writers also agree that He tolerates divorce due to the "hard hearts” (Mark 10:5) of His fallen men as they struggle to forgive certain offenses from their wives. The abuse of divorce was rampant; men were abandoning their wives on very shallow pretext, leaving them destitute and shamed.

Matthew 19:1-12 contains the most detailed report, which includes the permitted conditions concerning acceptable divorce and post-divorce remarriage, permissions which are evidence of the grace of God. This passage also contains His boundaries to prevent future abuses.

Jesus, responding to the matter of divorce when it is raised by religious leaders looking for opportunity to charge Him with a violation, turns the discussion into another teachable moment.

[Note: Divergent opinions held among competing subgroups within the religious elite of His day made it easy to run afoul of at least one group, while yet creating a momentary alliance with another. Jesus, in His response to the religious leaders, is concerned only with Truth, not the so-called truth believed by various groups.]

Jesus makes the statement, “whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another commits adultery” (Matt. 19:9). This agrees with the stricter subgroup, but troubles the more permissive — as well as some of the disciples. Jesus responds by suggesting that they then live as eunuchs, rather than risk a marriage where they are unhappy yet unable to leave without offending God.

[Note that the Apostle Paul addresses the matter of divorce in additional detail later in the New Testament.]


Two additional notes: 1) The preference of Jesus is that we not have “hard hearts,” but that we instead walk the God-preferred and Holy Spirit empowered path of repentance, forgiveness, and restoration rather than divorce; and 2)There is nothing in Biblical text encouraging a newly-saved person to abandon their unsaved spouse or to encourage their unsaved spouse to stay if their intent is to leave the marriage — the Holy Spirit may use the saved spouse to lead the unsaved spouse to salvation or may be driving the unsaved spouse out of the marriage because they would harm the saved spouse.  One is to love ones spouse, saved or unsaved, but allow them the freedom and consequences of their own choices.

Interaction

Consider

Jesus teaches all who would follow Him to count the cost before making a commitment. In the case of marriage, He powerfully illustrates that those unwilling to live within His boundaries should choose the life of a relational/sexual eunuch. Stated differently, if one is not willing to stay married without consideration of the freedom to divorce (in the absence of immorality), then one must not marry.

Discuss

What happens to people when careless leaders enforce a too rigid or too permissive misreading of these texts? Pray that the Biblical teaching be applied rather than the preferences of man.

Reflect

It is important to note that all divorces impacting Christians are not necessarily chosen; some involve either an unsaved spouse or a Christian who was unsaved at the time of their divorce. "What is old has passed away” (2 Cor. 5:17) at salvation and being "renewed day by day" (2 Cor. 4:16) by way of the restoration of God mean that only the Enemy charges a Christian with a past sin — God has separated Himself from forgiven sin “as far as the eastern sunrise is from the west” (Ps. 103:12).

Share

There are encouraging stories of redemption in the lives of people who have suffered the painful consequences of divorce, where God has restored them to new Biblically-centered marriages, and where His grace has led to healing and salvation.

Faith in Action

Prayer

Ask the Holy Spirit of God to assess your understanding of the Biblical teaching about divorce. Ask Him to help you to ask for the forgiveness of any whom you have offended as the result of holding to a non-Biblical (too-rigid or too-permissive) view of and enforcement applied to divorce.

Action

If a past divorce or a possible divorce is impacting my life, I will prayerfully ask for the comfort, strength, and wisdom to respond wisely. I will ask for the miraculous intervention of the Lord where matters may be out of my control but redeemable. And I will ask at least one fellow Believer to pray in agreement with me and to walk with me for accountability and encouragement through this process.

Be Specific _______________________________________________________

Friday

Matthew 19:13–20:19; Mark 10:13-34; Luke 18:15-34

Matthew

Jesus and Little Children

19:13 Then little children were brought to him for him to lay his hands on them and pray. But the disciples scolded those who brought them. 19:14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 19:15 And he placed his hands on them and went on his way.

The Rich Young Man

19:16 Now someone came up to him and said, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to gain eternal life?” 19:17 He said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 19:18 “Which ones?” he asked. Jesus replied, “Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19:19 honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.” 19:20 The young man said to him, “I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws. What do I still lack?” 19:21 Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 19:22 But when the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he was very rich.

19:23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven! 19:24 Again I say, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of God.” 19:25 The disciples were greatly astonished when they heard this and said, “Then who can be saved?” 19:26 Jesus looked at them and replied, “This is impossible for mere humans, but for God all things are possible.” 19:27 Then Peter said to him, “Look, we have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?” 19:28 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth: In the age when all things are renewed, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 19:29 And whoever has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 19:30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

Workers in the Vineyard

20:1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 20:2 And after agreeing with the workers for the standard wage, he sent them into his vineyard. 20:3 When it was about nine o’clock in the morning, he went out again and saw others standing around in the marketplace without work. 20:4 He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and I will give you whatever is right.’ 20:5 So they went. When he went out again about noon and three o’clock that afternoon, he did the same thing. 20:6 And about five o’clock that afternoon he went out and found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why are you standing here all day without work?’ 20:7 They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go and work in the vineyard too.’ 20:8 When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the workers and give the pay starting with the last hired until the first.’ 20:9 When those hired about five o’clock came, each received a full day’s pay. 20:10 And when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more. But each one also received the standard wage. 20:11 When they received it, they began to complain against the landowner, 20:12 saying, ‘These last fellows worked one hour, and you have made them equal to us who bore the hardship and burning heat of the day.’ 20:13 And the landowner replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am not treating you unfairly. Didn’t you agree with me to work for the standard wage? 20:14 Take what is yours and go. I want to give to this last man the same as I gave to you. 20:15 Am I not permitted to do what I want with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ 20:16 So the last will be first, and the first last.”

Third Prediction of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection

20:17 As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve aside privately and said to them on the way, 20:18 “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the experts in the law. They will condemn him to death, 20:19 and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged severely and crucified. Yet on the third day, he will be raised.”

Mark

Jesus and Little Children

10:13 Now people were bringing little children to him for him to touch, but the disciples scolded those who brought them. 10:14 But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 10:15 I tell you the truth, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” 10:16 After he took the children in his arms, he placed his hands on them and blessed them.

The Rich Man

10:17 Now as Jesus was starting out on his way, someone ran up to him, fell on his knees, and said, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 10:18 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 10:19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” 10:20 The man said to him, “Teacher, I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws since my youth.” 10:21 As Jesus looked at him, he felt love for him and said, “You lack one thing. Go, sell whatever you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 10:22 But at this statement, the man looked sad and went away sorrowful, for he was very rich.

10:23 Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” 10:24 The disciples were astonished at these words. But again Jesus said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 10:25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 10:26 They were even more astonished and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” 10:27 Jesus looked at them and replied, “This is impossible for mere humans, but not for God; all things are possible for God.”

10:28 Peter began to speak to him, “Look, we have left everything to follow you!” 10:29 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, there is no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the gospel 10:30 who will not receive in this age a hundred times as much – homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, fields, all with persecutions – and in the age to come, eternal life. 10:31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Third Prediction of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection

10:32 They were on the way, going up to Jerusalem. Jesus was going ahead of them, and they were amazed, but those who followed were afraid. He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them what was going to happen to him. 10:33 “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and experts in the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles. 10:34 They will mock him, spit on him, flog him severely, and kill him. Yet after three days, he will rise again.”

Luke

Jesus and Little Children

18:15 Now people were even bringing their babies to him for him to touch. But when the disciples saw it, they began to scold those who brought them. 18:16 But Jesus called for the children, saying, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 18:17 I tell you the truth, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

The Wealthy Ruler

18:18 Now a certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18:19 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 18:20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’” 18:21 The man replied, “I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws since my youth.” 18:22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 18:23 But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was extremely wealthy. 18:24 When Jesus noticed this, he said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 18:25 In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 18:26 Those who heard this said, “Then who can be saved?” 18:27 He replied, “What is impossible for mere humans is possible for God.” 18:28 And Peter said, “Look, we have left everything we own to follow you!” 18:29 Then Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, there is no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of God’s kingdom 18:30 who will not receive many times more in this age – and in the age to come, eternal life.”

Another Prediction of Jesus’ Passion

18:31 Then Jesus took the twelve aside and said to them, “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. 18:32 For he will be handed over to the Gentiles; he will be mocked, mistreated, and spat on. 18:33 They will flog him severely and kill him. Yet on the third day he will rise again.” 18:34 But the twelve understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what Jesus meant.

Prayer

Lord, unless we come to You in absolute humility we should not come at all, because You are a perfect and holy God and we bring nothing of value with which to negotiate. May I remember always that Your love is an undeserved gift.

Commentary

Jesus uses bringing of little children to Him to be blessed as opportunity to refine His teaching on saving faith. Of note are two elements: first, His disciples think the babies unworthy of the time of Jesus, only to discover again that He values all human life; second, He defines the heart condition of faith-that-saves as “such as these” (Luke 18:16), like innocent and trusting babies. In saying so He returns to His prior requirement that one abandon everything in this world, including free will, and allow God to refill and replace as He deems best.

The rich young man, who claims to have kept all of the key principles of the Law, fails however in his quest for eternal life — he chooses not to obey Jesus and part with his wealth. The text observes that the young man "went away sorrowful, for he was very rich" (Matt. 19:22). Jesus remarks on the difficulty of a person rich in the things of this world to enter Heaven. The association between those two elements is that great worldly wealth generally means that money and possessions easily become idols (objects of the worship due God only) in ones life.

Nearby listeners are shocked to hear Jesus declare that it would be essentially impossible for a rich person to enter Heaven, because they cling to the notion that wealth represents an advantage in gaining entrance.

The key is that no one possesses anything of sufficient value to offer as payment for entrance in to Heaven – only those who follow Jesus without conditions, exceptions, or exemptions will receive the gift of eternal life.

Jesus reminds the Jews, some of whom were apparently arrogant about being the first ones to follow Jesus, that when one is saved bears no relevance upon how God chooses to reward with salvation. It is the free and beyond-question choice of God to grant salvation to all who genuinely surrender to be saved; be they ones saved as a child and with many generations of saved family members who are Messianic Jews or be they life-long reprobates who surrender at the moment prior to death — "the last will be first, and the first last” (Matt. 20:16).

Jesus told His disciples that He would be "handed over to the Gentiles...mocked, mistreated, and spat on" (Luke 18:32), another prediction of His suffering, death, and resurrection. Luke notes that the disciples still did not fully comprehend the immensity of what Jesus was prophesying.

Interaction

Consider

Jesus and the little children discourse is often depicted as merely about children, but He often refers to all Believers as “His children” — causing us to contemplate how the message applies to us as well and to consider how child-like in innocence and trust in God we are.

Discuss

Have you considered that a homeless person may better transition unconditionally in to dependence upon God than those among us with homes and many possessions?

Reflect

Have you experienced a time when God has placed a truth right in front of you, but for some reason you have persisted in an inability to receive it?

Share

When have you experienced arrogance due to the timing of your moment of salvation, where maybe you improperly imagined some special standing before God for having been saved longer than someone else?

Faith in Action

Prayer

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you any place where you are harboring a sense of insistence toward the Lord God that your demands be met, as if He owes you something.

Action

Today I will reflect upon the heart condition in which I approach my walk with Jesus. I will prayerfully consider those times when I come to Him with hands not emptied of demandingness or when I cling to worldly things that are not of Him. I will commit to the Holy Spirit to partner with Him to value only that which God values and to seek only that which is righteous in His eyes.

Be Specific _______________________________________________________

Saturday

Matthew 20:20-34; Mark 10:35-52; Luke 18:35–19:27

Matthew

A Request for James and John

20:20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling down she asked him for a favor. 20:21 He said to her, “What do you want?” She replied, “Permit these two sons of mine to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” 20:22 Jesus answered, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink the cup I am about to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” 20:23 He told them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right and at my left is not mine to give. Rather, it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

20:24 Now when the other ten heard this, they were angry with the two brothers. 20:25 But Jesus called them and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions use their authority over them. 20:26 It must not be this way among you! Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, 20:27 and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave – 20:28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Two Blind Men Healed

20:29 As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed them. 20:30 Two blind men were sitting by the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, “Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!” 20:31 The crowd scolded them to get them to be quiet. But they shouted even more loudly, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 20:32 Jesus stopped, called them, and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” 20:33 They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” 20:34 Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.

Mark

The Request of James and John

10:35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him and said, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” 10:36 He said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 10:37 They said to him, “Permit one of us to sit at your right hand and the other at your left in your glory.” 10:38 But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I experience?” 10:39 They said to him, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism I experience, 10:40 but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give. It is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

10:41 Now when the other ten heard this, they became angry with James and John. 10:42 Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions use their authority over them. 10:43 But it is not this way among you. Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, 10:44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of all. 10:45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Healing Blind Bartimaeus

10:46 They came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus the son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the road. 10:47 When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 10:48 Many scolded him to get him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 10:49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man and said to him, “Have courage! Get up! He is calling you.” 10:50 He threw off his cloak, jumped up, and came to Jesus. 10:51 Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man replied, “Rabbi, let me see again.” 10:52 Jesus said to him, “Go, your faith has healed you.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the road.

Luke

Healing a Blind Man

18:35 As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. 18:36 When he heard a crowd going by, he asked what was going on. 18:37 They told him, “Jesus the Nazarene is passing by.” 18:38 So he called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 18:39 And those who were in front scolded him to get him to be quiet, but he shouted even more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 18:40 So Jesus stopped and ordered the beggar to be brought to him. When the man came near, Jesus asked him, 18:41 “What do you want me to do for you?” He replied, “Lord, let me see again.” 18:42 Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” 18:43 And immediately he regained his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they too gave praise to God.

Jesus and Zacchaeus

19:1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through it. 19:2 Now a man named Zacchaeus was there; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. 19:3 He was trying to get a look at Jesus, but being a short man he could not see over the crowd. 19:4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, because Jesus was going to pass that way. 19:5 And when Jesus came to that place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, because I must stay at your house today.” 19:6 So he came down quickly and welcomed Jesus joyfully. 19:7 And when the people saw it, they all complained, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 19:8 But Zacchaeus stopped and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, half of my possessions I now give to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone of anything, I am paying back four times as much!” 19:9 Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this household, because he too is a son of Abraham! 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

The Parable of the Ten Minas

19:11 While the people were listening to these things, Jesus proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. 19:12 Therefore he said, “A nobleman went to a distant country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. 19:13 And he summoned ten of his slaves, gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business with these until I come back.’ 19:14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to be king over us!’ 19:15 When he returned after receiving the kingdom, he summoned these slaves to whom he had given the money. He wanted to know how much they had earned by trading. 19:16 So the first one came before him and said, ‘Sir, your mina has made ten minas more.’ 19:17 And the king said to him, ‘Well done, good slave! Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, you will have authority over ten cities.’ 19:18 Then the second one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has made five minas.’ 19:19 So the king said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ 19:20 Then another slave came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina that I put away for safekeeping in a piece of cloth. 19:21 For I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You withdraw what you did not deposit and reap what you did not sow.’ 19:22 The king said to him, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked slave! So you knew, did you, that I was a severe man, withdrawing what I didn’t deposit and reaping what I didn’t sow? 19:23 Why then didn’t you put my money in the bank, so that when I returned I could have collected it with interest?’ 19:24 And he said to his attendants, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has ten.’ 19:25 But they said to him, ‘Sir, he has ten minas already!’ 19:26 ‘I tell you that everyone who has will be given more, but from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 19:27 But as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to be their king, bring them here and slaughter them in front of me!’”

Prayer

Lord, You honor who You honor and heal who You heal. May I trust in Your perfect omniscience and be content as Your child.

Commentary

When James and John bring a request to Jesus for an appointment to the highest seats of honor on either side of His throne in Heaven, Jesus questions, "Are you able to drink the cup I drink?" (Mark 10:38). The apostles have yet to comprehend the fullness of Who Jesus is and what He is about to suffer, and they say to Him, "We are able" (Mark 10:39). Jesus tells them they will indeed drink from the cup He drinks from, but choosing who will sit at His right hand is not His to give. He also reminds them of their need for humility and to focus on the service of others, rather than position or title.

The disciples, after attempting to keep a blind man from disturbing Jesus, discover that He wants to heal them; their healing results in their salvation and praise, leading others to do likewise.

Jesus invites the tax collector Zacchaeus to host Him for dinner, some of the people protest His willingness to dine with a sinner, and Zacchaeus responds by declaring he will make right what he had wrongfully taken. Zacchaeus' act is from the heart, because he has made a decision to truly follow Jesus in word and deed — a salvation celebration was due, for Jesus came "to seek and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10).

Luke shares Jesus' parable of the distribution of just rewards to those who accept delegated responsibility: A rhetorical "nobleman" (Luke 19:12) entrusts his possessions to his servants. Those who invest themselves and multiply what they are given are rewarded with more. The one who merely stores-away what is entrusted to him has what he has been given taken away, and he is punished.

Understood in light of the choice to submit to the Lordship of Christ or to reject it,
the parable infers that those who reject Him will be destroyed and speaks to the final judgment of man.

Interaction

Consider

Have you observed Christian leaders whose spiritual maturity is evidenced by their humility and their servant hearts?

Discuss

Do we cry out to Jesus in faith, pleading to see that which we have failed to see, when we have drifted into a spiritual blindness?

Reflect

Leadership tends to be isolating, limiting spiritual accountability and making people easier targets for the Enemy to lead toward wrong priorities. Busyness and performance-based religion can lead to the same, as it takes our eyes off of Jesus.

Share

When have you observed an obsession with position and title among Christian leadership, leading them to prioritize wrongly and creating confusion among those whom they are supposed to disciple and encourage?

Truth in Action

Prayer

Ask the Holy Spirit to remind you of a fellow Believer whose humility and servant's heart are exemplary.

Action

Today I will prayerfully and quietly encourage the one whom the Holy Spirit brings to my attention and, as-appropriate, offer them a note or a word in support.

Be Specific _______________________________________________________

All Bible text is from the NET unless otherwise indicated — http://bible.org

Note 1: These Studies often rely upon the guidance of the NET translators from their associated notes. Careful attention has been given to cite that source where it has been quoted directly or closely paraphrased. Feedback is encouraged where credit has not been sufficiently assigned.

Note 2: When NET text is quoted in commentary and discussion all pronouns referring to God are capitalized, though they are lowercase in the original NET text.

Commentary text is from David M. Colburn, D.Min. unless otherwise noted.

Grateful thanks to Merrilee Clark for sharing her gifts as an editor.

Copyright © 2011 by David M. Colburn. This is a BibleSeven Study – Section 9 of the series, “The Gospels in Chronological Order” – prepared by David M. Colburn and edited for bible.org January of 2011. This text may be used for nonprofit educational purposes only, with credit; all other usage requires prior written consent of the author.