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What do we read about in the twelfth & thirteenth chapters of Luke's Gospel?
What do we learn from Luke?
What is the main focus?
Is it important to know the words from this chapter?
I am doing this in response to an Advent Reading challenge where we read 1 chapter of the Gospel of Luke per day from 1st to 24th December which will allow the whole book to be read.
Now let's look at the Twelfth Chapter of Luke.
Today we are dividing this chapter into 5 sections
Jesus teaches about Fear v. 1-12:
A multitude had gathered and Jesus began to teach His disciples about the Pharisees and how they cannot be trusted
So many times we hear the Pharisees criticising or accusing Jesus and now we hear Him warning the disciples about them.
They are hypocrites and probably very good at twisting what people would say but God knows the truth. They or none of us should think that what we say or think will escape God.
Who are we to fear and who are we not to fear?
We are not to fear those who can kill us physically. verse 5
We are to fear God who has the power of life and death but also the decision of eternal hell or salvation. verse 6
We are not to fear men, we are not to keep quiet about God before others. verse 8
We are to fear God. verse 9
What are we reassured about?
God knows everything about us in all the details and we are important to Him. verses 6-7
The Holy Spirit will help us in everything and at all times. verses 11-12
The Parable of the Rich Fool v. 13-21:
Jesus tells this parable because of the question from someone who was thinking more about his inheritance than anything else so much so that he wanted to enlist the help of Jesus to get his way in things.
Jesus says that our life does not exist in the amount of our possessions.
Possessions do not aid our relationship with God.
Our life is not prolonged by what we own nor does anything we have ensure our state before God and hence give us eternal life.
Jesus tells this parable because of the question from someone who was thinking more about his inheritance than anything else so much so that he wanted to enlist the help of Jesus to get his way in things.
Possessions do not aid our relationship with God.
Our life is not prolonged by what we own nor does anything we have ensure our state before God and hence give us eternal life.
Possessions do not aid our relationship with God.
Jesus teaches about Worry v. 22-34:
22 Then He said to His disciples,
“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.
23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.
He gives examples in verses 24 and 27 of the ravens who are fed by God and the lilies who God has made beautiful.
Then tells us that worrying will do nothing for us in verse 25 and what we need is faith in verse 28
Most of us will be familiar with the words - "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you". But do we stop to think about them, really think, because if so then we will recognise that it is important that we know just WHAT it is that will be added to us and WHY.
PLUS do we know what is meant by the phrase The Kingdom of God?
Well to know what the Kingdom of God is, is to know God and what His will is for us.
We need to look at verses 29 - 31
29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.
30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.
31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.Here we are told not to be anxious about the WHAT
The WHAT that will be added is found in verses 29 - 30 are all the things that the whole world needs and
The WHY - because God knows we need them.
WHO will look after us so that we do not need to WORRY or to be ANXIOUS?
GOD WILL LOOK AFTER US
WHAT do we need to do?
FOLLOW GOD'S WILL, OBEY HIM
and
DO NOT WORRY or be ANXIOUS
WE LEAVE THINGS IN GOD'S HANDS
I love the next verse
verse 32
Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
God wants to look after us and now He wants to share everything with us!
It gives Him pleasure!
Truly we are important to him!
and just look at verse 34
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
He directs us in verse 33 to focus on the right things so that we have the important things to God, as the important things to us, and then our heart and mind will be in the right place and condition.
The Faithful Servant & The Evil Servant v. 35-48:
When we have read God's Word and know what it says and understand the truth within then we have a responsibility to do what is right.
So when we know what God says in His Word then
Doing what God instructs us to do is being faithful,
NOT doing what God instructs is being disobedient
Division & Peace v. 49-59:
We are all willing to believe that Jesus brings peace - at Christmas we think of Jesus as the Prince of Peace but that is not for now.
Not everyone will trust in Jesus now so the whole world cannot be in unity and that also will be evident in our countries, cities, & families.
God's Word has given us signs for way the world will be, the way people will act and yet we will have to be careful to be aware of this and not be easily swayed with the culture and pressure of others.
But Jesus told the disciples here that it is better to make peace with people than to fight with them.
A hard thing to do in these times when even some people professing to be Christians are so dogmatic and insist that everyone thinks and acts like they do. Wisdom is so much needed and should be our prayer each day.
Now let's look at the Thirteenth Chapter of Luke.
Today we are dividing this chapter into 6 sections.
Here Jesus tells the people that if they do not repent they will perish.
So for those nowadays who like to say that surely God will not punish the people He has created this is a short passage which will show them otherwise. - Yes God hates sin.
The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree v. 5 - 9
A Fig Tree has not borne any fruit for 3 years, it seems worthless but the keeper of the vineyard pleads for it to have another year with good care and attention.
Do we bare fruit without care and attention to God's Word - NO!
Do we bare fruit without having been helped, guided and fed by others - NO!
Do other new Christians bare fruit without our help, guidance and teaching - NO!
A spirit of Infirmity v. 10 - 17
For 18 years a woman had been physically bent over and could not stand up straight.
She was in the synagogue on the Sabbath when Jesus spoke to her and told her to come to Him and He laid His hands on her and healed her in verses 12 - 13
12 But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.”
13 And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
She did not ask for healing BUT that didn't stop Jesus.
She was in the synagogue and the religious leaders would not be happy about this BUT that didn't stop Jesus.
She would have been seen and heard BUT that did not stop her from glorifying God.
She had not met Jesus before BUT that didn't stop her from recognising whose power Jesus had.
In verse 14 the ruler of the synagogue thought he was "calling out" Jesus for healing on the Sabbath
But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.”
However in verse 15 - 17 it was Jesus who was "calling out" the ruler.
15 The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it?
16 So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?”
17 And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.
Look at the result of this healing in verse 17 above.
More glory was given to God
We do need to remember that Jesus' words and actions were always the means of pointing to the father and bringing glory to Him.
The Parables of the Mustard Seed & the Leaven v. 18 - 21
It will grow and become strong like the mustard seed - one of the smallest seeds there are will grow into a strong tree and be a home for the birds.
It will have a strengthening and growing effect on those who accept it.
He was asked what would seem like a simple question in verse 23
Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?”
Jesus answered in verses 24 - 27
24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
25 When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’
26 then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’
27 But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’
We will need to enter by the narrow gate but there will be a certain time frame and then it will be too late. We will not be known if we have not turned our backs on sin.
He then continues in verses 28 - 30 to describe how those who have not been able to enter through the narrow gate will know who is already in God's presence and the grief will be great.
Jesus Laments over Jerusalem v. 31 - 35
Some Pharisees tell Jesus that Herod wishes to kill Him.
Jesus refers to Herod as a fox and explains that He will journey on to Jerusalem because He will not die outside of Jerusalem.
Jesus knew His way and His future and was going to be obedient to God's plan.
Then we see the sadness in the heart of Jesus in verses 34 - 35
34 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!
35 See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”
If you would like to read more of the posts in this series please click HERE for a list of them all.
For anyone looking for a book to give a thorough explanation of The Book of Luke then I would recommend the following two commentaries by Warren Wiersbe which cover ch. 1-13 and ch. 14-24 available here below on Amazon and also at other leading bookshops.
For anyone looking for to do a Bible Study of The Book of Luke I would recommend the following two studies by Warren Wiersbe which cover ch. 1-13 and ch. 14-24 available here below on Amazon and also at other leading bookshops.
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