Category Archives: Bible passages

Judgment, Luke

Study 4 – Luke 11:14-54

The Obedience of a Disciple

Context

Jesus resolved in Luke 9:51 to head to Jerusalem. Knowing how the story ends, we expect the resistance to Jesus’ ministry to grow as he gets closer to his crucifixion. At the beginning of the chapter, Jesus spoke of prayer and the love of the Father to give the Holy Spirit to those who will ask in faith. As the chapter continues, we read of how closely knit the world of the spirit is with the flesh. How we respond to the Son of God will reveal whether we have received the Holy Spirit or not.

Read

14 Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. 15 But some of them said, “By Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.” 16 Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven.

17 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. 18 If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebul. 19 Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 20 But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

21 “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. 22 But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder.

23 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

24 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ 25 When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. 26 Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.”

27 As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.”

28 He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

29 As the crowds increased, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It asks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. 30 For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31 The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom; and now something greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and now something greater than Jonah is here.

33 “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness. 35 See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. 36 Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.”

 

37 When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table. 38 But the Pharisee was surprised when he noticed that Jesus did not first wash before the meal.

39 Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40 You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But now as for what is inside you—be generous to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.

42 “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.

43 “Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and respectful greetings in the marketplaces.

44 “Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which people walk over without knowing it.”

45 One of the experts in the law answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also.”

46 Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.

47 “Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your ancestors who killed them. 48 So you testify that you approve of what your ancestors did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. 49 Because of this, God in his wisdom said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.’ 50 Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all.

52 “Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.”

53 When Jesus went outside, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions, 54 waiting to catch him in something he might say.

Observation

There are some very tricky sayings of Jesus in this section which may not get resolved in this exploration of the text. The length of the passage in this section is too large to offer a sentence-by-sentence review. We will look at the big picture of this section and examine certain elements of it.

Saying that, one vital part of reading the bible is being able and ready to ask good questions of the text. Asking the hard questions rather than searching for safe territory is a sign of good reading. Encourage questions in group discussions even if the answers cannot be reached immediately.

Structure

  • 14-28 Jesus condemned as an agent of Satan
    • 14-16 Question: where does Jesus get his power?
    • 17-20 Answer: not from Satan.
    • 21-26 Jesus is more powerful than Satan.
    • 27-28 Blessed are those who stand with the word of God.
  • 29-52 Jesus condemns the Jews of the day
    • 29-32 They are more wicked than Nineveh
    • 33-36 Their eyes condemn them
    • 37-53 Their leaders are the worst
      • 37-38 Scene change: a dinner disaster!
      • 39-44 Four woes to the Pharisees
      • 45-52 Three woes to the experts in the law
  • 53 The Pharisees and teachers of the law stand against Jesus

14-28 Jesus condemned as an agent of Satan

14-16 Question: where does Jesus get his power?

“Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute.” The OT is almost mute (pardon the pun) on the topic of demons. Lev 17:7; 2 Chr 11:15; Deut 32:17 and Ps 106:37 refer to idol worship and contain Hebrew words which have demonic imagery. Genesis 3 and Job 1 contain accounts of Satan’s activity. The Gospels, on the other hand, are filled with accounts of demon possession. It is not difficult to see that the bulk of the demonic activity is surrounding the ministry of Jesus. See Matthew 4:24 where demon possession is listed alongside sicknesses – it was not an ancient way of confusing mental illness or other. It should be interpreted that there was a heightened activity at the time of the incarnation of the Son of God. Demon possession is described as causing other forms of defects in people such as muteness.

“By Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.” Here is a double whammy. Not only are they accusing the Son of God to be on the side of darkness but that he is a servant of the prince of demons! Verse 18 attributes Satan as Beelzebul. The name means Prince Baal and Beezebub is probably a mocking alternate which means Lord of Flies.

“Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven.” The issue is raised that Jesus’ power is coming from Satan and he is commanded to produce evidence that he is working for God. The response Jesus gives following is to point out that their logic is wrong. That he casts out demons is a sign that he is not in league with demons!

17-20 Answer: not from Satan.

I will not break down this passage by clause but simply look at the logical flow of Jesus’ statements.

Firstly, it makes no sense for a team to play against itself.

Secondly, if Jesus casts out demons by the power of demons then that same argument can be used against his accusers. They too must be in league with the devil.

Thirdly, if I can show that I come from heaven then you must take that point seriously – I have been sent from heaven! The finger of God is at work here. What are you going to do about that?

21-26 Jesus is more powerful than Satan.

Verses 21-23 cause us to question, who is the strong man? Who is the stronger man? Springing from Jesus’ statements about a kingdom divided, we begin to view the strong man as Satan guarding his house but then a stronger man comes along and divides his possessions. Jesus’ punch-line is that if you are not on the side of Jesus, the stronger man, then you be scattered.

Verses 24-26 is perhaps a warning that if the strong man or demon has been cast out, it will eventually try to return stronger than before. The person/house seems powerless in this account. They are fought over by demons and the finger of God. Jesus is the stronger but what is the warning here of Jesus? Well, Jesus is building up to his finally in verses 27-28…

27-28 Blessed are those who stand with the word of God.

A woman bursts out a shout of praise to Jesus. Jesus’ response hit a chord with at least one person in the crowd who wanted to cheer him on and rejoice. Jesus’ reply is our application in the context of demon possession.

“Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” This is a key verse in the whole passage of the week. Jesus will go on to rebuke the leaders of the Jews and the whole Jewish culture because they possess the words of life and yet do not listen to it nor do what it says. Here is the Word of God in their midst and they are accusing him of working for Satan! It’s not rocket science. But the power of the evil one is subtle. What would the church be like if everyone in it cherished the word of God, listened to it and put it into practice!

29-52 Jesus condemns the Jews of the day

29-32 They are more wicked than Nineveh

“Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It asks for a sign…” Jesus is talking to the same but growing crowd who saw him driving out demons (v14) and asked him for a sign from heaven to prove his genuineness as a prophet of God (or greater) (v16). By generation, does Jesus refer only to the people on earth at the time or does he mean a broader timeline which includes us today? The context points to the former although it isn’t hard to feel the disappointment of his words on today’s generation also.

“…the sign of Jonah.” Note well that Jesus is not referring to the big fish incident here! Good exegesis (listening to what the bible actually says rather than assuming or reading into it) shows us that whatever the sign of Jonah was, it was a sign given to Nineveh. Jonah came to them to preach judgment (Jonah 3:4). He showed them no miracles but simply preached against it because the wickedness of Nineveh had come up before the LORD (Jonah 1:2). Jesus’ words are enough of a sign for this generation. We face the same test today: we have the words of Jesus which are preached all over the world and available in most tongues yet many will not listen to him or presume that he is irrelevant. When Jonah spoke to the evil and wicked city of Nineveh, the city repented!

“The Queen of the South…” The Queen of Sheba famously visited Solomon (1 Kings 10:1; 2 Chron 9:1) to inspect his kingdom and to ask him many hard questions to test his wisdom. She responded when she recognised a man of God and travelled for miles to see him.

“…something greater than Solomon is here.” Jonah and Solomon do not compare to the Son of God who is now amongst the people of Israel. How should they respond to God’s own Son if Nineveh and the Queen of Sheba responded so quickly to Jonah and Solomon.

“…rise/stand at the judgment…and condemn [this generation]…” The people of Israel may feel they are in a good place before God but the test is what they will do with the Son of God. Nineveh and the Southern Queen chose God and will stand on the correct side on judgment day. See these verses on the topic of Judgment Day: Matt 10:15; 11:22-24; 12:36; Acts 17:31; Romans 2:5; 2 Tim 4:8; 2 PEter 2:9; 2 Peter 3:7; 1 John 4:17 and Jude 6. We stand today between the day of salvation (the cross and resurrection) and the day of judgment. A day will come when all will know which side they belong. Now is the time of salvation – to turn to the Son before it is too late! To what extent the righteous will judge others is speculation. Jesus’ point is that the people of Nineveh in Jonah’s day and the Southern Queen chose wisely and receive eternal life.

“For they repented at the preaching of Jonah…” Nineveh repented! They didn’t casually nod at Jonah nor pretend that they were always in the right and welcomed him in. They heard his preaching and repented. Turning away from the person we were and giving our hearts completely to God is the response required. Will the people of Jesus’ day respond to the words of the Great Prophet by repenting? Some are recorded as doing this in his day (Luke 5:8; 7:36-50).

33-36 Their eyes condemn them

This is a tricky section to untangle. Put simply, Jesus is describing those who are full of light and are attracted to the light while those who are in darkness do not give off light. When you are with and for Jesus, you will shine like Jesus. If you are against him, then you will even project your darkness onto him. When you have the light, shine it. The crowd around Jesus could do nothing but see the world, even the true light that had come into the world, as darkness.

37-53 Their leaders are the worst

37-38 Scene change: a dinner disaster!

A change of scene and a new problem arises: Jesus did not ceremonially wash before his meal! This is not simply an issue of hygiene but the Pharisee who invited Jesus expected that Jesus would follow all of the religious habits of the day. See Mark 7:3-4 for Mark’s commentary on the Pharisees.

While this Pharisee had chosen to entertain and welcome Jesus in, he will be surprised to hear that Jesus is not impressed by the Pharisees.

39-44 Four woes to the Pharisees

“You foolish people!” Jesus’ rebuke in the woes which follow surround the inability of the Pharisees to see beyond their duty to see the purpose of the law. It’s absurd to be offended when someone fails to wash their hands and yet the Pharisee carries a heart of selfishness.

“Woe!” This word is not a final judgment from Jesus but a declaration that they live in a fool’s paradise: believing all is well but it is not well with their soul! They need to wake up and repent before it’s too late.

“…you give God a tenth…but you neglect justice…” Note that Jesus does not reject their tenth but that they give financially without loving their neighbour.

“…the most important seats…” a demonstration of their love for themselves.

“…you are like unmarked graves…” This little imagery compares the Pharisees with a way of becoming unclean without even knowing it. If a grave was marked as a grave, then people wanting to remain ceremonially clean could avoid walking over it. Jesus is saying that the Pharisees are harmful to people in a similar way. Their methods and instructions are not making people clean but they give the impression that they are. They are like any religion that does not preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ: they may appear holy and loving but they deny anyone of true and everlasting salvation!

45-52 Three woes to the experts in the law

“…the experts in the law…” This title is self explanatory. People who knew the laws of God expertly 😉 Professional theologians who talk the laws of Moses and instructed the people how to apply them and not get caught out in any way. These teachers of the law were not hearing the words as though they applied to them! Jesus sets them straight too!

“… you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry…” Teachers and preachers need to be careful that they illustrate the word of God and apply it in ways that are realistic. Paul instructed Timothy to watch his life and doctrine closely and to demonstrate his progress in the faith to others. He was not to be talk only, but to walk the walk.

“…you approve of what your ancestors did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs.” Verses 47-51 sound very harsh indeed. Jesus’ logic in saying that since they build the tombs for the prophets, they are just as guilty as those who killed them seems odd and not right. But here is Jesus, standing before them and preaching repentance that leads to forgiveness, and the experts in the law stand in judgment over him. They may praise the worth of a dead prophet, but they are slow or unwilling to follow a living one. Jesus is no doubt declaring that the present leaders of Israel are no different to the ones who killed the prophets. This is the great judgment on Israel even in the book of Romans. They had the very laws of God and yet rejected every prophet that came by.

“…taken away the key to knowledge.” Rather than teaching people to understand God and have a living knowledge of the true God, they taught rules and regulations. They have not seen or found salvation and do not teach others either. People can assume great power and influence over others and any leader who does not lead people to Christ is leading people to death.

53 The Pharisees and teachers of the law stand against Jesus

The conclusion to this passage simply cements all that Jesus was saying. Notice that Jesus is very harsh on this group of people because of their presumption to lead others in the way of God. They were failing and their response to Jesus’ message here is to oppose Jesus in every way they can. They are now his solid enemies. When Jesus talks to a sinner ready to repent, his is usually gentle and assuring. When he is confronting those who should know better but continue to hate, he is blunt and judgmental.

Meaning

Jesus is the sign from heaven. His words and his deeds are the proof of where he comes from. The words and deeds of the Pharisees and experts in the law are also fuel for their own judgment. Those who have the light on them will easily look at the true light and live. Those whose hearts are dark are likely to remain in the dark and hate the light. Woe to all who have access to the true light and yet refuse to come to him and live.

Application

Topic A: Blessed are those who hear and keep God’s word. Is this you? Earthly privilege, family connections, social status or wealth are not the true blessing but that we have the word of God, hear the word of God and keep it. Do you believe this? What value is the word of God to you? How much of your time is given to meditating on the promises of God and getting to know him through his word by his Spirit. Do we see others in terms of their response to the word of God or by other means of judgment such as wealth, health or ability?

Topic B: Woe to all who reject Jesus. Those who reject the word of God are not our enemy but the enemy of Christ. We follow them at our own peril. If we avoid them, we leave them doomed. What would Jesus have us do? There is a time to implore and discuss and there is a time to acknowledge that Christ is being rejected.

Topic C: Judgment day. What do you believe will happen in the future? I’m not asking to make something up. I’m curious about what you know about the end of time. Different religious groups have different conclusions about the future, but what did Jesus teach? He did not teach annihilationism – where all evil will be destroyed and be no more. He did not teach universalism – where everyone will eventually find forgiveness. He taught about a day when all humans will be judged according to what they have done. And he taught that only those who follow him can have eternal life with him.

Luke

Luke 11:1-13 – The Prayer of a Disciple

Discussion

When did you learn how to pray and how did you learn?

Context

Jesus’ disciples have been with him for a couple of years now and are ready to declare Jesus as God’s Messiah (Luke 9:20). Jesus has turned his face in the direction of Jerusalem where he will go and lay down his life for all who put their trust in him. Many are drawn to him but find it hard to let go of the pull of this world. In chapter 10, Jesus sent 72 others to go  from town to town to preach the gospel (Luke 10:8-9) but only if welcomed to do so. Judgement on this world begins now, measured by how welcome the kingdom of God is now. Gospel work is compared with a spiritual battle. That as the gospel is proclaimed, Satan and his minions are being attacked. But what is important is not that the battle is being one but that the disciples’ names are already written in the book of life. While Jesus calls and directs his disciples to go on mission, he sets it in the context of an eternal relationship with God the Father (Luke 10:21-24). Following Jesus is not just about knowing the truth and fighting for truth, it is more importantly about knowing God the Father and being known by him.

Read

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

2 He said to them, “When you pray, say:

“ ‘Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread.
4 Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.g
And lead us not into temptation.’ ”

5 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.

9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Observation

Structure

  • 1-4 Jesus’ prayer content
  • 5-10 Jesus’ prayer approach
  • 11-13 Jesus’ prayer expectation

1-4 Jesus’ prayer content

“Lord teach us to pray…” What a great question that one of the disciples has blessed the whole church in history with. This one man saw a prayerfulness of Jesus that he admired and saw a lacking in himself that he sort to correct. John the baptist clearly had taught his students how to pray but it is the lesson of the Lord that has been passed on to the Christian community, preserved for all time.

The disciple saw a prayerfulness in Jesus that he desired for himself. Before we look at the content of Jesus’ prayer, we should notice that Jesus was known as a prayer and took time and relief to pray.

The Lord’s Prayer

There is so much to discuss with this prayer that it cannot be covered in this space. Volumes have been written about the Lord’s prayer such that, anyone who believes they can say everything in a brief time either boasts too much or is unaware of how deep this prayer is. What follows will suffice to scratch the surface and enable discussion in the right direction.

“Father”. Note that when we compare this prayer with the parallel prayer in Matthew 6:9-13, the phrase is “Our Father in heaven”. It is likely that Jesus taught this prayer format on two different occasions but an alternate theory that Jesus taught it only once but Matthew and Luke placed them in different parts of their narrative. The former theory is probably right given the differences in the prayer and the context of the lessons. We could study this prayer by combining and comparing the two but, for the sake of studying Luke, we’ll follow Luke’s recorded prayer. It differs on three major moments and on each occasion, Matthew’s account is longer. The prayer that we recite in church follows Matthew’s format.

“Father…” When Jesus teaches his disciples to pray he instructs them to call God, the Almighty, the Ancient of Days, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, the Judge – Father. Luke and Matthew do not include the word “Abba” which is famously taught as an intimate word for Father, like Daddy. Jesus used this address of God in Mark 14:36 when he prayed in Gethsemane. Paul invites us to share that intimate relationship because of the Spirit in us (Romans 8:15 and Galatians 4:6). While we could say that no Old Testament prophet or writer ever taught us to approach God with even the formal title of Father, we shouldn’t go too far with this. The Psalms contain great examples of intimacy and trust between the writer and God and we they shared the same Spirit as we do with the same effective act of salvation through the Son as we do. But Jesus taught his disciples to call God “Father”.

“Hallowed by your name, your kingdom come.” The name “Father” is accompanied with the descriptions of holiness and authority. The prayer knows his place in the universe and in this relationship of prayer. While we come to God in the context of a real relationship, we also know that his place before us is great. While we know that his place before us is great, we are still able to come! What a privilege is it to be able to speak directly to the ruler of all creation. His authority is great and his intentions and actions are holy, perfect, pure and just. When we come to him in prayer, we are not only coming to a being with all authority, but we are coming to the God who acts righteously. And our conversations with him should both respect who he is, as well as be prepared to speak accordingly. He desires us to desire what he desires.

“Give us each day our daily bread.” We do not ask the world of God but we can ask what is good and right. The daily bread reminds us of our dependence on God not to desire more than we need nor to have so much in reserve that we forget that we need him.

“Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.” A sinner forgiven is a person who understands forgiveness. A person who deals mercifully with others demonstrates that they know the mercy of God themselves. Some will ask, “what if someone has sinned against me but is not repentant and doesn’t care? Must I forgive them in order to be forgiven myself?” The simplest reply is that we must always be willing and ready to forgive even if forgiveness has not been sort. Our forgiveness comes with repentance. That should be the model for us also. But the bible demands that we always show love, even to our enemies and those who hate us. And love does not keep a record of wrongs (1 Cor 13). Blend all of these ideas together and you can see that the forgiven sinner is already ready to forgive those who have sinned against them. The harder question is, are our hearts at the ready to forgive. Are we ready to let go of our anger, and hate. Those who have wronged us and not repented will get what they deserve from our Father.

“And lead us not into temptation.” The very act of prayer puts us in a good place to avoid or flee temptation. It ought to be our first strategy against sin. When our heart is tempted to wander and take something that is forbidden, then take our desires to God in prayer. Matthew 26:41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” When our mind is meditating on God and engaged with Him, we are choosing to love Him more than sin. James 1:13 tells us that God never tempts anyone. The Lord’s prayer, however, takes us to the very place that we need to be before God. Under the care of our Father, longing for His will or kingdom to rule over ours, knowing that all good things come from God and our needs are met in him, that forgiveness, mercy and grace are at the heart of His kingdom, and ready to turn from evil rather than running toward it. “Lead us not into temptation” is equal to “lead us into righteousness.”

5-10 Jesus’ prayer approach

Jesus tells a story to illustrate that those who ask receive because they presume to be helped. Jesus describes a request asked at a bad time and yet the answer to the request is still yes. God is not to be compared exactly with the friend who was woken to give bread, but the illustration means that we ought to ask. Look at the final sentence in the story…

“I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.”

“Shameless audacity…” This is a description of boldness. A risky move that shows no restraint. Politeness, patience, social etiquette and worthiness are not part of the process here. Imagine how bold we must be to approach a holy God to ask for anything!

“…as much as you need.” The content of the prayer is not outrageous that we are asking for straight A’s without putting in the effort, or a Ferrari at no cost and so on. Our requests a both necessary and able to be supplied by God.

The difference between this illustration and our prayer requests is that God is not like the grumpy neighbour who feels bothered. If our neighbour will agree to do it, how much more will our loving heavenly Father who invites us to pray, respond to our requests.

So, we should pray. We should ask. We should not wait. We should pray with the expectation that God will respond positively. James 4:2-3 speak about our stupidity of not asking God but also about have a love for God over love of the world when we ask.

So, Jesus follows this illustration with the next to highlight the love of our heavenly Father…

11-13 Jesus’ prayer expectation

“If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

The neighbour in the first illustration got out of bed and gave what was asked even while wishing the other neighbour would go away! But in contrast, our great God loves us. Jesus asks us to think of our earthly fathers and then imagine how much better is our heavenly Father, who is perfect.

And the great gift that we need is the Holy Spirit! On a section of scripture about prayer, how amazing is it that the Holy Spirit is the ultimate gift to us. Better than material possessions is the living God dwelling in us. Better than success in this life is the seal of the Holy Spirit confirming our inheritance for eternity! Better than a desire to know how to pray better is the Holy Spirit who knows us intimately and knows the Father intimately too. He is our intercessor in prayer! The disciples asked for directions on how to pray and what they got was an invitation to ask the Father for the Holy Spirit. And a promise that he will give the Spirit to those who ask him in faith.

Meaning

Jesus demonstrated a keenness to meet with his Father in prayer. When the disciples asked Jesus to help them with prayer, they received a model of what to ask for, what to expect from their heavenly Father and an invitation to ask for the eternal God to dwell with them. Prayer is so much more than a time of meditation and grounding oneself in the presence of God. It is an open door to the King who cares. Let us not treat prayer like it is a burden or a discipline. Let’s learn to approach God often and with great requests.

Application

Topic A – Practical tips on prayer. Discuss in your group some practical tips on how and when to pray. For some ideas, consider praying through parts of the bible, praying at a particular time and place, the PrayerMate app, a prayer partner, a prayer diary and journaling your prayers. While “praying continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:16,17) is a beautiful way of living life, it is nourished by regular, drawing aside times of communing with God. Jesus himself displayed a habit of withdrawing from others in order to pray.

Topic B – The content of our prayers. Write out a list of things that you would like to ask God for or about. Keep the list to yourself at first before sharing a couple with the people around you. What does your list teach you about your love of God and your love for the world? How has your knowledge of God through His word and by His Spirit, helped you to refine your list? When our desires are in tune with God’s then we know that we can ask with shameless audacity. Genesis 4:26 gives the first indication of prayer in the bible and it is a call on God to fulfill his promises (Genesis 3:16). We can pray boldly when we know that our prayers are filled with the things God has promised us.

Topic C – Awareness of the Holy Spirit through prayer. All Christians are in fellowship with the Holy Spirit. He is our seal that confirms our salvation. He is at work in us to sanctify us. To complete the work that God has promised to do in us. He is also our best friend when it comes to prayer. Before we even approach the throne of God in prayer, our God is with us to provoke us to pray. The Son has opened the doors of heaven so that we can come unashamed. The Father loves us and has invited us to come to him and ask what we need. When you pray, bring to your mind the promise that the Holy Spirit is at work in you. And when we doubt the generosity of God, remember that he has promised to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask.

“And now, as we leave the passage, let us ask ourselves whether we know anything of real prayer? Do we pray at all? Do we pray in the name of Jesus, and as needy sinners? Do we know what it is to “ask,” and “seek,” and “knock,” and wrestle in prayer, like men who feel that it is a matter of life or death, and that they must have an answer? Or are we content with saying over some old form of words, while our thoughts are wandering, and our hearts far away? Truly we have learned a great lesson when we have learned that “saying prayers” is not praying! If we do pray, let it be a settled rule with us, never to leave off the habit of praying, and never to shorten our prayers.” J.C. Ryle

Prayer

Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.

Luke

Luke 9:57-62 – The Resolute Christian

Discussion

What is the hardest thing about being a Christian?

Context

As the disciples of Jesus are beginning to understand who Jesus is and are demonstrating their zeal for him, Jesus has determined to head toward Jerusalem. This means more than his annual treck for Passover. Jesus is heading to his execution. But he is also heading toward his ascension and victory. Luke chapter 9 marks a major turning point in the gospel of Luke and Jesus’ long journey to the cross. His mission to bring salvation to the ends of the earth will cost him his life.

Read Luke 9:57-52

57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

59 He said to another man, “Follow me.”

But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”

62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Observation

These three interactions between Jesus and potential disciples are given no specific place or time when they occurred except that it was while Jesus walked along the road. Luke pulls three accounts together in one place as a means to make one united point: that following Christ is costly and must take first place in a disciple’s life. Many people will falter at this point but it is better to have a small church of seeing Christians than a full and overflowing church of people given only half the truth.

“As they were walking along the road…” As indicated in Luke 9:51, Jesus was walking on the road to Jerusalem.

“…a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”” The man is not named because the focus of the story is to provide three different approaches to discipleship. Luke has bundled three separate stories together to help us see the cost of discipleship. This offer to go wherever Jesus goes sits in contrast to the Samaritans of the last passage who refused to have anything to do with Jerusalem. We may think Jesus would welcome this offer in comparison but he uses it to teach us something more.

“Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of man has no place to lay his head.” Jesus may very well be replying, “do you know what you are signing up for?” Everything and everyone in this world has a home to go to but this is not so for Jesus. This world is not a place of rest or comfort for him. He is the suffering servant (see Isaiah 52:13-53:12).

The Son of man was a title used of himself a number of times (Lk 5:24; 6:5, 22; 7:34; 9:22, 26, 44 and 18 more times in Luke!). It has a dual meaning of describing his humanity (child of mankind) and being God because of its clear allusion to a vision in Daniel 7:13, 14 of God coming in the appearance of a man. There is a reminder here that Jesus himself left the comforts of his home to save the world.

If you want to follow Christ, note that we say goodbye to the homeliness of this world.

“He said to another man, “Follow me.”” In this trilogy of lessons on discipleship, one example includes Jesus taking the initiative which ends with another lesson of warning. The theme of this section is clear thought, what does it cost to follow Jesus?

“But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”” Jesus’ personal invitation is met with a hurdle to cross. This offer came to the man at a very unfortunate time. It is good and right to respect and grieve our loved ones when they die. Is this not a reasonable request from the man? He is not saying no, but not yet. He is willing to leave his home and have no place to lay his head but he has responsibilities to his father and family.

“Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”” Too harsh? What is Jesus’ point? The next cross to bear as a Christian is to soberly see the great mission of God above and beyond our earthly ties to responsibility. Grief is right and responsibilities are real but Jesus’ prod here is to remember greater things. Giving attention to the things of this world is akin to ministering to the dead. But Jesus’ mission is for the living! John Calvin said of this verse: “those who do not rise above the world, — who devote themselves to pleasing men, and forget God, — are like dead men, who are idly and uselessly employed in taking care of the dead.”

“Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”” We have a similar category of trouble here but less about duty and more about giving our priority in life to our family.

“Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”” Jesus is challenging a divided heart. Christ wants all of us – the whole person. Will we follow Christ or not? So many people claim to be Christian and their lives show no determination to put him first or to seek first the kingdom of God. Many will begin a journey of following Jesus but then recall what they once left behind and wish to return. Jesus calls us to come and not look back. The race is forwards, not backwards.

Some will protest at this point that this is too harsh. The point of these three challenges though is to highlight the cost of discipleship. Jesus demonstrated his own responsibilities to his family as illustrated in Luke 2:51 (also John 19:26-27) but also taught that God comes first and we have a new family in Christ (Luke 8:19-21). It is too common for us to put our children and our family ahead of our devotion to God and following Jesus. When our mind is consumed with our love of our family over our love for God, we are not taking God seriously.

Meaning

Jesus is speaking to people on his way to the cross. The theme of sacrifice and the cost of discipleship is clear. We live in a different situation where following Christ does not take us actually to Jerusalem. But our dedication to follow Jesus and join in his mission still comes at a cost. We must withdraw from our earthly home in order to claim heavenly citizenship. We must go about our responsibilities with the knowledge that all of this is passing away. And we must look to Jesus and never look back. We must take up our cross and follow him. If not then we are unworthy of the kingdom of God.

Application

Topic A – Are your investments on earth or in heaven? The bible doesn’t teach us to be poor, but it teaches us to be rich in the kingdom of God. That is, find your treasure in God and not in financial gain. Taking risks for the kingdom of God is easier when the value of this world is diminished. What would you struggle to live without for Christ? How strong are your ties to live in this area? Are you deeply invested in your career such that it feels impossible to leave that behind?

Topic B – Managing responsibilities with a Christian view. God instructs us to be good with our money and with the responsibilities of this world. We are called on to pray for the government for example. Also, God instructs us to work and to provide for those we are responsible for (2 Thess 3:10; 1 Tim 5:4). Yet, he also says to do all things as though doing them for the Lord and not for men (Col 3:23). He calls us to seek first the kingdom of God and everything else will be taken care of (Matt 6:19-32). Having a Christian view of the world, puts all of our responsibilities in its eternal perspective and transfers the glory from ourselves to God.

Topic C – When family comes second. It is possible to love your family to death. The order of our devotion is God first, then family. The glory of this is that God loves our family more than we do. To truly love our family is to help them to see Jesus. A person can pour all of their time and energy and money and care into their family, but if Jesus is not given first place in this relationship, then the family is shutting their saviour out. You will be loving your family to death.

Prayer

Father, accept our desire to follow Jesus and help us to do so despite the cost. Give us your grace to see the joy and privilege of knowing your Son and being known by you. Help us in our weakness and thank you for the price that you paid to call us your children. Amen.