Luke 19:11-27  Jesus was getting nearer to Jerusalem.. and the people, including His disciples, were excited in anticipation.. for they believed that the Kingdom of God was coming immediately. 

But.. Jesus stops and tells them another parable.  It is about a nobleman who goes away to "receive a kingdom for himself".  He leaves his slaves in charge of his estate as he goes away.. giving 1 "mina" (worth about 100 days wages)  to each of ten men in order that they might "do business" for him.  As he leaves, his citizens send a delegation to tell him not to return, for they did not want him to reign over them. 

When the king returns from his successful mission, he called the slaves to give account of their work. The first one had been faithful and gained 10 times what he had been given and was rewarded with  a position of authority over 10 cities.  The second had earned 5 minas and was rewarded with 5 cities.  The third man.. had done nothing. He put the mina in a handkerchief. By his own confession he says that he knew the king was "an exacting man"  who could take up what he didn't lay down and reap what he did not sow.  He knew that the king was able to do great and impossible things, yet he did not trust him to use him..  He felt worthless and he acted in that way.  Maybe he didn't believe that the king would ever return.  He didn't think about the fact that the king had chosen him to do this.. which should have made him have confidence to do what needed to be done. 

Jesus tells the moral of this story, "I tell you, that to everyone who has shall more be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away." 

Jesus knew that He was the One going away to receive His Kingdom and that He was leaving His disciples behind.  He gave them responsibilities for when He was absent and He will examine their faithfulness when He returns.  We are counted among those who are Christ's servants.  All we have in this life is from Him. What are we doing with what He has given to us? Are we faithfully serving our King? When it is time for us to give an account to Him, will He find us faithful? 

Father in heaven, may we be found faithful and good servants on that blessed day.. we want to  serve You with all of our hearts, souls, minds, and strength. Help us, Holy Spirit, to walk in truth and love and to trust fully in Your power to use us.. and all we are.. and all we have been given ...  to the glory of God, our Father and Mighty King and to Jesus, our Savior and Lord. We ask this in His name. Amen.

Luke 24 "But on the first day of the week, at early dawn... " 

The women came to finish laying His body to rest.. but.. the stone was rolled away.. the tomb was empty.. and then angels appeared! "Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen.." 

Jesus had told them.. but they didn't understand.. didn't believe.. didn't know that God would do this impossible thing...until now.  That very moment "they remembered".  They knew.  They returned "and reported all these things to the eleven and to the rest."  No one believed..but.. Peter "arose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings only; and he went to his home, marveling at that which had happened." 

Luke takes us quickly through the next events.. Jesus walking with the two disciples to Emmaus. Jesus meeting with the apostles in the upper room.. and Jesus ascending into heaven. 

They were "slow of heart to believe.."  Jesus said. They were needlessly troubled. They needed to understand all that the Scriptures had said about Him. "Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures." 

When the Holy Spirit came upon them the would be "clothed with power from on high".  They would proclaim "that repentance for forgiveness of sins... in His name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem." 

Sorrow was washed away.. great joy filled their hearts.. and they were "continually in the temple, praising God." 

We celebrated Easter.. or Resurrection Sunday.. in so many ways yesterday.. all over this world.  So much of the "celebrations"  have nothing at all to do with the joy that the disciples found with the Living One during those days.  It was a joy that changed their lives and changed the world.  It is a joy unspeakable that changes every heart that will choose to believe. 

Father in heaven,  we rejoice that our Savior lives!  May our hearts stop being slow to believe.. may our minds be opened to understand.. may we be filled with the Holy Spirit.. clothed with power from on high! May we be faithful to proclaim the good news of repentance in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. Thank You for the wonderful celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. We praise You! Amen and amen. 

 Luke 23  I will go back to chapter 19 next week, but for today, Good Friday, I want to visit the events of that day.. the day that Jesus suffered. 

It started the night before, after the Passover Meal, when the group headed to the Mount of Olives, and Jesus fell to His knees and began to pray, "Father, if Thou art willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will but Thine be done."  As He prayed, His disciples slept. The multitude gathered and the betrayer came. 

Jesus was brought before the high priest... mocked, beaten, and blindfolded.  On that Friday morning the Council of elders came. "If You are the Christ," they said, "tell us."  But.. when He told them, they would not believe and brought Him before Pilate. 

Three times Pilate found nothing to convict Jesus of and was willing to release Him.  Three times the Sanhedrin insisted that Jesus be crucified.  They were insistent. They would not quit. And they prevailed. 

Jesus was led away, so weak from the beatings that He had endured.. that Simon of Cyrene was enlisted to carry the cross behind Jesus. 

"And when they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left." 

The soldiers divided His garments. 

The people stared at Him. 

The rulers sneered. 

And Jesus prayed for the Father to forgive them. 

"And it was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour, the sun being obscured, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And Jesus crying out with a loud voice, said, 'Father, into Thy hands I commit My Spirit.' And having said this, He breathed His last." 

The centurion praised God, for he understood that Jesus was innocent and that His death was far from ordinary ..  The multitudes.. began to return, beating their breasts. His friends and His mother and the other women, stood at a distance, watching. 

Joseph of Arimathea received permission to take the body of Jesus and laid Him in a tomb cut into the rock. 

And it was done. 

Father in heaven, we call this day "good" not because Jesus suffered such cruelty and horror.. but because He did so for us.. that we might be saved by the One sacrifice that can wash us clean of all our sin. The One sacrifice that was enough, once for all, to pay the high price for the redemption of mankind.. for all who will believe in Him. You asked Your Son to lay down His life and He humbly and willingly suffered and died on a cruel cross that day.. that Good Friday.  How can it be?  What is impossible for man.. is possible with God.. and by Your grace we are saved. Thank You Lord!  Let the glory and grace of Jesus Christ our King be made known in our country and in this world today we pray.  In Jesus' Name. Amen. 

 Luke 18:28-43 ; 19:1-10

Peter.. just as astounded as the others that Jesus said it was hard for the wealthy to enter the kingdom of God.. made a simple statement, "Behold, we have left our own homes, and followed You."  Was he wondering if it was worth it?  Was he wondering if that got him into the kingdom?  Jesus reassured him and the rest of the disciples that "there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life."   Yes.. it is worth it all!

Things were about to get bad.  Jesus tells them again that He is going up to Jerusalem to die. All that the prophets had said about Him would be done.. including mocking and mistreatment, scourging and death on the cross. But.. they still did not understand and "this saying was hidden from them.."  

As the group proceeds towards Jerusalem they come upon a blind man who begins to yell out, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Even when others tried to quiet him, the man continued to cry out.  And.. Jesus stopped.  

"What do you want Me to do for you?" He asked.  

"Lord, I want to regain my sight." Bartimaeus answered.  

And Jesus spoke to him, "Receive your sight, your faith has made you well."  

No mud.. not even a touch..  just a brief conversation..  a few words from Jesus changed that man's life.. "And immediately he regained his sight and began following Him and glorifying God; and when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God." 

The next stop that Jesus made is underneath the tree where Zaccheus had climbed in order to see Him.  Jesus called him to come down so that He could stay at his house.  Zaccheus was ready to receive Jesus.. in his home and in his heart.  The people complained but Jesus welcomed Zaccheus into the kingdom, "Today salvation has come to this house because he, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." 

Both Bartimaeus and Zaccheus received Jesus that day.  Both had been lost but now were found. Both of their lives were changed.  Bartimaeus, the blind beggar.. and Zaccheus, the rich tax-gatherer went from death to life that day.  Both of them knew that God had done the impossible work of salvation in them.  Indeed, "the things that are impossible with men are possible with God" !

Father in heaven, we give You glory, for You have done the impossible things in our own lives.  You have healed sicknesses, You have redeemed sinners.  You have given to us a Savior who came to die on a cruel cross so that we might know You.. to know that it is worth it all because we have received eternal life.. and in this life we will see Your greatness, goodness, and glory.  King Jesus, we bow before You and receive You as our Lord and Master. Come and fill us once again  Holy Spirit so that the Name of Jesus will be on our lips and His light will shine brightly in our lives. Do the impossible once again, Lord God so that more eyes will be opened and more people will be saved to the glory of Your Holy Name.  Amen.

 Luke 18:18-27   The young man saw Jesus and ran up to Him.  Mark tells us that he even knelt before Him. His question seems sincere, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" 

Jesus saw this young man. He asked a question in return, " Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone."  Then Jesus gives the man a reminder of what God calls good.. " Do not commit adultery, Do not murder. Do not steal. Do not bear false witness. Honor your Father and Mother." Matthew adds, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Mark adds, "Do not defraud." 

Why would Jesus speak only of these 5 commandments?  These all focus on relationships with others.. and the young man is confident that he has kept them.  But.. what of the first 4?  Did he have  "no other gods"?   Had he made himself an idol? Had he used God's name in vain? Was he observing the Sabbath to keep it holy?  And what of the last commandment?  Did he covet what belonged to his neighbor? The young man wanted to justify himself..yet... it seems that he knew something was lacking.  But he didn't like what Jesus had to say, "One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess, and distribute it to the poor and you shall have treasure in heaven, and come, follow Me." 

"But when he had heard these things, he became very sad; for he was extremely rich."  He turned away. He rejected the eternal life that he wanted so badly.. it was right there in front of him and he let it slip away.. His wealth was his god and it was too much to surrender.  He would rather have treasures on earth that would not last than treasures in heaven that will never perish. 

Jesus made a statement that shook them all.. "How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God."    Over and over Jesus taught that humility and trust in God are what is "good".  Oh, the way is narrow that leads to God's Kingdom!  It is hard to choose it.. but thankfully Jesus adds, "The things impossible with men are possible with God"!   

This is why He came.. to do the impossible.. to save the lost.. rich and poor.. Hallelujah!

Father in heaven, we come with grateful hearts to thank You for making a way when there was no other way.. and that way is Jesus!  King Jesus, we will follow You.. we will surrender all.  Help us to do the will of the Father, to exalt His Name, and to keep choosing the narrow way every day.. running the race set before us with our eyes fixed on You.  We ask this is Your Holy Name. Amen. 

 Luke 18:9-17  Jesus tells a second parable about prayer.  The first one emphasized how necessary it is for us to be persistent in prayer for we have a God who will hear and provide for those who continue in faith.  This one teaches about the attitude of prayer. 

The two men who go up to the temple are opposites in every way. The first is a Pharisee. The second is a tax-gatherer.  One would be considered "righteous" because of his position, his outward behavior, and his own testimony... "The Pharisee stood and was praying thus to himself, 'God, I thank Thee that I am not like other people; swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax-gatherer. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get' "    He never acknowledged his sins, his failures, or his need for God's grace. 

The tax-gatherer was automatically judged to be evil. They all thought that the tax-gatherers were crooked, corrupt, and unclean because of their job.  This man, however, was "unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!' "  All he asked for was mercy. With every word he confessed his unrighteousness and his need for a Savior.

Jesus says that it is the tax-gatherer who left the temple "justified".  The Pharisee was not repentant and  remained unforgiven.  The one who trusted in himself, thinking he was righteous was far from it.  The one who was held in contempt, despised by the Pharisee.. is the one who is made truly righteous by the Lord.  

Jesus says, as He had said before, "everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, but he who humbles himself shall be exalted." 

Luke gives us another glimpse of this truth in the next few verses.  The people were bringing their babies to Jesus "so that He might touch them".  The disciples tried to stop them, but Jesus "called for them".  He said "Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it at all." 

The Message says it this way, " Mark this: Unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child you'll never get in." 

 With simple faith, a  humble heart, and an honest confession of sin.. we come to the only One who has mercy to give, grace to bestow, forgiveness to offer and love to complete it all so that we can receive His Kingdom.  Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Father in heaven, we exalt Your Holy Name and we praise the Son of righteousness!  Hold us in Your Hands today we pray. How we need You every hour! Thank You for showing us mercy and forgiving our sins, for making us whole and clothing us in the righteousness of Jesus our Lord. Amen. 

 Luke 18:1-8  Luke says that this parable about prayer was to "show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart." 

The parable is about a judge and a widow.  The judge, we are told, "did not fear God and did not respect man." What a description!  None of us would want to willingly go before such a man.  No goodness is attributed to him.. he had power over others, but no mercy, no love.. and not even any regard for anyone but himself. 

The widow was a different character altogether !  She was relentless in her pursuit of justice.  She was bold to keep coming to this godless judge in an effort to find relief from her "adversary". 

Because of the widow's persistence she was finally granted justice in her case.  It was not goodness that caused the judge to finally relent and help her.. it was his selfish desire to just be done with her that he granted her request. 

The point of the story, Jesus says, is that if an unjust judge would help the widow because of her persistence.. that how much more our God.. who is good, who is gracious, and who is merciful and full of love.. a Just and Mighty God.. "bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night and will He delay long over them? I tell you, He will bring about justice for them speedily." 

What a wonderful promise!  Our God hears our prayers.  He sees our need.  He will act on our behalf.  He is able to do all things!  Our part is to keep praying, to keep trusting, and to be people of faith until Christ returns again. 

Prayer matters.  Persistent and consistent prayer matters.  Urgent prayers matter. Humble, honest prayers matter. 

Jesus says we "ought to pray" .. at "all times".  It is necessary.  It is needed. It is vital.  He also says that we should "not lose heart".. we should not "faint".  Don't grow weary. Don't give up.. don't fail.  Be like the widow.. bold, persistent, and relentless.  We have a good, good, Father who will not fail. May we be found to have the kind of faith that persists until the coming of Jesus. 

Father, may it be so! 

Amen.