Luke 8:16-21  Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."   This next parable connects "hearing" to "doing".  If we have received the "light".. the true Word of God... we will not.. or better yet, we "cannot" hide it. "For nothing is hidden that shall not become evident, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come to light." 

Either we will receive the Word.. and bear fruit.. or we will not.. it will be snatched away, choked out, or cut off.  There will be evidence in our lives, one way or another. 

"Therefore take care how you hear.. "  Stop and chew on that for a bit.   When we read the Word, do we hurry through and check off the number of verses or chapters we did.. or do we listen carefully for what God, our Father is saying to us by His Holy Spirit? 

 I once read a book from an evangelist who wrote about hearing the voice of God in every part of the Bible.  We don't have to ignore the Old Testament or read a certain amount every day to make our quota.  If we just read through the Bible.. listening for the voice of the Lord.. He will speak.  That's why I call this blog "Listening to the Shepherd's voice".. and continue through the Word one book at a time.  No matter where I am reading.. the Lord reveals Himself!  Not that I am any great authority.. but, it is how He has led me by His grace. 

When Jesus hears that His mother and brothers have come to speak to Him.. He does not rush out to meet them.. there was another important point that He  wanted to emphasize .. " My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it." 

It is not enough to hear the Word.. but that is vital as Romans 10:17 reminds us.. "So faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of Christ."  If we don't hear the Word we cannot believe it.. and how can we hear it unless someone tells us.. someone who doesn't hide the Light under his bed... someone who has heard the Word and does it... someone who's life" bears fruit with perseverance."

Father in heaven,  the psalmist wrote, "In Thy light we see light." (36:9) You have given to us the Light of the world, Jesus Christ.  John wrote, "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men."  His life.. every word He spoke, every work He did, every act of compassion and kindness.. shines brightly, testifying of Your goodness and love for all people.  Your Light, Jesus, opened our blind eyes to see You.  You took us out of the domain of darkness and brought us into the Kingdom of Your Son.. Hallelujah!   Thank You for the Word of God that brings faith.. and transforms us into Your children so that we can also be the "light of the world" as we do the things that the Word says.. bearing much fruit to the glory and honor of Your Name. Amen!

 Luke 8:4-15  Luke shares the parable of the sower ... that Jesus spoke to the multitudes that began to follow Him from city to city.  Can you picture Jesus and His disciples walking through the dirt roads.. passing many fields of grain.. perhaps stopping to watch as a farmer is sowing his seeds.. 

Some seeds fell on the hard path where they were walking.  The crowd walked right over those seeds, pressing them into the dirt that has been hardened by the many feet and the hot sun.. It was unplowed.. no shovel or rake.. no tiller has touched this ground.  The seed that landed there had no chance of growing.. only the birds would benefit from these seeds.   Jesus tells His disciples that this is like the Word of God that is spoken but ignored completely.  It is trampled by careless and uncaring feet. Those who happened to hear it would not believe it.. could not even receive it in their hardened hearts. 

As Jesus watched the seeds being thrown by the farmer, He saw some seeds landing in the rocky soil at the edge of the path. Some of these seeds would reach the soil between the rocks and grow up a little.. But there would not be enough good soil to sustain it. It would quickly wither in the hot sun.  Jesus says that these seeds are like those who hear the word and think that it is wonderful. It makes them happy for a while.. but then they move on to the next good thing and forget all about what they had heard. 

Likewise, some seeds fell on the thorny ground, more ground that had not been prepared to receive the seeds properly. It might grow some but then the thorns.. those sharp, thick, nasty thorns that rip through the skin and grab onto your clothes.. they choke out whatever good that was growing.  Jesus compares this to those who receive the good news, but all the worries of life take over.  They worry about their money, their entertainment.. their houses, jobs, families... whatever seems more important than God's word... and they just give up. 

But.. the farmer has a purpose in sowing his seed.. as God has a purpose for sending His Word.. for some falls on good soil... prepared, tilled, fertile soil.. ready to receive the seed and grow the crop that the farmer desires.  Jesus says that the Word of God that is heard by an "honest and good heart".. a heart that will "Hold it fast".. will "bear fruit with perseverance." 

Jesus called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." 

Father, we want to hear Your Voice, to receive the Word and live according to it. We believe that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.. Jesus Christ the living Word, the final Word as Hebrews 1 tells us.. and we receive Him in our hearts which You prepared to hold Him fast and to persevere.. so that we can bear fruit as we abide in Him.  To God be the glory!  We pray for those who have heard but have allowed rocks and thorns to choke out the Word. Father, open their ears so that they can truly hear, and believe.  We ask this in Jesus' name.. Amen. 

 Luke 8:1-3  There were  "..some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses; Mary.. Joanna.. and Susanna and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means"  These women followed Jesus "going from one city and village to another". 

We know a little bit about these women.  We know that Mary of Magdalene had been possessed by demons and that Jesus had delivered her.  We know that she followed Him to the very end and beyond.  Luke tells us that Joanna was the wife of Chuza, who was a steward in Herod's house.  We don't know much about Susanna. 

Matthew tells about the women too.  In Matthew 27:55-56 he writes that  "many women.. who had followed Jesus from Galilee"  had ministered to Jesus along the way and were there at the cross. Again Mary Magdalene is mentioned first.  Another Mary is identified as "the mother of James and Joseph".  This James is also called the "less" or the younger James.. The mother of the "sons of Zebedee" James and John, also followed Jesus.  The two Mary's are the ones that went to the grave that first Resurrection Sunday.. the first to witness the stone rolled away. (28:1)  

Mark also comments on the women who followed Jesus. Mark 15:40 "And there were also some women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses, and Salome."  Verse 41 tells us "there were many other women who had come up with Him to Jerusalem. "  

Luke will tell later that these women "were standing at a distance, seeing these things".. seeing the crucifixion.. hearing His last words.. watching the final breath escape His lungs. Luke tells us how they followed the procession to the tomb and saw the stone rolled into place..and then their return on the first day of the week to find the stone rolled away!

It is John who tells us Mary, the mother of Jesus was there also at the foot of the cross, along with her sister.. also called Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.  John also tells about Mary Magdalene going to the tomb "early".. finding the stone rolled away , running to tell Peter and himself  and shortly later speaking to Jesus in the garden. 

These women were important to Jesus and to His ministry.  I wonder about them... how did they leave their homes, their husbands, their children and follow Jesus around the country?  The mother of James the less seems to have brought Joses and Salome with her to follow along with this James.  Also the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee  went.. apparently leaving her husband back in Galilee managing his fishing boat. It wouldn't have been easy to leave their homes and care for this band of disciples.. but they did it for the love of the Savior. 

Women still leave behind families to follow Jesus.. serving Him without hesitation.  My own sister lived in Africa for many, many years.. following the call of Jesus to serve Him far away from the rest of us.  It was a sacrifice on both sides of the ocean, but the Lord blessed us all to see the fruit of changed lives as Christ was made known to people who would not have heard the good news of Jesus Christ when they did. 

Father in heaven, I want to be a woman serves You, who follows Your plan and not my own.  You determine our steps, Lord and we thank You for being so faithful in leading us into Your great and wonderful will.  May we be like these faithful women, who quietly served You in the background, but who honored You in every act of love.. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 

 Luke 7:36-50  "Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to dine with him."   Jesus accepted this invitation. We learn that this Pharisee's name was Simon.  His motive for inviting Jesus to dinner seems to be a bit of a mixture.. perhaps curiosity.. or trickery.. or maybe a genuine desire to get to know Him. 

Simon acknowledged  that Jesus was a teacher. But, he drew his own conclusion that Jesus could not be a prophet because He allowed the "sinner" to touch Him.  It may have been Simon who wanted to test Jesus.. but it ended up being Jesus who tested Simon.  We do not find out whether or not Simon learned anything from this lesson. 

As soon as Jesus entered Simon's house there should have been someone to wash His feet.  He should have been greeted with a kiss... we have seen how that traditional greeting is given in Middle Eastern countries. He should have been anointed with oil.  But, none of that was offered.  Jesus was not honored as a guest should have been.  But, the unnamed woman came with an "alabaster vial of perfume."  She washed His feet with her tears and her hair. She kissed His feet and anointed them with her expensive perfume. She not only honored Jesus with her sacrifice and adoration, but she worshipped Him with all her heart.   

But.. Simon judged  her and Jesus in  one thought. 

Jesus didn't have to hear Simon's thoughts.. the look on his face was probably enough.. "Simon, I have something to say to you." Jesus said.  What a gentle approach.. no condemnation.. no anger.. no forceful response.. but a simple story.  "A certain moneylender had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii and the other fifty." Neither could  repay their loans and both were forgiven..." graciously".  "Which of them therefore will love him more?"  Simon knew the answer, but seems reluctant to say it.. "I suppose the one whom he forgave more."  Jesus agreed with Simon that this was truth. 

Then He compared Simon's actions.. failing the basic traditions of hospitality.. to the actions of the sinful woman... who poured out her tears and her perfume on Jesus' feet.  Which of these reveals love?  "For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little. "  Jesus forgives the woman for any and all of her sin.  He does not offer forgiveness to Simon.. for Simon does not ask for it.. doesn't believe he needs it.. and has no faith that Jesus had the authority to give it.  The woman's faith brought her salvation and peace.  I wonder whatever happened to Simon?

Father in heaven,  You are our Gracious God who has forgiven our every sin, our every debt, our every transgression.. cleansing us fully by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. We pour out our tears, our lives, our worship to You.. for we love You.  We desire to love You even more.. to not be blind like Simon was to the greatness of our debt that You have graciously forgiven. Thank You Jesus for Your forgiveness.. for this great salvation..  for Your love.. and for the peace that You have given to us. Lead us, Spirit of God, in the way we should go and guide us with Your eye. Fill us with the love of God and the steadfastness of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen 

 Luke 7:18- 35  John the Baptist seems to have had a moment of doubt.  He had known since before his birth the power of the Holy Spirit in his life. He had witnessed the Holy Spirit coming like a dove and filling Jesus at His baptism.  He was a chosen prophet of God.. but in a time of persecution and imprisonment.. his faith faltered just a bit.  So, he sent two of his disciples to go to Jesus and ask Him if He was the Expected One... 

Sometimes we feel strong in our faith and stand firm in the Truth... but sometimes we are tempted to question what we have known, heard, and seen.  Jesus did not condemn John's questioning.. He simply answered the question with proof.. "He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He granted sight to many who were blind."  Everything that Jesus did was fulfilling the prophecy for the Messiah. (Isaiah 35:5 and 61:1ff)  The messengers took this back to John.  What a blessing that must have been to them as well as to John in those final days. 

Jesus spoke well of John saying that he was more than just a prophet, but the one who had been sent to prepare His way. He deserved to be honored for he completed the work that the Father had created him to do... "yet... " Jesus continued, "he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.. "  The people who heard this believed that this was a "just" statement.  They had believed John's message and they were coming to believe in Jesus. 

The Pharisees and lawyers were a different story.. they "rejected God's purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by John."  Jesus called them a generation who acted like children.. condemning John for his ministry.. and condemning Jesus for His. They ignored the Word of God, they did not hear the Truth being spoken for they had hardened their hearts. 

Father in heaven,  help us in our moments of doubt and fear, to turn our eyes back to Jesus.. to see, to hear, and to know Him by His Word and by His Works.  Help us, Father, to grow in faith and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. May we exalt Your Holy Name and live according to Your Word and Your Spirit as we walk in difficult times.. and in peaceful times too.  Lord, You know us completely and You alone can bring us to the fulness of Christ in whom we abide.  Let Your will be done we pray, Amen. 

 Luke 7:11-17   "And  it came about soon afterwards that He went to a city called Nain..."  We know that Jesus did and said only what the Father led Him to do or say.  This trip to Nain was no coincidence.. it was not by accident that Jesus entered the city just when they were carrying out this dead man... "the only son of his mother .. a widow." 

Jesus "approached".. Jesus "felt compassion for her".. Jesus said words of comfort "Do no weep."  She had no idea what Jesus was going to do.. we don't even know if she knew who He was.  But, when He stopped the procession, when He touched the bier.. when He spoke to her dead son.. and when this beloved son sat up and spoke.. she knew! "And Jesus gave him back to his mother." 

Imagine this! Oh the sorrow... to lose a child.. to feel the loss of the only one left. And Oh the joy!  This son restored to life right before your eyes.  "And fear gripped them all, and they began glorifying God!"  

Eyes were opened that day.. not just the eyes of a dead son and his grieving mother.. but all those who followed Jesus to Nain and all those coming out of the city.. "a sizeable crowd" that accompanied her.  "And the report concerning Him went out all over Judea, and in all the surrounding district." 

There was much talk about Lazarus being raised from the dead.... but this first display of the power of Jesus to raise the dead seems to be less well known.  He raised the daughter of Jairus, He raised this young man, and He raised Lazarus.  How many more did He raise that we do not have a record of?  How many did He touch before they died that would not have made it without His intervention.   Jesus has not changed and His authority over life and death has not changed either.  His compassion is so great and His power is without end. We can trust Him to complete the Father's plan for each of us. The older I get the more I realize that only He has control of my life and my death.. and my eternal home-going. I know I can trust Him with my own life and with that of my family.  Hallelujah!  What a Savior!

Father, we rest in You.. in Your precious promises.. that You will never leave us or forsake us. You have written down the days of our lives since before we even came from our mothers' wombs.  We are on the road, on the way to our eternal home with Jesus holding us close the whole way.  Thank You Father for such a great Savior. Thank You that He lives in us who believe.. and we live in Him forever.  Jesus, the Vine and we the branches.. abiding together as we keep our eyes on eternity with You .. Praise God the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen

 Luke 7:1-10  Luke tells his readers about Jesus returning to Capernaum.  A centurion, whose  slave was on his deathbed, sent "some Jewish elders" to Jesus to ask Him to " come and save the life of his slave." 

The Jewish elders "earnestly entreated Him.. "  They spoke of the worth of the centurion.. "He is worthy for You to grant this to him.. " they pleaded.  He was a good man,  he loved Israel, he built the synagogue. Jesus listened to this plea and started toward the home of this man. 

 But, before He got there the centurion sent some "friends".. who had a different message for Jesus. "Lord, do not trouble Yourself further , for I am not worthy for You to come under my roof; for this reason I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed." 

Two evaluations.. one declaring that this man was worthy... his own personal declaration of  unworthiness.  Jesus heard both of these and "marveled" more at the man's humble evaluation of himself than all the praises of the elders. The centurion understood the authority of Jesus and he put his faith in Him.. not in his own worth or power.  "and when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health." 

The truth is.. we are all unworthy.. no matter how many "good" things we do, that is not what matters to Jesus.. for He sees our hearts.. Yes, He taught us to see what kind of fruit our lives are producing.. but He also taught that the "mouth speaks from that which fills [the] heart."  The centurion spoke of his unworthiness.. and of the authority of Jesus.  This lesson is for all of us.  

Lord God, our heavenly Father, we are not worthy of this great grace that You have lavished on us.. that while we were sinners, Christ Jesus died for us.  You have loved us. You have drawn us to Yourself by Your own choice. You have delivered us from darkness. You have given us a place in Your family.  You are good to us.  We are so thankful. Our hope is in Jesus, our faith is in Him alone for life.. for healing.. for eternity.  All praise to God our Father and to Jesus Christ the Beloved Son, and to the Holy Spirit who lives in us. Amen. 

 Luke 6:39-49  Luke includes a series of parables that Jesus taught to His disciples and others who gathered to listen.  Each quote is presented to teach an important truth.. and then we are reminded again in verse 47 that we need to hear and "act upon" them... laying a firm foundation for our lives. 

Verses 39-40 teach about leading and following.  "A blind man cannot guide a blind man.. "  That is a very observable truth.  Matthew 15:14 tells us that Jesus was speaking about the Pharisees "they are blind guides of the blind". They put their traditions before the Word of the God.  Their teachings were not founded on the truth but on their own interpretations.  Jesus said, "A pupil is not above his teacher..."  but.. the purpose of the teacher is to "fully train" his students so that they will "be like" their teacher.  In John 13:16  Jesus said this again using the word "slave" instead of pupil... "Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master; neither is the one who is sent greater than the one who sent him."  Jesus had just washed the disciples feet.. "For I gave you an example that you should do as I did to you."  The contrast is significant.  The Pharisees didn't follow the Truth and could not teach effectively what they did not live out. They were "blind" and those who followed their examples would also be blind.  But.. Jesus taught the Truth and lived according to it.. desiring to "fully train" His disciples to be just like Him. 

Verses 41-42 teach about judging others but not looking first at your own soul. "And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?"  This is a very dramatic illustration.  We easily picture a speck and a log.. and we recognize the pain and discomfort of anything in our eyes!  What we miss is the blindness that occurs when we focus on the failures of others rather than our own.  Jesus isn't telling us to not care about our brother or sister.. but that we must first and always come to Him to restore our own sight.. to see as He does.

Verses 43-45 This lesson helps us to examine our sight and that of others.. to open our blind eyes.. "For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit; nor on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit."  Jesus tells us that He is talking about our hearts... "The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good."  As a good tree produces "good fruit" -a good heart produces "good". The evidence is the "fruit".. "for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart."   Each tree, He says, "is known by its own fruit".  If there is good in our hearts, then we will speak what is good and true and right. But, if there is evil in our hearts, what comes out of our mouths will testify clearly that we are indeed a "bad tree".. an  "evil man".

Father in heaven, we pray as the psalmist did.. "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way." (Psalm 139:23-24)   My heart is Yours.. my eyes are Yours, fill me, Spirit of truth, and lead me according to the Words of Christ that I might act upon them.. building a firm foundation on the Solid Rock.  I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

 Luke 6: 27-38  Jesus said that if we hear His words and "act upon them"  that we will flourish and stand firm.. we will not be shaken when the storms come because our foundation is firm.  These words that we find in verses 27-31 are His instructions that we need to hear and do:

Verse 27 "love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.. " 

Verse 28 "bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."

Verse 29 "Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either."

Verse 30 "Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back." 

Verse 31 "And just as you want people to treat you, treat them as well." 

Oh boy! Even as I write these words I am convicted.. for I don't want someone to take what is mine.. I don't want to give to everyone who asks of me.   Surely Jesus didn't mean all those scammers and crooks and evil doers that inhabit our world today?  Did He?  How do we love those who hate us and do good to those who hurt us?  Help me Lord!   

I can rationalize through verse 31.. the "golden rule".. after all I treat people fairly.. I think.. and I want others to treat me that way.. but, do I really do it the way Jesus is saying?  And then He says:

"And if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount." 

Jesus wants us to do MORE than just what "the sinners" do.. He wants us to do what He would do... "love your enemies.. do good and lend expecting nothing in return.. "  Just like He loved us while we were still sinners.. while we were in the enemies camp.  He gave Himself fully.. and He gives and gives and gives.. and never expects a return for He knows we have nothing to give that He Himself has not given us in the first place.  Every breath.. every heartbeat.. everything.. is from Him and for Him.

Jesus tells us to "be merciful" just as our Father is.  He tells us not to judge or condemn.. but to pardon others.. He tells us to "Give and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together running over, they will pour into your lap. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return." 

Father in heaven, I am so weak, so poor, so helpless to do these commands of Jesus.  I need Your Spirit, Lord to come and take control of my life so that I might walk in the ways of Jesus.. loving enemies, giving to those who ask, being merciful and patient, forgiving and persevering in doing good. Help me not to grow weary in doing good.. not to be afraid of truly loving the stranger, the needy, and even the wicked.  Help us to show Your love as You have shown Your love to us.  We come to You in the name of Jesus, who gave Himself for us that we might become righteous like He is.. May it be done in us.. in me today I pray.  Amen. 

 Luke 6: 24-26  Luke summarized Jesus' teaching into 4 blessings and 4 "woes".  

"Woe to you who are rich... Woe to you who are well fed...  Woe to you who laugh.. Woe to you when all men speak well of you."  Woe - alas.. is an exclamation of grief according to the Bible lexicon.   A sadness for those who have not given up anything to follow Jesus and have His kingdom. 

The "rich" are those who have abundant resources..  Jesus says that these have received their "comfort in full".  They don't recognize their need.. their poverty.. their dependence on the Father.  James wrote, "... let the rich man glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with a scorching wind, and withers the grass; and its flower falls off, and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away." James 1: 10-11.  Do we find our consolation in our bank accounts or in the One who we call out to when in need of help?  Do we recognize the need that others have... a need that we can meet with a willingness to share what God has provided? Or do we hold on to the things we have more than we hold on to Jesus?

Are we "full"?  Jesus says that we will then "be hungry".   To be full.. satiated, filled up, maybe even to the point of gluttony?  What is it that makes Jesus grieve over our satisfaction?  Matthew wrote, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied," (5:6)   Have we filled up on the physical desires so much that we do not desire the spiritual food?  Jesus found satisfaction in doing the will of the Father, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work." John 4:34.  May we be full of the Spirit.. may we hunger for righteousness.. may we find satisfaction in doing the will of the Father. 

"Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep."  Again this points to our satisfaction in the things of the world and our lack of surrender.. laying down everything.. for the Lord Jesus who alone can give us true joy. 

The final woe that Luke shares is "Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for in the same way their fathers used to treat the false prophets."   Jesus says we are blessed to be hated, ostracized, and insulted by others for His name's sake.. just like the prophets were.  Who do we want to be identified with.. the true prophets of God.. or the false prophets who come with lies and deceit?   In our humanity we don't like to be ridiculed, left out, or treated badly.  But, in Christ we have something greater than human approval.. we have a "reward... in heaven"  Something greater.. something worth the suffering, something that will give us a greater joy than any accolades from those in this world.  It will be worth it all!

Father,  Jesus told us that if we hear His words and act on them we will not be shaken.  May we have ears to hear and act upon these truths.  Enable us by Your Holy Spirit to recognize our poverty and not be full of material things that will rust and rot away.. those things that will never satisfy our true needs.  Help us to hunger for You, to hold on to Your promises which give us a hope and a future worth waiting for.  Help us to not worry or fret for our physical needs, knowing that we have a heavenly Father that provides all that we truly need. We give You thanks for all You have provided and we put our trust in You for every day that You have planned for us.. in this life and in the eternal glory that You have promised! Keep us on the solid Rock, Jesus Christ our Lord, for we come in His Mighty name. Amen 

 Luke 6:20-23  Luke gives us  the teaching of Jesus...recording them here as He came down from the mount with His newly appointed apostles.  Luke directs these words towards those who were His disciples.. His students, those who believed that He was the Messiah.  As verse 47 tells us, those who heard these words had to make a choice as to what they would do.. act upon them.. or not.  Those who act upon these words, Jesus said, would not be shaken.. while those who did not, would be ruined.  These recorded words and our response to them are a matter of Life or death. 

"Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God."  Like Matthew, Luke records this foundational belief for coming to God... our own poverty, our helplessness, our destitution.. our complete inability to make ourselves worthy of His Kingdom.  We come as beggars. We are distressed and needy and can not find life for ourselves. We must look to the One who has  Power and  Grace.. The One who loves us and desires to give us all that we need.  Then we will see Him... the One who satisfies our hunger, who heals our broken hearts and returns laughter into our lives. The One who sees when we are hated and insulted and thrown away for His sake.  We see the One who gives blessings in the darkest points of our lives.. and we find that He is Good! 

How do we act upon these Words?  Whether we are brand new believers or have walked with Jesus for many years.. we must have this same foundation of faith.  We are poor beggars.. and He is the One who provides all we need.  "The Lord is my Shepherd and I shall not want."  The sheep are utterly dependent upon the shepherd for their lives.  So we are.. utterly dependent upon our God for every breath, every heartbeat, every bite of food.. for all we need.  He is a good, good Shepherd and we are in His hands.  

Does the Lord leave us when we are weeping?  No.. for He sees our tears.. and as the psalmist writes in  Psalm 56:8 "Thou hast taken account of my wanderings; put my tears in Thy bottle; and they not in Thy book?"  He turns our mourning into laughter.  "Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold your reward is great in heaven;" Luke 6:23

Father in heaven, help us to "act upon" these Words of life. May we trust You for all that we need, recognizing that we are poor beggars and all we have is from Your gracious Hand.  May we trust You when we enter times of mourning or times of trouble.. when we are scorned for our faith in Jesus.. or when evil surrounds us.. knowing that You see us and that You have a place prepared for us where we will find rewards that are far greater than anything we can imagine.  Thank You for hearing our cries and for restoring our souls.  Our hope is in You and we know that You will not disappoint us because You love us dearly.  May Your will be done in our lives today we pray, in Jesus' name. Amen. 

 Luke 6:12-19  "And it was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God." 

I'm trying to picture the scene that Luke is painting for us.. Jesus on the mountain.. Jesus calling His disciples to Him... and choosing from those who came up, the 12.  Jesus set apart these 12 as "apostles" - delegates, messengers, ambassadors.  This was a very significant moment. Jesus and His Father spoke all night about this selection... they were each chosen according to the Father's will:

Simon, now called Peter, and his brother Andrew.  James and John; Philip; Bartholomew; Matthew (Levi); Thomas; James, the son of Alphaeus; Simon, the Zealot; Judas, son of James; ( Matthew and Mark call him Thaddeus)  and Judas Iscariot, the traitor.  

This group came down "to a level place".  There was a great multitude of people gathered to "hear Him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were being cured." Luke tells us that "power was coming from Him and healing them all."  The people wanted to touch Him, but it didn't matter if they did.. for the Power of God filled that place in a way that no one could deny Who He was... they all were being healed. 

It was at this moment that Luke includes the powerful message that Matthew recorded as the sermon on the mount.  The crowd heard this message, but Luke notes that Jesus addressed it first to His disciples.. "turning His gaze on His disciples, He began to say..." 

Father in heaven, You lead us through every day.. every choice.. every step.  You delight in the details of our lives.  When we stumble, You keep us upright. You hold us by Your hand. ( Psalm 37)  Thank You Father, for such grace and kindness.  Fill us, fill our churches, fill our country with this Truth and help us to take hold of Your promises by faith and follow Jesus.  We are reminded that many are called but few are chosen. We thank You for inviting us.. and for choosing us to be Your own.  May we be faithful all the days of our lives.. to the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ and to You, our Gracious God and Father. Amen. 

 Luke 6:1-11  "Now it came about that on a certain Sabbath... "   Everything that Jesus did.. as we were reminded before.. came from the Father.  It was not an accident that Jesus and His disciples walked through the field of grain while they were hungry.  It was not necessary for them to go that way.. on the Sabbath.. but it was for God's purposes.  The disciples weren't really laboring in the field.  They simply took some ripe grain and rubbed it in their hands and threw it in their mouths.  Yet, the Pharisees took issue with these simple actions. 

Jesus.. as always.. had a lesson to teach the Pharisees and His disciples. The lesson was this.. " The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." (v5) The Sabbath belongs to Him. He has the power to decide what should or should not happen on the Sabbath.  He was the One who gave the Sabbath to Israel in the first place! They were the ones who failed to understand that it was a gift to enjoy, not a hammer to smash down on others. 

The Pharisees were very focused on the Law.  It was their god.. more so than the true and Living God, it seems.  Jesus seems to deliberately act in ways on the Sabbath that would show them their wrong assumptions about the keeping of this Holy day.  The next Sabbath day Jesus entered into the synagogue. He began teaching and the scribes and Pharisees  were watching Him closely.  Perhaps they had even enticed the man with the withered arm into the synagogue to test Jesus.  They wanted to see with their own eyes.. if Jesus would "heal on the Sabbath".   But.. Jesus "knew what they were thinking.. "  and He called the man to come forward  and to stretch out his hand..  Jesus spoke these powerful words, "I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good, or to do harm, to save life, or to destroy it?"  This man's withered and useless right hand was completely restored!  What an amazing miracle! 

The religious leaders were more bent on destroying life.. particularly the life of Jesus.. than they were in helping this man.  Jesus was revealing such an important truth to them and they were so enraged that they missed it altogether.  They missed an incredible miracle because they were obsessed with their own opinions. 

What lesson can we learn from this passage that Luke records for us?  Let us think deeply about what Jesus is showing His people...    Jesus is the Lord.. of the Sabbath.. and of all creation.  Everything belongs to Him.. "For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things have been created by Him and for Him." ( Colossians 1:16)   It is up to Him alone to decide what is good.. what is right.. what is acceptable.. and He chooses life. He chooses to heal, to provide, to bless and to give good gifts to people.. for His own purposes and to His own glory.  Hallelujah! What a Savior! Let us not miss it because we have our own opinions and obsessions.. 

Father in heaven, how holy and awesome is Your Name! We praise the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Blessed Son who came to teach us Your True character. You are good.  You are kind.  You are merciful.  You do not bow to the opinions of men.  You are King and You have given all things into the hands of Your precious Son. Thank You for being a good, good Father.  Thank You Jesus for choosing life and grace and love.  Let our hearts abide in You and in Your great love and grace today we pray. Help us to understand the greatest of Your Name as Lord of all!   Amen.

 Luke 5:27-39  Luke tells us that Jesus "noticed"  Levi.. Matthew "sitting in the tax office" .  Two words changed Levi's life and his name.  "Follow Me."  The result of those two words took Matthew from a place of serving self and Rome.. to complete surrender to Jesus Christ.  "And he left everything behind, and rose and began to follow Him." 

The first thing that Matthew does is prepare a "reception".. a feast, a banquet.. and bring in his friends and co-workers.  Tax-gatherers and sinners came to dinner with Jesus and His disciples.  Luke tells us it was a "great crowd".   It is not surprising that the scribes and Pharisees had a problem with this. They grumbled and murmured to the disciples of Jesus, "Why do you ear and drink with publicans and sinners?"  The disciples were probably wondering that themselves!  It was Jesus who answers, "It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick, I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."  Hallelujah!

As always, the religious leaders have no answer for Jesus.  Instead they pivot to another question, trying to prove their own righteousness.  They challenged Jesus because He was not ordering His disciples to fast like the disciples of John or their own disciples.  What kind of a teacher was He anyway?

Jesus gave them an answer that they could not understand.  He called His disciples His "attendants"  or "sons of the bridalchamber".  As long as He was there, these friends would aid Him in preparation for the wedding day.  But, when He is gone.. they would fast.. and those days were coming. 

Jesus ends this conversation with a parable. He spoke of taking a piece from a new garment and using it to patch and old one.  Really a foolish thing to do.  You want to keep the new garment whole!  Then He uses the illustration of a new batch of wine going into an old wineskin.. again a foolish thing to do for it would cause the old wineskin to burst.  He ends with this statement, " And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, 'The old is good enough' " 

Jesus was doing a new work. He was doing what only He could do and they were stuck in the old ways and habits and traditions that could not accomplish what He would by His life, death, and resurrection.  Jesus was bringing the power and authority of His Father... He was bringing the way of salvation for all people.. including tax-gathers and sinners.  He called His disciples friends and sons.. who would serve Him out of love and faith.  It was a new way, and the scribes and Pharisees did not like it a bit!

Father, what do You want us to learn from Jesus today? We are so thankful that You sent Jesus to call us to repentance.  We thank You that You know our every need and that You have given us such a wonderful Savior who alone can help us.  We thank You for the ways that You have provided for us to come into Your Kingdom.. whole, blameless, and complete in Christ Jesus.  All glory and praise to Your Holy Name. Amen.

 Luke 5:15-26  As the news spread through Galilee and Judea, people began to swarm into every place that Jesus went.  Verse 16 tells us that even with the great crowd and the great need... Jesus would  "often slip away into the wilderness and pray."  This was more than a habit, more than a rite or a ritual.. it is even more than just an example.  Jesus wanted.. needed.. this time of communion and communication with His Father.  He testified that He only did what He saw the Father do and only said what the Father told Him to say. John 12:49 says "For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent Me commanded Me to say all I have spoken." Over and over, John records Jesus telling His listeners that He only spoke what the Father told Him to say.  This constant communication between Jesus and His Father explains the power and authority that come with every Word He speaks. 

So, when the friends of the paralyzed man bring him to the place where Jesus was teaching and healing.. when they displayed faith in what Jesus could do.. when they went up on the roof and lowered their friend down into the room below.. right in the center.. right in front of Jesus... the words that Jesus spoke.. were the Words that the Father spoke to Him.. "Friend, your sins are forgiven you."   These words carried the Supreme power and authority of the Creator, the Holy One, the Mighty God and Father. 

And yet... the ones who should have known best.. were the ones who called it "blasphemies".  Jesus asked them "Why are you reasoning in your hearts?"  They were deliberating and discussing what to think of these words. They didn't want to agree with Jesus.. but they didn't know how to refute Him either.  Jesus gave them a way to believe... "But in order that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins-- He said to the paralytic - I say to you, rise, and take up your stretcher and go home. "  As the man rose up and walked away giving glory to God,  there was no more deliberation... "And they were all seized with astonishment and began glorifying  God; and they were filled with fear, saying, 'We have seen remarkable things today.' "

Do we "reason" over the words of Jesus?  Do we deliberate and discuss or find reasons to dispute what He says? Do we sometimes try to find excuses not to believe what He says?   Jesus tells us to lay down our lives.. to take up our crosses and to follow Him; He tells us that we are blessed when we suffer for His sake;  He tells us to ask and it will be given.... Every Word that He spoke is Truth and holds the power and authority of the Heavenly Father.. the God most High!

Oh Father in Heaven.. increase our faith, increase out understanding, and help  us to know You more and to know Jesus Christ more.  Help us to walk in this Light today we pray, in Jesus' name. Amen

 Luke 5:12-14  Luke shares with a powerful example of Jesus displaying His power, authority , willingness, purpose and mission.. 

Jesus meets the man who is "full of leprosy".  This man "fell on his face" before Jesus and said, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean."  This man took a chance and made the most of this opportunity to come into Jesus' presence.. in his uncleanness, in his desperation, in faith and in humility.   He "implored" Jesus to heal him.. asking, but appealing to the will of Jesus.. he was asking Jesus to be willing to do what he so desperately desired. 

Jesus, ever so gracious answered, "I am willing; be cleansed."  Jesus desired to help this man.. He delighted to heal him. He purposed to heal him and He even "stretched out His hand and touched him.."

The other night at our evening Bible study we sang the old hymn, "What a Friend we have in Jesus" and the words and tune have been lingering in my mind, especially the first verse where it says, "Oh, what peace we often forfeit, Oh, what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer."  Philippians 4:6 is referenced in our hymnals for this song.. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God... "  

This passage of the healing of the man "full of leprosy".. his humble plea for Christ to be willing to heal him.. the compassion of Jesus to touch him.. to willingly.. purposefully.. happily to cleanse him.. makes me think that this man would sing out with a mighty voice.. "What a friend I have in Jesus!"

We have such a friend when we have come to know Jesus as our Lord and Savior.. He is our Friend that is closer than a brother.. He is our Friend who will never leave or forsake us.  He is our Friend who will guard our hearts and minds.  He is our Friend to whom we may come with our every need.  We do not have to forfeit our peace or bear needless pain.. we do not have to be anxious or afraid.. for we have a Friend to whom we can come, like the leper, and find that Jesus is willing to hear our pleas. 

Father in heaven, help us to remember that we have such a Friend in Jesus.. because You have sent Him to be our Lord.  He has all authority. He has all power. He is willing to be our Healer, our Provider, our Help and our Living Hope.  He is willing to forgive our sins and to restore us, make us strong, firm and steadfast, because You , the God of all grace have called us into Your eternal glory in Christ. ( I Peter 5:10)  Thank You, Father. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen. 

Luke 5:1-11  Picture Jesus standing on the beach... teaching.. and the crowd "pressing around Him".  The people hungered to hear what He would say next. Yet, with the crowd pressing in, only a few could hear well.  Jesus solved the problem by getting into Simon's boat and asking him to go out into deeper water.  "And He sat down and began teaching the multitudes from the boat." 

Luke doesn't tell us what this sermon was about, but he tells us what happens next.  Surely Simon Peter heard the message, as he was familiar with Jesus enough to know that He was the Master.  So, when Jesus told him to put down the nets again.. he did so.  He didn't expect anything to happen because they had caught no fish at all through the night.  "And when they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish; and their nets began to break; and they signaled their partners in the other boat, for them to come help them... " 

This was a turning point in Simon Peter's life.. " But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus' feet."  Peter finally realized that Jesus was more than a teacher. He was filled with amazement.. and so were James and John. Luke does not mention Andrew here, but the other gospels tell us that he too was fishing with the others.  John tells us that Andrew was already a follower of Jesus and had told his brother Peter about Him.  Perhaps Peter was on the edge about becoming a disciple of Jesus.. but after this, he was ready to commit fully.  "And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him." 

Jesus had a purpose for these fishermen... He called them to a new life " .. from now on you will be catching men."  

Jesus asked Peter for a favor.. He blessed his obedience.. He received his worship.. and He gave him a new job.  Peter's life was changed forever in those few minutes.  Andrew, James and John were also given the privilege of becoming the disciples of Jesus Christ that day.  Jesus calls those who He wills.. He gives us the opportunity to be part of His Life and to have  the privilege of serving with Him. When Jesus asks us to do something... even as simple as lending Him a seat on a boat.. let us be willing to obey.  We never know what He will do with our acts of obedience... but may our eyes be open to see just Who He is... the Lord of all!

Father, we bless Your Holy Name, for You are good and kind and gracious.  You have given to us such a wonderful Savior, Jesus Christ , Your Son.  We desire to encounter Him today.. walking in His light and following His example in all we do.  Fill us Spirit of God that we might grow in wisdom and understanding.. in knowing Jesus more and being changed by His Presence to the glory of God our Father. We ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. 

 Luke 4:30-44  It is interesting that Luke picks and chooses what he wants to share about the ministry of Jesus.  He skips the calling of Peter, Andrew, James and John and goes straight  into the synagogue at Capernaum  and later to Simon's house. Since the account  of their calling had been told in the other Gospels, perhaps Luke found no reason to repeat that part of the story.  Luke does tell us that Jesus began preaching on the Sabbath in Capernaum, amazing the people because of the authority with which He taught and because of the power that He revealed as He delivered the man possessed by " the spirit of an unclean demon". 

These two factors, the teaching with authority and the revelation of that authority over the demon,  well establish the truth of who Jesus is.  He would not allow the demons to proclaim His identity, but made it known by His own words and deeds. 

As Jesus went to Peter's house and healed his mother-in-law and as others began to bring the sick  to Him, the Lord was establishing not only His authority but His divinity.  He tells them that He had to go "preach the kingdom of God" throughout the land of Judea.  This was His purpose.  Not just Capernaum needed a Savior, but all of Israel needed Him. In fact, all the world needs Him!

What would we have thought if we had been in Capernaum that day?  Would we have seen Him and believed?  Would we have heard His words and been amazed? Would we have recognized His authority? We have not seen Him, but we believe and are blessed, as John 20:29 says, "Jesus said to him, 'Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.' "  We have not heard Him speak.. to preach a sermon... but we have His written Word that reveals His authority and we believe!  When the Holy Spirit opens our eyes and ears, we have the same opportunity as those in Capernaum did that day.. to be set free.. to be healed.. to know the Holy One of God who came to preach to us the gospel of the kingdom of God, just as He did in Israel.  Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Father in heaven, You have blessed us with every precious promise in Christ Jesus who is the Lord and Savior.  Thank You for this great salvation found in Jesus.  Father, we come in need.. for healing, for deliverance, for faith, for holiness.. that we might know You more and more. . and that we might  come into Your everlasting Kingdom on that day You call us home. Complete in us Your will.  Let Your Spirit move and guide us into the Light of Your Word that we might be amazed and blessed, for we ask this in His holy name. amen.

Luke 4:14-29 "And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit; and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district."   He began in the synagogues.. teaching.  We know from Matthew's account that one of the Savior's teachings was what we call the beatitudes.. a fresh, new message that brought hope and joy and blessing as He taught that coming to the Lord God was not a matter of works, but of surrender.. recognizing one's poverty of spirit, mourning over one's sin and finding comfort; humbling one's self and finding acceptance and an inheritance from God.  Jesus taught in the synagogues so that His people could find Truth and become the children of God, not just the children of Abraham. 

Jesus went back to His hometown of Nazareth.  He went into the synagogue that He had grown up in. They handed Him the scroll of Isaiah.  He opened it to the place that we call Isaiah 61 and read what was written about Himself. " The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He annointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are downtrodden, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord." ( v18-19) 

What a message! The people at first praised the words that Jesus spoke, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in you hearing."  The message was "gracious" they said.. God was bringing the prophecies of Isaiah to life in this Man.  But.... "Is this not Joseph's son?"   Doubt overtook faith.  How could the son of Joseph, a carpenter, a common man.. be the Messiah?  How could He fulfill scripture?

So, they choose to test Him..they wanted signs.. they wanted miracles. They wanted Him to perform for them..to do the things He did in Capernaum.. and Jesus would not ... 

He told of Elijah... who went to the home of Zarephaph in Sidon instead of to a widow in Israel. He told of Elisha who ministered to Naaman the Syrian, healing him of leprosy.. instead of the lepers in Israel.  Others were chosen because they gained faith and Israel failed to have faith and missed the blessings. "And all in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things.."  So they tried to kill Him, right there and then... proving their own unbelief.. revealing the sin in their own hearts.  

Father in heaven, You have given to us a gracious Lord, the Lamb of God, who came to save us from our sin. He has told us the Truth, for He is the Light that reveals truth and grace to us . His gospel message is precious to us for we are poor in spirit and He has granted us the kingdom of heaven.  We have mourned our sin and He has comforted us.  We have humbled ourselves before You and You have made us Your children with an eternal inheritance.  You have shown us mercy, You have filled us with righteousness, You have shown us Yourself in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Your Son... and You have  given us Your Spirit. We praise Your Name and give thanks to the One who came to set us free, to give us sight, and to proclaim Your favor. Your's is the kingdom, the power, and the glory! Amen!

 Luke 4:1-13  As Jesus was baptized and filled by the Holy Spirit, He left the Jordan, led by the Spirit to the wilderness.  He identified with us.. as a man.. a human just like us, in His baptism... and now in His experience in the desert. 

Temptations are "common to man" ( I Corinthians 10:13). James tells us that "each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed." ( James 1:14)  Hebrews 2:17-18 tells us that Jesus "had to be made like them (us), fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful high priest in service to God, and that He might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because He himself suffered when He was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted." 

Satan pursued Jesus into the wilderness.  He watched as Jesus spent 40 days without food... and then he struck. "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread."  Satan would not offer bread. He could not produce bread out of stone.. but he knew that Jesus could. But, Jesus would not.. He didn't need to for He knew that His Father would provide all that was needed. "It is written, 'Man shall not live on bread alone.' "  This quote comes from the book of Deuteronomy 8:3  "And He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord."  Hunger is a very human characteristic.. we all get hungry.  The problem is when we allow our craving. or desire.. our "lust" to drive us to the ways of the world instead of the provision of the Father.  The Lord allowed the Israelites to be hungry so that He could show them that He is the Provider.  Jesus trusted the Father and He teaches us to trust Him too. 

Satan had another temptation to present.. "he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, 'I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore if You worship before me, it shall be Yours."  In one moment, Satan showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world.  It was his.. his to rule.. his to manage.. his to do as he pleased.. and his to give. But, Jesus knew that unless the Father had allowed Satan to rule.. he would not.  Satan was and is not equal to God.. never has been and never will be! Jesus answered "It is written, ' You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.' "  Once again Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy...Chapter 6,verse 13 " You shall fear only the Lord your God; and you shall worship Him, and swear by His name."   When we are tempted to take what we want.. in our own way and by any other means than the grace of God, we fall into this trap of Satan.  Like Eve.. we think that it is ok to take what looks good.. even if it is giving into the voice of the devil and ignoring the Voice of the Lord God.  Whose voice are we listening to ?  The only authority we should honor is the Lord our God and Jesus Christ our King. 

Satan had one last test.. "And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple and said to Him, 'If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here... " Satan uses scripture.. as if he could reason with Jesus to make Him test the Father.  Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy 6 again " You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.. "  The Israelites tested the Lord at Massah. Moses said that they were quarreling with God.  They were thirsty and there was no water. They complained and didn't trust the Lord to provide. They "tested the Lord, saying 'Is the Lord among us or not?' "  How is it that we "test" the Lord?  Do we want the Lord to prove Himself to us?  How often do we want "sight" and forget that we are called to walk by faith? 

Satan "departed from Him until an opportune time." (Verse 13)  Satan still seeks "opportune " times to tempt us as he did Jesus.  We need the power and provision of Jesus and the Word of the Lord to help us stand firm and not yield to those times of temptation.  May the Holy Spirit make us always aware of the example of Christ so that we will walk in His light and live in His truth. 

Father, how we need You to keep us walking in faith, by the Light of the world... He who overcame the world, satan, and every temptation. We have one God and one King and we worship You only. Be glorified in our lives we pray, in Jesus' name . Amen.