Luke 11:29-36  The crowds were closing in around Jesus.. more and more people had heard about the Teacher who performed marvelous miracles. But.. Jesus said, " This generation is a wicked generation."  There was no satisfying this group. Jesus pointed them to a sign that would prove His identity once and for all.. the "sign of Jonah".   Even as Jonah spent 3 days in the belly of the whale.. Jesus would spend 3 days in the tomb.  The people of Nineveh listened to Jonah and repented.. would the people of Israel listen to Jesus and repent? 

The Queen of the South traveled far to listen to Soloman.  The people of Nineveh listened to Jonah. Greater than either of these.. Jesus, the Son of the Living God speaking the Word of God had come and the people would not listen.. they just wanted "signs".  They didn't want to walk by faith but only by sight.  And they would be judged because of it. 

The Lord goes back to the theme of light and darkness. The kingdom of darkness is overcome by the Kingdom of Light.  The Light of the World.. is greater than any darkness, including the darkness of the grave.  He reminded His listeners that they can keep walking in the dark.. or they can let in the Light.  He shows us how:

He teaches that "the light of the body is the eye".  Just as we physically let in light so that we can see better.. spiritually we open the eyes of our hearts and minds.. so that we can see that which is unseen.. so we can walk in faith.. in the Light of His Word.  We must not "hide" the light, but let it shine both in us and through us. 

Next, Jesus says that our eyes must be "single" - simple, whole, united.. with our whole self.  What we let into our minds and hearts effects our whole being.  If we let in darkness, anything that is not of God's Kingdom but of satan's -then we will become full of darkness.. full of evil. 

Watch out, Jesus tells us , "that the light in you may not be darkness."  Keep your mind and heart "clear".  If we keep walking in the Light.. if we keep listening to God's Word, then we will be like a candle shining in the darkness.  But, if we allow the things of satan, the things of the world, to fill our minds and hearts.. even a little.. then we are allowing darkness to fill us. 

Father in heaven, fill us with Your holy Light and remove all darkness from our minds and hearts.  Help us to turn away from those things that blind us.. the things that blur the truth. Keep us abiding in Jesus! Amen and amen 

 Luke 11:14-28  There are two kingdoms.. The Kingdom of God... that Jesus told the disciples to pray that it might come... and the kingdom of satan which has been overcome. Praise the Lord!

Jesus cast out a demon from a man who was rendered dumb by it. When the man was freed he began to speak and the "multitudes marveled." The Pharisees could not admit the truth and instead chose to blaspheme by giving credit to satan for the casting out of the demons.  Jesus condemns this kind of thinking.. it is foolish, for  "Any kingdom divided against itself is laid to waste; and a house divided against itself falls."

Satan cannot cast himself out, Jesus tells the Pharisees. They should know this. Only the "greater" power can cast out the "lesser" power.  "But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you."  Only God can overcome everything and everyone! 

The Kingdom of God cannot be divided. Either you are "with" Him.. or you are "against" Him.  Either we are on the Lord's side.. walking in Truth.. walking in the Light.. honoring His Name and praying for the Kingdom to come.. hearing His Word and doing it.. or we are not.  And if we are not filled with His Spirit then we open ourselves to those unclean spirits that will come and fill the empty soul with more and more evil. 

We see it in our world. We see that people who refuse Jesus, who give credit to false gods and evil spirits for anything that is "good".  We can see that their lives reveal that they belong to the kingdom of darkness.  If we pay attention we can recognize those who belong to satan's kingdom by the "fruit" of their lives... immorality, impurity, idolatry, sorcery anger, strife, factions, dissensions, drunkenness.. and more.  Galatians 5 gives us the whole list.  Paul wrote, ".. the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit.. for these are in opposition to one another.." (v17)  There are two kingdoms and you can't belong to both. 

In contrast, the Kingdom of God.. that we "inherit" because we belong to Jesus, is a Spirit led Kingdom. He produces in us His holy fruit.. " love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control... "  It is a Kingdom that we need to "seek first".. a Kingdom of righteousness... a Kingdom that is more precious than any earthly possession. 

How thankful we are Father, that You have "delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of  [Your] Beloved Son."  We have been delivered. We are set free. We are walking in His Light.  We have heard the Truth and we commit ourselves to do it.  Jesus Christ died for us so that we might live in Him! Hallelujah !  Blessed be the Name of the Lord! Let the Kingdom of God come!  Amen

Luke 11:1-13  Luke records what we call the Lord's Prayer.  It is similar but not exactly the same as what Matthew recorded.  We are not told here which of the disciples asked Jesus, "Lord, teach us to pray.. " but we are so glad he did.  Didn't they know how to pray already?  Hadn't they seen and heard Jesus pray so often before this?  Why did it take them so long to ask this simple question? What is it that we need to learn along with them?

No matter, Jesus was happy to teach His disciples and jumped right into this wonderful example, "When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation." 

Luke's version strips this prayer down a bit from Matthew's version, but it still hits the vital parts of prayer:

We come to the Father, who is to be hallowed and Who's greatest desire is for His Kingdom to be completed. 

We come to the Father, Who alone provides all that is needed for life. 

We come the Father, Who alone can forgive us our sin and make us whole again. The One who gives us grace so that we can give grace to others. 

We come to the Father who leads our steps when we follow His ways.. 

Jesus gives His disciples a simple illustration to help them (and us) to understand how to pray.  The story is about a man (us) who has a surprise visitor ( someone who needs the Lord). Even though the man (we) don't have what this visitor needs,  he (we) can go to someone who does ( the friend.. God).  We go in faith that our God has and will give us what we need to bring to our visitor.  We ask with persistence. We ask as beggars to a generous giver.  We ask and keep asking, for we have no other resources and we know that our God will provide. We ask and we seek and we knock. 

Jesus said that the Father will give good gifts.  He is a good Father.  He won't give a snake instead of a fish. He won't give a scorpion when what is needed is an egg.  He gives Himself.. He gives the Holy Spirit.  He gave His Son.  He is a generous giver and we can come to Him for what is most needed. 

Jesus, You have taught us to come to the Father in prayer.. to enter into this communion, this relationship with the One who holds all the answers, Who provides all that is needed, and Who loves us and desires for us to want His Kingdom to come just like He does.  May we give to the unexpected visitor the Bread of Life.. May we ask the Father and receive the Holy Spirit to lead us in our actions and words. May we learn to pray effectively as the children of God who have been made righteous through the shed blood of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Lord Jesus, we ask You once again. ."Lord, teach us to pray." . Amen.

 Luke 10:38-42   

Luke gives us a brief description of Martha and Mary who invited Jesus into their home.  Here Luke tells us that Martha made the invitation and began to prepare a meal for them all.  She was, "worried and bothered about so many things".

 Here she was with the Lord of all sitting in her dining room.. and all she could think about was the fact that her sister wasn't helping.  She was in the Presence of the Prince of peace, yet she was "bothered".. troubled.. disturbed.  And she was "anxious".. thinking only about her work.. her preparations.. her service.. she was "distracted" to the point that she was missing the "good part". 

Does this hit home?  Are we often so  "bothered.. anxious.. or distracted" about our service to the Lord that we actually miss the "good part"?  Do we miss Him?

Mary didn't miss it. She was "listening to the Lord's word, seated at His feet."  Mary wasn't being lazy or ignoring her sister's need.  She was in the Presence of the Lord and she couldn't move away.  This is the same Mary who anointed the Lord with the expensive perfume and wiped His feet with her hair.  Mary was not distracted by the preparations.. she was so drawn to Jesus that she probably wasn't even aware that there was anything more needed. 

I don't think that Martha loved the Lord any less than Mary.. but she was a doer.. and she was busy "doing" her own thing.  Mary, on the other hand, was able to just "be". She wasn't striving for anything more than to just be with Jesus. 

Father in heaven, help us to be more discerning in our own lives.. to not miss the "good part" by worrying about our own "service".  Let our hearts and minds be so absorbed in the Presence of Jesus that nothing else can compare.  Keep us from the distractions that take our focus off of the Lord. Help us Lord Jesus we pray in Your Mighty Name, amen.

Luke 10:25-37  A "certain lawyer"  had a question for Jesus... "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"  Luke indicates that this was a "test".  But, this man's question and answer seem to indicate to me that maybe something deeper was going on in him. Maybe he had listened to Jesus talking about the book of life.. and wondered if his own name was written there?   Either way, it was a good question!

Jesus answered "What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?"  This man was an expert in the Law of Moses.. if anyone could know the answer it should be him.  The answer was not a mystery.. it was not hidden.. it was  something that was already available to everyone who would have ears to hear...  The lawyer knew the right answer "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself."  

Jesus' next words point to the problem "And He said to him, 'You have answered correctly; Do this and you will live.' "  More than knowing the answer is needed... as Jesus had taught before.. the one who has a firm foundation is the one who listens and does what the Word says.  

The lawyer wanted to "justify" himself.. he wanted to exhibit his own righteousness, so he asked another question, "And who is my neighbor?"  To this, Jesus uses the parable of the Good Samaritan.  Who "proved to be a neighbor" ?  It was not the priest or the levite.. it was the "one who showed mercy".   Jesus told the lawyer to "Go and do the same." 

That's love.. to show kindness.. to have compassion.. to see someone in need and do what you can to help. The Greek word rendered "neighbor" means more than the person who lives next door.. it is a friend or a countryman; it means anyone that you come near to.. your "fellow man" or woman.. any other person that you meet. 

This is what Jesus told the lawyer to do.. to show compassion... to truly love others.. to truly love the Lord! This word is something we need to hear.. and to do!

Father in heaven, fill our hearts, minds, souls, and wills to do Your will.. to love You completely and to love others as ourselves.  It's hard sometimes Lord.. to "feel" love for others, but by Your grace and provision we can show compassion..we can be kind.. we can welcome the stranger and the needy. Give us the will and the ability to love as You have loved us we pray.  Pour out Your love into our hearts Father, so that we can show Your love to those who we come near to in our daily walk. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

 Luke 10:21-24   "At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit.. "  Jesus was overjoyed by the presence of the Holy Spirit working in the lives of His followers.  He praised the Father for revealing "these things" to "babes".  What were "these things"?  

They saw the power of the Name of Jesus over evil.  They knew the significance of having their names written in God's book.  They had the privilege of knowing Jesus who revealed the Father to them.  They were blessed to "see the things" that they saw.  The prophets had longed to see Jesus.. kings had longed to see Jesus.. many had longed to hear the voice of the Father.. but these disciples were the ones who got to experience "these things"!  What a blessing and privilege..  they had every reason to rejoice!

And Jesus rejoiced with them and over them.  Hear His prayer.." I praise Thee O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou didst hide these things from the wise and intelligent and didst reveal them to babes. Yes, Father, for thus it was well-pleasing in Thy sight."  Jesus goes on to say, "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him." 

Father in heaven, Lord of heaven and earth and Jesus Christ the Son, we praise You and give You thanks for revealing Yourself to us that we might know You.  You have given us eyes to see and ears to hear. You have made Yourself known to all who You will to reveal Yourself to.  Let the Word of God spread through our nation, Father, that more people will hear and seek You and find You and know Jesus Christ.. the Savior who came to open blind eyes and deaf ears... the One who came to save the lost.   We ask this in His Name, rejoicing for the love, grace and mercy You have lavished on us..  Amen. 

 Luke 10: 17-20  The 70 disciples "returned with joy" from their mission trip. It had been a success in their eyes because "even the demons are subject to us in Your name."  

Jesus had a  few things to say about this.  He acknowledged that Satan was defeated by this profound defeat of his minions.. and that the authority that God had granted His followers would be granted even further... but the most important thing was not that at all.. the most important thing is that their names "are recorded in heaven." 

I'm reminded of an old hymn,  Is My Name Written There?  The chorus goes like this: " Is my name written there, on the page white and fair? In the book of Thy kingdom, Is my name written there?" 

Revelation 20:12 "And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things in the books, according to their deeds."   In Revelation 20:15 the Lord tells us that "... if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."  

Moses is the first to mention this "book of life" in  Exodus 32:31-33.  After Moses came down from the mountain and found the people worshipping the golden calf... and after he commanded that those who were on the Lord's side kill those who were not.. he went back up the mountain to pray for forgiveness for the people, saying, "But now, if Thou wilt, forgive their sin - and if not, please blot me out from Thy book, which Thou hast written."  But the Lord responded to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book." 

Psalm 69:28 also references this book.. "May they be blotted out of the book of life, and may they not be recorded with the righteous."  David was speaking of those who had come against him, but there are Messianic overtones- verse 21 "they also gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink." 

Revelation 3:3-5 also mentions the book of life.. " He who overcomes shall thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels."  How do we overcome? " Remember therefore what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent." ( verse 3a) 

So when Jesus tells his followers to rejoice that their names are written in heaven, He is talking about the most important thing for all of eternity.  If our names are "blotted out" because of our sin.. we will be thrown into the lake of fire.. forever!   So, we need to ask ourselves that question from the old hymn.. "Is my name written there?"  Have I received the Word of God.. have I listened to what Jesus has said.. am I keeping the Word.. have I repented of my sins? 

Father in heaven, keep us in the Truth, walking in the Light of Your Word - that our names will be written in heaven!  In this alone will we rejoice.. that Jesus confesses our names before You!  Thank You for cleansing us from our sins and making us wholly Thine.  Blessed be the Name of the Lord who has written our names in the Book of life. Thank You Lord. Amen. 

 Luke 10: 1-16 As Jesus continues His journey towards Jerusalem He sends 72 more disciples out to the cities ahead, to prepare the way. They were given authority to minister in His Name as they went.  They were "laborers" sent out to reap a harvest that was ready and plentiful. 

Like the 12, these disciples were told not to take anything with them.. no purse, no shoes, no bag. They were to give peace to those who would receive them. They were to stay there and receive whatever the host would give them to eat.. and they were to "heal those.. who are sick" and present the Kingdom of God to them. 

Jesus expanded the message He had given the 12..   He had told them that those who received the little child in His name are those who received Him and they also received the Father.  This time He says, "The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me." 

When the message of the Kingdom "comes near"... we either receive it or reject it.  We either listen or we don't.   Jesus illustrated this with His words about Chorazin and Bethsaida and Capernaum .  The kingdom had come near to them.. miracles had been done in them.. the Word had been given to them.. but they did not receive Jesus as Messiah.. They had not listened.  The comparison that Jesus makes with these cities with the cities of Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom would have been shocking to the Israelites.. these cities were so wicked that the Lord destroyed them completely.  How could they be worse?  Jesus said they would be judged more harshly because God the Son stood right in front of them, proving Himself to be the anointed One with His words and His deeds.. and they would not listen or receive Him. 

We live in a world that is just as divided.. the Kingdom has come near.. and some will reach out and receive it.. listening to the Word, following Jesus.. and Jesus receives them and comes to live in them and the Father also comes to make them His own.  But, some will not believe.. they reject the Word, they reject Jesus, and they reject the God who made them, loves them, and who will judge them with right judgement. 

 O Lord , help us, send out more laborers into Your harvest field we pray. Open blind eyes and deaf ears, change hearts of those who are lost, who have rejected the Good News of the Kingdom. Let Your grace and mercy be poured out to our lost world once again.. to our lost family members.. to our towns and cities where we walk today.. Spirit of God, come! Empower us to go and tell others about Jesus! We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen

 Luke 9:57-62  This has been a long chapter.. quite a journey, starting out with the 12 going out to minister on their own;  Herod's questions about who Jesus was; the feeding of the 5000; the testimony of Peter that Jesus is the Christ..  the transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain; the deliverance of the boy who was demonized; the discussion about what "greatness" really means in the Lord's sight.. and finally an explanation of the cost of discipleship. 

Someone along the way said to Jesus "I will follow You wherever You go."   Jesus didn't say yes or no.. instead He told the man, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Would this man follow when the way was unsure.. when there wasn't even a place to sleep.. when things got uncomfortable?  Remember what Abraham did when God called him to leave his home?  At the age of 75 "Abram went forth as the Lord had spoken,,," (Genesis12:4) Hebrews 11:8 says it this way, " By faith Abraham when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going."  

Going out anywhere, leaving your home and moving away is hard enough when you know where you are headed.. but to follow Jesus "wherever" He leads takes a greater measure of faith than some of us have.  Lord, strengthen us in Your strength; fill us with fulness of Your Presence that we might obey Your call to follow Jesus wherever He goes! 

In verse 59 Jesus called another man to follow Him.  This one wanted permission to go bury his father first.  I've heard messages that say this man's father was still living and that eventually, when he did pass away, the man would receive his inheritance and then.. he could follow Jesus.  But, Jesus did not accept this excuse, saying "Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God."  

God calls us to go into all the world to preach the gospel.. He tells us that we need to love Him more than family.. more than anything else.  I have known missionaries who have gone to far away lands, leaving behind friends and families and comfortable homes, to follow the calling of Jesus to proclaim the gospel "everywhere".  Lord, may we seek You first.. always... and go where and when You send us. Increase our love as well as our faith we pray! Conform our will to Yours!

In verse 61 we have one more person who pledges to follow Jesus, but he wanted to go say goodbye to his family.  That sounds pretty reasonable but Jesus says to him, "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."  I am reminded of Elisha, who was plowing a field when Elijah came by and threw his mantle on him. Elisha asked to go kiss his father and mother goodbye, and Elijah told him to go. After he sacrificed the pair of oxen and gave the meat to the people, he turned and followed Elijah.  Jesus is emphasizing here in Luke's passage that there was no time to waste.. the decision to follow Jesus must be made immediately.. "Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.. " Hebrews 4:7 says.  No more waiting.. no more delays... Lord, help us to hear Your voice and follow You

Father in heaven,  You have called us to follow Jesus and to make a commitment that leaves no room for excuses or hesitation. We admit that this is vital.. yet so difficult.  We seek Your power and Presence in our lives so that we might be fully sanctified and faithful to the calling You have given us.  Your will be done! Your Name be glorified. Your Kingdom come! In the mighty name of Jesus we bow before You and ask for Your grace and mercy. Amen. 

 Luke 9:46-48  The disciples of Jesus argued about "which of them might be the greatest." They were 12 individuals who all were called to follow Jesus.  Peter, James, and John probably were in the top three.. having gone up the mountain with Jesus and seeing Him in His glory.  But, the others were also among the "friends" that Jesus loved. The problem was that they were using the wrong criteria to judge their "greatness".  It wasn't about who did the most miracles or who had followed Him longest. It was a whole different criteria.. 

"But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and stood him by His side, and said to them, 'Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; for he who is least among you, this is the one who is great.' " 

Two things happen next.. 

John tells Jesus that they saw someone casting out demons in His name, but they weren't in their group. John wanted to stop him.. but Jesus told him that  he should not "hinder him; for he who is not against you is for you."  This person, in John's opinion, was of less value than the 12 and shouldn't have the rights that they had.. but Jesus turns it around.  This one was "least" among them in their opinion.. but he was really greater..for he was doing what Jesus came to do.. receiving one in need.. coming alongside and taking his hand to help him.  John did not "receive" this fellow believer... He had more to learn about greatness. 

Then as they headed towards Jerusalem, Jesus "resolutely set His face" towards His "ascension" As they approached Samaria He sent ahead some disciples to make arrangements for them to stop there, but because He was headed to Jerusalem no-one would "receive" Him.  This time James and John thought they should "command fire to come down from heaven and consume them."  Jesus rebuked them for this saying, "You do not know what kind of spirit you are of: for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them."  Jesus came to receive even these ones that would not receive Him... He came to take hold of the lost.. He came to save. 

What kind of spirit wants to destroy?  Not the Holy Spirit.  The disciples had much to learn about greatness.  So do we.  My bible titles this section  "The test of greatness".  The disciples failed the test at this point.  How are we doing?  Are we receiving the little children.. or sending them away ?  Are we receiving those of a different church or rejecting them because they aren't in our denomination, even though they follow Jesus? Are we wanting to  pray for fire to come down on unbelievers instead of telling them that Jesus came to save them? 

Father in heaven, help us to examine our own hearts and learn the truths that Jesus has taught us. You tell us to listen to Him..  He tells us to receive others in His name.. so that we can receive Him and You. Forgive our failures in receiving others, Lord.  Help us to abide in Jesus and in Your Word, to have our hearts shaped by Your Spirit and to live in humble obedience to Your will. We do ask this in the mighty name of Jesus, our Savior and King. Amen. 

 Luke 9:37-45  "And it came about on the next day, that they had come down from the mountain... "  I wonder what the discussion around the campfire that night was like!  They had been in the cloud.. in the glory of God's Presence.. were their faces glowing like Moses' did when he spent time on Sinai?  

But.. they came down to a multitude of people and the voice of a desperate father, shouting out for Jesus to please heal his son.  This boy suffered greatly.  An evil spirit would seize him, cause convulsions, throw him down, maul him, and cause him to foam at the mouth.  It must have been agonizing for the boy and for his father. He had begged the disciples to heal the boy, but they couldn't do it.  Jesus said, "O unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you, and put up with you? Bring your son here." 

Was He talking to the father?  Or was He talking to the disciples? Who was "faithless and perverse"? Who was failing to trust God.. who was opposing the plans of God?  

The father brought his son to Jesus.. even as "the demon dashed him to the ground and threw him into a convulsion." And in a word, Jesus rebuked the evil spirit and healed the boy.  "And they were all amazed at the greatness of God." 

It is at this very point in the story that Jesus says to His disciples, " Let these words sink into your ears; for the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men." 

The disciples didn't understand but "were afraid to ask Him about this statement."

The Father told the three on the mountain with Jesus to listen to the Son. Were they listening closely to the next things that Jesus said?   They all needed to have faith.. they needed to be ready for what was coming.. they needed to trust in the greatness of God and the authority of Jesus Christ.   As do we.. 

Father in heaven, what is the Word that You want us to hear today?  Are we the faithless and perverse?  Have we fully trusted You and remembered the greatness of our God?  Help us Holy Spirit to bring our needs to You.. to bring our heartbreaks to You.. to bring our children to You.. and trust You fully.. for You are Good and nothing is impossible for You. Thank You for being so patient with us and for loving us so much that You do "put up" with us.  Be with us today as we walk in the Light of Your Truth we pray. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

 Luke 9:28-36    In verse 27 Jesus said that  "some of those standing here"  would not taste death before they saw the "kingdom of God".  

Eight days later He takes Peter, John, and James up to the mountain.  As Jesus was praying He began to change in appearance.  The three apostles saw His face become different, and "His clothing became white and gleaming".  Not only that, but Moses and Elijah "appearing in glory" were there, talking to Jesus about His "departure".  

The disciples became "fully awake" and "saw His glory".  It's like the physical world opened a portal.. and the disciples caught a glimpse of heaven.. of the spiritual reality.. so filled with splendor and majesty and glory. They "saw" the Kingdom with their own eyes. As John later wrote, "... and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." ( John 1:14)

But, God was not finished with this revelation.. " And..a cloud formed and began to overshadow them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud saying, 'This is My Son, My chosen One; listen to Him!'  " 

Remember what happened in Exodus?  Moses led the people to build a tabernacle to the specific design that God gave him.  When it was all ready what happened?  "Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle."  The cloud was so full of  the glory of the Lord that Moses could not even enter it.  (Exodus40:34-35)   Likewise, when Solomon had built the temple in Jerusalem and they were dedicating it "the house of the Lord was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God." ( II Chronicles 5:13-14)  Solomon went on to say, "The Lord has said that He would dwell in the thick cloud." (6:1) This was a quote from Exodus 19:9 "And the Lord said to Moses, 'Behold, I shall come to you in a thick cloud, in order that the people may hear when I speak with you and may also believe in you forever.. " 

What Peter, James, and John experienced on that mountain top was more than Moses experienced that day.... more than Solomon experienced too... . for they were IN the cloud... they saw the glory of God..and heard God in His dwelling place. The message was simple and clear.. "Listen to Him!" 

Our Father in heaven, You dwell in the cloud of glory!  Praise Your Name!  You have opened our hearts to receive the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  He is seated at the right Hand of glory!  He glorified You on earth and You have glorified Him in heaven.  This glory fills all of heaven and we long for a glimpse.. that we might be filled with joy unspeakable!  One day, Lord, we will be with You forever, to be with Jesus where He is, but until then, Father, may we walk in the Light of His glory, bringing  praise and honor to Your Holy Name.  May our ears be ever open to hear the voice of the Beloved Son clearly.  Help us Holy Spirit to listen and to do the good will of the Father we pray, in Jesus' name. amen. 

 Luke 9: 7-20   Herod..  The same man who had John the baptist beheaded at the request of his wife's daughter.. began to hear about what Jesus was doing.. "and he was greatly perplexed".  He was at a loss and wanted to know more about Jesus.  He seems to have sought out more information, but what he heard must have disturbed him.. was this John, risen from the dead? Was this Elijah or another prophet risen again?  None of these answers satisfied Herod.  He wanted to  see Jesus for himself.  This never happened until Jesus was arrested and tried by Pilate. 

Luke 23:8  "Now Herod was very glad when he saw Jesus; for he had wanted to see Him for a long time, because he had been hearing about Him and was hoping to see some sign performed by Him."  But, Jesus refused to even talk to Herod. This angered him so much that he joined his soldiers in mistreating Jesus, mocking Him, and dressing Him up in a kingly robe.. and then sending Him back to Pilate. 

Luke switches the narrative in chapter 9 back to the return of the disciples from their mission.  Jesus takes the 12 back to Bethsaida. Though they sought a place to rest and regroup, the multitude followed them right into the wilderness area.  The disciples wanted Jesus to send the crowd away but Jesus had a different plan. He welcomed them, He spoke of the Kingdom to them, He healed them, and He prepared a table before them.. He took the 5 loaves and 2 fish and fed the 5000.  "And they all ate and were satisfied; and the broken pieces which they had left over were picked up, twelve baskets full." 

Jesus asks His disciples a question... "Who do the multitudes say that I am?"  The disciples' answers are the same as those that Herod had heard.. John the baptist.. Elijah.. one of the prophets.. risen from the dead.  But, Jesus added another question.. "But who do you say that I am?"  Peter had the right answer.. "The Christ of God."  They had seen the Truth. Jesus was more than just a prophet. He had more power and authority than any man.. He had to be the Messiah, the Son of God. 

Father in heaven, when You reveal Jesus to us through the Word and the testimony of these disciples we can answer the same as Peter.. Jesus is the Christ of God.. He is the Anointed One, the Messiah, the King, Your only begotten Son. Thank You for opening our eyes and ears to know Him and through Jesus, to know You, our Father and our God.  Jesus told His disciples that You, Yourself love them and we take hold of this truth for ourselves.. You love us and sent Your Son so that we who believe in Him can have everlasting life. Praise the Lord, O my soul and all that is in me.. I praise You Lord! Amen. 

 Luke 9:1-6  Luke has presented the revealed authority of Jesus by shining light on 4 miracles - the calming of the winds and waves; the deliverance from a legion of demons; the healing of the woman who had suffered for 12 years of bleeding; and the restoration of the young girl from the dead. All authority has been given to Him who reigns eternally!   

Now, he writes that Jesus "called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to heal diseases." 

I never thought about this before, but notice that He did not give them authority over the creation.. wind or waves.. nor did He give them power to raise the dead.  What He did give them was a proclamation of the kingdom of God... the good news that God had come near.. that His power was present.. and His compassion was available to those who would receive it. 

The Lord gave His disciples instructions as He sent them out.. They were to preach. They were to heal. And they were to "take nothing for [their] journey.. "  The disciples were also told to stay in the house that received them and to go out of the city that did not, shaking the dust off their feet "as a testimony against them."  

Father in heaven, You see us even as You saw the disciples of Jesus.. You saw those who received them and those who did not.. You saw the dust that was on their feet and the dust that was shaken off as a testimony.  I am struck by this today. We, who follow Jesus, are sometimes received by those who want to know Jesus and we have the gospel message to share.  But, often times this wonderful truth of Your Kingdom is rejected and we are turned away.. and it is with sorrow that we leave behind those who will not choose the Life, the Truth, and the Way.  Father, our world, our community, and often our own families need Jesus. Send out workers into the harvest Lord God.. to proclaim Your Kingdom with power and authority... to proclaim Christ Jesus, the One who has been given all authority over heaven and earth. May all glory, honor, and praise be given to You in His name. Amen 

 Luke 8: 22-56 ( Part 2)   Jesus "turned a spotlight on".. so to speak.. shining His Light to reveal 4 important truths about Who He is:

Calming the wind and seas, Jesus revealed that He has all authority over creation... "even the winds and waves.. obey Him". 

Delivering "Legion" from the legion of demons in the man from Gerasenes revealed His authority over all evil and the evil one. 

In verses 40-48 Jesus revealed his authority over all diseases. Remember the story of the woman who had been hemorrhaging for 12 years.  She had tried doctors... she had tried everything.  When she saw Jesus, she came up behind Him with hope that if she just could touch the fringe of His robe she would be healed. Jesus knew the moment that she was healed.. He felt the healing power go out from Him and stopped to reveal this.. not only to the crowd, but to this dear woman. His words to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well".. not only assured her of the physical healing, but of a spiritual restoration.  Yes, the hemorrhaging stopped, but also she was made "whole"... safe, kept, restored, delivered, and protected.. by faith in the One who has all authority to do it!   Whether we suffer from physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual problems.. we have hope.  We know the One who has the power and the authority to keep us safe, to make us whole, to heal and to restore us.  May we reach out to touch Him in our times of need and find Him willing to reveal Himself to us with compassion and mercy.

In verses 49-56  we see one more way that Jesus reveals His authority... He rules over life and death. Jesus was on His way to the synagogue official's home when the news comes that his 12 year old daughter has already died.  Jesus tells the man to "not be afraid any longer; only believe and she shall be made well."  When they got to the house the mourners were already weeping and lamenting, but Jesus took the parents into the house, took the girls hand in His own and said 2 words, "Child arise!"  And she did. "..her spirit returned and she rose immediately; and He gave orders for something to be given her to eat."  

 In Colossians 1 Paul says,  Jesus "is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation, 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. And He is before all things and in Him all things hold together. "  He is the incomparable Christ!  All authority belongs to Him as He testified to His disciples "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." ( Matthew 28:18)  His life.. revealed this.. and it is the Light to all mankind. 

Father in heaven, open our eyes once again, to gaze on the Light of the world, to walk in His light every day. He is the ruler over nature, over evil, over sickness, and over death. His life overcame the world, His light overcame darkness, and His love overcomes hatred and fear; doubts and worries; unbelief and even rejection.  Thank You for our Savior and King, the incomparable Christ who has revealed Himself and has brought us to You, our God and our Father. All glory and power and honor to You forever. Amen 

 Luke 8:22- 56   Jesus taught about letting a light shine and not hiding it.. He said to take care how we listen to the Word and to not only hear it but to do it.. He said that nothing would be hidden or secret but it would all 'be known and come to light."  And again I am reminded of John's words, "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men" (John 1:4)  His light, John wrote, shines in the darkness and the darkness could not overcome it... can't even comprehend it. 

In the rest of Luke chapter 8 we see Jesus shine in 4 distinct situations.. ( looking at 2 today and 2 tomorrow)  He exhibits His authority, revealing Who He is in ways that no one else could ever do:

Verses22-25  Jesus and His disciples get into a boat and head to the "other side of the lake".  As they head out Jesus goes to sleep, a terrible storm descended, and the boat began to be dangerously taking on water.  None of this disturbs Jesus, but the disciples panic and wake Him up.  "And being aroused, He rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped and it became calm."  Jesus reveals Himself as the Lord of all creation.. "even the winds and the water" obey Him.   His life.. is the Light of men.. Let the Light of Jesus shine in us today.. He is Lord of the snow and the cold wind, the ice and the sun that is shining this morning!  He has revealed His authority over all of nature.. may we have faith  that He can also calm our storms today. 

Verses 26-39  Jesus and His disciples sailed to the opposite side of Galilee and landed in the country of the Gerasenes. Jesus does one miracle in this place.. He delivers a man from a "Legion" of demons.  This man was helpless, hopeless, and really, really scary.  But, Jesus seems to have come across the stormy sea just for him.  The demons plead with Jesus to send them into the pigs and He does. The man is completely restored in his mind and body. We see the Light of the world overcoming this great darkness, revealing His authority over  evil and over the evil one.  We live in a world that seems pretty dark some days.. too much crime, too many arguments, too much chaos.  But, we have a Savior that shines in the darkness and His light cannot be overcome! May we allow His Light to fill our hearts with joy that He reigns! We can trust Him to break through even the worst that the demons try to do. 

Father,  You have given to us Your Beloved Son who is our Light and we want to grasp hold of the truth that You are revealing about Him through Your Word.  Let us have ears to hear and to live according to these Words.  You have given Jesus authority over heaven and earth and we can trust Him fully.  Thank You Lord. Amen.