Today’s passage: Luke 8:1-15

Helpful thoughts:

• Jesus’ earthly ministry at this time was contrary to the cultural expectations in three ways according to this passage:
  • Instead of the big cities and the hub of Judaism, Jesus traveled through towns and villages in Galilee.
  • Jesus traveled with men and women.  Women were not excluded.  Rabbis would not have allowed women to be among those who accompanied them.
  • Jesus did not use His miraculous powers and teaching skills to make Himself financially rich.  They had what they needed.  They took advantage of no one.  When they cast lots for His garment at the cross, they got everything He owned.
• Rabbis often used parables to illustrate and help people remember their teaching.  Jesus used them to confuse people.  Israel had rejected her Messiah and was now under judgment.
  • Isaiah 6:9-10
• “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17

Questions to consider:

1. Who all is involved in the process of evangelism according to this parable and Jesus’ interpretation?  What is going on?  Who is doing what?
2. How do passages like 1 Corinthians 3:6, Isaiah 55:11 and Ezekiel 36:26 help us to think more about God’s role in the process of evangelism and conversion?
3. How might Jesus’ example in ministry cause us to rethink some popular methods and ministry philosophies in our day?  Who needs to hear?  What do they need to hear?  How might we define faithfulness in our ministry?

Today’s passage: Luke 7:36-50

• Jesus ate with sinners, including Simon the Pharisee.
• When this woman came into the room, there were now two sinners presented.  Only one of them saw themselves accurately.
• If you think Jesus didn’t have to suffer that much for your sin on the cross, you won’t appreciate and love Him rightly.

Questions to consider:

1. What should be on the forefront of our minds after reading this passage, how we compare with the sinfulness of others or how we compare with the righteousness of God?  Which matters?
2. Is there anyone who really only owes “50 denarii”?  How does a right view of our sinful helplessness give us a fervent love for Christ?
3. How could Simon the Pharisee’s rebuke of Jesus bring us conviction?  In what ways might we be living and viewing people more through the eyes of an unbelieving Pharisee?  How did Jesus view these people?  Who received forgiveness and salvation?

Today’s passage: Luke 7:18-35

Helpful thoughts:

• John the Baptist wanted to know if Jesus was the Messiah.
  • Jesus confirmed this and also confirmed that John the Baptist was the fulfillment of Malachi 3:1.
• Jesus said, “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”  Then when he preached good news to the poor, some were glad and others were offended (Verses 29-30).
• When people do not repent and become followers of Christ, it’s not because the message isn’t relative enough or because it wasn’t sweetened enough for them to hear.  When people do not repent it’s because they don’t want to follow Christ.

Questions to consider:

1. Why did Jesus do these miracles to strengthen John’s faith when He told the Jewish leaders, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” (Matthew 16:4)?  What was different about John the Baptist’s request of confirmation and the request of the Pharisees and Sadducees?
2. What do these miracles prove?  What do they also represent?  In what ways were we blind, lame, unclean, deaf, poor and dead?
3. What is the good news preached to us?  Why is it so good?  Why are people offended by it?

Today’s passage: Luke 7:1-17

Helpful thoughts:

• The greatest faith Jesus found in Israel was that of a Gentile.
• The faith of the centurion was evidenced by the way he viewed/treated people, the way he shared his resources, and the way he showed respect to the Son of God.
• God is sovereign and all-powerful over His creation.
  • Jesus showed up in Nain at just the right time, for just the right purpose.
  • Touching the coffin of a dead man didn’t make Jesus unclean.  Jesus touched the coffin of a dead man and His creation was brought back to life.

Questions to consider:

1. Who asked Jesus to go heal the centurion’s servant?  What might be surprising about this?  What seems to have motivated them to go to Jesus?
2. What did the centurion believe that Jesus was able to do?  What did this communicate of Jesus’ identity and power?
3. What motivated Jesus to raise the dead man in Nain?  What was He accomplishing?

Today’s passage: Luke 6:46-49

Helpful thoughts:

• Follower of Jesus follow Jesus.  You cannot call Jesus, “Lord” while continually refusing to obey Him.
• Remember, there were religious teachers in the crowd when Jesus was teaching who were leading people away from God.  There are many people today who give words of teaching and counsel…many who call themselves Christian.  If what they say does not agree with the Lord’s Word, it is false.  Build your house on the Rock!

Questions to consider:

1. Is there anything you know Jesus has commanded you to do that you are not presently doing?
2. How would anyone come to be able to discern whether teachers, preachers, and counselors are rightly relaying the instruction and commands of God’s Word?  What must all Christians endeavor to learn?
3. What will true repentance result in?  Is it enough to simply feel badly about our wrongs?  What will those who built their house upon the foundation of Word of the Lord do?

Today’s passage: Luke 6:37-45

Helpful thoughts:

• It is not wrong to have an understanding of what is right and wrong.  Otherwise, it would be impossible to say it is wrong to think you are better than everybody else. Romans 3:23 – “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
  • Anyone who tries to use this verse (“Judge not, and you will not be judged”), to tell people to stop acknowledging right and wrong are violating the same principle.
  • There is a major difference between being judgmental and condemnatory versus being aware of right and wrong and loving your neighbor.
• Galatians 6:1-2 – “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
• A sinner who know he/she has been rescued by the grace and love of God will exemplify grace and love.

Questions to consider:

1. How would you describe a loving confrontation over sin versus a judgmental confrontation?  How would they be different?  What would be the differing goals of the one addressing the problem?
2. Why do we say the things we do?  Is it ever correct to say, “That wasn’t me” when we say something we regret?  Why or why not?
3. How does the Gospel help you to attack the problem and not the person when something is wrong?  How does God’s love for you through Christ give you the right frame of mind to help others?

Today’s passage: Luke 6:27-36

Helpful thoughts:

• Verse 31 is surrounded with commands that make this central command different from the way the world thinks about it.
  • This is not a command about doing good things to people in order to get treated well.
  • This is a command about treating others well, even if they are NOT treating you well.
  • Romans 5:8 – “…God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
• When I see how much mercy God has shown to me through Christ (The Gospel!), it enables and strengthens me to show mercy to others.

Questions to consider:

1. In what ways did Christ exemplify this unconditional love and kindness He has commanded us to pursue?
2. How does the command of verse 31 change if Christ had said, “Don’t do bad things to others if you don’t want them to do bad things to you”?  How does Jesus’ command display love as opposed to self-preservation?
3. Is there someone from whom you have been withholding kindness and love?  How could you exemplify Christ-like love today?