Today’s passage: Luke 22:24-38
Helpful thoughts:
- The conversation among the disciples of who would betray Jesus quickly turned into who was the greatest. This is the natural, selfish, sinful condition of our hearts.
- To “sit at the table” with Jesus is to be a servant.
- All of verses 31-34 will be fulfilled before the end of this chapter in Luke.
- Christ commissions Peter to “Strengthen his brothers and to “feed my sheep” in John 21:15-19.
- Jesus did not intend for the disciples to literally take swords and fight back when they would be persecuted (See verses 50-51, or see Luke 6:29). While Jesus was with them in His earthly ministry teaching, healing and doing miracles, they were able to move about more freely. Now, persecution was coming.
- When Jesus said, “It is enough” He was probably saying something more along the lines of, enough of that kind of talk. If Jesus had intended us to fight back, two swords wouldn’t have been enough.
Questions to consider:
- What does it mean that Jesus was “numbered with the transgressors?” (Isaiah 53:12)
- In what way did all the disciples who engaged in that discussion in verse 24 betray Jesus for at least that moment? What is greatness? How will you pursue true greatness in how you serve Christ and others today?
- How is Jesus’ lordship in view in saying that he “assigned” the apostles their place in the kingdom (Verse 29)? Is Jesus your Lord? How could this thinking help the maturing Christian view the nature of their obedience? How does the promise of reward make God’s gracious kindness to us even more compelling?