Luke 10, Satan Falls Like Lightning

Jesus is in his final year of ministry, headed ultimately towards Jerusalem. The large group of disciples following him are organized into an outreach to the nation of Israel.

Luke 10: 1-9, Seventy sent out
After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.

"Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. When you enter a house, first say, `Peace to this house.' If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you. Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house."

"When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, `The kingdom of God is near you.'

Jesus emphasizes simplicity. The disciples are to act immediately, to travel lightly and report back. (These instructions are not a guide for all ministry travel!)

The kingdom of God, already growing among the disciples, is near and there is an urgent need for the rest of Israel to respond.

Some ancient manuscripts have 70 disciples being sent out instead of 72.

Luke 10: 10-16, When the Good News is rejected

But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, `Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.' I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.

"Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.  But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths."

"He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me."

Wiping the dust of one's feet was a symbol of rejection.  A Jew would not want to carry even the dirt of the Gentile community back home.  Here the Israelites who reject Jesus are being treated as if they were Gentiles.  This continues a theme begun by John the Baptizer, that of reminding the Jewish people that their ancestry and tribal history are insufficient and that they, just like the Gentiles, need redemption.

From the NIV footnotes, "the depths" assigned to Capernaum is the Greek word "Hades", representing the rubbish pile or the underworld and often translated "Hell."

Luke 10: 17-24, Satan falling from heaven!
The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name."

He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.  All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."

Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."

The disciples return (after an unspecified time) enthusiastic and excited about their success. Jesus endorses their enthusiasm.  Yes, the kingdom of God is coming and Satan is in retreat.

Luke attributes the joy Jesus feels with the activity of the Holy Spirit (in verse 21.)

The book of Revelation mentions Satan being thrown down from heaven. I don't think that event has any particular moment in time but may be outside the human timeline, as we see it.

Luke 10: 25-28, A Samaritan teaches a Jew
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"

He answered: "`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, `Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

This is a strong Jewish response, one Jew to another.  The expert on the Torah has quoted from Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18.

Luke 10: 29-37, A Samaritan teaches a Jew

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. `Look after him,' he said, `and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'

"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"

The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

"But he wanted to justify himself...." That phrase could describe most of us, when we examine ourselves or ask Jesus a question.  We should not underestimate our ability to rationalize our own behavior!  Here Jesus undercuts the man's rationalization with a story.  Much of Jesus's teachings involve stories which entertain on the surface but after serious thought begin to change one's perspective.

Jesus begins his story with a tragedy and then has two "religious" people (priest and Levite) ignore the beaten victim.  A Samaritan (not a pure Jew) is the hero of the story, generously treating the injured man. There is, of course, the moral, "We are all neighbors and should look out for each other," but underneath there is a message about religious hypocrisy and racism.

NIV footnote: "Two silver coins" is literally "two denarii."

Luke 10: 29-37, The disciple, Mary
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said.

But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"

"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

Luke records a woman among Jesus's followers and also relates Jesus's mild rebuke of Martha, who wanted to pull Mary aside to do some "real" work.

Luke 9: 28-62, Transfiguration and Beyond

Jesus has just told his disciples, "Some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God".  It is not clear what he meant by that, but this sentence is followed by a startling event witnessed only by the three disciples closest to Jesus.

After this, Jesus turns towards Jerusalem and the cross.

Luke 9: 28-36 Transfiguration
About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.

Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." (He did not know what he was saying.)

While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him."  When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves, and told no one at that time what they had seen.

What does it mean (verse 31) "bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem"?  Presumably Moses and Elijah are discussing the crucifixion and resurrection.

Luke records that Moses and Elijah were in "glorious splendor". C. S. Lewis would suggest that residents of heaven are "more real", closer to Light.

As usual, it is Peter who quickly responds.  And, as usual, Peter is rebuffed.

Luke 9: 37-43a, Child with evil spirit
The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him.

A man in the crowd called out, "Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him. I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not."

"O unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here."

Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the evil spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father. And they were all amazed at the greatness of God.

The father has a child (his only child) in consistent pain and danger.  This is torture for both parent and child. The diagnosis is an "unclean spirit", which Jesus is quick to rebuke.

Jesus also rebukes the generation around him as "unbelieving and perverse."  It is not clear (to me) what creates this response.  Regardless, at every turn, the disciples fail to live up to Jesus's expectations. I find that reassuring.

Luke 9:43b - 50, The Son of Man will be betrayed
While everyone was marveling at all that Jesus did, he said to his disciples, "Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men."

But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.

An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. Then he said to them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all--he is the greatest."

"Master," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us." 

Do not stop him," Jesus said, "for whoever is not against you is for you."

Jesus, once again, tries to prepare his disciples for the events that will occur in Jerusalem.  And once again, they are slow to comprehend.  Here they are derailed by a petty argument about which one of them would be the greatest!

Less we despair too much about the disciples following Jesus, we should remember that our source for these details are these followers themselves. The disciples later repeated these stories, including details that displayed their own frailties and silliness.  (I feel much better after reading about their immaturity and confusion!)

Luke 9: 51-56, Towards Jerusalem
As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?" But Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they went to another village.

Jesus is now determined to go towards Jerusalem.  He has prepared the disciples for this and it is time to walk south, through Galilee into Samaria, eventually to Judea and Jerusalem, teaching along the way.

According to the NIV Footnote, some manuscripts record the disciples asking for fire from heaven "even as Elijah did".  Some manuscripts also add a phrase to Jesus's rebuke: "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."

Luke 9: 57-62, Focused on the goal
As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

He said to another man, "Follow me."  But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."  Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."

Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family."  Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

Luke records -- just as Jesus has set his sights on a final trip to Jerusalem -- three separate incidents in which a follower gives an excuse for not joining Jesus on his travels.  

Luke 9: 1-27, Messiah, Bread of Life

Luke's gospel begins to climb toward Jerusalem. Chapter 9 is another transitional chapter.

Luke 9: 1-6, The Twelve sent out
When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

He told them: "Take nothing for the journey--no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic.  Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. If people do not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave their town, as a testimony against them."

So they set out and went from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere.  
This is an amazing interlude in Jesus's ministry, for his closest disciples now replicate his actions and his authority.

Luke 9: 7-9, Herod hears

Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was going on. And he was perplexed, because some were saying that John had been raised from the dead, others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life. But Herod said, "I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?" And he tried to see him.

The ministry of Jesus, now multiplied by 12 as his closest disciples move about the countryside, draws even the attention of Herod. I wonder what it means, "And he tried to see him." Did he send messengers to Jesus?

Luke 9: 10-17, Feeding the 5000
When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida, but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.

Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, "Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here."

He replied, "You give them something to eat."

They answered, "We have only five loaves of bread and two fish--unless we go and buy food for all this crowd."

(About five thousand men were there.) But he said to his disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each."  

The disciples did so, and everybody sat down. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to set before the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

Jesus reenacts the feeding of the Israelites in the Wilderness experience (recorded in Exodus 16).  The disciple John, in his gospel, follows this event with Jesus teaching his followers that he is the Bread of Life.  Just as God met the Israelites' physical hunger in the Wilderness, Jesus is the answer to both their physical and spiritual needs.

Again Jesus challenging his disciples to rise to the situation. But they don't understand what is possible.

Luke 9:18-20, Who do you say I am?
Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say I am?"

They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life."

"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"

Peter answered, "The Christ of God."

The crowds are impressed by Jesus and there are many ideas as to who he really is. Jesus follows this speculation by asking his disciples to identify him.  Peter responds quickly with, "You are the [long -awaited] Messiah!"  The Messiah was sometimes called "The Anointed One"; in Greek "Anointed" is the word "Christ".

Luke 9:21-27, Who is the Messiah?
Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. And he said, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life."

Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it."

" What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels."

"I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God."

Peter has correctly said, "You are our Messiah!"  But the disciples do not understand who the Messiah really is and how the Messiah will bring salvation.  So Jesus begins to teach them.

The last sentence of Jesus is not clear.  What does it mean to see the kingdom of God?  Some suggest that Jesus is indicating the divine event that will occur just after this, when he is "transfigured", appearing as a divine being, with Elijah and Moses.  Other say that the occurrence of the kingdom of God (here) is simply the Messianic salvation soon to be offered on the cross, as part of the Jewish Passover.  For others this promise comes with some foreboding (described later) and indicates the destruction of Jerusalem.

We will look at The Transfiguration tomorrow.

Luke 8: 25-56, A Demon-possessed Man, a Daughter, a Distraught Woman

Jesus has just begun crossing the Sea of Galilee and is beginning a ministry in the Gentile region of Decapolis.

Luke 8: 26-39, The man called Legion
They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee.

When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don't torture me!" For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places.

Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" 

"Legion," he replied, because many demons had gone into him. And they begged him repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss.

A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into them, and he gave them permission. When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured.

Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left. The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return home and tell how much God has done for you." So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.

Different ancient manuscripts give different names for the region here called "Gerasenes".  The names are variants on towns in the region: Gadara and Gerasa.

This is a strange story.  Pigs are not kosher food; Jews would not have been taking care of pigs so those tending the pigs are presumably Gentiles.  Yet the demons ask to go into the pigs and then all the pigs are destroyed?!  Do we presume the demons are also destroyed (or sent into the Abyss)?

Why did Jesus tell the man to stay in that region?

Luke 8: 40-48 Jairus and a woman seek healing
Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus' feet, pleading with him to come to his house because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.

As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.

"Who touched me?" Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you." But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me."

Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace."

As Jesus gains in popularity, he is constantly pestered by people who need his attention.  He responds calmly to each of them; he is going to Jairus's house when a stranger touches his robe.  Jesus seems to heal the woman before he even notices her touching him! The disciples are obviously surprised that he notice one of many touching him and are perplexed, but Jesus has an agenda and wants her to come publicly with her request.

Her illness was probably a continuous menstrual flow, which in the Jewish eyes would have made her unclean.  This is one more "unclean" person to who Jesus responds.  (Yes, this is a theme of this gospel!)

Luke 8: 49-56 Jairus's daughter
While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," he said. "Don't bother the teacher any more." 

Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, "Don't be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed." 

When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child's father and mother. Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. "Stop wailing," Jesus said. "She is not dead but asleep." 

They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 

But he took her by the hand and said, "My child, get up!" Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.

This is a pretty passage -- horror and grief turn to joy!

Notice how Jesus speaks to the people and acts so casually about the miracle. ("It might be good that she eat," he says.)  Mark's gospel says the same thing; we presumably get these details from Peter who was there.

In four incidents (the storm, "Legion", two healings) we see Jesus demonstrating power over various natural and spiritual forces.  Luke continues to show that Jesus has very deliberate concern for the weak and vulnerable, for the people who need help and know it,

Luke 8: 1-25, Responding to Seeds

Jesus continues his ministry in Galilee. The next two chapters are a transition passage. According to one commentator, Jesus has now moved out of the synagogues and is taking his message to the masses, speaking on the hillsides.  At the end of chapter 9, Jesus will then turn towards Jerusalem for one final visit.

Luke 8: 1-3, A diverse group of followers
After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod's household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

Who are listed as Jesus’ followers and supporters?  How many are identified as women?  (This is unique to Luke.)

Luke 8: 4 - 8, A farmer spreads seeds
While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable:

"A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown."

When he said this, he called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

What are the four types of soil? What do they mean?

This is a parable about the use of parables!  Jesus ends this story by saying "Listen carefully to this!" Indeed, there is a recursive structure here -- Jesus is the farmer of the story, throwing out seeds, and then asking his listeners to respond!  (More on this below.)

Luke 8: 9-15, The parable explained
His disciples asked him what this parable meant. He said, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, "`though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.'

"This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.

Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.

The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.

But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

The quote in verse 10 is from Isaiah 6:9.

One might ask, Why does Jesus so often speak in parables?  This was a major technique throughout his ministry.  This parable answers that question, in that Jesus is requiring his listeners to participate in the learning process. They are not given answers but spiritual puzzles to work through.  One who has thought carefully about a parable will become "good soil."

Looking deeper: Can we make the presentation of the gospel of Jesus too simple, too easy to understand?

Luke 8: 16-18, Further emphasis on true listening

"No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. 

Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him."

A warning is embedded here.  Jesus is telling the crowd, "You have a unique opportunity here." A transparent, visible community is being set up, in preparation for a future kingdom.  But only for those who are serious about following Jesus.

Luke 8: 19-21, Jesus's true family
Now Jesus' mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you."

He replied, "My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice."

One more emphasis on commitment: the true "family" of Jesus are those who decide to follow Him!

Luke 8: 22-25, A storm rebuked
One day Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's go over to the other side of the lake." So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!" He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples. 

In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."

I sympathize with the disciples here -- I would be afraid of one who can stand up and "rebuke" the wind and waves!

In the remaining half of this chapter (tomorrow), Jesus briefly leaves Galilee and travels east into the region of Decapolis.

Luke 7: 24-50, Four Beautiful Words

Jesus has just responded to a question from the disciples of John the Baptist. Jesus then takes some time to explain the role of "The Baptizer".

Luke 7: 24-35, True Religion
After John's messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written: "`I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.' I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."

(All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus' words, acknowledged that God's way was right, because they had been baptized by John. But the Pharisees and experts in the law rejected God's purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.) 

"To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other: " We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry. ‘For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, `He has a demon. The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, `Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners."'

But wisdom is proved right by all her children."

The Old Testament quote in verse 27 ("I will send my messenger...") is from Malachi 3:1.

The culture of Jesus's time includes three groups,  the righteous religious people (the Pharisees and "experts in the law"), the less acceptable people who had been baptized by John ("even the tax collectors") and thus were looking for the Messiah, and a vague third group of people "of this generation", who were watching the others. Jesus is always quick to confront the religious people and generally comforts everyone else! Here he challenges the third group to look deeper than the surface religiosity.

It is easy for us "religious people" in our age to think that being religious is some type of aid to a wholesome life. But it may not be.

For the philospher/psychologist, there may be a deeper question: Is there something inherent in legitimate religious expression that lays a seed for eventual stagnation and rigidity? (More simply: must every good revival eventually go bad?)

Some questions given me by this passage:
1. What does it mean, “The ... least in the kingdom of God is greater than [John the Baptist]”?
2. What does it mean, “But wisdom is proved right by all her children”?

Luke 7: 36 - 50, Four beautiful words
Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is--that she is a sinner."

Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you."

"Tell me, teacher," he said. "Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"

Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled."

"You have judged correctly," Jesus said. Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven--for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."

The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

According to the NIV footnotes, a denarius would have been a typical day's wage.

This passage, on the heels of several before it, gets to the heart of the teachings of Jesus. The social structure, rich Pharisees who can host parties amidst desperate, weakened sinners, is overturned by the One who invites weak people to follow him and dismisses the proud and powerful!

In the midst of the scandal of this intimate encounter, as a "sinful woman" kisses Jesus's feet, Jesus utters four beautiful words, "You sins are forgiven."  He said that earlier (Luke 5:20) to the paralytic.

In this passage, Jesus answers Simon, but there is no indication that Simon has said anything out loud.

In Luke 7:21-22 (in the previous blog), many miracles are mentioned. Then Luke says “and the good news was preached to them.” What was that good news?   It was those four beautiful words, "Your sins are forgiven."

Luke 7: 1-23, A Healing Ministry – to Gentiles and Jews

Jesus has just finished his major teaching on kingdom living (often called "The Sermon on the Mount".) Now he begins to move among the people of Galilee.

Luke 7: 1-10, A Centurion's servant healed
When Jesus had finished saying all this in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. There a centurion's servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant.

When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, "This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue."

So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: "Lord, don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, `Go,' and he goes; and that one, `Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, `Do this,' and he does it."

When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel."

Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

Capernaum is in Galilee and may have housed a Roman troop.  Jesus has made Capernaum the center of his ministry.

In this episode we see Jews and Gentiles in harmony; the Roman centurion has been supportive of the Jewish people and is apparently well-liked.

Why would Luke want to tell this story of the centurion and his servant?

Examine the centurion’s faith. What does he believe about Jesus?  At one level, he probably does not know much about Jesus. On the other hand, his faith is serious and thoughtful.

One commentator says that a Jew would not have entered a Gentile’s home and that the centurion knew that.

Luke 7: 11-17, The widow's son healed
Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out‑‑the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her.

When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, "Don't cry." Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!"

The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

They were all filled with awe and praised God. "A great prophet has appeared among us," they said. "God has come to help his people."

This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.

This incident occurred very close to the place where Elisha raised another mother’s dead son (see II Kings 4: 18-37).  Nain is south of Capernaum, but within Galilee.

Jesus reacts with compassion and empathy for the mother, who is now left without husband or children.  Luke records that Jesus "gave him back to his mother" -- it is not clear what that means.  If the boy was still young, Jesus may have scooped the child up in his arms and physically handed him over to his mother.

From these two miracles recorded by Luke, what is the extent of Jesus’ power? (How close must the sick be? How healthy?)

Luke 7: 18-23, The Baptizer has a question
John's disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, he sent them to the Lord to ask, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?"

When the men came to Jesus, they said, "John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, `Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?'"

At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. So he replied to the messengers, "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me."

John is the one who so confidently announced Jesus to the Jewish community a short time back! Now John is beginning to have doubts. Presumably some of his doubts are due to the fact that Jesus does not act like the Messiah that John had imagined; it would also be discouraging to be locked up in prison after so seriously following God.

Jesus continues to describe the role of John the Baptist in the second half of this chapter.

Luke 6: 27-49, The Sermon on the Plain

Jesus continues his sermon on the plain. In this sermon (or series of sayings) Jesus describes the culture of the Kingdom of God, a culture quite the opposite of the world system.

Luke 6: 27 - 35, Sermon on the plain: Love your enemies
"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.

Do to others as you would have them do to you.

"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even `sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even `sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even `sinners' lend to `sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full.

But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

The instructions of Jesus to his followers inverts the popular social system and will eventually "turn the world upside down".  Followers of Jesus, members of the Kingdom of God, are to do the unthinkable -- to love those who mistreat them and to care for their enemies, without expecting their enemies to change.

Verse 31 ("Do to others...") is often called The Golden Rule.  The emphasis is on putting yourself in the place of others, seeing their needs from their perspective.

These are unusual and hard concepts to follow. I have found that it is important to stand up to people who abuse you. How does that fit in?

These concepts are directly linked to God's character and actions. One does them because one is a citizen of the Kingdom of God.

Luke 6: 36-38, Spiritual reciprocity
"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

Citizens of the Kingdom of God act as extensions of the King.

Luke 6: 39-45, Don't judge
He also told them this parable: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.

"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, `Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

"No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

There are a number of short parables here, all having to do with the very human tendency to judge others while not examining oneself.

Luke 6: 46-49, A good foundation
"Why do you call me, `Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.

But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."

Jesus ends his teachings with a warning of their importance. Notice how he uses a "word picture" to vividly drive home his point.

Most of my life I have (mostly) followed Jesus's teachings and have found the life "foundation" provided by Him an important one!

Luke 6: 1-26, Building Disciples

Jesus continues his ministry in Galilee, running into opposition from the religious authorities, a group called the Pharisees.

Luke 6: 1 - 5, Jesus confronts legalism on the Sabbath
One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels. Some of the Pharisees asked, "Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?"

Jesus answered them, "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions."

Then Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."

The disciples are hungry and, as is the custom, they get a small amount of food by "gleaning" in the wheat fields.  There is nothing unlawful about this ... except that the Pharisees consider this to be "work" (harvesting) and so it should not be done on the Sabbath.

David's request for consecrated bread occurs in I Samuel 21: 6.  There are more important things than mere religious ritual!

Luke 6: 6 - 11, Healing on the Sabbath
On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath.

But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Get up and stand in front of everyone." So he got up and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?" He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He did so, and his hand was completely restored.

But they were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.

The Jewish Sabbath (beginning at sunset on Friday) was a common time of community meeting and worship.  And so it is not surprising that a healing would occur there. But presumably this meant Jesus was "working" and so the Pharisees object to this good deed.

We can each be so obsessed with an idea that we completely ignore more important principles and actions.  The Pharisees are so obsessed with defending their religion by defending the Sabbath that they miss the Messiah!

Luke 6: 12-16, The twelve (after a night in prayer)
One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.

When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

What would it be like spending a whole night praying? Wouldn't it be boring? What do you say?

Jesus picks out Judas, who would become a traitor.  Why?

Luke 6: 17 - 26, The Beatitudes
He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evil spirits were cured, and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.

Looking at his disciples, he said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.

"Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets.

"But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.

Jesus begins a series of teachings often called "The Sermon on the Mount". (Here is Wikipedia's article on the sermon.)  Luke here records the sermon as occurring on a flat place after coming down from a mountainside. Thus some conclude that this is a separate event from Matthew's sermon on the mountainside (see Matthew 5:1-2.)  It is likely that Jesus gave versions of this sermon numerous times and in numerous places. But it is  also easy to believe these could be the same event, a sermon given on a flat spot on a mountainside.

Much more important than where Jesus spoke is the moral "geography" he sets by overturning the popular assumptions about the world system.  "Blessed are the poor, ... those who weep, ... those who are hated...."  Jesus's sermons will continually overturn the popular beliefs, emphasizing a "Kingdom of God" viewpoint that is 180 degrees from the popular viewpoint of the earth political and religious systems.

As chapter 6 is another long chapter in Luke, we will break it into two pieces. We will continue with Jesus's sermon tomorrow, in the remainder of chapter 6.

Luke 5, Miracles, Disciples, Wineskins

Jesus has begun to preach in the region of Galilee, near the town of Capernaum.

Luke 5 : 1-11, Jesus calls Peter, James and John
One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, he saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."

Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets." When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners.

Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men." So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

The Lake of Gennesaret is also called the Sea of Galilee.

Jesus will speak from boats on a regular basis.  It may have been a convenient way to speak to a large crowd and may also have reflected the type of people he was trying to reach, people who lived off the lake?

The words Jesus spoke from the boat are not recorded by Luke.  Presumably Jesus spoke a number of different messages that were repeated later.

From Peter's reaction, this experience is miraculous, dramatic, and evidence of the Messiah. Peter's first reaction is fear (agreed!) and recognition of his unworthiness (very natural!) But Jesus seems unconcerned about the sinfulness of Simon Peter.

It is not clear why Jesus chooses these three men.  We know little about them, except Jesus has already healed Simon's mother-in-law.

Luke 5 : 12-16, Jesus heals a man of leprosy & then retreats to pray
While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."

Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" And immediately the leprosy left him. 

Then Jesus ordered him, "Don't tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them."

Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

Jesus tells the man to go to a priest so that he can complete the Judaic requirements for completing the healing and returning to society.

Why does Jesus tell the man not to tell anyone?

If Jesus is God, why does he have to pray?

Luke 5 : 17-26, Jesus forgives the paralytic
One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick. Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven."

The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, "Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, "Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, `Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, `Get up and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...." He said to the paralyzed man, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home."

Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, "We have seen remarkable things today."

The house, in the desert climate, was probably quite open, and it would be easy for Jesus to be mobbed by a large crowd.  But people often slept on the roofs in the heat. Once on the roof, one could then remove slabs from the rooftop to lower the man down. That would be an easier (and creative) way to reach a man mobbed by a crowd.

What is said about the faith of the paralytic? about the faith of his friends? (Is there a difference?)

The men ask Jesus to heal their friend; he instead forgives his sins. Then when challenged about that statement, he heals the man. Jesus appears to be deliberately contrary here, not following the demands or expectations of the crowd.

Luke 5: 27-32, Jesus calls the tax collector
After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. "Follow me," Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.

Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and `sinners'?"

Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Jesus picks a tax collector (representative of Rome) to follow him. We are given no explanation for this, but Levi responds with enthusiasm, dropping what he is doing and following Jesus, then later hosting a banquet. At Levi's banquet are, of course, others like him, other tax collectors and their friends. As tax collectors have sold out to the dominating Roman empire, this is a dirty, sinful group.

What do the Pharisees think of Jesus' lifestyle?  How does Jesus respond to this criticism? Why would Luke have been particularly attracted by the answer of Jesus?

Luke 5: 33-39, New wineskins
They said to him, "John's disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking."

Jesus answered, "Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast."

He told them this parable: "No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, `The old is better.'"

The Pharisees continue to complain about Jesus.  No matter what he does, they are upset.

Why is fasting attractive? (Are there legitimate reasons for fasting?  What are they? How/why does one fast?)

In this story, Jesus is clearly the messianic bridegroom who explains that yes, there will be a time of distress and fasting.

In the time of Christ, wine was made by putting the juice from crushed grapes into a flexible bag (a wineskin) and letting the mixture sit and ferment.  As the alcohol was produced, the carbon dioxide byproduct stretched the wineskin.  Once the wineskin was stretched, it could not be used again since a second round of fermentation would burst the now brittle fabric. The "new wineskins" Jesus is preaching is a reformation of Judaism, confronting the commonly accepted teachings of the legalistic Pharisees.

For further thought: Throughout this chapter, Jesus is constantly challenging the status quo. He makes things "New"; he reacts to the society of that day as if he were a divine outsider, making changes, lifting up the hurt and marginalized, creating "new wineskins". Is this consistent with the actions of his followers today?

Luke 4: 31-44, Early Galilean Miracles

Jesus has begun his ministry in Nazareth, in Galilee (northern Israel) speaking in the local synagogue. He has already briefly visited Capernaum and now returns.

Luke 4:31 - 37, An evil spirit confronted
Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach the people. They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority.

In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice,"Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!"

"Be quiet!" Jesus said sternly. "Come out of him!"

Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him.

All the people were amazed and said to each other, "What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!" And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.

In verses 14-15 of this chapter, Luke mentions that Jesus had already been ministering in the region prior to visiting Nazareth. If Luke is putting his story in chronological order then Jesus is returning to that ministry in the Galilee. Although Jesus is identified as "Jesus of Nazareth", he will spend much of his ministry centered around the Galilean town of Capernaum, apparently the home of Simon Peter.

Jesus's teaching is backed up here by an unexpected authority and power that catches his audience off-guard.

Why does the demon announce Jesus? And why does Jesus tell him to be quiet? (What temptation is being offered to Jesus here?)

Luke 4:38 - 41, Simon and his mother-in-law

Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon's mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ.

Luke records a miracle witnessed by Simon Peter, the healing of Peter's mother-in-law. After the incident in the synagogue and the healing at Simon's home, people begin to bring him sick people, including those with an "unclean spirit".  Again, Jesus tells the unclean spirits not to speak and does not wish them to announce him!

How does one "rebuke" a fever? (Luke, identified by Paul as a doctor, says it was a "high" fever.)

Luke 4:42 - 44, Jesus moves on
At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. But he said, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent." And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

After the initial events in Nazareth and Capernaum, Jesus moves on to "other towns".  Judea is to the south, centered around Jerusalem.  But some early manuscripts have "land of the Jews" or "Galilee" instead of Judea.  Jesus traveled back and forth between Galilee and Judea on several trips to Jerusalem; all of this is in the more general "land of the Jews".

There are even more "announcements" by the demons in verse 41. Again Jesus does not allow them to continue to speak.

For further thought: what Messianic agenda would be ruined by the demons announcing that Jesus is the Messiah (Christ)? What does this say about the overall plan of Jesus's ministry?

Luke 4: 1-30, Temptation and First Sermon

Jesus has just been baptized by John and is now ready for his public ministry, a time period which will last about three years.

Luke 4: 1-4, Jesus goes into the desert
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread."

Jesus answered, "It is written: `Man does not live on bread alone.'"

Jesus initiates his ministry with a time of prayer and fasting in the desert solitude. Luke reports that the devil suggests to Jesus that he can resolve his hunger by working a miracle.  The temptation offers a shortcut, suggesting that Jesus's physical needs have priority over other things.  Jesus responds with a quotation from the scriptures of that day, from the book of Deuteronomy, in the Torah: Deuteronomy 8:3.

Luke 4: 5-13, The Temptation of Jesus
The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours."

Jesus answered, "It is written: `Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'"

The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. For it is written: "`He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.' "

Jesus answered, "It says: `Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' "

When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

Eventually there are three temptations offered to Jesus; he responds to each with a quote an Old Testament passage, citing Deuteronomy 6:13, in response to the devil's worldwide control. When the devil offers Psalm 91:11-12, Jesus responds again from the Torah, quoting Deuteronomy 6:16.

The second temptation is to worship Satan and set up an earthly rule. Again, the temptation involves replacing spiritual values by material, earthly ones. (Who gave Satan all this authority? Jesus does not dispute it.) The third temptation is to show off his power and "force" God to act in a certain way.

What does it mean to "put the Lord your God to the test"? Why is this wrong?

Did Jesus really stand on the highest point? How did he get there? Or was this a "thought experiment"?

Why did Jesus have to be tempted? What would've happened if he had failed? These seem to be genuine tests.

Luke records that “the devil left him until an opportune time”, a clear statement that the temptations are not over.  Throughout the gospel of Luke we should look for these temptations to reappear.

Luke 4: 14-19, Synagogue in Nazareth
Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.

He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." 

Jesus returns to Galilee from Judea.  He will spend most of his ministry time in an around Galilee and so he returns, briefly, to Nazareth where he grew up.  Jesus has already made a name for himself by this time, speaking in nearby villages but Luke leaves out the details.

As is customary, there is a reading from the scriptures and Jesus reads a Messianic passage from Isaiah 61:1-2 announcing freedom and healing.

Luke 4: 20-21, First sermon

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

It was apparently customary that the reader also makes some relevant comments on the scripture (just as I am attempting to do in this blog!) But Jesus does not read the Old Testament passage as old Scripture speaking of a future time. Instead, he simply says, "This scripture speaks of Today!"  It is a stunning announcement.

Luke 4: 22-30, First sermon

All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. "Isn't this Joseph's son?" they asked. 

Jesus said to them, "Surely you will quote this proverb to me: `Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.' I tell you the truth," he continued, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown. I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed--only Naaman the Syrian."

All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

After everyone is amazed, Jesus seems to start an argument.  The details are not clear. Jesus has already begun to do and say remarkable things in nearby Capernaum. The crowd's response, “Isn’t this Joseph's son?” suggest a denial of the Messianic announcement in Jesus's message.

Why are the people of Nazareth angry at the end of his sermon? Because Jesus, after miracles in Capernaum, seems ready to go on to Gentiles, not the Jews, just as Elijah did long ago! Luke (not a Jew) will repeatedly record the ministry of Jesus to the Gentiles.

For future thought: The temptations by the devil, in the desert, put in stark and explicit terms a common set of subtle temptations we generally do not see.  Why is the work of God so invisible to us (me)? Materialism and naturalism are so easy for me.  Why does God insist on being subtle, on not interfering with our world. We apparently have to seek Him, look for Him and his work.

I see in the three temptations the invitation to take the easy, obvious, visible way out, instead of seeking for the spiritual (and subtle) solution.

Luke 4 is another long chapter in Luke and so we will break it into two parts. We will continue with Jesus's ministry tomorrow with the second half of Luke 4.

Luke 3, The Baptizer and the Messiah

After covering the birth of both the Baptizer, John, and the Messiah, Jesus, Luke has briefly mentioned events from Jesus's childhood. His story then moves on to the beginning of Jesus's ministry, when Jesus is introduced to the world by John.

Luke 3: 1-6, The ministry of John the Baptist
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar--when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene-- during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert. He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: "A voice of one calling in the desert, `Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all mankind will see God's salvation.'"

The Old Testament quote in verse 6 is from Isaiah 40:3-5.

The first two verses are an attempt to provide a precise historical date.  Note Luke's emphasis on historical details.

Some say Annas and Caiaphas were never high priest together; others say they rotated the position.

Luke is fascinated by the life of John the Baptist; he even included material about John’s birth, unlike the other gospels.  Luke, who is not a Jew, is learning as much as he can about the Jewish culture and preparation for the Messiah.

What is the theme of John's preaching? Why might this message have seemed strange to the Jews? (This is probably in keeping with Zechariah's original prayer when the angel visited him in chapter 1!)

Baptism was a strange concept then. It does not appear in the Old Testament and probably grew out of Jewish rituals on washing and cleansing. It would have represented conversion to Judaism and so is initially insulting to the native Jew.

Why do roads need to be "straightened"? What is the significance of lowering mountains and filling in valleys?

Luke 3: 7-9, Repent!
John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, `We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."

John calls his listeners a “brood of vipers”. There are some today who try to mimic John's confrontational methods, without his motivation.  John's preaching is specifically directed at his Jewish brothers and sisters, confronting the general apathy of the Jews.  It would have been easy for Jews to say, "We are God's special people" and use this designation for complacency.  But John, like ancient prophets, stresses that God could move on and leave them behind. (That is the meaning of the ax metaphor in verse 9.)

Luke 3: 10-14, Good works
"What should we do then?" the crowd asked.

John answered, "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same."

Tax collectors also came to be baptized. "Teacher," they asked, "what should we do?"

Don't collect any more than you are required to," he told them.

Then some soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?"

He replied, "Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely--be content with your pay."

What question does the crowd ask?  What is John’s answer to their question?

Aren't John's answers a little too specific? What good does it do for pagan Roman soldiers to merely be content with their pay? Shouldn't they turn to God?

Luke 3: 15-18, The real baptizer
The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ. John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." And with many other words John exhorted the people and preached the good news to them.

What is the winnowing fork? What is the significance of the threshing floor metaphor? How is verse 17 to be considered “good news”?

How does John’s baptism compare with the real baptizer who is coming?

Luke 3: 19-20, The Baptizer imprisoned
But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother's wife, and all the other evil things he had done, Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.

The Baptist was fearless, a wild and scary man. Note Luke's deliberate irony in verse 20.

Luke 3: 21-22, The baptism of Jesus
When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."

Why was Jesus baptized? If Jesus was perfect, why did he go to John, whose baptism was one of repentance?

Did baptism involve a time of prayer? Or was this prayer (verse 21) after the baptism.

How did the Holy Spirit descend? What must that have looked like (really)? Why did the Holy Spirit have to descend on Jesus? Wasn't he already God?!

I wonder who heard the voice.

Luke 3: 23-38, The genealogy of the Messiah
Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. 
He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, 
the son of Heli, 
the son of Matthat, 
the son of Levi, 
the son of Melki, 
the son of Jannai, 
the son of Joseph, 
the son of Mattathias, 
the son of Amos, 
the son of Nahum,
the son of Esli, 
the son of Naggai, 
the son of Maath, 
the son of Mattathias, 
the son of Semein, 
the son of Josech, 
the son of Joda, 
the son of Joanan, 
the son of Rhesa, 
the son of Zerubbabel, 
the son of Shealtiel, 
the son of Neri, 
the son of Melki, 
the son of Addi, 
the son of Cosam, 
the son of Elmadam, 
the son of Er, 
the son of Joshua, 
the son of Eliezer,
the son of Jorim, 
the son of Matthat, 
the son of Levi, 
the son of Simeon, 
the son of Judah, 
the son of Joseph, 
the son of Jonam, 
the son of Eliakim, 
the son of Melea, 
the son of Menna, 
the son of Mattatha, 
the son of Nathan, 
the son of David, 
the son of Jesse, 
the son of Obed, 
the son of Boaz,
the son of Salmon,
the son of Nahshon, 
the son of Amminadab, 
the son of Ram,
the son of Hezron, 
the son of Perez, 
the son of Judah, 
the son of Jacob, 
the son of Isaac, 
the son of Abraham, 
the son of Terah, 
the son of Nahor, 
the son of Serug, 
the son of Reu, 
the son of Peleg, 
the son of Eber, 
the son of Shelah, 
the son of Cainan, 
the son of Arphaxad, 
the son of Shem, 
the son of Noah, 
the son of Lamech, 
the son of Methuselah, 
the son of Enoch, 
the son of Jared, 
the son of Mahalalel, 
the son of Kenan, 
the son of Enosh, 
the son of Seth, 
the son of Adam, 
the son of God.

Seventy five generations are recorded here!!

NIV Footnotes: Apparently ancient manuscripts vary considerably in verse 33 ("the son of Amminadab....")

The genealogy in Luke is different from that of Matthew. Is Luke’s genealogy that of Mary? (Some suggest that; note the phrase “so it was thought” in verse 23.) Or were Heli and Jacob brothers?

For further thought: The ministry of John, the Baptizer, is one of reformation. John anticipates a new Judaism. Had you, as a serious Jew, been along the Jordan River listening to this reformation prophet, what was the primary message you heard? (No, I don't think it was just about Jesus.)

The ministry of Jesus begins in the next chapter.