Take note that Jesus did not say in 17:3, “If your brother sins against you, forgive him!” No, he said, “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.” So if I have been offended by a brother (or sister) in Christ, I am not to forgive him or her. I am to confront the offending party. Then, if the offending one repents, I am commanded to forgive. I’ve observed Christians who allegedly forgave those who don’t repent (something God generally does not do, by the way), and they are often fooling themselves. They (naturally) avoid any contact with the people they’ve “forgiven” because they remain offended. There is no reconciliation. That is not forgiveness!

Nine times out of ten, if we confront an offending fellow believer, and I’m speaking of a true believer, he or she will repent. Then genuine forgiveness can be granted and reconciliation can occur. But if we don’t confront the offending one, we disobey Christ. We hold a grudge, and we haven’t even given the offending party an opportunity to repent in order to achieve reconciliation.

What Jesus taught was nothing new. It is an application of loving one’s neighbor as oneself. God said in the Law of Moses:

You shall not hate your fellow countryman in your heart; you may surely reprove your neighbor, but shall not incur sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord (Lev. 19:17-18).

When we reprove our offending neighbor, it shows that we value our relationship with him, and thus do what needs to be done to work towards reconciliation. And if a brother or sister offends us seven times in one day and repents, we are commanded to forgive (17:4).

Like so many of us, the apostles thought that they possessed some faith and needed more. But according to Jesus, just a little faith goes a long way. A mustard seed is very tiny, but a mustard seed’s worth of faith can do what would be otherwise impossible. Perhaps Luke included the story of the ten lepers in this chapter as an illustration of the kind of faith of which Jesus spoke. The lepers begged Him for mercy, obviously believing that He could heal them. He told them to show themselves to the priests, which would require a one- or two-day journey to Jerusalem. The clear implication was that, by the time they arrived, they would be cleansed of their leprosy, and the priests would declare them clean, as required by the Mosaic Law (Lev. 14:1-32). The point is this: they had to act upon their faith. As they did, they were healed.

Faith acts on God’s word regardless of other circumstances. Had any of the 10 lepers not acted on their faith, it would have indicated that they had no faith. Had they not believed, they would not have been healed, even though it is obvious from the story that it was Jesus’ will that they be healed. This is inescapable truth. Jesus told the Samaritan leper who returned to give thanks, “Your faith has made you well” (17:19).

Why are more of us not healed by our faith? I suspect there are two primary reasons. One is lack of faith. Modern, unbelieving theology regarding divine healing has robbed us of any faith we have. Second, many of us are digging our graves with our teeth, eating foods that have been processed to death and robbed of much of their nutritional value, rather than on foods that God has given to nourish us. We are eating slow poison. I recommend an eye-opening book by Dr. Joel Furhman, M.D. titled, Fasting and Eating for Health: A Medical Doctor’s Program for Conquering Disease.

The second half of Luke 17 contains Jesus’ consistent teaching on His future coming. You may have noticed that He gave no indication that He will be returning twice! No, He is coming back once, and when He does, He will rapture the righteous (17:34-36) and pour out His wrath on the unrighteous (17:26-32).

All three of the parables we’ve just read were aimed at the Pharisees and scribes who were grumbling that Jesus was spending time with sinners. For that reason, what is commonly referred to as the Parable of the Prodigal Son should really be referred to as the Parable of the Grumbling Older Brother.

Jesus did His best, using three stories, to convey the truth that saving sinners is a high priority on God’s list. By expending His efforts to reach lost sinners, Jesus was doing nothing different than the shepherd who leaves ninety-nine sheep to search for one that is lost, or the woman who owns tens coins and focuses all her attention on finding one that was missing. Moreover, His priority was no different than heaven’s priority, because there is “more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance” (15:7). Imagine that! God, of course, loves those who serve Him, but He has more joy over one repentant sinner than over ninety-nine saints!

If we are going to lay hold of Christ-likeness, we also must prioritize reaching out to the yet-unrepentant. How easy it is for churches to become inwardly-focused. It isn’t easy for God to bless such churches, and they usually dry up or split up. Don’t blame your pastor if your church has no outreach. Outreach is not supposed to be a church program, but a function of every individual member. Dead churches consist of dead members.

Let us not overlook the fact that Jesus did not say that heaven becomes excited over nonbelievers who “accept Jesus as their personal Savior.” God is looking for repentance, as repentance opens the door to forgiveness and salvation. Heaven rejoices when sinners repent (15:7, 10).

Repentance is what was illustrated by the prodigal son. He “came to his senses” (15:7) and determined to humble himself, journey back to his father, confess his guilt, and ask for a job. Yet I’ve heard some modern preachers point out the father’s “unconditional love” for his son, illustrated by his running to his son when he saw him from far off, and his embracing his son even prior to his confession. Yet I think it is safe to say that any such father, seeing his son returning in the distance, could discern that he was returning in repentance. How do you suppose the father would have reacted if his son had returned with his arms wrapped around two women, holding a bottle of wine in each hand, and saying, “Hey Pop, I’ve been having a lovely time with your money! Can me and my friends here kill the fattened calf and throw a little party?”

As I mentioned earlier, the third parable is more about the jealous older brother than it is about the prodigal son. Personally, I can kind of relate to that older brother. I’m not always as happy as I should be when God shows mercy to undeserving sinners, except, of course, when I happen to be the undeserving sinner to whom He is showing mercy! My fellow Pharisees and I really needed to hear this parable!

Keep in mind that this parable is imperfect in its analogy, as is every parable. That is, not every detail of the parable has some direct spiritual correlation. The relationship of the father and son does not perfectly and fully correlate to that of the unsaved and God. Before they repent and are born again, they were spiritually children of the devil, not of God. When they repent, they aren’t returning to God, since they never served Him in the first place. Yet, when sinners repent, they are indeed showered with mercy and acceptance. Their creator then becomes their Father.

Finally, this story does not discount the fact that sin has its consequences or that God is fair. The younger brother was restored to his father, but his inheritance was gone forever. The father told his older son, “All that is mine is yours” (15:31). That means the older son’s unfailing obedience would ultimately pay off as his full inheritance was still waiting for him. Yeah for fairness! (Too bad I need so much mercy.)

The parable of the unrighteous steward often raises questions because it appears as if Jesus was sanctioning dishonesty and thievery, as exemplified by the swindler in His story. But let us erase that thought from our minds, as it is an impossibility. No swindler will inherit God’s kingdom (1 Cor. 6:9-10).

As I have so often said, a parable is simply an expanded metaphor, which is a comparison of two things that are basically dissimilar but that share at least one similarity. The key is not to assign a similar classification to what should be understood as dissimilar. Jesus wants His followers to imitate the unrighteous steward in only one sense, and that is to prepare for their future by using money to make friends. That is it. He does not want us to imitate the means of the unfaithful steward.

More specifically, Jesus wants us to “make friends for ourselves by means of the mammon of unrighteousness; that when it fails, they may receive us into the eternal dwellings” (16:9). He speaks of money as being “the mammon of unrighteousness” simply because money is intrinsically linked to the world’s evil. The money in your wallet has likely been used, before you possessed it, for many things that God hates. It is now your responsibility, however, to use that unrighteous mammon righteously.

The unrighteous steward made friends by the unrighteous use of his master’s money, so that when he lost his income, his friends would take care of him. Like him, we have been entrusted with our Master’s money. We, too, should use it to make friends, not in an unscrupulous manner, but rather by meeting pressing needs and caring for the poor. One day, specifically the day we die, we will lose our income, just as did the unrighteous steward. Yet our beneficiaries who have already gone to heaven will be waiting there to receive us, not into temporal, but “eternal dwellings.”

We all need to have friends waiting for us there who will testify before God, “I was hungry, and that person was my friend, and he fed me.” Jesus solemnly warned, “If therefore you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous mammon, who will entrust the true riches to you?” (16:11). If we have not been faithful stewards of God’s money, we are foolish to think that we will inherit God’s kingdom. No greedy person will enter heaven. Jesus emphatically declared, “You cannot serve God and mammon” (16:13). It is one or the other.

The Pharisees, who thought themselves to be lovers of God, actually loved money, and they scoffed when they heard Jesus (16:14). Jesus, ever-patient, told them a story that reveals what happens at death to people who don’t “make friends by means of the mammon of unrighteousness.” They, like the rich man in His story, find themselves in hell, reaping what they have sown. Just as Lazarus once sat outside the rich man’s mansion, longing for the crumbs that fell from his table, the rich man found himself outside of Lazarus’ “mansion” as it were, longing for a single drop of water from him. But his request was denied, because hell is a place of perfect justice for those who refused the mercy that God offered through Jesus, continuing in their selfish lives.

Concerning this story, I once heard a well-known evangelist say before a huge crowd, “The rich man didn’t go to hell because he was rich any more than Lazarus went to heaven because he was poor!” The crowd roared with approval, because what he said sounded so right. But the fact is, even though Lazarus’ poverty had nothing to do with his salvation, the rich man’s wealth had a lot to do with his damnation. Abraham explained it quite clearly to the rich man that his treatment of Lazarus was very much related to why he was suffering in hell (16:25). Keep in mind that Abraham was a rich man when he was on the earth, but obviously, he “made friends by the means of the mammon of unrighteousness” when he had the opportunity.

I’ve written much more extensively on Luke 16 if you are interested.

At more elaborate banquets in Jesus’ day, there were always certain “seats of honor,” just as there are often head tables at modern banquets. At this particular meal attended by lawyers and Pharisees, the “men of God” were vying to sit in the places of honor. Because of Christianity’s influence on Western culture, most of us know that it looks bad to exalt ourselves so obviously. Still, we find more subtle ways to elevate ourselves in the eyes of others. We “casually” mention our job titles or important people we know, make sure those letters that reveal our education are always after our names, or talk about how God has used us so gloriously. The goal is the same—we want people to respect us. Jesus’ lesson is still true: If we exalt ourselves, we will be humbled. If we humble ourselves, we will be exalted.

Did you notice that twice in today’s reading Jesus mentioned caring for the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind? He told the banquet host not to invite friends, family, or rich neighbors to his luncheons and dinners because they would reciprocate. (Isn’t it true that “wining and dining” is often done for the express purpose of getting something in return? It is a selfish kindness.) Rather, he should invite those who could not repay him, the disadvantaged, and God would repay him in the next life. Imagine God’s perspective as He looks down from heaven and sees people “generously” giving their food to their rich friends, at the same time that He sees the poor going hungry.

Jesus also mentioned the same marginalized people in His parable of the wedding feast (14:21), subtly revealing a secret to successful evangelism. That secret is this: People who have money are often not receptive to God’s heavenly invitation because they are so devoted to their wealth, whereas the poor and handicapped are much more likely to open their hearts to the good news of the gospel. Notice that two of three excuses that were given by the wealthy for not attending the dinner related to their devotion to their possessions (14:18-20).

Most of the people reading this daily devotional live in countries where there are many government and private social services for the poor and the handicapped. But there are actually quite a few reading this in developing countries where handicapped people must beg on the streets to survive. God cares about them, and through them, He tests the rest of us. Forgive me for putting in a little advertisement here for the ministry of Heaven’s Family, but everything we do is for the sake of the poor around the world. I hope you are involved with us!

Jesus had a mega-church (14:25), but He wasn’t thrilled with big crowds! He wanted disciples, that is, committed followers willing to pay a price, and not just tag-alongs. He still wants disciples (Matt. 28:19). What is a disciple? Jesus listed three requirements. We must love Him supremely, more than our family members (14:26). We must deny ourselves and be willing to suffer hardship for His sake (14:27). And, we must love Him more than possessions, and thus obey His commandments regarding stewardship (14:33).

A careful and honest examination of the New Testament makes it very clear that it is only disciples of Christ who are actually believers in Him and true Christians. All others are pseudo-Christians who are “following” someone other than “Bible Jesus.” If a person does not meet Jesus’ requirements for discipleship he is not really saved. Rather than pressing for quick “decisions for Christ,” we ought to instruct people, as did Jesus, to first count the cost of becoming His true follower (14:28-32).

Considering the context, it would seem logical to conclude that Jesus’ unsalty salt analogy has something to do with discipleship. True salt is salty. True disciples are committed to Christ. If salt became tasteless (an actual impossibility), it would be good for nothing and be discarded. Similarly, professing disciples who are uncommitted are good for nothing and will be discarded. There is no such thing, really, as an uncommitted Christian.

Apparently, two contemporary tragedies during the time of Jesus’ ministry had people talking. For some reason unknown to us, Pilate had ordered the execution of certain Galileans who had come to Jerusalem to make sacrifices. Also, a tower in Siloam had collapsed and killed 18 men. Believing that God is sovereign, people assumed that those who had perished deserved their fates, and they were correct. Yet they wrongly assumed that those who hadn’t perished were undeserving of such a fate. Although God’s passive wrath upon sinners may have been demonstrated in those two tragic events, God’s mercy was demonstrated to an even greater degree, in that there were so many who were still alive. They were, quite mercifully, being given time to repent, as are all unrepentant humans who are still breathing.

This same concept is well illustrated by Jesus’ parable of the unfruitful fig tree. There is always tension between justice and mercy, and with God, mercy overcomes justice for a time. God works to influence sinners to repent, and He patiently waits for them to change. Eventually, however, His patience wears out, and then judgment falls. So everyone should be cautious that they don’t mistake God’s mercy for His approval. Jesus warned His audience of that very thing, calling them to repent or ultimately perish (13:3, 5).

All this being so, the oft-asked question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” reveals a flawed understanding about people. Since, as Jesus once said, “No one is good except God alone” (Mark 10:18), a better question to ask would be, “Why does anything good happen to anyone, since all people deserve God’s immediate wrath?”

Take note that the sickness of the woman who was “bent double” was “caused by a spirit” (13:11). Moreover, Jesus said that Satan had bound her for 18 years (13:16). Then He, whom according Peter “went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil” (Acts 10:38), laid His hands on her and healed her. So Satan is the one who causes sickness; God is the healer! Let’s not forget that. Certainly Scripture teaches us that God may permit Satan to afflict someone with sickness as a means of His punishment or discipline. But if any of us is sick for those reasons, then it stands to reason that our repentance would open the door to healing, and that sickness is not God’s perfect will for us.

The parable of the mustard seed and the parable of the leaven both illustrate the same concept. Although God’s kingdom on earth during Christ’s day was quite small (as those who had submitted to God’s kingship were a tiny minority), one day God’s kingdom will rule the earth, as the redeemed from all the ages will live in peace together there, and all unrepentant rebels will be forever banished. So rejoice! We’re still a minority, but not forever.

Did Jesus believe that holiness is required to gain entrance into heaven? Apparently so, as He said that the door to salvation is narrow (13:24), and warned that He would one day say to some who would attempt to gain entrance, “Depart from Me, all you evildoers” (13:27). That will include church-going evildoers, Bible-quoting evildoers and born-again evildoers. Of course, as we’ve already discussed, all are evildoers before they turn from their sins. Yet the greatest deception is that of people who have “become Christians,” and who have conformed their lives to the same degree as others who have “become Christians,” but very little changes in their behavior. They are now opposed to abortion and attend church services. But they are still greedy, lustful liars and thieves.

Did Jesus want everyone to repent? Is it possible for everyone to repent? Did Jesus offer forgiveness of sins to everyone; or was it only offered to a few whom God pre-selected? Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem reveals the answers. He did not say, “O a few in Jerusalem, a few in Jerusalem….How often I wanted to gather just a few of your children together, unlike a hen gathers her entire brood under her wings, but God has not yet zapped you few chosen ones with some irresistible grace!” (13:34)

Jesus’ solemn declaration, “But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known” (12:2), should terrify every hypocrite. It should also motivate those of us who profess to be Christ’s followers to purge our lives of all hypocrisy. What no one else knows about you right now will be known by everyone one day. Jesus promised His disciples (12:1), “What you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed upon the housetops” (12:3). How would you live your life differently if everyone could hear your every word? How would you live your life differently if Jesus was your constant companion? (He is, by the way.)

These kinds of questions have a tendency to put the fear of God in us, and for that reason, some object, claiming that no Christian should be afraid of God. Jesus, however, commanded His disciples to fear God, because God is the one who has authority to kill and cast into hell (12:4-5). This is a wake-up call to anyone who assumes that his salvation is forever guaranteed just because he currently possesses it. Notice Jesus was warning His own disciples of the danger of hell. He also solemnly warned them that those who denied Him before men He would deny before the angels (12:8-9). Thus the question, “Can a Christian forfeit his salvation?” can be answered with another question, “Can a Christian deny Christ?”

This point is underscored by Jesus’ words to His disciples about the unfaithful slave who backslid because he assumed that his master would be a long time in coming. In the end, he was “cut in pieces” and assigned “a place with the unbelievers” (12:46). Those who are acting like unbelievers when Jesus returns will be treated like unbelievers, even if they acted like believers at a previous time. This is a fearful prospect that should motivate all of us to stay ready.

Lest any disciple become overly fearful in this regard, however, Jesus assures us that we are of great value in God’s eyes; thus we certainly should not fear being cast into hell on a whim. The hairs on our heads are numbered. Remember that Peter publicly denied Christ three times, but He repented and was forgiven and restored. We need to maintain a healthy balance.

Jesus certainly didn’t have time to arbitrate a dispute between two brothers over a family inheritance. But He observed that the brother who publicly spoke ill of his brother and perhaps interrupted His sermon to do so was overly concerned about getting his fair share. Jesus seized the opportunity to warn the crowd about greed.

Greedy people think that “life consists of possessions,” and their lives revolve around acquiring more. Such people will not inherit God’s kingdom (Eph. 5:3-5). The parable of the rich man was told to illustrate that point. He was rich, but not “rich toward God.” When he prospered, it never occurred to him that God blessed Him, not so he could lay up treasures on earth, but so he could lay them up in heaven. He should have used his wealth to love his neighbor as himself and glorify God in the process. Yet he only loved himself, and was judged because of it. His life was cut short by the decree of God. Jesus certainly didn’t leave us with the impression that he went to heaven. If you are interested, I’ve written much more extensively about the story of the rich fool here.

A lesser sign that one is too focused on material things and not as in tune with God as one should be is when one worries about having enough material things, including even worrying about food and covering (12:22-31). If we know and serve God, we know He will supply our needs. Since there is no reason to worry, there is no reason to hoard; thus we can show our trust in God by dispossession, something Jesus commanded all His followers to do (12:33), but something that is rarely mentioned or practiced in most professing Christian circles.

This life is a preparation for the next life, and like a journey to court (12:58-59). Stay ready!

The Lord’s Prayer, as it is commonly called, already seemed quite short in Matthew’s rendition. But Luke truncates it even more. Long prayers are not necessarily better prayers. When you think about it, it does seem a bit odd, in a relationship between one who knows everything and one who knows virtually nothing by comparison, that the latter would do all the talking! It seems that it would be more important that we hear from God than that He hear from us! In any case, the Lord’s Prayer helps us to order our prayers, prioritizing what is most important. Our foremost desire should be that our Father’s name be hallowed.

It is to be regretted that the New American Standard Version, as well as some other versions, translates Jesus as saying in the conclusion of the parable of the midnight visitor, “Because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.” The Greek word translated “persistence” (anaideia), is derived from two other Greek words. One of those words means “shame” and the other is a negative prefix. So anaideia is better translated “shamelessness.”

Additionally, Jesus’ story doesn’t illustrate the idea of persistence, but rather of boldness. The primary character in the parable had great nerve, or faith, to disturb his friend at midnight to request three loaves of bread. Imagine doing such a thing yourself! What would restrain you from making such a request? Only fear, or lack of faith. And that is exactly why Jesus then encouraged His disciples to ask, seek and knock. The key to answered prayer is to make requests that are according to God’s will, and to ask boldly. This is certainly repeatedly illustrated in Scripture. One request we can make, certain of God’s will in the matter, is for the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus assures us our Father will give us (11:13).

Of course, the parable of the midnight visitor, like all parables, is an imperfect comparison, and so we should be cautious that we don’t ascribe to God every detail that we find in the reluctant and sleepy friend. God never sleeps (Ps. 121:4)! He is much more like the father who grants his child his exact requests (11:11-12) than a just-awakened and disheartening neighbor.

Truly, those who accused Jesus of casting out demons by Satan’s power, and those who demanded a sign from Him, revealed the hardness of their hearts. Jesus had performed plenty of “signs from heaven,” and anyone who did more than listen to gossip about Him, but observed His ministry for even a short time, knew that. Only wicked people demand proof for what has already been proven repeatedly. They won’t be persuaded. Yet Jesus patiently responded to them, provoking them to consider how foolish their accusations were.

Today we read of the world’s very first person who gave undue prominence to Jesus’ mother, Mary. Raising her voice in the crowd, she said to Jesus, “Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts at which You nursed” (11:27). His correction of her should be heeded by all today whose devotion to Mary unduly supersedes devotion to Christ: “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it” (11:28). That is the important thing.

Jesus’ contrast of those with “clear eyes” and “bad (or evil) eyes” was not as cryptic to His contemporary followers as it is to His modern followers. In Jesus’ day, to say that someone had an evil eye was synonymous with saying that he had a greedy heart (Prov. 28:22; Matt. 20:15). So the clear eye is just the opposite of that. Jesus pointed out that greedy hearts reveal that one is full of spiritual darkness, something that is also affirmed by Paul, who wrote that no greedy person will inherit God’s kingdom (1 Cor. 6:9-10; Eph. 5:3-5). Although the modern definition of greed allows people to hoard massive amounts of wealth, the unchanging truth is that the damning sin of the goats in Matthew 25:31-46 was their greed, illustrated by the fact that they did not share their God-given abundance with the poor. May our eyes be clear!

Jesus was doing a very significant amount of traveling, as He sent out the seventy “in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come” (10:1). At a minimum, they announced His coming to 35 cities. Like the twelve sent out before them, they were expected to trust God to meet their needs as they went, and not before they went. Faith acts. Doubt waits.

Theirs was a mission of mercy, manifested by divine healing, and also a mission of condemnation upon those cities that rejected them. Some cities had already sealed their doom, such as Chorazin and Capernaum, not having repented after being visited by the Son of God.

According to Jesus, Satan was in heaven before he fell (10:18). Scripture doesn’t tell us everything that happened, but passages in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 indicate that the devil was lifted up in pride because of his beauty. He attempted to exalt himself above God, and for that reason was cast down. There was no cosmic struggle or “spiritual warfare” between God and the devil. He fell like lightning. One second he was in heaven, and the next second he was on the earth. Satan’s power compared to God’s power is of no comparison.

Incidentally, if Jesus was able to give the seventy authority over “all the power of the enemy” (10:10), then He first must have had that authority Himself. This disproves the theory that Satan gained authority beyond God’s control when Adam fell. God always has been and always will be sovereign over Satan.

Now it is time for our (almost) daily instruction in the errors of Calvinism. Calvinists sometimes point to Luke 10:22 as proof that God selects certain individuals for salvation: “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.” Considering the verse just prior to this one, however, reveals that Jesus believed that God was hiding truth from the “wise and intelligent” and revealing it to “infants.” This is just another way of saying that God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. God has not chosen arbitrarily to hide or reveal truth to certain pre-selected individuals. Rather, He has chosen to hide it from or reveal it to those who don’t or do meet His conditions. So we see once again God’s “conditional election” rather than the Calvinists’ “unconditional election.” God reveals Himself to those who seek Him. He saves those who repent and believe.

Jesus obviously believed that the way to eternal life could be found in the Old Testament, and He affirmed the lawyer’s belief that the way was to love God with all one’s heart, soul, strength and mind, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, that is, following the two greatest commandments (10:25-28). This is troublesome to those who do not understand the inseparable correlation between faith and works and to those who have a faulty grasp of God’s grace. Clearly, the questioning lawyer was not obeying the second greatest commandment (10:29), being a typical Jew who would have walked right by the wounded man in Jesus’ parable, just as the priest and Levite did. But Jesus was giving the lawyer an opportunity to repent and begin to love his neighbor as himself, as He told him to do what he had not been doing and imitate the example of the Good Samaritan (10:37).

So there was the grace God was offering Him, the same grace that God is offering everyone who is not obeying the two greatest commandments. God will graciously forgive those who repent. Repentance implies a striving to obey from the moment of repentance. And of course, it is those who believe who repent.

I’ve written more extensively on Jesus’ encounter with the lawyer and His parable of the Good Samaritan if you are interested in a more in-depth look.

I’m so glad you are spending time each day sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening. Like Mary, “You have chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from you” (10:42).

Isn’t it interesting that Jesus and the twelve were financially supported, at least in part, by women of some means (8:2-3)? It would certainly seem likely that Joanna, for example, the wife (or perhaps the widow) of a steward of Herod Antipas, was likely a woman of wealth and influence. Isn’t it also interesting that one who multiplied food for thousands of others subsisted on the generosity of creatures He had created? Unfathomable humility!

Jesus’ ministry is still supported by individual donations from people who follow and love Him. People who believe in Him naturally want to support His on-going work with their finances.

We’ve already read the parable of the sower in both Matthew and Mark’s Gospels. Luke, however, includes one little significant phrase by Jesus. Speaking of the person who represents the “good ground,” Jesus said that person has an “honest and good heart” (8:15). Isn’t that true? The condition of the heart determines if people will repent and follow Jesus. We should never hesitate to share the gospel, however, just because it appears people have hard hearts. I’ve seen people with seemingly very hard shells who wept tears at hearing the gospel. And I’ve seen others, who initially appeared very soft and kind, vehemently resist the truth. The gospel reveals what is in a person’s heart.

Tragically, but justly, those who shut their ears to the truth are judged by God, who is not one to cast His pearls before swine. In some manner “even what they think they have shall be taken from them” (8:18), which is just as ominous as it is vague. Yet to those who open their ears, He gives more understanding (8:18). That’s you!

How can we tell when people have truly received God’s Word? They “bear fruit” and keep on bearing fruit (8:15). Jesus’ true family members are those “who hear the word of God and do it” (8:21).

Apparently, Jesus was the only one who fell asleep while He and His disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee. This shows us that, although He was divine, He was also human. If He stayed up late at night praying, He had to take a nap the next day. And if Jesus took naps, then naps are scriptural! Every siesta isn’t a sign of laziness. Rather, naps can be an indication of faith, especially when you sleep through a storm. Worry is definitely the enemy of sleep. Jesus was apparently free from anxiety, because He was sleeping through a “fierce gale” (8:23) until awakened by His disciples, whom He subsequently questioned, asking, “Where is your faith?” (8:25). He had told them, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake” (8:22). In His opinion, they had no reason to be afraid that they weren’t going to make it. It is good to remember that “Fear not!” is a commandment found often in the Bible, not a suggestion!

The demons who possessed the madman of the Gerasenes knew they were completely at the mercy of Jesus, as illustrated by their plea not to be sent out of the country (Mark 5:10), their entreaty to be permitted to enter the nearby herd of pigs (8:32), their begging not to be cast into “the abyss” (8:31), and their imploring Christ not to torment them (8:28). God always has been and always will be sovereign over Satan. Don’t be afraid of the devil or demons. They are terrified of Christ in you.

Today’s reading certainly emphasizes the importance of faith. Not only did Jesus rebuke His disciples for their lack of faith as they crossed the Sea of Galilee, but faith is credited as the reason that Jairus’ daughter and the woman with the issue of blood were healed.

Of those three instances that had something to do with faith, two ended in miracles because faith was exercised, and one ended in a rebuke because faith was not exercised (that is until Jesus exercised His faith and rebuked the wind and the waves). Might there be a hidden lesson here?