Notes on the Gospel readings from Luke
Notes on the Gospel readings from Luke
Notes on Luke 18.1-14 October 20
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Notes on Luke 18.1-14 October 20
Each of these two parables includes an explanation about the meaning of the parable.
A Parable about Prayer 18.1-8
The first verse tells us what the parable is about. Disciples should always pray and not give up. This helps us understand the story that Jesus tells.
The corrupt judge gives in to the widow because she persists. He does give her justice (18.2-5). Jesus contrasts this with what God does. Will God act like the bad judge? Will he keep ignoring the cry of his people? No, says Jesus, He will act quickly to see they get justice.
What does the question in verse 8 mean? When the Son of Man (Jesus) comes will he find disciples still believing in God and asking for help? Disciples will always have trouble. The question is whether they will persist in asking God for help. Or will they lose faith and give up? Jesus says disciples should always pray and not give up. Keep on calling out to God as long as troubles last.
A Parable about Righteousness 18.9-14
Notes on Luke 17.11-19 October 13
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Notes on Luke 17.11-19 October 13
There are three important things in this story.
Leprosy: In Jesus’ day, leprosy referred to a range of skin diseases. It did not necessarily refer to what we know as leprosy which is an infection that affects the nerves of the hands and feet and other parts of the body. People with leprosy were not allowed to mix with others. Healthy people were not allowed to touch them. That is why these ten men stood at a distance. This story is unusual because Jesus usually touched the lepers when he healed them. In this case he tells them to go to the priests who were the ones who could decide that they were healed. Only the priests could give them permission to return to normal society. But these ten men had to go to the priests before they were healed. In other words they had to believe Jesus. As they did as he said, that is, as they started to go to the priests, they were healed. This is another example of Jesus’ power to heal.
Giving Thanks: Only one of them came back to thank Jesus. The story suggests that he came back as soon as he saw that he was healed. Before he got to the priests. He did it immediately. He came back very excited and full of praise. Notice the way Luke describes what he did. He praised God, threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. He praised God and thanked Jesus. Luke puts these two things together so that we can see how closely God and Jesus are linked. Jesus asks about the other nine men. The bible has a great deal to say about giving thanks. Humans complain a lot. But God’s people ought to give thanks all the time.
Notes on Luke 17.1-10 October 6
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Notes on Luke 17.1-10 October 6
The first two parts of this story make very great demands on disciples.
17.1-2: Don’t act in a way that causes other people to sin. Jesus thinks each disciple has a responsibility for the others. Our thoughts and actions affect other people. “These little ones” does not only mean children. It means all of the disciples, especially those who are learning from you. Jesus thinks it is a very bad thing if we cause others to sin. The consequences are very bad.
17.3-4: What should a disciple do if someone does sin? Jesus is probably talking about sins done against each other. First of all rebuke them. Challenge their behaviour and the thinking that goes with it. Urge them to return to the way of the Lord. Second, when they repent, forgive them. How many times? Seven times. This means every time. There is no limit to forgiveness.
Both these instructions are extreme. Jesus sets very high standards for disciples.
17.5-6: It is not surprising that the apostles ask Jesus to increase their faith. Jesus’ answer tells them how to increase their faith: it is by exercising it. Just do what he says and their faith will get stronger. The more they live in a way that doesn’t cause people to sin, the stronger will be their faith. The more they forgive the better they will be at forgiving.
17.7-10: This story is also about faith. Faith means doing what you are told to do. It is about being faithful. The person who keeps on doing what the Master has told them to do will become strong in faith. The disciple who is strong in faith is the disciple who obeys and is faithful to the Lord. They know they are servants, and they serve faithfully.
Dale
Notes on Luke 16.19-31 September 29
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Notes on Luke 16.19-31 September 29
The story of the shrewd manager ended with a comment that the Pharisees loved money (v14). Jesus then said that the Law of Moses was still in operation (v17). This meant that some of the practices of the Pharisees regarding divorce were wrong (v18). And so was their attitude to money (v13).
The passage for this week returns to the subject of wealth. The rich man was someone the Pharisees approved of. But in the story Jesus tells, the rich man ends up in Hades, the place of torment, and the poor man Lazarus is in heaven with Abraham. This is a very shocking story. Jesus describes Lazarus in very shocking ways. The fact that the rich man is in Hades is also shocking. The fact that there is a great gulf between Hades and heaven is also meant to shock. It means that the rich man has no hope.
The rich man is still talking like a rich man. He wants Lazarus to be sent as a servant to bring him water (24). He wants messengers sent to his brothers (v27). But he is no longer rich.
How will his brothers avoid ending up in the place of torment (v28)?
Notes on Luke 16.1-13 September 22
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Notes on Luke 16.1-13 September 22
After the story of the son who wasted his father’s wealth Jesus tells a story about a manager who was accused of wasting his employer’s possessions. We were told twice in the previous story (15.13, 30) that the younger son had wasted or squandered the wealth of his father.
In this story the manager, who has wasted his employer’s possessions, acts in a clever way. Before he loses his job he changes the accounts. He hopes that when he loses his job, he will have “friends” who will “owe” him and who might give him a job. Some people think that he alters their bills because he is corrupt. Others think he alters their bills because his employer was exploiting them and charging too much. In either case the people who owe the money are grateful.
The reason the manager is commended is because he acted shrewdly (in a wise and clever way).
Jesus is still speaking to the Pharisees and teachers of the law (15.1) as well as his disciples. He says they should be just as wise and clever as the manager was in the way they use the wealth they have.