Seek Lasting Rewards

Luke 6:24-26   
24 “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. 25 Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. 26 Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

When we seek only what we can get for ourselves and not for God or our brother, we have nothing more after death nor for eternity.  When we hunger and mourn and are slandered for doing good, the world is angry we do not do the same things they do or seek what they seek.  If others always speak well of us, it may be we are not faithful and true to live and speak as Jesus would in our place...

Rejoice When Hated for Christ

Luke 6:22-23   
22 Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man's sake. 23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.

When we identify with Christ in living and telling (bearing witness to) the gospel, we cannot and should not expect everyone to love what we say and who we are ambassadors for.  For the world denies and fights against accountability to God and refuses reconciliation through Jesus - for then they must admit they all fall short and are unable to earn His favor and heaven with Him.  So men have fought God from Eden to now.  Only humility to admit sin and turning from it to Him will stop the hate, exclusion, and attacks on His people...and Him in them.

Blessed are Poor, Hungry, and Sad

Luke 6:20-21 
20 Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said: “Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled.  Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.

What did Jesus start teaching?  He spoke of the poor and hungry and sad finding true riches and satisfaction and joy.  All these are found seeking God, aiming at Him with all the heart.  He spoke of God's kingdom within us, not forced by external keeping of rules, but with a changed heart and His presence within us to motivate and enable us to follow Him.  This is grace. 

Prayerful Choosing

Luke 6:12-13, 17   
12 Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.  13 And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles:
17 And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases,

Jesus gave a pattern for choosing leaders in His church, beginning with much prayer before choosing and calling them to the work.  Then He brought them to the work to be there for the ministry of word and work.  Though the twelve were unique in history, God always teaches us by examples to lead our steps.

Choose to Do Good or Evil?

Luke 6:7-11 
7 So the scribes and Pharisees watched Him closely, whether He would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against Him. 8 But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, “Arise and stand here.” And he arose and stood. 9 Then Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one thing: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?” 11 But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

When religious rule following is made into a witch hunt, devoid of mercy and love, it is actually an accusation against the judges, not the violator.  Jesus did good when man's rules said good was evil; those living with rules alone were driven by rage and vengeful murder, not love as the two greatest commandments that overrule all others say... We must live by grace, guided by His word.

Lord of the Sabbath

Luke 6:2-5 
2 And some of the Pharisees said to them, “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?” 3 But Jesus answering them said, “Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?” 5 And He said to them, “The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”

God created a day of rest to remind us of His rest after creating the universe and us, as well as to train is to rest ourselves.  Even Hebrews reminds us in chapter 4'that the rest we must enter into is Christ's work in place of ours to earn salvation and to walk with Him afterwards.  So when we "break" the Sabbath by our work, is it ritual of legalistic necessity or rest in Christ we follow?

New Understanding for New Covenant

Luke 5:36-39   
36 Then He spoke a parable to them: “No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old. 37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. 38 But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved. 39 And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better.’ ”

The religious leaders wanted the status quo way of doing things; Jesus told them it was to be beyond rituals and to be matters of the heart that pleased God.  So here He showed how old worn out patches of rote religious rituals cannot contain the real heart of God's intent in our serving and living for Him and others.  But many are stuck on the old, believing it better, and so miss what the gospel of the New Covenant brings...

Sinners are Called to Repent

Luke 5:32 
I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

This sums up the need for the Gospel; we are all sinners, coming short of God's righteousness by our lack of complete perfection to His (nor our) standards.  The good news is that Jesus came for we who all all spiritually sick and desperately in need of healing by the heavenly Doctor. This is why Jesus came to save, to deliver, to reconcile us with God by taking our illness of soul and its punishment on Himself and paying the price of death to give life in the treatment.

Sick Need the Physician

Luke 5:29-31   
29 Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them. 30 And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, “Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” 31 Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.

Jesus calls us to follow, no matter where we come from - despised or loved, rich or poor, mighty or powerless.  He does not wait for us to be sinless before saving us from His judgment, but died for us while we are deep in it.  He associates with is to make us well in our souls with the healing balm of reconciling grace and mercy through His suffering, death, and resurrection.  The great soul Physician truly is the only way, the only truth, and only life eternal...

Power to Forgive Sin

Luke 5:22-26   
22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’? 24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”   26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen strange things today!”

Unexpected paradoxical (strange) things were seen when God received the glory for how He not only healed a paralyzed man, but actually forgave hi sins before God!  They began to see that it was God among them, His finger reaching down as a man to them as Jesus knew what they thought and acted as only the Divine can.  They felt the fear, the awe of God.

God Alone Forgives Sin

Luke 5:19-21   
19 And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus. 20 When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” 21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Jesus answers faith with mercy and grace. He forgives sins as only God has the authority to do, and here proved it further by also healing a paralyzed man.  He gave the man the ability to walk so he could follow Jesus in both body and spirit.  Our faith given by God responds with action to Christ and results in grace and mercy. 

Pray Alone with God

Luke 5:16 
So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.

Jesus gave us this example to follow - when serving others, we need to take time alone with our Father in long times of listening and talking with Him.  Alone.  By doing so, we can be more attentive to His guidance, understanding of His word and will, and draw closer to knowing and worshipping in love, humility, and willing obedience.  If Jesus did this in the middle of ministering to so many, how can we neglect doing this for even one? 

Healing as a Testimony

Luke 5:13-16   
13 Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately the leprosy left him. 14 And He charged him to tell no one, “But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them, just as Moses commanded.” 15 However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. 16 So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.

Many came for Jesus' miracles to heal their sick bodies, but they also came to hear Him speak of the kingdom of God.  The healing of their souls was a more powerful draw to eternity than the immediate needs, yet in this present time some still seek the immediate gratification of physical over spiritual.  The physical is a testimony to Him, but that of the soul is the deeper and lasting need for us all.

Knowing Sin Seeing Grace

Luke 5:8-11   
8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” 11 So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.

In our efforts we are like Peter, James, and John; they fished by their wisdom and came up empty handed, but when following Jesus' direction, caught more than ever. Their boat then began to sink under His provision.  So we must not only forsake all to follow, but also forsake our ability in fishing for men. God gives the increase under His mighty hand, whereas our efforts apart from Him are fruitless. 

Quiet Time to Hear Word of God

Luke 5:1-3 
1 So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, 2 and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. 3 Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.

As Jesus went and made disciples, He taught them from wherever they were as they came to Him.  Here they had a need to urgently come near Him to hear, and so Jesus got into a boat there so as to be better heard by the crowd.  Sitting.  He made sure they could hear, and made them at ease by sitting.  Do we follow His example, plainly take advantage of circumstances to clearly speak and teach those wanting to hear God's word? 

Son of God Sent to Preach

Luke 4:41-43   
41 And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, “You are the Christ, the Son of God!” And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ. 42 Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; 43 but He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.”

Jesus set many free who were possessed and healed some of conditions or diseases, but He often had to go to a quiet place away from the masses seeking healing.  This He did to pray, and He plainly said His overriding purpose was to tell the good news of deliverance from sin's due penalty, freeing souls for eternity (not just bodies).  So we now must focus on salvation, deliverance from judgement, not just being physically well or in comfort. That is eternal.

Word with Authority and Power

Luke 4:31-37   
31 Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths. 32 And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority. ... 36 Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, “What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.” 37 And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region.

Jesus taught with absolute and divine authority.  Even the demons had to listen and vacate those they possessed - when the Holy One, the Son of God, spoke they had no choice but to obey.  So the witnesses to these things told it everywhere, and so we read about it now in wonder and awe in the fear of God.   He has the power over death and life with His word as well, assuring that He can raise us up in new life.  Nothing is too difficult for Him. 

Grace Filled Words of Christ

Luke 4:22-24   
22 So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, “Is this not Joseph's son?” 23 He said to them, “You will surely say this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.’ ”24 Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.

Not only did the religious want to throw Jesus off a cliff for claiming He was God's answer, the Messiah, but also because He knew and told them they did not believe.  Yet He told them in the past others not of God heard and were made well.  These here now we're angry to hear the truth of those not "worthy" were those God hears and heals.  Pride, self importance, and denial keep many from Him today as well.

Gospel's Liberty to Captives of Sin

Luke 4:18-21 
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives. And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”   20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

After Jesus was tempted by the devil in every way, he began to teach in the synagogues where those who knew the Scriptures were.  So He began with Isaiah speaking of Himself - salvation for us in a time acceptable to God in His timing (2 Cor. 6:2).  He told them plainly this prophecy had come to pass, hinting at Himself being the Messiah, the Christ.  Instead of joy, they angrily tried to throw Jesus off a cliff.  Even now men will hear this good news and get angry as they throw Him out of their sight...but some have ears to hear.

Tempted Without Sin

Luke 4:13-15   
13 Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time. 14 Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. 15 And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.

Jesus was tempted and stood to God's words till Satan left "until an opportune time."  The attacks came at the cross, but until then God's Son moved by God's Spirit taught and offered the good news of repentance and faith leading to grace and forgiveness in mercy.  So Jesus was glorified and the hope proven when risen from the grave.  Even now Satan tempts us, attacking at opportune times as a roaring lion on the prowl - but He in us is greater.

Written Not to Tempt God

Luke 4:9-12 
9 Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you,’ 11 and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ” 12 And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ”

Blindly trusting God by purposefully doing dangerous things is really just tempting Him.  Even though God promises to protect us, it is by His will and not ours, so we do not create circumstances and expect Him to intervene.  This is what Satan tried to lure Jesus into doing.  So he lures us with such devices as well if we do not know and understand His word.

Worship and Serve God Alone

Luke 4:5-8 
5 Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7 Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.” 8 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”

Power over all countries from the beginning till the end of time cannot compare to God's kingdom with His very presence!  The temptation to rule over others was countered by Jesus in His word and example to be a servant of all.  Worship is for God alone, not any power or the ones who offer it.  Do we then run after gain at His expense, or after Him?

Live by Every Word of God

Luke 4:1-4. 
1 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry. 3 And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4 But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ ”

Before Jesus began His work, He was led through an empty, isolated wilderness without food for over a month.  Then the devil tried to tempt Him as he does us - but Jesus never wavered, even when starving after all the time.  He answered the temptation to prove Himself by pointing out we live by God's word, not our desires first of all. 

Well Pleasing Begotten Son

Luke 3:21-22 
21 When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. 22 And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”
Psalms 2:7-12 
7 “I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.  12 Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.

Jesus was told by the Father that He is His Son so that all could hear and think back to Psalm 2, where the Son is to be trusted (faith in Him) and held to to escape God's wrath.  So Jesus as the Son of God and man paved the way for our repentance and salvation - God as Spirit both identified Jesus as the Son and enabled Him as a man.

Threshing Floor

Luke 3:16-17 
16 John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.”

We are immersed or baptized in God as Spirit when delivered and reborn in Him, escaping the just punishment of final judgment with fire.  Those not heeding and believing who Jesus is and what He did in our place to reconcile us to the Father will be as the leftover shells of wheat that have no life and are burned up at harvest time.  This is why Jesus and John told us to repent (turn from sin to Him) and trust fully in His work, not ours to be saved from our sentence. 

Fruits of Repentance

Luke 3:10-14 
10 So the people asked him, saying, “What shall we do then?” 11 He answered and said to them, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.” 12 Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than what is appointed for you.” 14 Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?” So he said to them, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”

Fruits worthy of repentance - some marked changes - include giving to others in need, be fair in business dealings, and be content with all you have. By starting here, we then are ready for  the realization that we ultimately fail in our own effort and need to be changed by God to be able and willing to keep on choosing well and bearing fruit for the rest of our lives.  The good news talks of repentance and faith; the repentance is turning to do good for God, and faith is the trust in Jesus Christ's work in our place to make right where our own efforts always fall short. 

Make His Way Straight!

Luke 3:3-4, 8   
3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, 4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.  8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

John prepared the way for Jesus by calling for people to turn away from sin and toward Him.  But he also warned that it must be real - fear of God's due justice enacted, not just to check a box of a religious rule.  God 's people are from God's work, not our birthright, position, wealth, or any work we can drum up.  So now all must be by Christ alone through faith alone.

Jesus Wisdom, Growth, and Favor

Luke 2:51-52 
51 Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

Again Jesus grew as a man, giving us an example to follow - to add to our wisdom as we learn from God by His word, and to show that in a life changing to be honoring to all.  This is as part of His body, the unseen universal church, whose head is Christ (not any man or organization in place of Christ).

About My Father's Business

Luke 2:48-50 
48 So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.” 49 And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?” 50 But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.

Jesus had a unique position as God's Son, doing what we could not as mere men - but He also gave us examples to follow in His steps.  Here we can study to know the Bible to be approved workers of the Gospel, as well as to be about our Father's business as we follow in trusting obedience.  let this year and every one be in this race - anytime, anywhere, any cost, bar nothing...