Luke 11-15

Continuing our journey through the book of Luke!

Jesus teaches us how to pray, verses 1-13
Luke shares his version of the Lord's prayer, and it's pretty similar to the one we find in Mathew. The focus is still the same:

1. God is both father, yet is holy and other than this world. It is important to remember that God can be both of these things, because, well God is God.
2. We need to trust God with our past, present, and future: forgive our sins - past. Give us each day, our daily bread - present. Lead us not into temptation - future.
3. We are told we need to ask for forgiveness and to forgive! This is a key part of God's design for the world.

The Sign of Jonah, verses 29-32
This seems like an odd story, what is the sign of Jonah that Jesus is talking about? Jonah was in the belly of some sea beast for three days and nights. This part is foreshadowing Jesus death and resurrection. It is also a condemnation of the Pharisees who will not repent and turn to God because of Jesus when the truly evil people of Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria and enemy of the Jewish people, repented and turned to God. We too need to repent (change our ways) when we meet Jesus.

The Parable of the Rich Fool? Luke 12:13-21
The rich man in this story decides to build a bigger barn rather share his great wealth. Jesus is warning against the sin of greed, when we use the resources God only has for us, for ourselves. Thre is nothing wrong with saving money, investing money or being wise with what God gives us. First, though, we need to be generous with what we have and make sure those who have needs have those needs taken care of.

Do Not Worry, 22-34
Do not worry? Really how in the world are we supposed to do that? It seems like an absurd request. We need to separate two things: the natural worry that we have in life, and the worry that debilitates and destroys. Some amount of worry is a natural response to stress. In my opinion what Jesus is talking about is that when we let worry take over our lives and destroy our present and our future. We are to seek God's kingdom and we will have what we need, that is what a good Father gives his children. 32 through 34 remind us that God enlists our help to take care of the poor and the needy. We see Luke's specific focus on the poor and suffering.

Jesus does the unthinkable, heals on the Sabbath! 13:10-17
Again the religious leaders of the day miss the point. Just heal on the other six days Jesus! Jesus reminds them that the healing is more important than following the letter of the law. Of course, they should help someone on the Sabbath.

Jesus Cries for Jerusalem, 31-35
Jesus speaks these incredible words: "I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing." Jesus' great desire was to call his people to him, as their messiah. That was his purpose as it was to call the Gentiles as well. You can just feel his heartbreak that more of his people did not believe because they were more obsessed with their own power than following God, who was in their midst.

Jesus Goes to a Pharisee's House? Luke 14:1-14
It has been established that Jesus and the Pharisees don't get along so why is Jesus at the house of a Pharisee? Jesus, I think, would not be happy in the way our world seems to work, that if someone disagrees with me, then we are enemies. Jesus faced conflict head-on, with the goal to change the world. He loved everyone, even those who opposed him! Jesus teaches that it is not right to ignore the sick people who are right in front of us and that we are called to invite the least of these to our banquets, parties, and dinners.

The Cost of Being a Disciple, 25-34
"Whoever does not carry their own cross and follow me cannot be a disciple." In many churches today we try to bring people into the church with glitz and glam, we try to attract people. Jesus is saying that you have to give up everything to follow him. Imagine that on a church bumper sticker! Come to church and pick up a cross (you know, a torture/killing device to be used on you)! You have to give up everything! Not many would show up. Jesus wants to be Lord of our life.

Parables of the Lost, Luke 15
In what is perhaps the most powerful and beautiful chapter in scripture, Jesus tells three stories about lost things, a coin, a sheep and a son. Jesus reminds people that if you have a lost coin that is valuable or a lost sheep that is valuable, you are going to search for it! That is how Jesus views everyone who is not currently following him. They are lost sheep to be found. I think this is an incredibly profound viewpoint for the basis of a religion.

Then it gets better. Jesus talks about the lost son and we realize that Jesus and God's love for us is even greater than that. Much like John 3:16 or Romans 5:8, it shows that God has incredible love and compassion for all of his children. They may be lost, they may have lost their inheritance, but God still deeply loves them and desires for them to be back in the fold. If you feel like you have lost your way if you feel like you have strayed this is the passage for you. If you are not a follower of Christ, then hear the words of the father, as the words of the Father to you, "This son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."











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