Luke 6

Jesus' claims to forgive sins raised the eyebrows of the Pharisees, who were also scandalized by his willingness to associate with tax collectors and other "sinners." Now, in chapter 6, they are closely watching Jesus and attempt to turn the tables on him, to prove he is nothing but a common law breaker who violates Sabbath restrictions.

His responses (v. 3-5 and 8-11) challenge their Sabbath interpretations, extensive rules and regulations about what they could and couldn't do on the seventh day of the week. I like how Jesus values people's needs and showing compassion more than those rules. What do you know about the Jewish Sabbath? Do you think it has any applications for Christians and does it have any meaning for you personally?

Jesus takes another important step in his ministry that fills the rest of this chapter. He chooses an inner circle of apostles -- or "sent ones" -- and extensively lays out the philosophy of his kingdom to the disciples in what could be called the sermon on the plain.

Notice the role of prayer before he chooses the apostles (v. 12). We've already seen him turn to God at other significant points. I can't emphasize enough how foundational prayer was in Jesus' relationship with God. We need to follow his lead, connecting to God regularly through prayer. On another note: Have you ever memorized the names of the 12 apostles? I'd challenge any of you to try and learn and recite them for us on Sunday.

As I read the "blessed" statements, or the Beatitudes (v. 20-23), they take me back to 4:18-19, where Jesus used the writings of Isaiah to announce that the downtrodden would be the focus of his ministry. Again, do these people that Jesus blesses sound like you or me? Or would it be easier for us to identify with those in v. 24-26 to whom Jesus says "woe to you?"

So what's the righteous response to hatred, abuse and disrespect? Jesus gives us a barrage of answers that seem somewhere between challenging and impossible (v. 27-31), and insists on a higher standard for his followers (v. 32-35). Verse 31 provides the key to understanding why this is imperative. We call this the Golden Rule. Jesus' focus here stands in contrast to the Pharisees' Sabbath rules, alluded to earlier.

With brief parables (v. 39-45), Jesus asserts the disciples' need for his guidance and teaching, denounces those who hypocritically judge others (using extreme hyperbole to make his point), and declares that such people's actions will eventually unmask the true attitude of their hearts. 

What do you think of the parables that we've encountered so far (in this chapter and earlier)? Are they understandable? Do any of them ring true?

Jesus tells a final parable (v. 46-49) that serves as a call to action -- a good way to end any sermon. It predicts ruin amidst the storms of life for those who hear his instructions but don't actively follow them. Let's see if we can decipher what it means on Sunday. Bring your ideas!

Luke 5

We see Jesus attracting more and more people in Chapter 5 with his teaching and healing, plus a new dimension to his ministry -- the calling of disciples. We also begin to get a closer look at those being healed. In the process, we see that belief and faith are factors in these healings.

Faith or belief is not explicitly mentioned as Jesus' first disciples are called, but do you think it is a motivating factor in their decision to follow him? Examine those stories involving Simon Peter and brothers James and John (v. 1-11) and Levi (v. 27-32). What indications of faith do you see? Do you see anything that's surprising or extreme? How do you feel about their responses?

On Sunday, let's try and come up with a working definition of faith that we will be able to apply to the stories of Jesus as we go forward. I think we're given a simple but effective picture of faith in the story of the leper who is cleansed by Jesus (v. 12-13). Perhaps you can look at that as you think about how we should define faith.

It isn't until Jesus is faced with the paralytic at the start of the next healing story that Luke mentions the concept of faith (v. 20). And then Jesus immediately ties it to the forgiveness of sins. Where have we heard about forgiveness of sins before? In 3:3, when Luke describes John the Baptist preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus later (v. 31-32) restates his purpose as calling sinners to repentance.

But such talk concerns the Pharisees and teachers of the law, who are mentioned for the first time in v. 21. They consider his words blasphemy because only God can forgive sin. These Jewish religious leaders will be a presence throughout the rest of the book, often as critics and plotters against Jesus.

Also introduced in this chapter are parables, the stories Jesus tells to illustrate his ideas (v. 36-39). Preceding that are two other brief passages where his words are somewhat cloaked (v. 31-32, 34-35). In addition, Jesus gives himself a title -- can you spot it?

Let's talk Sunday about what we think these passages, the parable and the title mean. 

Luke 4

While we've been hearing about Jesus in the gospel of Luke, chapter 4 is when we begin hearing from him. Jesus has plenty to say about who he is and his purpose -- which he begins acting upon quickly. But before that, there's one more component to his preparation: 40 days in the desert being tempted by the devil. This is the first mention of the devil in Luke and the only time he makes a personal appearance. But we'll encounter demons at various points in the book -- including later in this chapter.

I'd like to hear what you think about the devil and these evil spirits. Are they real? Do you accept this account of the temptation and these demon stories at face value? I'd also like to hear what you think this story tells us about who the devil is, how he operates and the nature of temptation.

Jesus went to his hometown to announce who he is and proclaim his purpose. He does this in the synagogue by saying he has fulfilled a prophecy of Isaiah in 4:18-19 -- essentially saying he is the Christ. Look back at how John in 3:16-17 describes the coming Christ. It's largely a picture of judgement. Does Jesus have a different message here? I'd like to hear what you think of that message and if it applies to you.

What happens next in 4:22-30 always strikes me as a strange twist. But the people's response to Jesus seems to come out of not accepting his claim to be the Christ (v. 21) and his suggestion that God had bypassed Israelites to help Gentiles (v. 26-27).

Does the last part of this chapter, when Jesus heads to Capernaum to teach, cast out demons and heal the sick, match with his purpose as stated in Isaiah? I'd like you to consider if the Isaiah passage could have a spiritual as well as a physical meaning. If so, does it have more application for middle-class kids and adults living in the midst of a free and democratic society, like us?

Luke 3

So far our story has told us of the origins and early life of John and Jesus. Chapter 3 brings the two together as adults -- John in the midst of his ministry and Jesus at the dawn of his. The focus will then move on to Jesus with Luke only briefly mentioning John in chapter 9 and noting his death. John's role here is to set the stage for the ministry of Jesus and to tell us a bit about the purpose and scope of his work.

But John is an intriguing character whose ministry, as Michelle noted on Sunday, stirred messianic speculation among the people. John strongly stated that he was not the Christ. Luke earlier in the chapter also noted John's role was as a voice calling people to prepare for the Lord's coming. As you read about John in chapter 3, look back at the pre- and post-natal prophesies of the angel in 1:14-18 and Zechariah in 1:68-80. Does the man baptizing in desert fit these descriptions?

As you look at John's message to the people in 3:7-14, what stands out to you? How do you feel about what he says? When he describes the Christ in 3:15-17, do you have any thoughts about what he says or what it means? We'll discuss that Sunday and look back to the passage in future chapters as more about Jesus is revealed. 

I'd also be curious to hear what you think of this long list of names at the end of the chapter. Do you think it serves any purpose? One thing that's significant about the genealogy is that it doesn't stop at David or Judah or Abraham, but traces the ancestry of Jesus back to Adam -- before there was a Jewish people that God chose. Instead he is tied to the father of all people as a Messiah for all of humanity. When Luke (who was a Gentile, not one of those chosen Jews) quotes Isaiah, he also brings up the idea of salvation for all of mankind. This a theme we'll see throughout the book.

I'm loading this blog post up with questions you can ponder and use to bring at least one comment/question/insight/observation to us next Sunday. Here's one more: What does repentance mean to you? Does it play a role in your life? Although it's John pushing people to repent, this is something that Jesus will later call on people to do. And it's a message his apostles and the church down through the ages have also carried.