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LIFE OF CHRIST
A Harmony of the Gospels
LESSON SEVENTEEN
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Luke 10:38-42
(38)
Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village;
and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.
(39)
And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet
and heard His word. (40) But Martha was distracted with much
serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care
that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to
help me."
(41) And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are
worried and troubled about many things. (42) But one thing is
needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be
taken away from her."
NKJV |
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A certain village
This would be Bethany (John 11: 18), the home of Mary , Martha and
Lazarus.
Bethany was situated about 2 miles southeast of Jerusalem on the
eastern slope of Mount Olivet.
Some refer to this as the Judean home of
Jesus.
Martha welcomed Him into her house
| 1. |
"Welcomed Him" |
Literally "kindly received, in
a friendly and hospitable manner." |
| 2.. |
"Into her house" |
Martha is marked as the head of the
household.
It was HER house, and she appears
throughout to be the elder sister.
She is supposed by some to have been a widow, with whom her
brother Lazarus and sister Mary lodged. |
Sat at Jesus' feet
From the custom of sitting "beneath" an instructor, the phrase "sitting at
one's feet" came to mean being a disciple of anyone. It is in this sense
that Paul says he was "brought up at the feet of Gamaliel." It was more a
posture of learning than of worship.
Distracted with much serving
| 1. |
She was harassed with different cares
and employments at the same time;
one drawing one way, and another drawing another way. |
| 2. |
A word must be said in her favor: we
should not, on the merest supposition, attribute earthly-mindedness
to a woman whose character stands unimpeachable in the Gospel;
and who, by entertaining Jesus and His disciples, and
providing liberally for them gave the highest proof that she was
influenced by liberality and benevolence, and not by parsimony
or covetousness.
And don't forget - these 13 hungry men had been walking all day.
Not only did they need to be fed, but cleaned up as well. |
| 3. |
Her problem was not the "serving",
but the "much" - she carried it to the extreme.
Had she taken time to "sit at His feet" she would
have learned that "man does not live by bread alone."
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Worried and troubled about many things
| 1. |
WORRIED |
The inward worrying anxiety about the
preparations |
| 2. |
TROUBLED |
The outward "hustle and bustle"
of those preparations |
| 3. |
MANY THINGS |
Too elaborate preparation, which
so engrossed her attention that she missed her Lord's teaching. |
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| We can be so taken up with the |
PROGRAM FOR THE LORD |
| that we don't have
time for the |
LORD OF THE PROGRAM! |
That good part ... shall not be taken away
Martha's choice would be taken from her, for her services would die with
her.
Mary's choice was "good" or "better" because it was spiritual and eternal, and would never be taken away.
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John 9:1-41
(9) Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man
who was blind from birth. (2) And His disciples
asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents,
that he was born blind?"
(3) Jesus answered, "Neither
this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God
should be revealed in him. (4) I must work the works
of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no
one can work. (5) As long as I am in the world, I am
the light of the world."
(6) When He had said these things, He spat on the ground
and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the
blind man with the clay. (7) And He said to him, "Go,
wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent).
So he went and washed, and came back seeing.
(8) Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had
seen that he was blind said, "Is not this he who sat and
begged?"
(9) Some said, "This is he." Others said, "He is like
him." He said, "I am he."
(10) Therefore they said to him, "How were your eyes
opened?"
(11) He answered and said, "A Man called Jesus made clay
and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to the pool of Siloam
and wash.' So I went and washed, and I received sight."
(12) Then they said to him, "Where is He?" He said,
"I do not know."
(13) They brought him who formerly was blind to the
Pharisees. (14) Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made
the clay and opened his eyes. (15) Then the
Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He
said to them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see."
(16) Therefore some of the Pharisees said, "This Man is
not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath."
Others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" And
there was a division among them.
(17) They said to the blind man again, "What do you say
about Him because He opened your eyes?" He said, "He is a
prophet."
(18) But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he
had been blind and received his sight, until they called the
parents of him who had received his sight. (19) And
they asked them, saying, "Is this your son, who you say was born
blind? How then does he now see?"
(20) His parents answered them and said, "We know that
this is our son, and that he was born blind; (21)
but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his
eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will speak for
himself." (22) His parents said these things because
they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if
anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the
synagogue. (23) Therefore his parents said, "He is
of age; ask him."
(24) So they again called the man who was blind, and said
to him, "Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner."
(25) He answered and said, "Whether He is a sinner or not
I do not know. one thing I know: that though I was blind, now I
see."
(26) Then they said to him again, "What did He do to you?
How did He open your eyes?"
(27) He answered them, "I told you already, and you did
not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want
to become His disciples?"
(28) Then they reviled him and said, "You are His
disciple, but we are Moses' disciples. (29) We know
that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know
where He is from."
(30) The man answered and said to them, "Why, this is a
marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He
has opened my eyes! (31) Now we know that God does
not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does
His will, He hears him. (32) Since the world began
it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who
was born blind. (33) If this Man were not from God,
He could do nothing."
(34) They answered and said to him, "You were completely
born in sins, and are you teaching us?" And they cast him out.
(35) Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He
had found him, He said to him, "Do you
believe in the Son of God?"
(36) He answered and said, "Who is He, Lord, that I may
believe in Him?"
(37) And Jesus said to him, "You
have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you."
(38) Then he said, "Lord, I believe!" And he
worshiped Him.
(39) And Jesus said, "For judgment I
have come into this world, that those who do not see may see,
and that those who see may be made blind."
(40) Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard
these words, and said to Him, "Are we blind also?"
(41) Jesus said to them, "If you
were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see.'
Therefore your sin remains."
NKJV |
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Who sinned, this man or his parents?
| 1. |
Most of the Asiatic nations in those
days believed in the doctrine of transmigration - suffering in the
present life for sins committed in a past life. However, it is
not clear whether or not the Jews held to this theory as such,
but there is evidence that some of the rabbins believed that it was
possible for an infant to sin in the womb, and to be punished
with some bodily infirmity in consequence. |
| 2. |
It was common Jewish view that the
merits or demerits of the parents would appear in the children (This
could possibly be from their interpretation of Exodus 20:5;
34:7; and Numbers 14:18), and that the thoughts of a mother might affect the moral state of her unborn offspring. The
apostasy of one of the greatest Rabbis had, in popular belief, been caused
by the sinful delight of his mother in passing through an idol grave. |
| 3. |
The Jews also thought that marks on the
body were proofs of sin in the soul (probably because of
Cain's experience). |
I must work the works of Him that sent me while it is day
A most
interesting statement from Christ, intimating:
| 1. |
That He had a precise work to do upon
earth. |
| 2. |
That all He did were the "works
of God." |
| 3. |
That each work had its precise time and
place. |
| 4. |
His period for work had definite
termination, so by letting anyone service pass by its allotted
time, the whole would be disarranged, marred, and
driven beyond its destined period for completion. |
| 5. |
That He acted ever under the impulse of
these considerations, as man - "the night is coming when no
man can work." |
The Pool of Siloam
| 1. |
A
reservoir located
within the city walls of Jerusalem at the south end of the Tyropean Valley , and on the east of the city between Jerusalem
and the brook Kidron. |
| 2. |
According to Dr. Thomson, it is a
parallelogram about 53 feet long and 18 feet wide,
and in its perfect condition must have been nearly 20 feet
deep. It is thus the smallest of all the Jerusalem pools. |
| 3. |
The water flows into it through a
subterraneous conduit (engineered by King Hezekiah, 11 Chron.
32:30) from the Fountain of the Virgin, and the waters are marked by an
ebb and flow.
Dr. Robinson witnessed arise and fall of one foot in ten
minutes. |
| 4. |
The two pools of Siloam were
probably for the irrigation of the gardens below, and seem
always to have been a favorite place for washing purposes; and
a stream from it supplied the pool of Bethesda. |
Siloam, which is translated Sent
The Hebrew word means "outflow," probably with reference to the fact that
the temple-mount "sends forth" its spring-waters.
There is a typical significance in the fact of the Lord's working through
the pool of this name:
| 1. |
From this pool was drawn the water for
pouring upon the altar during the Feast of Tabernacles. |
| 2. |
It was associated with the "wells
of salvation" of Isaiah 12:3, of which the people
sang during the Feast of Tabernacles. |
| 3. |
The pouring out of the water from this
pool symbolized the effusion of spiritual blessing in the day of the
Messiah. |
| 4. |
As was previously mentioned, the
spring discharged itself by a double stream into a twofold pool:
| The upper was called "Shiloach," |
signifying "sent." |
| The lower was called "shelach," |
signifying "fleeces." |
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| 5. |
It is significant that Jesus marked this point so particularly, to inform
the blind man that it was not to Shelach, but to Shiloach, that he must go
to wash his eyes. |
| 6. |
Isaiah mentioned this pool again in 8:6
"Inasmuch as these people refused the waters of Shiloah that flow
softly." |
Thus, throughout the whole narrative, all attention is concentrated on
Jesus Himself, who is the Light of the world, who was "sent of God" to
open blind eyes.Jesus made clay ... I went ... and washed
| 1. |
Jesus made clay and anointed his eyes:
| Hebrews 12:2 |
Jesus the AUTHOR AND FINISHER of faith |
| Hebrews 5:9 |
He became the AUTHOR
of eternal salvation |
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| 2. |
The blind man, in obedience to Jesus,
went and washed:
| Hebrews 5:9 |
Unto all them that obey Him |
| Jesus almost always required an
act of faith and obedience. |
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It was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay
In this there was, according to the religious leaders, an additional
twofold offense of the Sabbath (aside from healing the sick with which
they had already accused Him of breaking the Sabbath):
| 1. |
The making of the clay itself was
classified as work, and was, therefore an offense. |
| 2. |
Some of the ancient rabbins taught that
the saliva is a cure for several disorders of the eyes, but it
was contrary to the law, if applied on the Sabbath. |
One could take a beast out of the ditch, but could not save a person from
Death, Hell, and the Grave.
He should be put out of the Synagogue - First Law Against
Christians
Three kinds of excommunication were recognized, of which only the third
was the real cutting off, the other two
being disciplinary:
| THE FIRST |
Lightest, was called "rebuke"
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| THE SECOND |
Was called "thrusting out"
Lasted for 30 days at least,
followed by a "second
admonition," which lasted for thirty days more.
This could only be
pronounced in an assembly of ten.
It was accompanied by curses, and
sometimes proclaimed with the blast of the horn.
The excommunicated person
would not be admitted into any assembly often men, nor to public prayer.
People would keep at the distance of four cubits from him, as if he were a
leper.
Stones were to be cast on his coffin when dead, and mourning for
him was forbidden |
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| THE THIRD |
Or real excommunication,
was enforced when all else failed.
The duration was indefinite.
The man was to be as one dead.
No personal relationship was to be held with him.
One must not show him the road, and though he might buy the
necessaries of life, it was forbidden to eat and drink with
him. |
They cast him out
Either they excommunicated him without the formal meeting that was
normally required, or they ran him out on impulse, and held a later
official excommunication.
Jesus ... found him
Isaiah 66: 5
Your brethren who hated you,
Who cast you out for My name's sake, said,
'Let the LORD be glorified,
That we may see your joy.'
But they shall be ashamed." (NKJV)
This man provides several very special lessons from his experience:
| v 7 |
His OBEDIENCE |
"He went and washed" |
| v 11 |
His SIMPLICITY |
"A man called Jesus" |
| v 27 |
His COURAGE |
"Do you also want to become His disciples?" |
| v 30 |
His CONSTANCY |
"Yet He has opened my eyes!" |
| v 38 |
His GRATITUDE |
"And He worshipped Him" |
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John 10:22-42
(22) Now it was the Feast
of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. (23)
And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch. (24)
Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, "How long do You
keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly."
(25) Jesus answered them, "I told
you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father's
name, they bear witness of Me. (26) But you do not
believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.
(27) My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they
follow Me. (28) And I give them eternal life, and
they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of
My hand. (29) My Father, who has given them to Me,
is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My
Father's hand. (30) I and My Father are one."
(31) Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him.
(32) Jesus answered them, "Many good
works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works
do you stone Me?"
(33) The Jews answered Him, saying, "For a good work we do
not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man,
make Yourself God."
(34) Jesus answered them, "Is
it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods"'?
(35) If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came
(and the Scripture cannot be broken), (36) do you
say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world,
'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?
(37) If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe
Me; (38) but if I do, though you do not believe Me,
believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father
is in Me, and I in Him." (39) Therefore they
sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand.
(40) And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place
where John was baptizing at first, and there He stayed.
(41) Then many came to Him and said, "John performed no
sign, but all the things that John spoke about this Man were
true." (42) And many believed in Him there.
NKJV |
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The Feast of Dedication - (About 4 months before Crucifixion)
Judas Maccabees instituted the Feast of Dedication, in commemoration of
his purifying the temple (164 B.C.).
| When Antiochus had heard in 167 B.C. that the Jews had made great rejoicings, on
account of a report that had been spread of his death, he hastened out of
Egypt to Jerusalem, took the city by storm, and slew of the inhabitants in
three
days 40,000 people; and 40,000 more he sold for slaves to the neighboring
nations. Not content with this, he sacrificed a great sow on the altar of burnt
offerings; and, broth being made by his
command of some of the flesh; he sprinkled it allover the temple, that he
might defile it to the uttermost. After
this, the whole of the temple service seems to have been suspended for 3
years, great dilapidations having taken place also in various parts of the
buildings.
|
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| The feast began on the 25th of
Kisleu
(December 18), and continued for eight days. |
| Today we call it Hanukkah. |
| As Judas Maccabees not only restored the temple service, and cleansed it
from pollution, but also repaired the ruins of it, the feast was called
the "renovation." |
The special mention of the time appears to be made in order to connect the
subject of the Lord's teaching with the hopes associated with the last
national deliverance. The Hymn which is at present used in Jewish
Synagogues at the Festival records the successive deliverances of Israel, and contains a prayer for yet another.
Jesus in fact perfectly accomplished what the Maccabees wrought in a
figure, and dedicated anew and abiding temple. |
| The Feast of Dedication was known as "the Feast of Lights," and the title
"Light of the World" chosen by Jesus in John 9:5 may refer to their custom of
kindling the lights, no less than to the ceremonies of the Feast of
Tabernacles. |
| After the Maccabees had restored the temple, what most lived in the
recollection of the time was that the perpetual light blazed again. |
The
golden candlestick was no longer to be had.
In its place was an iron chandelier, cased in wood. According to
tradition, the oil was found to have been desecrated, and only
one flagon of pure oil, sealed with the High-Priest's signet,
was found, sufficient to feed the candlestick for a single day.
But by a miracle the flagon was replenished during eight days,
until a fresh supply could be procured. |
Thus the festival lasted
for eight days.
Lights were kindled, not only in the temple, but in every
home. Pious householders lighted a lamp for every inmate of the home, and
the most zealous added a light every night for every individual, so that
if a house with ten inmates began with ten lights, it would end with
eighty. |
| No fast or mourning, on account of any calamity
or bereavement, was permitted to commence during the festival.
|
Solomon's Porch
A covered colonnade on the eastern side of the outer court of the temple.
According to Josephus it was a relic of Solomon's Temple (over 800 Ft.
long), which remained intact in the destruction of the Public Promenades
by Nebuchadnezzar.
My sheep hear my voice ... and they follow Me
| 1. |
The shepherds give names to their
sheep. Every sheep recognizes his own name, and comes
when called. |
| 2. |
Travelers have noticed the wonderful
readiness with which the sheep or a large flock will recognize the
shepherd's voice. Though several flocks are mingled they
speedily separate at the command of the shepherd, while the
word of a stranger would have no effect on them.
Porter thus describes a scene he witnessed among the hills of Bashan:
| "The shepherds led their flocks forth from the gates of the city . They
were in full view, and we watched them and listened to them with no little
interest. Thousands of sheep and goats where there, grouped in dense, confused masses. The shepherds stood together until all came out. Then
they separated, each shepherd taking a different path, and uttering as he
advanced a shrill, peculiar call. The sheep heard them. At first the
masses swayed and moved as if shaken by some internal convulsion; then
points struck out in the direction taken by the shepherds; these became
longer and longer until the confused masses were resolved into long, living streams, flowing after their leaders."
|
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I and my Father are one
| Jesus has just said: "neither shall any man pluck
them out of MY hand" |
| And: "No man is able to pluck them
out of MY FATHER'S hand" |
|
| |
| Now He says: |
 |
I and My Father are ONE |
| |
|
|
| "Are" |
is in the masculine gender in the Greek |
- "We two, I and the Father" |
| "One" |
is in the neuter gender in the Greek |
- "one thing" "one entity"
|
1 Timothy 3:16
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:
God was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Preached among the Gentiles,
Believed on in the world,
Received up in glory. (NKJV)
Took up stones again to stone Him
This is the third time that the Jews resorted to actual physical force
(unsuccessfully).
The other two places are
Luke 4:29 &
John 8:59.
You ... make yourself God
They had it backwards!
He, being God, made Himself man!
He called them gods
The judges were called gods, as being representatives of God (Ex. 21 :6).
That judges are meant appears from
Psalm 82:2, and also from what follows here.
Sanctified
The word used here is
hagiazo - "consecrated." The fundamental idea of the word is "separation" and "consecration" to the service of Deity.
The Father is in Me, and I in Him
It must be remarked, by every serious reader, that Jesus did frequently
speak of Himself to the Jews, as being
not only "sent of God" as their Messiah, but as being "one with God."
| And
it is as evident that in this sense the priests and Pharisees understood
Him; and it was because they would not credit this that they accused Him
of blasphemy. |
| Now, if Jesus was not the Person they understood Him to
state Himself to be, He had the fairest opportunity, from their strong
remonstrance's, to correct their misapprehension of His words,
if they really had mistaken His meaning. |
| He rather strengthens His assertions in His consequent discourses with
them; which, had not His positions been true, He could not have done even
as an honest man. |
| He not only asserted Himself to be equal with God, but
also wished them to believe it to be true; and He amply confirmed this by
the miracles He wrought. |
| |
|
Luke 12:1-59
(1)
In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had
gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began
to say to His disciples first of all, "Beware of the leaven of
the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. (2) For there is nothing covered
that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.
(3)
Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in
the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms
will be proclaimed on the housetops.
(4)
"And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who
kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
(5)
But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He
has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear
Him!
(6) "Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one
of them is forgotten before God. (7) But the very hairs of your
head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more
value than many sparrows.
(8)
"Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son
of Man also will confess before the angels of God. (9) But he who
denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.
(10) "And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will
be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy
Spirit, it will not be forgiven.
(11) "Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates
and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should
answer, or what you should say. (12) For the Holy Spirit will teach
you in that very hour what you ought to say."
(13)
Then one from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother
to divide the inheritance with me."
(14) But He said to him, "Man, who made Me a judge or an
arbitrator over you?" (15) And He said to them, "Take heed and
beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the
abundance of the things he possesses."
(16) Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a
certain rich man yielded plentifully. (17) And he thought within
himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store
my crops?' (18) So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my
barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and
my goods. (19) And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods
laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be
merry."' (20) But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will
be required of you; then whose will those things be which you
have provided?'
(21) "So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich
toward God."
(22)
Then He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not
worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body,
what you will put on. (23) Life is more than food, and the body is
more than clothing. (24) Consider the ravens, for they neither sow
nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds
them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? (25) And which
of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? (26) If you
then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the
rest? (27) Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil
nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory
was not arrayed like one of these. (28) If then God so clothes the
grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into
the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little
faith?
(29) "And do not seek what you should eat or what you should
drink, nor have an anxious mind. (30) For all these things the
nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you
need these things. (31) But seek the kingdom of God, and all these
things shall be added to you.
(32) "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good
pleasure to give you the kingdom. (33) Sell what you have and give
alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a
treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief
approaches nor moth destroys. (34) For where your treasure is,
there your heart will be also.
(35)
"Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; (36) and you
yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will
return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may
open to him immediately. (37) Blessed are those servants whom the
master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to
you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and
will come and serve them. (38) And if he should come in the second
watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are
those servants. (39) But know this, that if the master of the house
had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched
and not allowed his house to be broken into. (40) Therefore you
also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do
not expect."
(41) Then Peter said to Him, "Lord, do You speak this parable only
to us, or to all people?"
(42) And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise
steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to
give them their portion of food in due season? (43) Blessed is that
servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.
(44)
Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he
has. (45) But if that servant says in his heart, 'My master is
delaying his coming,' and begins to beat the male and female
servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, (46) the master of
that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him,
and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and
appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. (47) And that servant
who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do
according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
(48) But
he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes,
shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given,
from him much will be required; and to whom much has been
committed, of him they will ask the more.
(49)
"I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were
already kindled! (50) But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and
how distressed I am till it is accomplished! (51) Do you suppose
that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but
rather division. (52) For from now on five in one house will be
divided: three against two, and two against three. (53) Father will
be divided against son and son against father, mother against
daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her
daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."
(54)
Then He also said to the multitudes, "Whenever you see a cloud
rising out of the west, immediately you say, 'A shower is
coming'; and so it is. (55) And when you see the south wind blow,
you say, 'There will be hot weather'; and there is. (56)
Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the
earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?
(57)
"Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is
right? (58) When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make
every effort along the way to settle with him, lest he drag you
to the judge, the judge deliver you to the officer, and the
officer throw you into prison. (59) I tell you, you shall not
depart from there till you have paid the very last mite."
NKJV |
|
40 Lessons from this dialogue
| 1. |
(v 1) |
Beware of hypocrisy |
| 2. |
(v 2-3) |
All secrets will be exposed |
| 3. |
(v 4-5) |
Fear God, not man |
| 4. |
(v 7) |
God's providence is over all |
| 4. |
(v 8-9) |
Confess Christ openly |
| 6. |
(v 10) |
Honor the Holy Spirit |
| 7. |
(v 12) |
Rely on the Holy Spirit |
| 8. |
(v 13-14) |
Refuse to be a busybody |
| 9. |
(v 15) |
Beware of covetousness |
| 10 |
(v 15) |
Life is more than possessions |
| 11. |
(v 20) |
There is no security in possessions |
| 12. |
(v 15-21) |
Do not seek riches |
| 13. |
(v 15-21) |
Do not trust in riches |
| 14. |
(v 18-20) |
Life is uncertain |
| 15. |
(v 20) |
Death is certain |
| 16. |
(v 18-21) |
Human plans for long life are foolish
without God (Psalms 91 ) |
| 17. |
(v 20-21) |
All must give account to God |
| 18. |
(v 20) |
Use riches wisely while we control them |
| 19. |
(v 18-21) |
Make more provision for the soul than
for the body |
| 20. |
(v 18-20) |
Never seek riches at the expense of
the soul's welfare |
| 21. |
(v 16-21) |
Do not waste life to get rich -
Put important things first |
| 22. |
(v 21,33-34) |
Laying up treasure only on earth
will damn the soul |
| 23. |
(v 22-30) |
Never worry about necessities of life
(Matthew 6:25-34) |
| 24. |
(v 23) |
Life is more than food |
| 25. |
(v 23) |
The body is more than clothing |
| 26. |
(v 24) |
Man is better than fowls |
| 27. |
(v 22,25-26) |
Worry is sinful |
| 28. |
(v 27-28) |
God cares for man more than fine lilies |
| 29. |
(v 28-29) |
Live free from doubt |
| 30. |
(v 29-31) |
Seek God first and all other things
will be added |
| 31. |
(v 29-31) |
God knows all our needs |
| 32. |
(v 32) |
Do not fear the future |
| 33. |
(v 32) |
God's pleasure is to give His kingdom
to His children |
| 34. |
(v 33-34) |
Treasures in heaven are the only
lasting ones |
| 35. |
(v 35-38) |
Be Watchful servants in view of
Christ's coming |
| 36. |
(v 39-40) |
Be Ready for His coming |
| 37. |
(v 41-48) |
Be Faithful servants in view of His
coming |
| 38. |
(v 49-53) |
Be reconciled to opposition from your
best friends |
| 39. |
(v 54-57) |
Know the times |
| 40. |
(v 58-59) |
Live in peace with all men |
|
|
|
|
Luke 13:1-9
(1) There were present at that season
some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had
mingled with their sacrifices. (2) And Jesus
answered and said to them, "Do you suppose
that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other
Galileans, because they suffered such things? (3) I
tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise
perish. (4) Or those eighteen on whom the tower in
Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse
sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? (5)
I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise
perish."
(6) He also spoke this parable: "A
certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came
seeking fruit on it and found none. (7) Then he said
to the keeper of his vineyard, 'Look, for three years I have
come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down;
why does it use up the ground?' (8) But he answered
and said to him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig
around it and fertilize it. (9) And if it bears
fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.'"
NKJV |
|
The Galileans
It is not recorded exactly who these people were, or the circumstances
surrounding the incident.
Josephus states that the Galileans were the most
seditious people in the land: they belonged properly to Herod' s
jurisdiction;
but, as they kept the great feasts at Jerusalem, they probably, by their
tumultuous behavior at some one of them, gave Pilate a pretext to fall
upon and slay many of them.
Possibly these were the followers of Judas of Galilee, who, some 20 years
before this, taught that Jews should not pay tribute to the Romans, and of
whom we learn, from Acts 5:37, that he drew after him a multitude of
followers, who on his being slain were all dispersed. About this time that
party would be at its height, and if Pilate caused this detachment of them
to be waylaid and put to death as they were offering their sacrifices at
one of the festivals, that would be "mingling their blood with their
sacrifices."
While this may have been a cruel action on the part of Pilate and is used
by some in building a case against him, it might not have been. In
commenting on the episode, Jesus did not fault Pilate, and, by the context
of the Siloam tower collapse, the implication is probable that this also
may have been an accident involving the innocent.
The tower in Saloam
Possibly one of the towers of the city wall, near the pool of Siloam.
Possibly a tower built over one of the porticoes near the pool.
Of its
fall nothing is known.
The practical lesson
| 1. |
REPENT OR PARISH |
Illustrated by the two recent incidents |
| 2. |
BEAR FRUIT OR PARISH |
Illustrated by the parable of the barren fig
tree |
|
|
|
|
Luke 13:10-21
(10) Now He was teaching
in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. (11) And
behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen
years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.
(12) But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said
to her, "Woman, you are loosed from your
infirmity." (13) And He laid His hands on
her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
(14) But the ruler of the synagogue answered with
indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he
said to the crowd, "There are six days on which men ought to
work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the
Sabbath day."
(15) The Lord then answered him and said, "Hypocrite!
Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey
from the stall, and lead it away to water it? (16)
So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan
has bound -- think of it -- for eighteen years, be loosed from
this bond on the Sabbath?" (17) And when He
said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and
all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were
done by Him.
(18) Then He said, "What is the
kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? (19)
It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his
garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of
the air nested in its branches."
(20) And again He said, "To what
shall I liken the kingdom of God? (21) It is like
leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal
till it was all leavened."
NKJV |
|
The Woman's Infirmity
| 1. |
The ORIGIN |
SIN
| Had this never entered into the world, there
had not been either Pain, distortion, or death |
|
| 2. |
The AGENT |
SATAN
| Verse 16- "whom Satan hath bound" |
|
| 3. |
The NATURE |
BOWED TOGETHER
| A situation equally painful and humiliating;
the Violence of which she could not support, and the Shame of
which she could not conceal |
|
| 4. |
The DURATION |
18 YEARS
| Not only that long already but worsening and no
end in sight |
|
| 5. |
The EFFECT |
COULD NOT LOOK UP
| She was even prevented from so much as
looking toward heaven |
|
The Woman's Cure
| 1. |
The ORIGIN |
JESUS
| He saw her and called her |
|
| 2. |
The AGENT |
HIS HANDS
|
| 3. |
The NATURE |
MADE STRAIGHT
| The shame, the pain, and the violence were
gone |
|
| 4. |
The DURATION |
IMMEDIATELY
The cure was:
Speedy
Perfect
Public
Permanent |
|
|
| 5. |
The EFFECT |
SHE GLORIFIED GOD
| Not only could she see heaven, but now
she could enjoy it |
|
| |
|
PERSECUTION
| The ruler of The synagogue answered with
indignation |
|
(End of Lesson Seventeen)
|
