[Linux4christians] Sunday – Read Luke 12:13-13:34

[Pastor David]

Integrated Study of The Gospels

Matthew-Mark-Luke-John: Parallel In Chronological Order
*Bible Study & Devotional: The Gospels – Section 9*

*Context for the Section Nine of The Gospels*

	Section nine covers Matthew 19-20, Mark 10, and Luke 
12:13-19, including Jesus on divorce, the
	third prediction of Jesus' sacrifice, and several parables.


*Bible Study & Devotional*

*Sunday – Read Luke 12:13-13:34*

	*Commentary*

	A man worried that he was not getting enough from the 
estate of his father challenged
	Jesus to intervene.  Jesus rebuked him with a warning and a 
parable that ones priorities
	must be with the things of God and not the things of man.

	The disciples are worried about clothing and food and other 
worldly things and Jesus
	reminds them if they will only focus on the Kingdom that 
their Father in Heaven will
	meet all of those lesser needs.

	Jesus utilizes a “pugnacious parable” in His teaching about 
faithful stewardship.  His
	challenge is that we should be always “dressed for 
service”, not in fancy and fine clothes
	but ready to fight or to work at the call of the Master. 
His disciples ask to whom He is
	speaking and He says, essentially, all believers.  His 
parable describes severe consequences
	for deliberately neglectful and rebellious “servants”.

	Two additional notes: Jesus reminds them that they must be 
constantly ready and that
	“From everyone who has been given much, much will be 
required, and from the one
	who has been entrusted with much, even more will be asked.”

	Jesus reminds us that the consequence of His ministry would 
be a refining fire and when
	some accepted Him there would be conflict in families and 
neighborhoods.  While He did
	not look forward to what He would suffer to provide for our 
salvation He longed for the
	day when His work would kindle that fire.

	He challenges them because their discernment of physical 
things, such as the weather, was
	good but that they lacked the discernment of spiritual things.

	He challenges them to be cautious about dragging a fellow 
believer before an unsaved
	magistrate lest they be accused of something as well.  His 
counsel was to work it out.

	When Jesus is questioned again about a superstitious 
tradition related to sacrifices, this
	time the blood of Galileans mixed by Pilate with their 
sacrifices, He reminds them that
	everyone is doomed - despite sacrifices - unless they 
repent and accept His gift of salvation.

	Jesus uses the parable of a fig tree to illustrate His 
expectation that Israel must bear fruit
	else be abandoned by God – He has offered them the 
“fertilizer” of His ministry and
	teaching but if they refused to accept their Messiah they 
would no longer have hope.

	Jesus heals a woman on the Sabbath, creating a teachable 
moment where the arrogant and
	legalistic religious leaders condemn Him for violating 
their no-work rules.  He noted that
	they watered their donkeys on the Sabbath yet condemn 
freedom from the bondage of
	infirmity of the woman – imposed rhetorically by Satan - 
being lifted on the Sabbath as
	improper “work”.

	Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed where 
the growing plant becomes
	attractive to many, and to yeast where a small amount of 
faith-established Kingdom leads
	to huge growth.

	Jesus warns the Jews to make a decision for Him before 
their opportunity is missed, He
	noted that it was also made to non-Jews, and there is a 
deadline for everyone.  He closes
	with a plea to Jerusalem [rhetorically Israel] that in the 
OT God lamented that He “... longed
	to gather your children together … but you would have none 
of it!”  Thus they condemned
	themselves via rebellion.

	*Discussion & Reflection - Keeping it Real*

	Do we entrust the resolution of matters-in-conflict among 
believers to unbelievers?

	Consider the things about which you worry – are they 
sometimes more important in your
	mind than the things of God?

	How is the ministry of our day-to-day life attractive to 
the unsaved so that the Holy Spirit
	may use us to draw, save, and disciple many to grow His 
Kingdom?

	*Truth in Action*
	
	Today I will identify at least one circumstance, need, 
relationship, or want about which I
	worry unnecessarily and surrender that in trust to the 
Lord.  I will ask a fellow believer to
	pray in agreement with me for the strength to not return to 
that worry and that in so
	doing I will be more attractive as a non-worrisome 
Christian ... and more free to serve.

	*Be Specific* 
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Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!  Pastor David
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