Daily Reading: Luke 11v1-13 'The Disciples Prayer part 3'

Now we come to the final thing we are going to think about from this prayer:

We keep praying because… God is good(5-13)

Jesus then uses some illustrations to teach the disciples about the nature of their praying and the nature of God their Father whom they pray to.  (5-8)The point of this story is not a comparison between God and the sleepy friend, but between the disciple and the man who keeps on knocking and asking. Why does the man eventually get out of bed and give bread? “…because of your shameless audacity” – because he dared to ask and kept on asking. Make the most of your access to God.

Have you seen who wants to be a millionaire? Each contestant answers questions to accrue money and to help they have 3 lifelines; 50:50, phone a friend, and ask the audience. Sometimes you watch it willing someone to use a lifeline because they clearly don’t know the answer, just ask for help you want to shout at them.

Jesus is saying disciples have a lifeline, we can come boldly to God our Father by grace, not to someone who knows a bit about some subjects, but to the almighty, holy, creator God. But unlike who wants to be a millionaire where you can only use it once we can continually come to God. But how often do we use it like those contestants only as a last resort.

(9-10)Reinforce the point of the illustration – what are the three things Jesus tells them to do? Ask, seek, knock. Approach God because he has the answers, and is able to answer your prayers – there is nothing he can’t do. Though that doesn’t mean that he will always give us what we ask for.

(11-13)God is good, in contrast to the home owner, in fact in contrast to us Jesus says. How does Jesus describe his disciples? “evil” – morally imperfect, opposed to God. If even evil father’s give good gifts to their children how much more will their and our morally perfect, gracious and holy loving heavenly Father give to those who ask him.

Have you seen the film, or the pantomime (given the season), of Aladdin? Some people seem to think prayer is a little like rubbing the magic lamp and then making your wishes.  You approach God you ask God gives - and even better you aren't just limited to three wishes and don't have to lug a dusty lamp around with you!

But the context of prayer answered is in the context of the prayer asked. It is the prayer that shares God’s concerns, that is for his kingdom not our comfort, for our daily needs not every desire, for forgiveness and the ability to forgive others not for a Mercedes SLK, for spiritual protection not a controlled care free life.

And the answer(13) is that God will give us his Holy Spirit if we ask him. His Spirit who guides us in prayer - enabling us to cry “Father…”, who makes God’s concerns our concerns, who enables us to pray God’s thoughts after him and who reminds us of the reality of our relationship, our dependence, and God’s goodness.

We can come to pray to God because Jesus has secured our relationship with God, not because we are perfect. It means if you haven’t prayed all week, this morning you can come to pray to your Father by grace. You don’t need to make atonement, Jesus has made atonement for you already, or feel wracked with guilt. You just need to come and talk to your Father.

But the Disciples Prayer also models for us the concerns of a disciple – the things we ought to be praying for. It lets us see the concerns of a disciple are those of the God he or she serves.

Jesus reminds us of the wonder that is prayer – now why wouldn’t you pray!

Daily Reading: Luke 11v1-13 'The Disciples Prayer part 2'

We began yesterday by thinking about that word 'Father' and how can always pray because of what Jesus has done for us.  But here's the second thing we see:

We pray because… we are dependent on God.

One of the reasons we struggle with prayer is that it isn’t natural. From a young age in our culture we are taught independence – to feed ourselves, look after ourselves, stand on our own two feet, to be self reliant. In fact in our society to depend on someone else is viewed as a weakness. One of our problems with prayer is that we bring this attitude into our Christian life, and it affects our prayer life.  We find relying on others hard - even when that person is God Almighty.

By contrast the Disciples Prayer reminds them and us that we depend on God (3)”for our daily bread” (4)for forgiveness and for spiritual protection – important in Luke in an atmosphere of increasing religious persecution. Jesus teaches his disciples that they depend on God for their physical and spiritual well being. Is that how we think of ourselves?  My hunch is, it isn’t and it’s seen in our prayers. When was the last time you prayed for what you needed physically for the day. When was the last time we thanked God for our food? We live in a world that isolates us from that provision – the danger is we’re lulled into thinking that Tesco, Asda or Aldi provide, not God.

When was the last time we prayed for forgiveness for our sins and that realised grace would be shown in relational grace to others? Surely we can never underestimate our sinfulness and the wonder of grace, and yet when we fail to pray we do.

When did we last pray aware that today I am in a spiritual battle and need God’s protection – do we even see the world in those terms or are we so blinded by the physical world pulled over our eyes that the Spiritual battle does not feature in our thinking and therefore in our praying?

Have we swallowed Satan’s lie of independence? Do we think of ourselves as dependent on God for everything?  For anything?  Or is prayer the last resort after all else fails, the equivalent of the panic button?

In diagnosing a sick prayer life this is the root cause – we forget or don’t want to depend on God. But as Jesus teaches the disciples, prayer recognises that we are in a relationship with God and depend on him for everything.  It strips away the pretence of our independence and confronts us with the reality of our total reliance upon God.  But then if God is our Father, why would we not want to rely on him?

Why not stop now and spend some time meditating on your utter dependence upon God?  Take some time to peel back the layers of lies that reassure you that you are independent and accept the truth that we are totally dependent upon our Father.  Think about what that truth means about today, yesterday, this last week.  All that God has given you, all that he has protected you from.  And pour that out to God in praise and wonder.

Daily Reading: Luke 11v1-13 'The Disciples Prayer'

Here are some things people have said about prayer, I wonder if you identify with them:

• I pray but it doesn’t seem to go beyond the ceiling.
• I try to pray but I can’t stop my mind from wandering.
• My prayers are just a shopping list of things I want, it shouldn’t be like that should it?
• Why pray if everything has been determined beforehand?
• I’m not sure God answers my prayers – am I doing something wrong?
• Does it matter which person of the Trinity I pray to?

Do you relate to some of those? We know that prayer is a privilege but we have so many questions about it, we have struggles with it. I wonder how you felt as we read the passage this morning? Did you mentally think about the time set aside or not this week to pray and feel either a twinge of pride or guilt?

Luke 11:1-13 is not the equivalent of the verbal slipper. Apparently it was a previous generation’s correctional implement of choice – when the slipper came out you knew you had done something very wrong. Luke doesn’t include this to discipline or make Christians feel guilty about their struggles with prayer. Why does Luke write? So Theophilus knows beyond a shadow of a doubt and lives in the light of it. He writes to encourage disciples to make the most of their privilege.  It is not here to guilt us into praying but to remind and inspire us to make the most of the privilege that is ours.

(1)As Luke describes the scene what do we see? Jesus is in a certain place, praying. It’s a pattern you see in Luke. His disciples ask him to teach them how to pray.  But there is a danger with this opening verse of oversimplifying application, sometimes we hear or think something like this. Luke 11 shows Jesus praying therefore we should pray. The danger is it becomes a legalistic thing, part of the religious rigmarole – we pray because he did. But as Jesus explains prayer to his disciples he gives 3 reasons which motivate us to pray.

We pray because… God is our Father.

One of the big questions is what prompts the disciples to ask Jesus for a prayer lesson, after all they were Jews, they would all have been familiar with prayer. If you just take one feast Passover which they celebrated every year they would have prayed a number of times as part of that meal, in Luke 18 Jesus tells the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector in which both pray. So what prompts the disciples to ask ‘Lord, teach us how to pray..?’  Because there is something different about the way Jesus prays. And he teaches a pattern of prayer to them, this is the disciples prayer, and it is relational, based on grace.

The wonder of this prayer is in its opening line; “Father” – sinners, rebels, imperfect disciples are taught to call God Father. It is a sign of the new access to God, the new relationship that Jesus comes to bring as he goes up to Jerusalem(10v22). A relationship where barriers are demolished, sin is dealt with and disciples can come to God by grace calling him Father.  We don’t earn salvation as we pray we respond to salvation as we pray.

But notice that the relationship we are given continues in the substance of the Disciples Prayer. Jesus teaches disciples are to share the Father’s concerns – his glory, fame, reputation and his holiness. And secondly disciples are concerned for God’s kingdom, his rule, reign and recognition both now on earth but also its full realisation when Jesus comes again.  Our praying doesn’t depend on what we do, but on what Christ has done. Our praying and concerns in prayer flow from our salvation and the relationship we have with God.

Isn't that liberating.  I am not barred from praying today because I did not pray yesterday or because I did this or that.  Neither am I able to come to God today full of the bravado of my good record.  We neither come crawling or crowing when we come to pray because we always come to God our Father based on what Jesus has done for us.  I am accepted when I pray because of Jesus!  That frees my to always pray, no matter what.  Why not make the most of that right now and pray?  Why not begin by praising God and thanking him that you can pray because of Jesus?

Daily Reading: Luke 10v38-42 'Priorities'

In Luke 10 Jesus is continuing to teach about discipleship, about what it looks like to “love the Lord your God with all your heart…soul…strength…and…mind.” In the previous section Jesus explained discipleship in terms of the need to show love to others, not to ask who your neighbour was but to be the neighbour where one was needed. Not because you can make yourself right with God that way, because he clearly showed that you can’t, but because it is how someone who knows God through Jesus should live in response to God sending his son.  Now in these four verses Jesus is teaching about the need for the disciple to listen, the need for them to order their life rightly, to put first things first, to prioritise.

In the passage there is a simple compare and contrast between Mary and Martha, between their priorities, and what occupies their time.

In 1939 the New York Times wrote this “The problem with television is that people must sit and keep their eyes glued to a screen; the average American family hasn’t got time for it.” Yet here we are 70 years later and not only do we have time for it but the average Britain spends nearly 3 hours a day watching it, absorbing the information it bombards us with being influenced by the images it beams into our lives. It places pressure on us, it bombards us with demands, and it seeks to provide us with aspirations and soothes us into accepting its priorities.  Since the advent of technology our lives have speeded up, rather than buying us time we seem to be under more pressure, with more to do, more demands to meet and just keeping on top of things is a challenge. It is partly why so many of us have a Martha complex.

Just look at the way Martha is described in this passage and at what she was doing. (40) “But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.” Did you notice the word that Luke uses to describe Martha? She is “distracted”, she is pulled away from Jesus, her attention is on something else, and as the account continues we see that she is overburdened, overworked, and stressed out by all the preparations that need to be made.

She is so busy getting things ready that she has no time to spend with her guest, not that Luke includes this as an abject lesson to the disciples about social etiquette and how not to ignore your guest. But the importance here is that her guest is Jesus and she is too distracted to listen to him.

Just imagine for a minute that Bono popped round to talk to you about music, or Steven Gerrard about football, or Daniel Craig about acting. You wouldn’t leave them sat in the room whilst you just nipped on line to answer a few urgent emails. You would listen to them and learn from them.

Can you picture Martha in her distraction rushing about the kitchen, preparing the meat, peeling the potatoes and carrots, laying the table, chilling the wine, and polishing the glasses. Then you hear her sigh a few times, then a bit of chuntering as a pan lid clatters to the floor, then the lids being slammed into place with more force and then suddenly there she is at the doorway.  She’s finally snapped “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
Martha expects Jesus to tell Mary to get up and help her sister, but how does Jesus respond to her plea? (41) “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better…” Do you see what Jesus is saying? Distraction is dangerous, Jesus isn’t saying that what Martha is doing in preparing the meal is wrong but that she is being distracted from what is best. What she ought to be doing is making time to listen to Jesus.

Maybe you find yourself, this morning, feeling that Jesus is a bit harsh on Martha. Perhaps if we are honest that is because we recognise and empathise with her, we have the Martha syndrome; full diaries, long to do lists, and we are always running out of time. It’s because our problem is Martha’s problem, we live like Martha.

What distracts us from taking time to listen to God? Martha leaves Jesus sitting in the front room while she rushes around in the kitchen, we have the Bible, the word of life, yet leave it while we rush around doing all manner of things neglecting what is best for what is good.  What distracts you from listening? Maybe we have good intentions but when it comes to bed time we are just too exhausted to read and study the Bible and then we sleep in too late in the morning so there just isn’t time to do it before work. Maybe we tell ourselves that I’ll catch up at the weekend, but then the weekend comes and goes and it just gets missed.  Do you relate to Martha this morning? Maybe even as we’ve been thinking about the passage you’ve been worrying about whether you’ve turned the oven on, or whether Al will be done by 11.30 so I can get home and make sure that the dinner isn’t burnt. Or maybe it’s the big project at work, or worries about the children or grandchildren that are distracting you this morning.

Do you see the question this morning; am I in danger of being distracted? Too distracted to listen to what Jesus says?

Luke highlights a deliberate contrast in (39-40) in the way he records this meal. Martha is “distracted by all the preparations” whilst Mary “sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.”

Martha is distracted, Mary is devoted. In sitting at Jesus feet Mary has taken up the traditional and culture place of a disciple, unusual for the culture of that day, it is the place of learning, of instruction. And far from being rebuked Jesus commends her.

Whilst he says Martha is “worried and upset about many things” Jesus says “Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Mary has avoided the danger of distraction and is commended for showing the devotion of the disciple. (22) “No-one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no-one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Mary has chosen what is better; she has chosen to listen as the Father is revealed by the only one who can reveal him. To listen to the only one who can bring about a relationship between her and God.

Here is a jar. I’ve got a challenge for you, I want you to put these three bags of sand, rocks, and gravel into the jar. They will all fit but only just. How would you do it?  If you put the sand or gravel in first you can’t do it, the stones will stick out of the top. You have to put the stones in first, then tip the gravel in, then the sand will fill in the gaps between the stones and gravel.  Time is the same, you have to prioritise, put the big things, and the important things in first just like the stones in first, then take what space is left for other things.

In our society we measure the value we place on something, be it a hobby, a friendship, or a relationship by the time we give to it.  What are our priorities? Mary is commended for getting her priorities right, putting as most important what was most important, listening to Jesus teach, building a relationship.

Am I suffering from the Martha complex? Am I dangerously distracted or am I devoted as a disciple to the word of life, determined to build a relationship with God through his word?

So Tuesday night rolls around and its home group but it’s a gripping episode of Eastenders, or Man united v AC Milan on the television? The question - Distraction or devotion? It’s Saturday morning and it’s your turn for a lie-in - 5 more minutes in bed or 5 minutes reading the Bible - distraction or devotion? You are asked to meet with someone to form a prayer triplet and read the Bible together, your diary is busy but what is the priority, what does it look like to be devoted?

Why do I need to take time to listen to God because it will equip me to live a life worthy of the gospel, because it will enable me to see all my time as given to glorify God, because it will teach me the path of the disciple, how to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind.”

Listening to God is the disciple’s priority because it is about relationship; you cannot follow if you aren’t listening to the instructions. That’s where so many of us go wrong when doing DIY.  It would be easy this morning to go away feeling guilty, but guilt will not help us change our priorities, grace will. Do you see the grace in this account? Look again at verse (40) Do you notice how Martha addresses Jesus, she calls him “Lord”, Martha is a distracted disciple and do you notice Jesus reaction to her? (41) “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed…” He doesn’t condemn her but he calls her to come and listen, to copy her sister, to choose what is best, to come and know the Son and through him know the Father.

What about you this morning? How are you priorities? Come and listen is the call, reorder your priorities.  Do you see the danger; the danger is distraction not necessarily with bad things but with good things. But the call for the disciple is to devotion, is to following, to listening, to learning and living to love and glorify God.

Daily Reading: Luke 10v25-37 'Really loving'

1. You’re walking through town when a dishevelled guy shouts “Big Issue!” What do you do?
a. Avoid eye contact and walk on as if you didn’t hear.
b. Smile sympathetically but don’t buy it as you don’t like it.
c. Walk over engage in conversation and buy a copy.

2. There’s a knock on your door, it is a man recently released from prison selling kitchenware. Do you?
a. Grab the kids and duck down behind the sofa.
b. Open the door and talk to them but politely decline as it’s cheaper to buy it in ASDA.
c. Talk to them and buy some things.

3. You nip into town to get some money, as you walk down an alley you hear running feet and see a young man lying on the floor with cuts and swelling around his face. What do you do?
a. Walk quickly out of the alley not wanting to get involved.
b. Phone the emergency services and leave, after all they could come back.
c. Phone the emergency services, put your coat under his head and sit talking to him while you wait for the ambulance to arrive. Explain what happened and go with him to the hospital.

Keep those answers in your head as we look at this passage.  The big question as we approach this passage is do I love God? And how is that love seen?

Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem(9:51) knowing he will die there. He is preparing his disciples for life after the cross and ascension, teaching them what it means to be his followers. The tension between Jesus and the Jewish leaders has been growing and an ‘expert’ comes “to test” Jesus(25).  “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” he asks. Or ‘How can I be sure that I’ll be saved at the final resurrection?’

Jesus reply is surprising. He has just explained to his disciples that he reveals the Father to them(22), they know that he is God’s Messiah, they have just been telling everyone he is the king of God’s Kingdom. So you would expect him to answer along those lines wouldn’t you? What must I do to inherit eternal life? ‘Trust in me, here let me explain…’ Or even hand him over to Peter to explain.  But he doesn’t, what does he say? “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And then when this expert answers with the summary of the law(27) Jesus surprises us again as he praises his answer, “Do this and you will live.”

Is Jesus saying you can be good enough to earn your way into heaven? Is he saying you don’t need him? If this was the only story in the Bible and it stopped there you could conclude that. But it doesn’t, instead Jesus explodes the idea that he and we can ever love God like that, that we can ever reach that standard.

How do you know whether you will inherit eternal life? You look at the way you love God and at your relationship with him. The way to love God is with total devotion expressed in emotion, consciousness, drive and intelligence, and such love is seen in your loving your neighbour as yourself.

The lawyer asks a follow up question (29)“Who is my neighbour?”  Jesus, who do I have to love? What are the limits, give me a list so that I know what the bare minimum is? He is minimising love for both his neighbour and for God, but Jesus tells a story of surprising, lavish compassionate love without limits that highlights this man’s and our inability to earn salvation.

I wonder how you picture the scene(30). It’s not the equivalent of taking a stroll down Bawtry Road, but of walking through an alley in the knife crime hotspot of London. The Jericho Road ran from Jericho 17 miles to Jerusalem and climbed nearly 3500feet, it was rocky and surrounded by caves. It was known as ‘the bloody way’, and incidents like(30) were common. What does the man need as he lays half dead? He needs someone who loves God and shows it by loving his neighbour.

Over the horizon comes a figure that turns out to be a priest(31) surely he’ll help, but he passes by on the other side. Then another figure appears in the heat haze and as he gets closer it’s a Levite – surely he’ll help? But he too passes by on the other side. Both men limit their love, they ask ‘Who is my neighbour?’ and conclude not this man.

But before we condemn this man or the Levite and Priest we need to be careful we don’t condemn ourselves. There actions are logical aren’t they? They make the excuses we find ourselves making; to stop and help would be dangerous, the mob could still be around, and think of the potential consequences for me and my family. What about the cost to my time I’m busy?

I guess we might console ourselves that we pay our taxes and give to Worldvision or Tearfund, we are not indifferent to need it just that this time… We are more like the Levite and Priest than we find comfortable. The Levite could console himself that he cared for the poor, part of his responsibilities at the temple was giving alms to the poor, and the Priest well he served the sick and ill. They do their bit just not right now.

We also isolate ourselves from the needs around us. It’s easy to live in a isolated cosseted world and not see need.  Before we condemn these men we need to ask ourselves if we aren’t living our lives in light of our own answer that question ‘Who is my neighbour?’ Think back to the 3 scenarios, who is your neighbour?

Does my love for God shown in my love for my neighbour have limits?

The question as Jesus tells the story is(37); can you spot the neighbour?  We lose the impact of this story because we are so familiar with it. But it is like a BNP campaigner being helped by an asylum seeker, an injured British Soldier in Afghanistan being helped by a Taliban fighter, a Rabbi in Jerusalem being saved by a Palestinian.  The word ‘Samaritan’ was used as an insult by the Jews, they were seen as a mongrel race, outsiders not fit for the kingdom, and they worshipped God wrongly.  But the Samaritan sees the injured man and how does he respond(33)? He is filled with compassion for him, compassion that touches his heart and activates his hands, compassion that sees him lavish love on this injured man.

He goes to him, bandages his wounds, pours on oil to sooth them and wine to disinfect them. He puts him on his donkey, takes him to an inn where he cares for him overnight. He doesn’t help and run, there is nothing minimalist about his actions. The next morning he pays two days wages, enough for room and board for 24 days and as he leaves emphatically says that when he returns he not the injured man will pay any additional costs.

Jesus question is simple but devastating; “Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man…?”  Who showed total love for God? Who followed God’s law? The lawyer almost chokes on his answer, he can’t even bring himself to say ‘Samaritan’ but instead says “The one who had mercy on him.”

Go and do likewise, says Jesus. Do you see the challenge for the lawyer? Don’t just know the law but act on it; don’t ask who your neighbour is but love God totally and live it by loving all. By meeting the needs of those around you where those needs are found.

“What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus agrees with the mans answer of fulfilling the law, but in the parable he destroys the notion that the man is capable of doing so. His desire to put limits on who he has to love clearly shows he has not understood, that he cannot meet, God’s standard.

(22)Only in Jesus is the Father revealed, only by knowing Jesus can you know God because only he fulfils the law on our behalf, only he loves the Father like this, only he loves his neighbour like this. Only through the grace and mercy of God in Jesus can we have a relationship with God and having experienced such love we are to live lives marked by it. To love God with all our heart, soul, strength, mind evidenced in loving our neighbours as ourselves, just as our saviour did.

“Go and do likewise.” Is the phenomenally challenging call to discipleship.

Who are the needy? It’s obvious in the parable, but there isn’t someone laying on the road in front of me! We need to open our eyes, step out of our comfort zone. To learn to read the world around us as Jesus did his. To see the elderly struggling with loneliness and isolation or pay their fuel bills.

The single parent struggling with a lack of adult conversation, the constant parenting and pressure of doing everything. To listen to the welter of accents of refugees, asylum seekers and others who need to learn English and are so often shunned by others. To hear the cries of those who labour in child poverty or prostitution and have no advocate.

Will we pray this week ‘God, open my eyes to the needy you have put here for me to show my love for you to?’  We need to be thinking about how we as a church are going to engage in these areas, what needs we can meet and how?  How do you start? Look at your family – what needs are there? I think one issue is how we care for our elderly relatives.  Look at your church family – Loneliness, money worries, grief, are all around us. Will my love for God be seen in my compassion for others that moves my heart and activates my hands?  What about your street or neighbourhood? Are you aware of needs, those struggling with grief, marriages, children, divorce, disability.  What about your shopping trolley? Do the products we buy speak of love for God and our neighbours?

We need to repent of the limits we put on our love. We need to come again to the cross, because only the cross will change us. Guilt will see us apply some ointment to calm our troubled conscience – maybe by setting up a direct debit or something. But when we see God’s love for us, for those who were dead and deserved nothing, alienated from him, his enemies, in Christ’s death for us. Only grace will change us because when we see need we will see an opportunity to reveal the love of God, to be like Christ.

This doesn’t replace telling others the gospel but wins a hearing for it. It verifies the reality of the gospel.  “Go and do likewise.”

Daily Reading: Luke 10v1-24 'Reason to Rejoice'

(1)Jesus gets the 72 together and sends them out, what is their mission? "to go ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go”  They play the role of the get ready guy, they go before and prepare the way. Their message is “[God’s] kingdom has come near to you.” they are to tell people that the long wait is over.

Israel has been waiting for God’s kingdom for hundreds of years, awaiting the fulfilment of the promise, they have been longing for it. And as each king came the question was is this him, is this God’s king, is now the time of the kingdom when we will be God’s people in God’s place enjoying God’s rule? The disciples message is that there are no more sleeps, the long wait is over the king and therefore the kingdom are here.  But before they go out with that great news Jesus teaches them first about the nature of that mission.

It is a needy mission(2). As Jesus looks at the nation of Israel what does he see? Ripe harvest fields, but he also sees the workers are few. What happens if the harvest is ready but there is no-one to pick it? It rots and is wasted. The answer is for the disciples to go but also to pray as they go for more workers. There are people looking and longing for God, knowing something is missing, looking for peace with God. And as the disciples go not only will they see people joyfully accept the kingdom but also become workers in the harvest field.

Jesus is not into one man ministry. His is a ministry of multiplication, he starts as 1, then he calls followers, in chapter 9 he sent out 12, now he sends out 72 others, with the prayer that the gospel multiplies. The gospel doesn’t win converts it makes disciples and multiplies workers, labourers, harvesters, ministers.

It’s why our vision statement as a church makes no mention of growing a big church. It says “We exist to equip God’s people to be grace in the community to the glory of God.” That is why church exists, to make, grow, nurture you as followers of Jesus so that you take the message of grace into the world and win disciples because the harvest fields are ready.

Is this a prayer we pray? Notice it is those he sends who pray it, they don’t pray and sit at home waiting for someone else to go. I wonder what excuses pop into your head when we talk about mission, about evangelism. We are good at coming up with excuses not to share the gospel with people.  But what if people reject the message or me? Jesus warns the disciples that will happen, expect it he says, but they are not rejecting you but God(16). In fact they are to expect rejection where you expect welcome - in the towns of Israel. Sometimes those we think will welcome the gospel will reject it.  But what about the risk? Expect it, Jesus sends the disciples out on a risky mission – “as lambs among wolves”. Neither fear of rejection or risk should stop us.

I’ll wait for someone else to do it or I’ll do it another time? Jesus says the mission is urgent (4)that’s why he tells them not to greet anyone, he isn’t saying be rude, head down charge on, but don’t engage in the traditional long protracted greetings.  But they are nice people… It matters because of the consequences(12-16). We need to keep in mind that rejection of the gospel brings judgement, in rejecting the gospel they show that they want no part in the kingdom of God. And here it is towns in Israel who Jesus says are condemned.

There is encouragement, as we engage in mission we do so with the comfort that we can pray to the “Lord of the harvest”. God is sovereign, he rules and reigns even as people accept or reject the great news that they can know God.

The disciple shares Jesus Missional mindset. They know the need, they pray to and trust the Father, they take risks and they go to tell others because they know it matters.

The disciple also shares Jesus wonder at grace and their privilege.  One of the questions Luke 9 poses is; is it worth being a disciple? Jesus has made it clear that it is costly(23-37), uncomfortable and uncompromising. Discipleship is hard and we must not hide the cost, but it is a privilege.  (17)The disciples come back form their mission and they are full of joy why? “demons submit to us in your name”…

But Jesus corrects their thinking, he shows them that the real reason to rejoice(18-20) is not the submission of demons. Yes their mission is significant, it is part of the overthrow of Satan and the advance of the kingdom Satan has been trying to wipe out through out history. But the real reason to rejoice is their salvation, it is the gift of God by grace, not your ministry success or failure.

Too often we allow our circumstance to dictate how we feel to us. So if my ministry is going well, if my work is going well, if I am doing a good job as a parent or whatever I feel good and I can rejoice. But what about when they aren’t? If how I relate to God is dependent on my performance then I will be devastated and not be able to praise God.

Jesus calls the disciples not to rejoice because of ministry success but because of the grace and love of God. Read the Psalms and you will find it is exactly what the psalmist does again and again in the midst of difficult circumstance he rejoices in the steadfast love of God.

(21-22)Jesus prayer of praise to God is a model of how we rejoice.  What does he praise God for? His revealing of the gospel of salvation to those who were not wise or clever. Rejoice in your salvation by grace and recognise your privilege, (23-24)others before you longed for this. The irony is we are even more privileged, we live after the resurrection, we live with the Bible, God’s word, written down and in our hands yet sometimes we long to be back there with the 72.

What do we rejoice in? What do we consider my privileges? The disciple doesn’t just walk like Jesus, he doesn’t just follow Jesus but he thinks like Jesus. Grace in amazing, we have been privileged by the grace of God to be forgiven, redeemed and called to know God and call others to enter into relationship with him and make that privilege know to all.

Daily Reading: Luke 9v37-62 'Dithering discipleship'

Can you imagine how the disciples felt as they came down from the mountain?  Imagine the high of seeing Jesus in his glory.  What will happen now, surely it will be glory all the way.  But when they get down the mountain they are brought down to earth with a bump.  The next section of incidents are almost a montage of the disciples failures.

In the first incident, the big question in v41 is who is Jesus speaking to the crowd or the disciples?  Who does he rebuke and why?  I wonder if Jesus is addressing both the crowd and the disciples.  The disciples have manifested their lack of faith in their failure to cast out this evil spirit, but Jesus will once again show them his glory, what they cannot do he will do.  It is Jesus glory that this incident shows to the amazement of the crowd.  Jesus is God revealing his glory.

Whilst they are still thinking about this incident Jesus teaches them that his glory will be made most manifest as he goes to the cross (v44).  Luke emphasises that the disciples do not understand what Jesus is saying in both verse 45 and the incident following as the disciples argue over who is the greatest.  As Jesus reveals that he is God made man in all his glory and that he will go to the cross, the disciples are arguing about which of them is the greatest.  Jesus uses an object lesson as he stands a little child in front of them.  Greatness in the kingdom is dramatically different, it is achieved through humility and serving of others.

But it will face opposition.  Jesus knows and experiences that as he goes through a Samaritan village on his way to Jerusalem.  The people reject him because of where he is going, he is determined to reach Jerusalem even knowing what it means for him.  Yet again we see the disciples wrong reactions, as James and John ask if they should call down destruction on the city.  They are right in one sense that rejection of Jesus is grounds enough for judgement, but they are swift to judge unlike Jesus, who rebukes them.

Finally Jesus teaches them about the cost of following him.  It is hard not easy or comfortable.  It makes Jesus the disciples number one priority, anything less is to fail to really grasp who he is.

The various pictures we are given of the disciples here show us how much they have yet to grasp about who Jesus is and what it means to follow him.  But above all they serve to highlight the grace of Jesus, he will go to the cross to die for his followers, including these men.  Grace is the reason we relate to God rightly not our record and that will always be the case.  Don't be quick to look down on the disciples rather take time to identify with them.

Daily Reading: Luke 9v28-36 'Glimpsing Glory'

At the end of the book of Deuteronomy Moses dies on Mount Nebo, able to see into the Promised Land but not to reach it, he dies looking for the promise to be fulfilled, trusting that God is going to provide. Luke 9 is the next time we see Moses.

The big question for Luke in the last few chapters has been; ‘who is Jesus?’ But there is another question that we need to ask; why does it matter? What difference does it make?

If Jesus isn’t God’s Messiah, if Peter was wrong then the crowds are right and he’s just another prophet. Worth listening to but not worth denying yourself, carrying your cross and dying for. If he isn’t the Messiah then the resurrection is a fairy tale. If he isn’t the Messiah then the church and its message is a fraud. If Jesus isn’t God’s Messiah then there’s no salvation and we’re still under God’s judgement for our rebellion against him and we face a lost eternity.

This question is the most fundamentally important, the most potentially life changing, question we will ever have to face and answer. Luke in recording the conversation between Jesus and the disciples shows three things: 1. Jesus is the Messiah(20), 2. he must suffer, be rejected and die(22), and 3. he would rise and come in glory(26). Here in v28-36 God affirms that each of those statements are correct as they see Jesus glory(29), hear of his suffering and death(31) and hear God’s testimony that Jesus is the Messiah(35).

Peter has just made his confession that Jesus is “God’s Messiah”, but unexpectedly rather than being met by a well done they are told to keep quiet and that Jesus will be rejected, suffer and die, and that his life establishes the pattern of discipleship.  You can imagine they were a bit bewildered.

But now they see the reality of Jesus authority and reign, they’re given a glimpse of the glory of the kingdom of God(27) and of the son as he takes them up on a mountain to pray(29). It is a splendour associated with God ruling in his throne room. It’s as if for a few moments the veil of his humanity, his incarnation, is lifted so they can see divine reality.  Something that is helpful for us to focus on as we approach Christmas.

It’s like the moment at a wedding where the bride’s veil is lifted and everyone can see how beautiful she looks, how radiant and happy. Jesus veil is lifted and his glory is revealed and it provides reassurance and encouragement for the disciples, but it doesn’t stop there.

(30)Moses and Elijah appear and talk with Jesus.  Why Moses and Elijah? They are significant figures in Israel’s history. Moses is the prophet and mediator between the people and God who leads Israel out of Egypt and slavery and to the mountain where God’s redeemed people are taught how to live in the light of their salvation. And Elijah in the New Testament is the prophet associated with the end times and God’s coming kingdom rule and reign.

Moses is a reminder of the past and Elijah a pointer to the future, and both these two figures come and talk to Jesus who is the fulfilment of all these things(31).  What do they talk about? “his departure”, look at the footnotes it tells you that the word is exodus. The exodus is the great salvation event of the Old Testament as God redeemed his people through the blood of the Passover lamb and brought them out from slavery so that they could worship him.

How would Jesus bring about an exodus? Through what he is going to do at Jerusalem. It’s a link back to(22) it is what Jesus sets himself to do in (51)as he “resolutely set out for Jerusalem”. Jesus, the glorious Son, God’s Messiah by his rejection, suffering, death and resurrection will gather a blood bought and forgiven people to himself who will worship God.

It is the purpose of his veiling, his incarnation and as that veil is lifted they see the glory of the one who will secure for his people their exodus from sin and judgement and slavery to life lived as God's people in God's place delighting in his rule.

As if that wasn’t enough (34-35)God himself adds his testimony as to who Jesus is. The cloud is a sign of God’s presence throughout the Old Testament and it is from the cloud that God speaks “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.”

God authenticates Peter’s conclusion. Where have we heard those words before? God repeats his assertion at Jesus baptism that Jesus is his Son, and it is also a reference back to Psalm 2v7 and identifies Jesus as his Messianic King, who will inherit the nations and will judge, and is therefore to be served.

How else does God identify Jesus? “I have chosen…”. But chosen for what? It’s another loaded Old Testament term. In Isaiah 42 the servant of the Lord is identified as God’s

“ chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will bring justice to the nations.”

It is the same servant who Isaiah 53 describes:
“He was despised and rejected by others,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain…
…he was piereced for our transgressions,
crushed for our iniquities…”
Jesus is God’s Son, the chosen one, he is the one whom the Old Testament points to, who Moses and Elijah have been longing to see and who the future flows from. He is the pivotal moment in history. He is God’s Messiah and his rejection, suffering and death are part of God’s plan of salvation, the only way to gather a redeemed people who will worship God rightly. Jesus rejection and death are no accident, he is not the helpless victim of circumstance. This is God’s son willingly obeying the Father’s will, laying aside his glory for a little while to seek, save, redeem and gather a people to worship God.

The Right Response of the Disciple
How do the disciples respond? Peter wants to build 3 shelters, they are afraid, and finally they are quiet.

Luke tells us that Peter “did not know what he was saying.” In other words Peter didn’t know how to respond. I always find the disciples mistakes an encouragement, not in the way the world revels in the failure of others because it makes us look better. But just because I’m so like them, if I had the same experience I’d probably want to stay there or commemorate it too.  In our culture we’d probably have asked for Moses and Elijah’s autograph, or whipped out our camera phone for a quick ‘selfie’ and post it on Facebook!

But God immediately breaks in and he tells the disciples how they ought to respond. God gives his testimony to the uniqueness of Christ; he alone is God’s Son and Saviour. He is greater than Moses and Elijah, revered characters in Israel’s history, he is unique, and he will do something they never could.

We must not think differently from God. Jesus is not one way among many of relating to God rightly. He is not just another prophet he alone is God’s Son and Saviour. It is not politically correct, it does not sit comfortably with our multicultural society but it is what God reveals to us. We must tell those of other faiths that Jesus is not just another prophet, he is not equal to Mohammed, or John Smith, or Guru Nanak. He alone saves.

Now that doesn’t mean we don’t respect other faiths, in Acts we see the gospels clash with Judaism, paganism and Emperor worship, and what marks out the disciples is the way they reason, explain, and dialogue with people. Yet they do so without compromising on the truth and uniqueness of Jesus Christ. People will not see the uniqueness of Christ unless the truth is presented to them in its uncompromising honesty but with his winsome love.

Secondly notice God’s application of this truth to Peter, James and John. What does he tell them to do? “listen to him.” To listen means to hear and act, to put his words into practice.  It takes you back to the image of the two builders from Luke 6 one who builds on the sand and the other who builds on the rock. What is that story teaching, the need to listen careful and build your life on Jesus words. What is my life based on? Is it based on my hunches? Is it based on my logic? Or is it based on Jesus teaching?

Ch9-19 are teaching for the disciples, he teaches them about the cost of following him, about the disciples love for others, about their priorities, about how and what they pray for, about what not to love, about what the disciples concerns are, what they live for and so on. Will we listen? You will listen not just if you are here Sunday by Sunday but if you put his words into practice, if they will change you.

If we want to really listen to him, we will want to work this out, home groups help with that, it’s somewhere you can open up about your struggles to apply Jesus words to your life. If you haven’t been for a while why not resolve to go this morning and tell someone from your group you will be there.

Jesus is God’s Messiah, he is the one who by his suffering, death and resurrection brings lost people back to God with their sins forgiven so that they can live worshipping him. Worshipping him by listening to his words and putting them into action.

Daily Reading: Luke 9v18-27 'The Disciple's Decision'

Verse 20 Is one of Luke’s cliff-hanger moments. Do you feel the tension as Jesus turns to his closest friends, those who he has mentored, who he is planning to build the church around, who he hopes to entrust the good news all the world needs to hear to, and asks them; “Who do you say I am?”  Can you feel the tension; what will they say, what answer will they give? Others have been saying he is a prophet, but now they are on the spot what about you?

And Peter the group spokesman gets it right “God’s Messiah”. What would you expect verse 21 to say as Jesus responds? ‘ Jesus smiled and said brilliant God has revealed this to you, now we can really start telling people, I know you are just back from mission boys but lets go again…’  But he doesn’t! What does it say? “Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone.” Why?

The problem is this gap between their expectations and reality. Peter’s response carries with it Davidic and Royal connotations. Acts 1:6 gives us a glimpse of their expectations; “at this time are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” Do you see the expectation: the Messiah, God’s promised rescuer is a nationalistic saviour, its all about Israel, it is all about immediate rule and rescue from physical enemies.

But(22) Jesus shows them reality, God’s unexpected plan for his anointed King. It involves suffering not victory, rejection not acceptance, and death not coronation. Do you see the gulf between their expectations of a glorious Messianic rescue and rule and the reality of God’s salvation plan? That is why they are not to tell anyone yet.

Have we got our view of Jesus right? He isn’t just a prophet, he is God’s enfleshed, anointed and willing to be rejected, suffer and die to bring about our rescue. He is the one seen throughout the pages of the Old Testament; the promised one who saves and delivers through suffering and death. He is the serpent crusher, the true Passover lamb, the perfect sacrifice for sin, God come to his temple, and the suffering servant who takes away the sin of the world.

And he willingly, knowing what was to come does what is necessary to restore us to God. His rejection, suffering and death show us the true horror of our sin and the nature of the judgement we were under. And it reveals to us the depth of God’s love and grace to us.

Jesus then teaches his disciples what it will mean for them to follow him. And he begins by giving them three commands (23). They are the marks of discipleship, they are not optional extras, notice the word he uses “whoever wants to be my disciple must…”  This isn’t like the air conditioning or climate control on your car; this isn’t even like the radio or CD player, optional extras. This is the very thing that makes the disciple a disciple.  The disciple must a. deny themselves, b. take up their cross and c. follow him.

We live in a world that is all about me; it is about having what I want when I want it. Where the cry is be good to yourself, be a better you. But Jesus calls the disciples to something radically different, the disciple is not to be enslaved to themselves, instead they deny themselves and take up their cross.

The image is that of a criminal convicted of a serious crime being made to carry their cross through the streets of the city to the site of their execution. They were forced to do it to show everyone that their rebellion was at an end and they now submitted to the state. Jesus takes this powerful and distasteful image and uses it as a picture of discipleship. The disciple carries their cross showing they are no longer rebelling against God but live submitted to him. It is his will not theirs that matters. When do they do it? Daily. It’s the question the disciple asks and answers every morning – Today will I live calling the shots or obeying God?

And the third command is to follow the pattern that Jesus sets, the pattern of (22)rejection, suffering, and death.  How can you live like that? Only when you see Jesus is God’s promised deliverer and the cost of that rescue. In the remaining verses Jesus sets up some contrasts and they pose two questions of the would be disciple. (24-25)What do we value? Is it ease and life now or salvation and life in eternity? (26)What are we scared of? Is it the rejection of my friends, family, and colleagues or is it rejection by God?

How you answer those questions determines whether you will be his disciple – What do I value? What am I scared of?

Maybe that is you, you’ve heard the gospel, and you know it is true but you will not take that step of standing for it. You don’t want the rejection that might come, you don’t want suffering and you certainly don’t want to die. It is not what you say you are you are, it is what you are you are.  You are not a disciple if you say you follow Jesus, you are a disciple if you follow Jesus and these verses show that it is uncomfortable and uncompromising. You need to decide; who is Jesus and will I follow him?

Perhaps you have trusted Jesus but you are aware this week there have been times when you haven’t picked up your cross, other times when you put it down because carrying it would be too hard. We are not saved by performance but by grace, forgiveness is found at the cross.  But what will this look like? (24)Jesus says following him brings death, suffering, rejection and it does, every one of the 12 bar one dies a premature death, and he probably dies on a penal colony for his faith. But we don’t live in a physical persecution culture, so what does it mean today?


The world hasn’t changed, discipleship means to live life with God’s goals and under his rules following the pattern set by Jesus Christ, not conforming to the world.  I wonder what you think the biggest danger you face is? Is it terrorism, a virus, antibiotic resistance, is it the rise of far right political parties, is it recession. As I have asked myself that question this week the answer is none of those, the answer is materialism.

Materialism is the pursuit of power, independence, comfort and security, and it is the biggest threat to our discipleship. And the world calls us to pursue it. How do you know if it’s a threat? Ask yourself - what are your dreams for your children? Is it for them to be a doctor, to have a nice house, to have a nice family, to be comfortable so that you don’t have to worry about them? Or is it for them to serve God no matter what? Or maybe it is to ask ourselves where we see ourselves in 5 years time; is our answer couched in terms of bigger house, better job, nicer car, or is it to have seen friends and family come to Christ?

To follow Jesus is to renounce the pursuit of power, independence, comfort and security, and it is to prioritise and take risks for and with the gospel. It will affect our careers – it may mean saying no to a promotion because it will stop us playing an active role in the church. It may mean not moving house because that would take us away from a community God wants us to reach. It will affect the way we use our money – we are given it by God to use for his glory not our ease.

How can we live like this? (22)Jesus knows that at the end is resurrection and with his resurrection will come his reign. Heb 12:2 “For the joy that was set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus was future focused, he looked for the day when he would have accomplished his mission and would be welcomed home by God to reign and rule.

How do we live like this now? How do we deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow him? By following him who for the joy set before him endured the cross. (26-27)Jesus ends by fixing the disciples eyes on his coming. Are your eyes fixed on his coming? Are your expectations right; suffering, rejection and death now but glory and welcome then?

Daily Reading: Luke 9v10-17 'A foretaste of the kingdom'

Jesus back in Luke 4 claimed that he was God’s king come to bring good news, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour. Come to tell people that it was again possible to be God’s people in God’s place under God’s rule. It is an amazing claim to make. And Jesus has evidence to back it up; he speaks and creation obeys as if hearing the voice of God, evil spirits recognise him and obey, he restores the lame, blind, deaf, he(v10-17) provides food in the desert just as God did and he conquers death. All evidence that backs up his claim to be the king of God’s kingdom.

What is God’s kingdom? It’s the good news that the disciples are sent out to tell others, and it’s what Jesus teaches the crowd about. It is the news that this broken world is not all there is, that God is not indifferent and there is a future.

In our society we have become immune to bad news. But every so often a story hits home and makes you feel how broken our world is. And leaves us with the question: How can you fix such a broken world?

I had a favourite mug, a limited edition from a 1 off in my life time, Ipswich v Inter Milan in the Uefa Cup. And one day two lads at school broke it, they offered to glue it all together again. But even if every piece was found and painstakingly glued back into place, there would still have been the cracks, it wouldn’t have been fit for purpose, it could never hold a cup of hot coffee. It needed to be remade.

The world we live in is broken, the Bible tells us that God made it perfect and mankind lived as God’s people in his place under his rule and there was not a single flaw, not a crack. Until we broke it by refusing to live under God’s rule, and by our decisions to live life by our own rules we shattered the world – that is what the Bible calls sin. Every moment of pain and suffering since is a result of those decisions.

The good news is that Jesus comes to bring God’s kingdom, he comes to enable us to be God’s people, in God’s place, under God’s rule once again. To experience a taste of it now, whilst living with the promise that one day he will recreate God’s kingdom, a new creation. He does it by dying in our place so that we can be forgiven, so that we are credited with his perfect record as he is punished for ours, so that we can be God’s people and one day in God's place - the new creation.  His miracles give us a little glimpse of what it will be like; pain, suffering, illness, opposition, death, mourning, hunger all removed all as a result of being in a right relationship with God.

The big question is who do you say Jesus is? Luke is clear he is God’s king come to inaugurate God’s kingdom, come to call people to trust in him, to put their faith in him.  How will you respond this morning? Luke shows us different responses: You can ignore the evidence and just walk away not wanting to think about the implications(8:37), you can treat it as an amusing intellectual diversion as Herod seems to, or you can trust in him as the disciples do, in fact that is the lesson of the feeding of the 5,000.

The disciples are stumped(13) they can’t feed 5000, but(14-16) Jesus can. He meets needs and the disciples need to trust him. Will you trust Jesus? The one who can meet your needs, whether it is food or forgiveness and a restored relationship with God.

Maybe you follow Jesus. This miracle poses the question; are you trusting him as you serve others? The disciples can’t meet this need but Jesus can and he gives them what they need to do so. They can’t depend on themselves but they can depend on him. They have to learn that the disciples instinctive reaction should be to turn to Jesus for help not to rely on themselves.  Who do you say Jesus is? How will you react to him? Will you trust him, will you live depending on him?

That is what Luke wants Theophilus and us to understand. Jesus is the King of God’s Kingdom, he is the one to trust in for life, and to live life trusting in.

Daily Reading: Luke 9v1-9 'Who is Jesus?'

Luke writes his gospel to an individual questioning his beliefs. He writes so Theophilus “may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” Theophilus has trusted in Jesus, but he’s beginning to question, maybe it’s the difficulties he sees in the church, people not always getting on, maybe it’s the pressures of believing when his family don’t. Luke writes this account of Jesus life so that Theophilus continues to believe. As we read it we see it isn’t spin, he shows us characters like Peter failures and all. But one character stands out as worth trusting in - Jesus.

One of the big questions in Luke is ‘Who is Jesus?’ Look at verse 9 it’s Herod’s question, 8v26 it’s the disciples question after Jesus stills the storm, 7v49 it’s the Pharisees question after Jesus forgives sin, it’s the question John the Baptist sends his disciples to get an answer to. And (v18, 19) it’s the question Jesus wants his disciples to answer.

Luke also records some of the speculative answers. (7-8)Some said he was a great prophet, some John the Baptist resurrected, others Elijah. It is one of the key questions for Luke: Who do you say Jesus is? As we look at these three incidents that is the question to ask yourself.

Luke has shown us Jesus power, he doesn’t speak and people obey, or TV scheduling changes, he speaks and nature obeys as he stills the raging storm which has terrified seasoned sailors, he speaks and the sick are healed, demons cast out and the dead raised to life. Now that is real power.  (v1-6) We see the disciples sent out to tell people about Jesus, they’ve heard Jesus teach and heal and now he sends them out to do the same. (1)And as they go he gives them the tools they need for the job “he gave them power and authority.”  And Luke records “they went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.” Jesus authority and power are such that when he gives it his disciples they can do as he does.

This all sounds amazing to us, it sounds unrealistic to our ears. Miracles don’t happen, can we really believe Jesus fed 5,000 with 2 fish and 5 loaves, or stilled a storm? It just isn’t realistic. Surely in the 21st Century we can’t believe this, it goes against the laws of nature.  Some people conclude that miracles are just coincidence, that if you pray for rain often enough that at some point you will be right and it will rain. But Jesus isn’t praying for rain, this is instant healing, multiplying food and raising the dead. Some conclude it is just the gospel writers giving their claims about Jesus credibility. But that Jesus did miracles was not doubted by the people of his day, even Jesus enemies don’t dispute that he did miracles, just the source of authority by which he did them. All it takes for miracles to be possible is for God to exist.

Jesus has authority and power, that’s what the miracles show, and he even has the power and authority to empower his disciples.

Now that Jesus is risen and ascended he reigns and rules.  He promises us as his people that he has been given all authority and power and that he is with us.  Do we believe that?  Today as we go to our frontline - to work, to school, to lectures, to the school gate, to wherever the almighty King of kings and Lord of Lords goes with us.  How would recognising that change the way we live on those frontlines?

Daily Reading: Luke 8v40-56 'Glimpsing God's kingdom'

Jesus didn't just restrict himself to one sort of people, his ministry wasn't mono-culture, and we see that here.  Jairus was a well to respected synagogue leader, the woman (whose name we are not even told) unclean by the standards of the day.  Yet both come to Jesus, both are examples of faith in action  and both are recipients of Jesus grace and mercy as he heals and resurrects.

What connects the two incidents and the people is faith in Jesus.  The woman is an example of faith, her every attempt to be healed has failed, twelve years suffering at the hands of various doctors and treatments but to no avail, you can imagine her despair.  Her crushing sense of isolation and uncleanness.  Then she hears of Jesus, goes to see him and presses her way through the crush of the crowd determined that even just touching his cloak will be enough to heal her.  And it does.

But why does Jesus stop?  Let's be honest with our hurry hurry, busy, busy, overfilled and over scheduled lives we'd be with the disciples.  "Master all the people are crowding and pressing against you."  We can't tell and this is urgent.  But Jesus stops, Jesus tales time out, because that is what compassion does.  Compassion isn't just content to have this lady healed, Jesus wants her to know his touch and understand what Jesus really brings.  "Daughter, your faith has healed you.  Go in peace."

Can you imagine Jairus' excitement as he watches this, but also his impatience.  Jesus healed her he can heal my daughter bit will it be in time?  (49)Brings tragic news.  But again Jesus takes time out to deal with Jairus "Don't be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed."  With the evidence of faith in front of him Jairus is exhorted to faith that Jesus ban raise even the dead.

Luke stresses the amazing nature of Jesus call to faith and his actions as we see the reaction of the crowd, death has claimed her there is no going back, so they laugh at Jesus words.  But death has to listen to the word of Jesus, the Lord of Life has power over death.  Jesus gives a glimpse of the kingdom he comes to bring, a kingdom where sickness and death is no more, a kingdom which we enter and receive the blessings thereof by faith.

Faith is belief put into action, it is lived out, it takes Jesus at his word and sees the world according to his words.

Daily Reading: Luke 8v26-39 'Freedom and Fear'

One of the things that Luke shows us in this section of his gospel is different peoples reactions to Jesus and his authority seen in the miracles he performs.  Here there are two contrasting reactions to Jesus, and the miracle of restoring the demon possessed man.

What is the situation that confronts Jesus as he steps out of the boat? He is in the region of the Gerasenes – a Gentile area – and he faces a demon possessed man.  Some try to downplay this mans condition, arguing it was just that they didn’t understand mental illness not really demon possession. Luke is a medical doctor, he is actually very precise in his descriptions of illnesses. And in other parts of the world today these types of events still take place. The Bible is clear that the world is not all there is, that there is a spiritual element to the universe. That actually there is a battle raging between God and his adversary.

In the Bible demon possession seems to occur most prominently in the gospels, there is relatively little in the Old Testament and it doesn’t particularly feature in Acts and the Epistles. It’s as if as Jesus – God’s Son – walks the earth telling people how to be saved Satan sends out his crack troops to confront him.  The Bible is clear that just as God is a reality so is evil and that the world is under the influence of sin and Satan – it may be seen just as clearly in atrocities, drug use and selfishness rather than demon possession.  In the west we don’t see such open conflict and I think that is a deliberate ploy because what you don’t believe in you don’t fight against.

What Luke stresses here, the big lesson, is Jesus total victory. This battle is not like one of the fights in a Rocky film; where he is always against the ropes, he is always losing until something inspires him and he rallies to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. This is a battle but the outcome is beyond doubt.  How is the man’s condition described? He is demon possessed, has been for a long time, no clothes, lives in tombs not house, is unchainable, isolated, multiple possession.  It is an utterly hopeless situation, this man is totally at the mercy of these evil spirits, there is nothing anyone can do about it though they have tried. And yet as Jesus steps out of the boat and confronts the evil spirits they are terrified. (28) The man falls at Jesus feet not to worship but to beg, (31, 32) again he begs Jesus. It is an astonishing reaction, this untameable evil is terrified and the question is why?

It is because the evil spirits recognise Jesus “Jesus, Son of the Most High”, they know he is God’s Son with God’s authority just as surely as the wind and waves recognised it previously. (28, 31) They know he has power to cast them into the Abyss – the place reserved for them. So great is Jesus authority that they even have to ask him for permission to enter a herd of pigs.

Who is Jesus? Was the disciples question last week as they saw the wind and the waves obey his voice, creation listen to the creator, here is another piece of the puzzle as evil recognises Jesus authority.  Jesus frees and transforms the man, sets the captive free as Isaiah hundreds of years before promised he would do, and as he does so he shows that he has the power to break evils hold. He gives yet another glimpse of what it would mean to be in God’s kingdom where he ruled and creation and evil were under his authority and posed no threat. It’s another piece in the puzzle, no mere man could do this – who do I say Jesus, the one who defeats evil, is?

This passage calls on us to recognise that evil is real, that the spiritual battle is a reality. In our society the devil is portrayed as a figure of fun, he is dismissed as insignificant, yet curiously at the same time there is a growing fascination with the occult and demonology. Tarot cards, mediums and ouija boards are all regarded as harmless and are growing in popularity. Jesus did treat evil trivially, he reminds us that we are in a battle, we will not fight in what we don’t believe is real.  But it is equally important we don'r knee jerk react on the other extreme and be terrified of it.  Jesus conquers evil, not just here as a one off but supremely at the cross and one day he will return and establish his kingdom with no evil.

I wonder if you’ve ever had someone say to you ‘well I’d believe in God if he’d just do a miracle.’ This account proves that isn’t always the case, the people of the town see the evidence and yet they are overcome by fear and just want Jesus gone. They will not listen to him or believe in him even though he has performed such a miracle, they just want him gone and Jesus respects their wishes.  But the man reacts differently. He has been transformed by his encounter with Jesus. How is he different? He is sat at Jesus feet, in his right mind, dressed.

How does he react to his deliverance? He takes the place of the disciple, he is listening to Jesus words, just like the good soil in the parable of the sower. The captive is freed by the king and now gives his life to serve the one who freed him (38-39). He wants to go with Jesus, but he is told not to, why?  There are a number of reasons; he was a Gentile so the Jews to whom Jesus goes back to would not accept his word and testimony. But I think more importantly Jesus has a mission for him where he is (39) “Return home and tell how much God has done for you”. And how does the man respond? He goes away and tells – that word doesn’t just mean a bland recitation of the facts, it is an impassioned proclamation. And notice the focus is on what God in Jesus has done for him.

Having been freed from slavery this man only wants to do one thing and that is to follow his saviour, to tell others of the salvation he has experienced.  How is our reaction to Jesus? This man is called to be a witness where he is. Every Christian has the same task, to tell people what Jesus has done for them in the place where he has put them. Your missionary field is where God has put you right now; your work place, your family, your friendships, your neighbourhood.  No it is not easy; for Theophilus and the early church it was not easy in a hostile society. For this man he is to witness to the very people who have been terrified of and rejected Jesus. Its being hard is no excuse.

It is not preaching at them, it is telling people what Jesus has done for you. How often does Jesus crop up in our conversations? Is what he has done and is doing part of my every day conversation?  Do you see your mission field this morning? Look at your neighbours, how are you going to love them and care for them? Do you need to actually get to know them and build some relationships with them? Why not have them all in before Christmas for a mince pie.

We are not called to make people our projects, but we are called to love people, to engage in relationship with them, to care for them, to share our lives with them as we do that it is only natural that like this man we will share with them what Jesus has done.  We need to think about committing to the neighbourhood we live in, to our work places and our work colleagues.

Have I got my view of the world right? Do I recognise that evil is a reality though it may be masked and hidden? Do I see what the Bible is showing me about Jesus – he is more than just a man and he is worth believing in because he defeats sin and evil and every opposition to God. Will I believe in him? Will I respond by giving my life to him and living with his purposes as my purposes?

Daily Reading: Luke 8v22-25 'Who is this?'

Faith has been one of the key issues in this section of Luke’s gospel. The centurion has faith, John is encouraged to keep the faith and the sinful woman is reassured that she is saved by faith in Jesus, and we have seen that the characteristic of the faithful is to listen, keep hold of and obey God’s word. And faith continues to be central as Luke encourages Theophilus and the early church he is writing to not to lose their faith in the midst of threats.  In order to face crises and threats they and we need two things in place if our faith is to stand.

Recognise that Jesus is God

In the midst of all the examples of faith we see an instance of faith under fire. Stories like this are one of the features that prove the Bibles credibility – here cowering in the boat are the disciples, the future leaders of the church. It speaks volumes for Luke’s integrity and also for the change that the resurrection of Jesus brings about in the disciples.  Luke sets the scene for us in (22-23), Jesus tells the disciples to cross, they start and he settles down for a nap. But then nature kicks in and threatens, the winds howl and waves batter at the men in their boat.

Luke emphasises the danger the storm poses, this isn’t a little swell that makes some of them turn green, this is a “great danger” the boat is “being swamped”. I wonder what you imagine the boat to be like. It’s not a little rowing boat this is a significant boat, big enough to hold the disciples - at least 12+Jesus, if not the women of (1-3) and others. And these were experiences sailors, they would have been on rough seas, in fact this was where they had fished, they knew the danger they were in, that they were in real danger.

As they go to Jesus (24) it is in panic, it is in fear for their lives, you can hear it in their call to Jesus “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” There is no doubt about the natural outcome of their situation – bad storm, boat taking on water, boat sinks, lives lost. The danger they face is real, nature out of control, their lives are threatened and there is nothing that they can do about it.

Jesus actions are amazing, though we are over familiar with them, if this was a Hollywood film what would happen next as Jesus wakes? He’d stand up take the rudder and steer them safely to shore with muscles rippling and chin jutting out as man overcame the elements just by his bravery, strength and skill.  But that’s not what happened. Psalm 89:8-9 tell us  the LORD God Almighty rules the waves. Psalm 107:23-32 Tells us the Lord - God can save from and still the storm.  As Jesus gets up (24) it is not to take the rudder, it is as God made man to take control of creation. 

Jesus stands and rebukes creation and what happens? Creation recognises the creator’s voice and “the storm subsided, and all was calm…” When Jesus speaks creation acts as it would at God’s words, it’s no wonder the disciples are amazed and fearful and ask “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.” Do you hear the astonishment in their words at the conclusion this leads them to – he has God’s authority, he is God made man.

We need to recognise that Jesus is God made man; the one who stills creation, who stills the threat of sickness, who defeats the powers of evil and who conquers even death. Jesus is God made man and has God’s authority.  Why do we need to see it? Because we will only trust him in a crisis if we have fixed that in our heads and believed it in our hearts – he is able.

Live now by faith in the future

Having calmed the wind and the waves Jesus turns to focus on his disciples; “Where is your faith?” he asks.  Faith is not an abstract idea, it is not belief in theory or a set of suppositions or statements, faith is an application of your beliefs to your living.  Look at (7:1-10) how did the Centurions faith show itself? He believes Jesus can heal from a distance and sends people to say so. Look at the sinful woman, how does her faith show itself? It’s seen in her loving actions. How should the disciple’s faith have shown itself?

Jesus is not asking the disciples to take a blind leap of faith. But to believe on the evidence they have seen, belief is only faith if it is active.  Faith that counts is one that kicks in and recognises there is no safer person to trust than one who can deliver you. Jesus is challenging the disciples to trust in him, to act upon the evidence they have seen and heard and to make it the basis of their living.

It’s easy to be critical of the disciples but we have the readers’ edge we know everything that Jesus did, that he goes on to raise the dead, to die for them himself and to rise again defeating death. But the disciples are on a journey of faith and Jesus is teaching them here that they can trust in him because he can deliver them.

Faith is active it is belief applied and functions in a time of crisis. It looks at Jesus - God made man, our deliverer - and weighs the threat in the light of his majesty. The thought process is something like this – if Jesus delivers from death, sin and God’s judgement, if he is able to save from every threat, if he will one day bring everything under his authority as we glimpse here then I will trust him in the light of what I now face.

We need to realise, however, that it does not mean he will deliver me from hard times, crises and threats but that he will deliver me through them. Take this incident Jesus doesn’t leap up the moment the first rain drop splashes onto the deck and still the coming storm before it hits but he does deliver them through the storm, and it is in the storm that he reveals to them more of who he is and that he can be trusted, and challenges them to have faith.

We live in a world of storms and creation out of control, where evil is active, where sickness and death are part of life, where work is hard, where relationship as fraught. We are not immune to them, Jesus does not promise blanket immunity to his disciples, but he has authority over them and one day will come back and reality will be secure and good because we will live with God among his people and new creation.  But until then we will face threats, sickness, evil, death because we live in a world that is damaged and broken by rejecting God from his God place. It is against this background that we are called to faith, to trust in Jesus in the face of each of these. Jesus has God’s authority, he delivers and his disciples learn about who he is and that he is worth putting their faith in.

What Theophilus and the early church need to know as they face struggles and threats that could overwhelm them is that Jesus is worth putting your faith in, worth believing in beyond a shadow of a doubt because he is God made man with God’s authority, he rules, he delivers his people, and one day he will come and establish God’s kingdom for ever.  Do we know those two truths? How are they affecting our living? When we face the consequences of living in a broken world how do we react?

The encouragement this morning is to look again and fix our faith on Jesus – God’s authoritative deliverer, to remember our future that Jesus gives us a glimpse of creation renewed and threats stilled. And to live trusting in him.

Daily Reading: Luke 8v16-21 'God's word: use it or lose it.'

It's always worth pausing from time to time and asking 'what changes have I made as a result of hearing God’s word?'  'How are you different now than you were a month ago?'  'How has the Bible; as you have read it for yourself, listened to it taught on Sunday and engaged in discussion about it, moulded you?'  How has it affected the way you think about things, about yourself, about others, about God and about life? Has it changed the way you work? Has it changed your family?

We know that the Bible warns those who teach it to work hard, to be diligent, why? Because they will be judged for what they teach. But sometimes we can use that as an excuse – we say the Bible talk wasn’t very good today, or I’m glad that so and so was here to hear it, the implication - there is nothing there for me to learn.  But  in these two incidents, as in the parable of the sower, the emphasis is on the accountability of the listener. Look at (8) “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear”, (18) “Therefore consider carefully how you listen…”, (21) “my mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”  Do you see the big challenge this morning – how is my listening?

In the parable of the sower Jesus gives four responses here he narrows it down and changes the illustration.  He makes an obvious statement, you don’t like a lamp and then hide it in a jar – this isn’t a see through glass jar, this is a heavy thick earthen jar which would smoother the light. Why don’t you do it? Because it is no use there, it cannot do its work.  The word of God is the parallel. What does the word of God do if used rightly? (15) It produces a crop, it bears fruit. But if it isn’t used, if it is hidden, if it is blanketed, smothered, then it gets choked (14) just like the seed on the third soil and produces no fruit.

Just like the light of the lamp must be lived in, must be used to expose and highlight dangers and actions required so God’s word, the Bible, must be used. When God’s word first comes to us and shows us that we have failed to give God his God place and that we face his anger and need his grace we must act on it. And as we go on and God continues to put his finger on things in our lives we must not throw the blanket over that.

Sometimes the Bible makes me uncomfortable about my life, what am I going to do with that? Sometimes we struggle to believe the promises God gives us, so we know that all our past and future sins are forgiven by Jesus on the cross and yet we fail to live in the light of that forgiveness and let guilt continue to sink its claws into us, we don’t listen to God’s word of encouragement that says Satan is not your master. Am I going to let the Bible shine its light into my life show me where I am not letting God be God and change. Or am I going to throw a blanket over it and carry on as normal?

How has the Bible changed us this month, this week? The things that God has been saying to us about our likes and dislikes, our prejudices, use of money, or time. The things he has been showing us we should be like, the challenge to love others more and more, a concern for the lost, are we going to let God’s word search us, expose us and challenge us. Or am I going to blanket it and smother it?

And Jesus then gives a warning in (17-18) that one day how we have listened will be exposed and that as a result we should listen carefully. But also that you cannot coast with the word of God, (18) seems harsh doesn’t it as it talks about those who have being given more and those who do not have losing even what they have. It doesn’t seem very fair or loving.   Use it or lose it. It's back to the images in the parable, the tragedy is that those who hear the word lose it if they do not use it to produce a crop.

It is illustrated in the crowd that come to him, there are those who just hear the parable and they go away unchanged, they don’t recognise their need of grace. But the disciples who know they need grace, who recognise who Jesus is come, humbly ask and Jesus explains it. It is a picture of engagement with the word of God, they are the ones who are given more.

We need to be realistic sometimes engaging with the Bible is hard but that isn’t an excuse not to do it. We need to be those who come and ask. Use it or lose it is the warning. The encouragement is that God wants to give us understanding if we ask him for it and seek it.

(19) Luke sets the scene for us, the crowds are still growing and they are pressing around trying to hear Jesus teaching. So much so that when his mother and brothers come they can’t get to see him and have to send him a message. “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.” He is told.

Now how would you expect Jesus to act? What would we do? We might send a message saying hang on I’ll be there in a minute, or just hang on a sec while I see what mum wants we may say to the crowd, or I just have to deal with this and then I’ll be right back.

But Jesus response is shocking isn’t it. Just before we look at it we need to put it in context with what the Bible says about family. Family is important in the Bible, in fact family is God given. God gives Eve away at the first wedding and he oversees the marriage, and then he tells them to go and have a children. Family is God given. Then in Genesis 12 what does God do? He calls Abraham, and what does he promise amongst other things?  That his family will be blessed.  The rest of the Old Testament is about Abraham’s family, Israel is described as God’s children with God as their father. If you want the first parenting manual then it is the Bible, Deuteronomy 6 and Proverbs provide timeless lessons in bringing up children why because family matters to God.

In the New Testament Jesus challenges the norms of family life, he does not attack or undermine family, but he challenges the place we give to family. I think in Britain we have taken family from its place as a God given good and made it an ultimate in place of God. Family has become an idol. I say that because I recognise that danger in myself.  For some of us it may be the longing for a family that is an idol, that can subtly take God’s place, for others it may be our children, or grandchildren. But there is a lesson here for us in Jesus words – following Jesus must be our priority, listening to God’s word must matter most.

Some friends of ours when their daughter was a toddler and they had just had another baby were called by God to go oversees. It wasn’t a small trip and they would be away for years before they would come back. It would involve taking two small grandchildren away from both sets of grandparents and from a good church to somewhere with little church. If God made that call to us what would we do?  But it doesn’t just have to be in the big things like that does it. What about opening my home to others if it means losing some family time? What about when my child says as a stroppy toddler or teenager ‘I don’t want to go to church!’ Do we not go?

We need to recognise that for us this passage is very pertinent – it asks what is most important; God’s good gift of family or his word? Do I listen to my families words or to God’s words? Is my priority my discipleship or my family?

Jesus point is that his priority is to the word of God, to the word of God that calls us to be godly parents, to love our family, to bring them up to know the God who saved us by grace, to love and care for our elderly parents. To be better family than the world is but to keep family in its place as part of our service of God in response to his word rather it being our god.

Who is Jesus family? “those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.” The family characteristic of those who have responded to his words of grace and forgiveness is transformation, it is repentance, it is putting God in his God place and living with his as king.  It is people whose listening results in action. They don’t just hear the call to repent and come to him by grace they act on it. They don’t just hear how Jesus words call them to live and nod their assent, they live changed by them.

How is our listening this morning? How do we know, well it is seen in how our actions change.  It may be a good point just to stop and take stock. Maybe you have been around church for a while you have heard the Bible taught but never done anything with it. Jesus words need acting on. Jesus says that our sins, our rebellion against God, can be forgiven but we have to act on his words and trust him just like the woman did.  Maybe you have been following Jesus a while but there is something God has been saying to you and you’ve been ignoring it. Don’t keep on like that act on it.

Why not ask when we meet up how things are, not just work and things but how is your reading of the Bible going, what is God saying to you at the moment. It could lead to some great conversations and prayer for one another.

Listening to God’s word should produce change. Grace changes us and God’s word goes on transforming us. Am I being transformed?

Daily Reading: Luke 8v9-15 'Is talk cheap?'

Jesus as he looks at the crowd identifies 4 types of listener, notice that this is not about a one off decision it’s about an ongoing pattern in life of paying close attention to his words, of dwelling on them and living by them. I want you to help by suggesting titles for each one.

1. (12) Teflon hearing/in one ear out of the other
This person doesn’t hear, in fact Jesus says his words are snatched away by the devil so that there is no chance whatsoever of a response. The word lies on top of the hard heart so the devil can just pluck it away. It may be because of prejudice, or because of preconceptions, some in the crowd have hardened their hearts to Jesus.

2. (13) Easy listener/Easy come easy go
This is the person who hears and initially at least seems to respond to Jesus words. But then, well something goes wrong or it gets difficult, maybe someone ridicules them for being a Christian, or they come across something in the Bible and actually I just don’t want to do that, I like the way I am now, I don’t want to change, that can't be right that goes totally against society... and so they fall away.

3. (14) British listener/the choke/the leisured listener
Again these listeners hear the word of God, they hear Jesus message of grace and they begin to respond, there are signs of change. But then life gradually begins to smother it. Notice that at no point does the person reject the word, at no point do they decide no I don’t believe it, it just gradually becomes less important and slips away.

I think it’s our biggest danger. We hear Jesus words and we respond to his message, but then gradually there are the children to take to school and clubs, there is the parents evening, there is the career to continue with, there is the house to look after and improve, there is the DIY to be done, there is… and so on and so on. Maybe in our day its the leisure and search for entertainment that kills of the seed.  In the tyranny of the urgent God’s word gets lost and smothered and doesn’t mature. Its potential remains unrealised and that is a tragedy.

4. (15) Fruitful/productive/active
But the last group of listeners that Jesus identifies are the ones who bear fruit. Do you see the words that Jesus uses to describe these listeners? They have a noble and a good heart, they hear his words and they keep hold of them, they will not let them go even when things are hard, they will not let other things pull it away and they keep on trusting in it.  And what does it produce? It produces fruit, it changes the person who listens to it. This word of God produces a life that is marked by grace.

Do you see the encouragement here, Jesus is giving us something to aspire to.  How is your listening? Do you have ears to hear? True hearing looks like listening to Jesus words continually, this is not about a one off it is about a continual listening, about on ongoing changing as we hear Jesus words to us.  It's striking isn’t it that Jesus say there will be these 4 responses to the word as he teaches it. And there will be those 4 responses to it as we teach God’s word, some won’t listen, some will tragically not realise their potential even though they seem to respond, but others will bear fruit.

If Jesus is who he claims to be – God’s Son – then his words matter. His challenge to the crowd and to us is will you investigate them, will you listen to them, will you hold on to them tightly and be changed by them? Will you go on listening to them, will they become what you live your life by?  And the encouragement is that as we do so they will bear fruit because that is what his word obeys does.

Daily Reading: Luke 8v4-8 'Fruitful follower?'

In Jesus day there were lots of different ideas about him too. Just glance back to (16) and you’ll see that some people thought he was a prophet, others flock to see him because he can do miracles, the Pharisees aren’t sure what to make of him, and John the Baptist thinks he is God’s Messiah – his long promised King and Saviour, God come to be with his people.  And as this crowd (4) gathers round and keeps on growing in response to his travelling preaching the questions buzz around, is this God’s king? Is this the Messiah? Is he the one who will boot the Romans out of Israel and re-establish us as God’s kingdom? The crowd come flocking to hear the words of a dynamic revolutionary leader sketch out his plans for the glorious future of Israel.

But this crowd has a perception problem and it is so serious it will stop them listening to Jesus words – it will stop them really hearing. Their expectations are wrong they come expecting to hear of a triumphant kingdom and instead Jesus speaks of the simple farmer throwing out seed. Instead of glory and rule and reign he talks about the word of God.  And it isn’t just them is it. We may think we know what Jesus says so we don’t actually listen to what he is really saying. Do you notice here that Jesus calls the people to listen carefully? (8) “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear…” Jesus wants people to listen to his words not let their expectations drown them out – it’s a cry from the Old Testament that should have been familiar to his listeners.

(1)What has Jesus been doing as he has gone from town to town? He has been “proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.” He has been telling people how to get into God’s kingdom – it matters, it is important and he longs for people to listen.  That good news isn’t of a revolutionary overthrow of the Romans it is of (4:18-19) “the year of the Lord’s favour”. Jesus comes to tell people that they can be forgiven their debts with God.

Sometimes people then and now think that Christianity is spelt DO. In other words Christianity teaches that you have to do this and don’t do that in order to be made right with God. It gives you a picture of God with a balance sheet.  But actually as Jesus teaches the word that stands out is not Do but DONE. Just look back at the previous account Luke has given us. Jesus tells this story (41-42). And the shock is that the debt of both parties is wiped out, their un-payable debt is cancelled. And Jesus applied that story to this woman who is a notorious sinner and he says she is saved by faith. Not by what she does, not by do, but just by trusting in him.

Jesus has been proclaiming God’s word, his message of grace to people. God will cancel your debt, God will forgive you for running away from him, for wanting to decide right and wrong for yourself if you will trust in me. At the end of Luke’s gospel we see the price of that forgiveness as Jesus pays for it.

So Jesus tells the expectant crowd this parable as a perception filter, (10) those who want to hear will come near to listen but he knows that actually many though they hear don’t want to understand, in fact they only want what they have come for. For them his words don’t matter.

The big question of the passage is will I listen to Jesus words? Have I got ears that hear words of grace that tell us we can be forgiven for our rebellion against God.  Have we stopped listening to God's word of grace and tried to add to it the law?  Which of the soils am I most like now?  Which was I most like a year or 5 years ago?  Which do I most want to be like?  Am I fruitful?  They are hard questions to ask but they need to be answered.  Why not pray right now about your responses.