Luke 11:5…

How often then, should we pray? Should we keep asking for our un-met needs?

That’s a good question. After informing His disciples how to pray, Jesus teaches them about what it means to have a prayer life.

A life filled with prayer is a life filled with needfulness realized, needfulness fulfilled, and needfulness empowered. (Our weakness, our lack, becomes our strength.)

There is a question that goes along with the information Jesus provides His disciples, and it is almost an absurd one: If you knew that all your needs - every single one - would be or could be met by God, why would you ever fail to ask Him to meet the need?

It then comes down to a question of faith doesn’t it?

This is how Jesus explains it, and why He explains it in an almost absurd fashion. When you are out of bread, and you need bread, what would you do? What do you do? What have you done?

Well, you go to your neighbor, because you know he has bread when you don’t. It’s too late to make bread yourself, you need ready-made bread.

But wait, how can you be certain your neighbor has bread? The truth is the only thing you know for sure is that you don’t have bread. You go to your neighbor on the possibility he does. And also, faith in even the possibility your neighbor will give you of what he has.

You are completely dependent upon the benevolence of your neighbor, but you do not hesitate to ask – even after bedtime – because the need you have is great, and you are willing to risk begging because your reputation for hospitality is on the line.

In this case, will you take “No” for an answer? Why not? What propels you to keep asking? Is it because you now know for certain the neighbor has the bread you need? (He did not deny that he does.) Is it because it is necessary to keep asking in order to rouse him from his bed to meet the need? How does God fit into this example?

-Pastor Bill

Luke 11:1…

“When you pray…”

The operative phrase in the beginning of Luke 11 is, “When.”

Not so much how or why you pray, but when. There is an expectation that you will.

We learn, (I think,) an interesting fact here in that John the Baptist also taught his disciples to pray. We have no recorded information telling us how or what John taught his disciples to pray, but it must have been in similar fashion as Jesus makes no correction of John’s teaching about prayer, and the listeners do not say, “Wow, that’s different than what John said.”

Something else…perhaps the reason Jesus’ disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray is because John taught his disciples to pray. While that may be the case, their prompting presently comes from the fact Jesus IS praying. Jesus set the example for us to pray by praying Himself.

Once Jesus has taught His disciples what pray the emphasis becomes continuing in it.

The words Jesus taught His disciples to pray are so infamous even unbelievers and atheists know them by heart. We do too. Was that the point? Was Jesus teaching His disciples to literally pray these words?

Well, we have the obvious answer, since the words here in Luke 10 are not the exact words contained in Matthew 6. One of those examples is a paraphrase of the other. The point is the exact words do not matter, but to focus on the substance contained in those words does.

WHO we are praying to becomes of primary importance, especially when we hear so many ‘teaching prayers’ where people in prayer meetings seem to be praying in to instruct other people about things rather than talking to God. Our EXAMPLE is to talk to Our Father, Who is in heaven, and then to keep talking to Him as often as we can.

Jesus teaches His disciples to keep praying, and to keep praying, and to keep praying. Never stop praying. Part of the lesson here is God is moved by our continuing prayer.

-Pastor Bill

Luke 10:25…

The great question of life is: What shall I do to inherit eternal life?

But the question itself is not all there is - is it?

How you ask the question, why you ask the question, what you mean by asking the question – these are all part and parcel to the answer you receive from the Word of God.

In this case, it is a ‘certain lawyer’ asking Jesus about what he should DO to inherit eternal life.

There are some good things about his question, chief among them he apparently believes in eternal life and admits it publicly, which is a good starting point. Secondly, he appears concerned about his own eternal condition, but here it breaks down a bit. (Luke informs us he asked this question as a “test” for Jesus.)

So we wonder if the lawyer was genuinely concerned for himself, or if his main interest was to somehow expose or embarrass Jesus publicly about the answer He may give. (We know enough about human nature to know giving a true answer about how we may inherit eternal life will divide any crowd.) This is his probable motive.

A ‘lawyer’ in this case would be a man employed to examine and uphold Jewish Law. He would be a defender of the Jewish faith. This does not dissuade or dismay Jesus, reminding us how difficult (see impossible) it is to surprise, dismay, or win an argument with God. It ain’t happening…

In response to the lawyer’s question, Jesus appeals to the lawyer’s own reading of the Jewish Law. Listening to the lawyer’s answer we learn he is theologically correct about God’s idea of perfection. But here he has come under the weight of personal conviction about his own ability to perfectly keep this Law he has been charged to keep.

Now, the inquisitor has snared himself, and we see his desperate attempt to wriggle off the hook. “And who is my neighbor?”

Jesus’ answer would surprise everyone…

-Pastor Bill

Luke 10:1…

If I was following Jesus along with His disciples as one of His disciples, I think one of the things I would be most interested in seeing is this: What makes Jesus rejoice? What puts a smile on His face? What makes Him resound with joy?

The reason I think I would think that way is because of the clue it may give us all about heaven, and what we can expect from eternal life. What is heaven really like? What do they rejoice about in heaven?

We read in Hebrews 1:9, (quoting from Psalm 45:7,) that Jesus has been anointed by God with the “oil of gladness” more than any man. This means more than anyone who ever lived - however joyful they may have been - Jesus was more.

When I first got saved I used to think about Jesus smiling all the time. There is something about joyful people that makes you want to be with them. The Bible teaches us in Isaiah 53 there was nothing ‘comely’ about Messiah. People would not be drawn to Him by His looks. No, it would be the force of His joy-filled and joy-full personality.

To me this has always put Jesus in a different light than any description of Jesus I had heard in my early days in the church, and also any artwork I had ever seen attempting to portray Jesus. Movies, the same. Jesus was always shown as a very solemn individual. (In one movie, ‘Jesus of Nazareth,’ the actor Robert Powell playing the part of Jesus never blinks while on-screen in an effort to depict Jesus’ Divinity.)

But what makes Jesus joyful? When do we really see Him smile?

The answer is found right here in Luke 10. The disciples have been sent out two-by-two, (seventy of them in all,) to go before Jesus into all the towns and villages Jesus was about to visit on His way up to Jerusalem. Jesus has appointed and empowered them to heal the sick there and to tell them the kingdom of God is near to them.

When the seventy returned they reported to Jesus all the things they had done, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” (Surely THIS was worth rejoicing about!)

Jesus, on the other hand, informs them NOT to rejoice about their ministry “success” but in the simple fact their names are written in the kingdom of heaven. And then - Jesus REJOICED!

-Pastor Bill

Luke 9:37…

When you’re on the mountain-top it can be easy to forget what is going on back down in the valley.

Of course, as Christians we are (hopefully) all aware of the ‘mountain-top’ experiences we sometimes have with Jesus. These may come in the form of retreats, or ‘after-glow’ gatherings, or special times of prayer, or just about anywhere we have a genuine experience with Jesus that reaches into the supernatural realm.

It may happen – and probably most often does – when we least expect it, but are just being faithful to what Jesus has told us to do. Then unexpectedly we somehow are able to see His glory in our midst. It is wonderful, and it is proof of all Jesus has told us.

Peter, James, and John have just had such an experience. Called by Jesus to go to the top of the mountain to pray, they were faithful to His call to prayer and saw what they had no expectation they were about to see: Jesus’ glory was fully revealed, as if veil between the material realm and the spiritual realm had suddenly been removed. And there were Moses and Elijah speaking with Jesus about the plan for Jesus’ crucifixion. Too amazing to even begin to attempt to fully comprehend!

But back down at the foot of the mountain there was trouble. What had the enemy arranged for the remaining 9 disciples? You know; the ones who had just been given power and authority over all demons and to heal diseases a mere 35 verses earlier? The ones who had gone out through all the towns preaching the gospel and healing everywhere? The ones who had returned to Jesus telling Him of all they had done in His name?

Satan chooses this time to spring an intense spiritual attack on Jesus’ isolated disciples down in the valley, and it is two-fold: The disciples are surrounded by a great expectant crowd, but in that crowd is a group of scribes disputing with them, and evidently they are drawn into a contentious verbal exchange in the midst of the crowd of witnesses. Secondly, there is a man present in the crowd who has brought his demon-possessed son to the remaining disciples for healing. They could not ‘win’ the argument, and they could not heal the young man.

This is an important reminder our callings and giftings are specific, and apart from Christ we can accomplish nothing.

-Pastor Bill

Luke 9:1…

Talk about responsibility.

Can you imagine Jesus sending you out to represent His ministry? Would it be a heavy thing? Would it be a heady thing?

I try to imagine the meeting between Jesus and His disciples. He called them “together.” It would have been a very great thing to be called together to be given instruction by Jesus. What would the instruction be today?

To date, every time Jesus had called them together, it had been to teach them something, or show them something He wanted them to learn. That was always a wonderful experience, and I imagine whenever Jesus called them together they were excited and happy to come to Him. They had given their lives for these moments, but as yet, they probably didn’t truly understand why.

Now it would be brought out into the open a bit. This time, when Jesus called them together it was to send them away. Try to imagine how frightening it may have been to be sent away from Jesus just when you had staked your life on being with Jesus. There is no safer place known to man than to be with Him, why is He sending us away?

Would you be all for this? Confident? I doubt it. I think it would be more troubling than comforting. But Jesus often takes us outside our comfort zones – to the place ministry takes place - and that is what He is doing here.

Listen to the things He sent them to do: 1) to preach the kingdom of God, and 2) to heal the sick. Wow. I can certainly sense being totally overwhelmed by that assignment. I’m quite certain they were.

But before telling them to go and do, Jesus had given each of them both power and authority over both demons and disease. And this, I think is the lesson. Jesus never sends us to do without giving us the power to do. The temptation may be to attempt to do in your own strength, but the ministry won’t allow it. The task is impossible apart Christ. So how can I be ‘in’ the power of Christ even though I am apart from Him physically? You have to go and do to learn that lesson, once empowered.

-Pastor Bill

Luke 8:1…

How would you define success? How can success be guaranteed – and what is ‘success’ anyway? Can success be measured?

These are pretty important question when it comes to the gospel ministry of Jesus Christ. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the most important news and truth anyone ever has the opportunity to hear and deliver, as well as the most important decision anyone ever has to make in their life, and about their life and eternal destiny.

Again, with the degree of importance known, shouldn’t we do all we can to emphasize success?

Jesus speaks quite differently about His own gospel. He tells us our job is not to be successful, but faithful.

The reality is the success of the delivery cannot be immediately measured anyway, even with what we may regard as an immediate and ‘good’ response. (That may all be washed away fairly soon, by the devil, by circumstance, or by distraction.)

Another point Jesus makes is to not be so careful about who we share the gospel with.

In telling this parable of the soils, Jesus demonstrates a farmer who seems oblivious to where the seed lands. Since this represents potentially wasteful behavior, we are left to wonder what kind of farmer would throw his seed by the side of the road, or on rock, or in a field filled with weeds, left uncultivated. What kind of farmer concerned with results would do such a thing? What about the cost of the seed that has been ‘wasted?’

There is an absurdity to this parable if you happen to be a farmer concerned with producing a crop. A good farmer spends a lot of their time studying how to get a higher yield from his seed. A good farmer is concerned over the condition of the soil prior to investing any seed in it. A good farmer would certainly never place his seed anywhere a chance for success could not be somewhat guaranteed. The emphasis is completely on the method which will bring the highest opportunity for success.

Jesus says when it comes to the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Word of God is to be scattered far and wide, anywhere and everywhere. Success is not the issue but rather the faithfulness to deliver it. (Truly, success can only be measured by God.) And, the only cost of delivering the seed of the gospel of Jesus Christ is the faith required to do it.

-Pastor Bill