Luke 16:16-18

“The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing their way into it. It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.

 “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”


The NIV titles this section "additional teachings". It almost seems a hodgepodge of ideas that do not flow with the rest of the passage. But since that isn't Jesus' style, let's take a closer look. Why are these verses sandwiched between the story of proper use of money and the parable of the rich man and Lazarus? Taken all together, Jesus is pointing the finger at the false religion of the Pharisees and pointing out the dangers within the system.

Again and again Jesus points out that a person's outward religiosity is no indication that the person is part of the kingdom of God. He called the most religious people in the land "whitewashed tombs" - clean on the outside but inside filled with rotting decay.

The Law and the Prophets are what Christians today call the Old Testament. Until the coming of John the Baptist, these scriptures proclaimed the truths of God and revealed man's inability to live up to a  perfect holy standard. The arrival of John and Jesus marked the beginning of a new era. The "sinners and tax collectors" had been held at arms length from God by these Pharisees. Now they were forcing their way in droves through the open door of the gospel.

Jesus came to fulfill the Law, not destroy it. Not even a mark the size of a period or dash will be removed from the Law until heaven and earth pass away. Some of the sacrificial laws and cultural laws are not followed by Christians, but the meaning of the law as taught by Jesus certainly is. Although he interacted with and offered grace to those considered sinners by society, he set the standard for righteousness even beyond the law in teachings such as the Sermon on the Mount. "You think you're righteous because you haven't murdered? If you've hated anyone it is the same thing. You think you're sinless because you haven't committed adultery? If you've lusted you are equally guilty under the Law." He lived a sinless life and imputes that righteousness to all who believe.

Verse 18 seems totally out of flow, almost like a random thought. But he was calling out the Pharisees who had married divorced women or been divorced themselves. They would never have sex outside the bonds of marriage, but in the eyes of the Law divorce and remarriage was equivalent to adultery. They wanted to pick and choose which sins were allowed and which were grievous.

Don't we all. Some sins - sexual sins, divorce, murder, rape, child abuse - are seen by many Christians as worse than others - gossip, white lies, mildly lustful feelings, jealousy, overindulgence. We like to justify ourselves by pointing the finger at others. We condemn Gosnell and the Tsarnaev brothers to hell but give ourselves a free pass. Of course some sins have greater repercussions on earth. Of course our human laws should punish some sins greatly and ignore others. But in the eyes of a holy God, sin is sin. "For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it" (Js 2:10).

So now turn from your conscience and its feeling to Christ who is not able to deceive; my heart and Satan, however, who will drive me to sin are liars... You should not believe your conscience and your feelings more than the word which the Lord who receives sinners preaches to you... Therefore you are able to fight with your conscience by saying: You lie; Christ speaks the truth and you do not. - Martin Luther

Luke 15:11-16

Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them.

“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his estate with loose living. Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed swine. And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, but no one gave him anything.

The Pharisees tried to discredit Jesus for using his association with sinners. If Jesus was comfortable with "Satan's people" while accusing the "people of God" of unrighteousness, he was certainly working with Satan rather than God. In this final of three parables, Jesus continues to respond to their charge by by telling what brings God true joy and glory.

The story begins with a father. In these days the father commanded respect and honor. But this youngest son shows him none. Asking for his inheritance early is akin to saying he wished his father were dead. He cares not for his father's guidance and wisdom; all he wants is his share of the possessions. Culturally, the father's response should be a public beating and disinheritance. But this father does not protect his honor. He divides his wealth between the two. The youngest son quickly liquidates his assets. Like those who trade in futures today, in the time of Jesus the youngest son would be able to sell his portion of the property at a discounted price. The purchaser would receive the property when the father died.

We call this man the "prodigal son". The word prodigal means "spendthrift", someone loose and free with their money. The son squanders his estate on parties and women. The word "loose" in Greek means he lived in a "wild, reckless, abandoned" manner. As usually occurs, he felt free for a time in his self-indulgence. But eventually the shock of the consequences hits us like thrill seekers flying through the air who suddenly realize that the bungee cord is not attached.

Becoming destitute was his doing, but the famine was out of his control. We know little of famine in America. People in famine situations have no access to any food. They eat any plant they can find, gnaw on shoe leather, even turn to cannibalism. In the midst of these circumstances to say the younger son "found himself in need" is an understatement.

He clings to an unclean Gentile in an unclean country and is sent to do the most unclean of tasks - feeding the pigs. He is not even paid for the job. He is not allowed to even eat the trash fed to teh swine.

We leave him here broken, in the mud, starving and surrounded by filth. The story continues tomorrow. Until then, consider how many times we stubbornly sit in the pigpens of our own making, refusing in arrogance to return to the Father.

Luke 13:1-9

Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.”


A group of people come to Jesus with news of an unthinkable tragedy. Some Jewish believers who had come down from Galilee to offer their sacrifices of repentance had been killed at the temple. Their blood mingled with the sacrifices being offered by the faithful. Remember that the temple would have been a bloody place as bulls, goats, sheep, and birds were killed and offered as sacrifices. Imagine if a terrorist burst into a modern worship service, slaughtered members in the congregation, and poured their blood into the communion cup. This is an unthinkable, vile, unholy occurrence.

The storytellers don't say it, but Jesus hears it in their voices. The slain Galileans must committed a horrible sin for God to allow this to happen to them. Prevailing Jewish thought was that bad things happen to bad people, and good people are blessed. Possibly the first book in the Bible ever written was Job, a story of unrelenting tragedy that tests one man. Job's friends concluded that it must be because of Job's sin that his life fell apart. There is no other possible answer. In John 9 Jesus' followers see a blind man and query Jesus as to whether the blindness is a result of the man's sins or his parents'. Extraordinary tragedy must signify extraordinary guilt.

Jesus corrects, "No, their sin was not extraordinarily horrible. It was ordinarily horrible, just like yours. If you don't repent, your fate will be equally unthinkable." As Paul writes in Romans 3:10,  "There is none righteous, no not one". The surprising thing is not that calamity falls upon some who seem good; the surprising thing is that any of us are spared and given more time to repent! We may not "perish" in the sense of a tragic death. The well-known verse John 3:16 instructs, "For God so loved the world, that he sent his one and only Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." The kind of perishing of which Jesus speaks is an eternal perishing - eternal separation from God. "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23).

In setting the stage for Jesus' ministry, John the Baptizer warned, "Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." Likewise Jesus uses an unfruitful tree as an allegory for repentance. The owner of the vineyard is ready to cut the tree down, but the gardener begs for a bit more time to aerate the ground and add manure. Both agree that the tree should not be given unlimited time. The fig tree was a symbol of Israel's prosperity and could be taken to mean a call for national repentance. But the parable is a call for all to repent while there is time.

Even today we wonder why tragedies happen. In the last week the bombings at the Boston Marathon and the explosion in West, Texas claimed the lives of many and severely injured others. These tragedies are not a judgment on America for our corporate sins. They are not judgment on those who perished because they were worse than others. Those who survive are no better morally than those who perish. A better question than "Why do bad things happen to good people?" is "How can God use this tragedy to bring glory to himself and grow spiritual fruit in my own life?"

God may be adding fertilizing manure to your life now in an effort to bring you to repentance. Your first inclination is that life stinks. Things are not going "your way". Take the time to seek God's will for your life and search your soul for areas that need repentance. Each day we wake offers a chance to draw nearer to God or closer into sin.

"As I look for a moment on the poor mangled bodies of those who had been so suddenly slain, my eyes find tears but my heart does not boast. Far from me be a boastful cry, 'God, I thank Thee that I'm not as these men are.' No, no, no, it's not the Spirit of Christ nor the spirit of Christianity. While we can thank God that we are preserved, yet we can say it is of Your mercy that we are not consumed." - Spurgeon, in 1861 after a collision between two trains in the Clayton Tunnel claimed 23 lives and severely injured hundreds, and about two weeks later another train wreck in North London claimed 15 more lives.

Luke 12:49-59

“I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how it consumes Me until it is finished! Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

He also said to the crowds: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, right away you say, ‘A storm is coming,’ and so it does. And when the south wind is blowing, you say, ‘It’
s going to be a scorcher!’ and it is. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

“Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? As you are going with your adversary to the ruler, make an effort to settle with him on the way. Then he won’t drag you before the judge, the judge hand you over to the bailiff, and the bailiff throw you into prison. I tell you, you will never get out of there until you have paid the last cent.”


Christmas songs resound with the promise that the Messiah has come to be the Prince of Peace, bringing peace to all the earth. So what is up with verse 51? Jesus keeps blowing our preconceptions out of the water.

Consider the scriptures that speak of the Messiah as a peacemaker. Psalm 72 says the righteous will flourish under an abundance of peace. Isaiah 9:6 prophesied that the Messiah would be the Prince of Peace. Isaiah 55, 57, and 66 taught that he would bring peace to those near and even those far off. Ezekiel 34 & 37 predicted a new covenant that would bring peace. The Jewish people had every reason from Scripture to believe that the Messiah would bring peace.

When Zechariah prayed and prophesied over his son John  he proclaimed that the Messiah would guide our feet into the way of peace. Jesus himself told many that he healed and forgave to "go in peace". In John 14 he taught his disciples, "My peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you." Two chapters later he tells them. "These things I have spoken that in me you might have peace." So why would he say he did not come to bring peace?

Let's look at the rest of John 14, "Not as the world gives peace do I give peace." That's a huge clue. In Colossians 1:20 Paul writes, "God made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ's blood on the cross." Jesus' listeners expected him to bring a time of national peace, if he was indeed the  Messiah. He would overthrow the Romans, and Israel could be it's own boss. John and Jesus both preached that the kingdom was one of peace, but this is the kingdom of God, not a kingdom of man. There can never be peace in the world unless every life is focused on bringing glory to God, every man has personal peace through the forgiveness of Christ, and each person is led by the Holy Spirit. This will not really occur until the second coming of Christ, but it is visible in snippets as we are transformed into the image of Christ. But as we reject the Prince of Peace we forfeit the kingdom of peace he brings.

In the Greek verse 49 reads this way, "For fire, I have come upon the earth." Jesus came to bring a fire that both cleansed and purged the hearts of men. "Baptism" here implies total immersion. Jesus had a task to undergo that consumed his ministry and his mind until it was complete - his propitiation for our sin and death on a cross. His death would be the kindling that lit the fire of judgment. The Old Testament speaks many times of fire as judgment, but the Jewish listeners would have been taught that the punishing fire of God was for Israel's enemies - Moab, Edom, and others in the Old Testament and certainly Romans of their day. Gentiles deserved the fire of God, his people did not.

Although we find unity in the body of Christ, the gospel bring division. We know in other countries that people converting to Christianity are persecuted and killed for their beliefs, even by their own families. I currently know of two former Catholics who were disowned by their families for joining Protestant churches. But even on a lesser level, families with mixed religious beliefs will have conflict. Different priorities, lifestyle, and beliefs will bring tension if not flat out arguments.  (In verse 53, Jesus is also loosely quoting Micah 7:6. His listeners would have caught this reference to Micah's cry against the morality in his day and know that Jesus was comparing them to that wicked generation.)

Jesus reprimands his listeners for being able to interpret the signs of the weather better than spiritual signs. When a cloud appeared in the west or a wind blew in from the south, these amateur meteorologist did not need Doppler radar to know what was coming. Yet they ignored and misinterpreted the signs given by Jesus. He must be using the power of demons. He couldn't be the Messiah because he isn't performing the signs we expect.

He calls the throng hypocrites, comparing them to people on the way to court. It is uncommon for people to not proclaim their own innocence. We either claim we didn't do it or, if caught, offer excuses as to why we did. Jesus warns his listeners to settle before judgment is reached. Those found guilty would be thrown into a debtors prison, jailed until every penny was repaid. And how could you repay the debt from prison? Most would languish and die within the prison walls.

Jesus was truly speaking of a spiritual debt. We are hypocrites who cannot easily see our own faults. Common thought is that if the good outweighs the bad, we will be okay on the day of judgment. Can you imagine if we applied this thought to our court system. "But judge, look at all the people I didn't murder! And there were so many houses I could have broken into that I left alone." We would "throw the book" at someone with that defense. Yet that is how many plan to argue their case before the judge of all.

Have you ever heard a hypocrite describe himself? I describe him this way:—you are a mean, selfish person. “No,” he says, “I am not; I am economical.” I say to him, “You are dishonest, you are a thief.” “No,” says he, “I am only shrewd and clever...” Somehow or other he will make vice look like a virtue in himself, but he will deal the opposite with others. Show him a Christian who is really humble, and he says, “I hate his submissive ways.” Tell him there is one who is very courageous for Christ; and he says, “Oh! he is insensitive to the feelings of others!”... There are people like that who make virtues in others into vices, and vices in themselves they transform into virtues.

 

Now, if you are a Christian, I will tell you what your spirit will be like, it will be the very opposite; you will always be making excuses for others, but you will never be making excuses for yourself. The true Christian, if he sees himself sin, mourns over it. He says to another, “Oh! I feel so sinful;” and the other one says, “I cannot really see it; I can see no sin in you; I could only wish that I were as holy as you.” “No,” says the other, “I am full of weaknesses.” ... That is the spirit of a Christian; but the spirit of the hypocrite is the very reverse; he will judge, and condemn, and severely punish every other man; and as for himself, he is exempt, he is a king, he knows no law, and his conscience slumbers and allows him to go on easily in the very sins which he condemns in others. This is a very prominent mark of the hypocrite, and I question whether all of us must not blame ourselves a little here.

 

- C.H. Spurgeon

Luke 11:14-28

Now He was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon came out, the man who had been mute, spoke, and the crowds were amazed. But some of them said, “He drives out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons!” And others, as a test, were demanding of Him a sign from heaven.

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebul. Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

When a strong man, fully armed, guards his estate, his possessions are secure. But when one stronger than he attacks and overpowers him, he takes from him all his weapons he trusted in, and divides up his plunder.

“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

“When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.”

As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.”

But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”


Don't you wonder what the formerly mute man said? And aren't you surprised that people asked Jesus for a sign? What did they think every move he made, every miracle he performed, and every word he spoke was? Everything pointed to the Father. Everything pointed to the kingdom of God.

The kingdom of God is present. And even the finger of God has more power than the entire kingdom of darkness currently allowed to rule much of the earth. And with the coming of the kingdom, we see unprecedented movement in the powers of darkness. Only 5 of the 39 books of the Old Testament even mention Satan. But when Jesus comes on the scene the demons cannot remain silent. Just being in His presence they cry out, "What have you to do with us, Son of the Most High God?" The mere proximity of Jesus forces them from the behind the scenes work demons prefer and into the spotlight for a showdown.

Jesus is accused of using the power of Satan to defeat Satan, but he points out how crazy that would be. Plus, there were leaders of the Jewish faith who cast out demons. They would confirm that it was not by evil forces that they did this. In Exodus 31:18 the finger of God had inscribed the words of the law on the stone tablets. The psalmist speaks of the heavens as created by the finger of God. God does not have literal fingers. This is a figure of speech indicating the power of God. But I like the mental image of God (or Jesus) pointing a finger at the demon and with a flick of a knuckle commanding it out of this man. Jesus has easily overpowered Satan and taken away his weapons.

But he will not completely accomplish this until he comes again. Until then, Satan has some of his weapons still on earth. One of Satan's most effective tactics is to divide those of us in God's kingdom against one another. We must encourage one another in our battle for the kingdom. We won't walk around confronting demons like Jesus did, but we make war against the sin in our lives. Fight not against those who are different, rail not against those who believe not in Christ, but make war against the sin in your life. Hold each other accountable in their faith journey. "The only foothold Satan has in your life is your flesh and your sin" (Piper).

When you find yourself seemingly free from a particular sin, beware. Although your spiritual house may seem to be swept and in order, temptations return sevenhold. Be on your guard against temptation! Do not let sin master you! For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first (2 Peter 2:19-20).

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12

Luke 5:12-16

While He was in one of the cities, behold, there was a man full of leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” And He stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately the leprosy left him. And He ordered him to tell no one, “But go and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing, just as Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” But the news about Him was spreading even farther, and large crowds were gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.


Leprosy in the Bible, especially the Old Testament, is not modern Hansen's disease but any number of skin diseases. Leprosy was contagious, incurable, and usually fatal. Leviticus 13 contains strict rules of how a priest was to diagnose the disease. If someone was found to be leprous, they were run out of town, able only to to cohabit with other lepers. Rules such as this were important to keep the community free of debilitating disease. But to the leper the the disease was horribly disfiguring as well as a condemnation to social and religious isolation - no contact with friends or family and none with God through the system of temple sacrifice and ritual.

The man in this story is "full of leprosy" - covered with sores, perhaps missing fingers and toes, a crumbling nose, and surrounded by the stench of decay. In Jesus' day people believed disease was a curse from God, a direct result of a person's sin or perhaps the sins of his parents. So not only was the man isolated and diseased, he likely believed it was his own fault.

Despite the fact that he could be stoned for entering the town, he came to seek Jesus. Perhaps with no other options even stoning would have been a relief from his suffering. He knew Jesus was his only hope. Somehow in his isolation he had heard of Jesus and knew this was his only chance to be healed. Perhaps this miracle worker who could heal the sick and cast out the demons could help him as well - if only he was willing. Falling at the feet of Jesus in a posture of worship and submission, he begged Jesus to make him well.

Jesus healed him with a touch and a declaration. He could have healed with a word if he had desired, but he intimately touched him in the midst of his filth. To touch a leper was to make oneself unclean, but when Jesus touched him he was no longer unclean. He was made whole. The leprosy left him. Sores were instantly closed. Perhaps even new fingertips appeared before the man's eyes.

Jesus commands the man to show himself to the priest and tell no one. This would require a trip to the temple and eight days of multiple animal sacrifices. Jesus wants this to not be a publicity stunt and probably wants to buy some time. He is already so pressed by the crowds that he must preach from boats and sneak away to be alone with God. But the book of  Mark tells us that the man went about spreading the news to everyone. As a result Jesus could no longer enter into cities but was even sought after in the wilderness because the crowds would not allow him to function normally. Just imagine the stampede in America if someone was curing cancer with only a touch!

What an analogy this provides to our lives. Jesus is our only chance to be saved from our filthy rotting rags of sin and self righteousness. As Isaiah wrote about the Lord (64:5-6) "You meet him who rejoices in doing righteousness, Who remembers You in Your ways. Behold, You were angry, for we sinned, We continued in them a long time; how then shall we be saved? For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away."

Salvation comes not through our own good works, but when we fall broken at the feet of our Savior, imploring him to remove our filthy rags. With a touch he does so, freeing us from the disease of sin and giving us new life to live in true righteousness and holiness. What a vivid picture this leper gives us of what Christ has done for us!

Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. - II Corinthians 7:1