The gospel of Luke is heavy in content to know and lessons to learn and details to remember and Jesus 🙂 Luke has 24 chapters and I may take more than 4 parts to finish it all. If you missed
THE RELATED POST Luke part 1 : Jesus is willing.
AND THE OTHER RELATED POST Luke part 2 : Jesus the healer.,
That only constitutes the first 10 chapters of Luke!
Continuing on with Luke…….
In chapter 11 : Jesus’ disciples ask Him to teach them how to pray. He teaches them The Lord’s prayer. Jesus tells them a parable about persevering and not giving up. Jesus tells them to ask, seek and knock and they will receive, find, and the door will be opened to them. Jesus tells them God ( the Father ) will give them the Holy Spirit when they ask. Jesus drives out a demon ( that made the man mute) and he talks. Jesus tells the people He is driving demons out by God, not by beelezebub ( prince of demons). Jesus says 23 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. Jesus’ mother is blessed by a woman in the crowd. Jesus replies ” Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it “. Jesus says no sign , except the sign of Jonah will be given to (their and our) wicked generation. {1} Jesus tells us that we need to be filled with Light (His) so that there is no darkness in us. Jesus is invited to a Pharisee’s house for a meal where He surprises him by NOT ritually washing. Jesus pronounces 3 woes (doom) on the Pharisees and then 3 woes on the experts of the Law. This angers all of them and they oppose Him fiercely.
In chapter 12 : Jesus teaches first His disciples and warns them to be on their guard against the “yeast” of the Pharisees which is hypocrisy. Jesus tells them to be afraid of the one who can kill both the body and the soul. He tells them ( and us) not one of them (us) will be forgotten by God. Jesus says He will acknowledge ( before His Father) those who acknowledge Him. Whoever speaks against the Son of Man will be forgiven but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not. The Holy Spirit will give us the words to speak ( to defend ourselves) when we are brought before authorities and rulers. Jesus warns the people to be on their guard against greed as Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions. Jesus tells them a parable about a rich man thinking of building more barns to store his wealth but dying that very night.{2} Jesus tells the people not to worry but to consider the ravens and the lilies ( God provides for them). God knows what we need, we are to seek His kingdom, and these things will be given to (us) as well. We are to provide treasures for ourselves where it will not rot nor be stolen (in Heaven, by doing good works), for where our treasures are, there will be our hearts also. We must be ready and wait for the Son of Man for He will come back at an hour when we don’t expect Him. “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. Jesus says He has come to bring division not peace, family members will be against each other because of Him. Jesus tells the people to correctly interpret the signs of the times because He is coming soon.
In chapter 13 : Jesus tells the people no one is a worse sinner than the other ( even if he suffers more!) but that everyone should repent or they will perish. Jesus heals a woman who had been crippled for 18 years on the Sabbath and she straightens up. This infuriates the Pharisees. {3}. The Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed or yeast {4}. The entry into Heaven is like entering through a narrow door.{5} Jesus is sorrowful over Jerusalem because they have not accepted / received Him.
In chapter 14 : On a Sabbath when Jesus went to eat at a home of a prominent Pharisee, He healed a man with abnormal swelling on his body. Jesus told the guests that those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted, when He saw how they chose places of honour at the table. Jesus tells His host ( and us) to invite the poor, the crippled, the lame , the blind, when he (we) throw a banquet ( party/ celebration) so that we will get our reward at the resurrection of the righteous. {6} Jesus tells us to first count the cost before following Him. If don’t put Jesus first, above all else, above our marriages, our children, our spouses, our parents, our careers, our hobbies, our wealth, our reputations, we can never follow Him. He is God. He is Jealous for us with a holy desire. He will NOT share His glory with another, even if the other is us.
In chapter 15 : When the Pharisees and teachers of the Law see tax collectors and other “sinners” gather around Jesus, they mutter at Him. Jesus tells them 3 parables about lost things. A man has 100 sheep and loses one and goes in search of it leaving the 99 behind. A woman has 10 silver coins and loses one and searches her home inside and out to find it. A man “loses” one of his sons and when the son comes back, the father rejoices exceedingly. In each parable Jesus shows the increasing value of the things lost. In the last, He is the Father, waiting compassionately for the “lost son” ( us) to return, and when we do, as un-deserving as we are, He runs to us with open arms, dresses us in fine clothes ( His robes of righteousness), prepares a banquet for us with choicest foods and celebrates over the return of one lost sinner.
{1} The sign of Jonah- Jonah was sent to tell a corrupt and wicked city to repent. He spent 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of a fish, then was vomited out. Like Jonah , Jesus is sent to a wicked and corrupt people , pleading with them to repent. Like Jonah, Jesus will spend 3 days and nights inside Hades but He will rise victorious again. Unlike Jonah though, Jesus will go willingly to the people but the people will not be willing to listen to Him and turn from their rebellious ways. }
{2} The man had so much wealth, he decided to build more barns to store it, and then be merry the rest of his life. That very night, his life was demanded from him, and his wealth went to nobody. Jesus says This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God. }
{3} The Pharisees want the people to be healed only on the first 6 days , not on the Sabbath. Jesus is furious and points out the work they do for their animals on the Sabbath and declares that this daughter of Abraham is more important and deserves to be set free. At this, His opponents were humiliated but the people were delighted at the wonderful things He did. }
{4} Yeast or mustard seed- small to look at or insignificant but it grows into a tree that provides support to many birds or like yeast spreads throughout the dough and makes it rise. So it is with the Kingdom of God}
{5} Many people will call themselves Christians or think they are, but they will not be allowed into Heaven. At the same time, people from all over, all races, tribes, nations, cultures, languages will be there in Heaven. }
{6} Jesus then tells a parable about a rich man who invited guests to a banquet and none of them came making excuses. So he ordered his servants to go into the alleys and by ways of the town to find the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind and bring them instead. These people are the outcasts of society. Through this, Jesus illustrates that that is what He has come to do. Bring the outcasts of society ( us- the sinners, the corrupt, the rebellious,the needy, the sick, the dying) to His table where there is joy and the richest of foods. }
That concludes part 3! There are 9 chapters left, and I hope to finish those in 2 parts. We are the lost sons over whose return, all of Heaven rejoices. I hope you know this Loving Father and if you don’t, that you will. He is worth everything that you have to give up.
Until next time,
Vanessa
Vanessa Samuel 
Thank you for faithfully sharing these posts.
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