Luke 16-20

Luke 16
1-11 - I do not understand this parable! I understand the concept of faithfulness in affairs minor and major, but not the story that teaches that concept. So step by step:

1. The manager (NRSV) was wasting his master's money.
2. He was desperate.
3. He was cunning: What did he have to lose by misrepresenting his master's intentions?
4. His master was impressed by his shrewdness. Why? Because shrewdness impressed him? Because the manager looked out for Number 1?
5. The lesson in Jesus' words: "Make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes."
6. A lesson here? Dishonest wealth (Gr. mammon) is nothing.
7. Lesson? Gain favor – by any means – with the One who can welcome you into His eternal home.
8. Lesson from verse 9? Use money – which is evil – to obtain that which is good – a home in heaven.
9. In the past, I have interpreted verse 8 to mean that Jesus is saying children of light should be shrewd. But later, in verse 15, he says, "What is prized by human beings is an abomination in the sight of God." So maybe that's not what he is saying.

v. 18 - Divorce and remarriage. This seems out of context. Did it have to do with the Pharisees' love for money (v. 14) -- their general disobedience? Was their attitude toward divorce too cavalier? Maybe so, considering the conclusion of the next story, in verse 31: "If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead."

Observation - The Pharisees (v. 14) were so intent on keeping minute details of the law, they actually became lawbreakers. In essence, they had developed their own law and had closed their minds to truth.

Luke 17
2 - "These little ones" -- were there children present?
1-10 - Random (?) teachings about:

1. Causing little ones to stumble
2. Rebuking another disciple
3. Forgiveness
4. Faith
5. Attitude of servitude

11 - The area between Galilee and Samaria? I thought they bordered on one another.
15 - Story of the grateful Samaritan. What about the other nine? They must have been Jews, because Jesus called the Samaritan a "foreigner." Did Jewish and Samaritan lepers travel together? Or maybe they didn't. Maybe he was outside even that group.
26 - Jesus verifies the stories of the flood and Sodom and Gomorrah.
30 - Need to do more study in corresponding passages in Matthew and Mark about "that day."
37 - Need more study on "Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather."

Luke 18
18 - Faithful prayer is defined here as "praying always and not losing heart (verse 1). Will Jesus find such faith when he returns?
14 - Humble prayer
17 - Warning against a closed heart
31-34 - Was this hidden to his disciples because he spoke in the 3rd person, as if he were speaking of someone else?
41 - Jesus asked the blind man what he wanted, even though he probably knew already.

Luke 19-20
19:14,24,27 - I didn't remember this being a part of this parable, that the citizens hated the nobleman and sent a delegation after him telling him so. When he returned, he rewarded his servants who had made a profit from the money he had left; he took away the pound from the one who had hidden his; and he executed those who had sent the delegation after him.

So – is he speaking here of those who refused to recognize him as king? This seems to be a lesson not only for his disciples – be productive – but for those also who refuse to follow him.

From glory to sorrow to righteous anger.
19:29-39 - The Triumphal Entry. It always impresses me that as humble as he was, Jesus also knew that he was God, and accepted the praise that was due him as God. It's an amazing scene: The LORD of Lords on a colt, looking like a man, accepting praise as a king.

19:41 - Then as he approaches the city, he weeps over it, because he sees the day coming when it will be destroyed -- because they "did not recognize the time of [their] visitation from God." Then he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were making it a "den of robbers."

Chapter 20 - Antagonizing the religious leaders
1-8 - Refuses to fall into the trap the chief priests, scribes, and elders are setting for them, when they ask him "by what authority are you doing these things?" Could they be talking about the cleansing of the temple?
9-19 - Parable of the wicked tenants - the scribes and chief priests realized he told the parable against them.
20-26 - They couldn't trap him with the tax question. "Being amazed by his answer, they became silent."
27-40 - Now the Sadducees lay a trap regarding resurrection, which they did not accept. But after his answer, "they no longer dared to ask him another question." Everyone who asked a dishonest question made themselves look foolish.
41-43 - He turns the tables and asks them a question they cannot answer regarding David and the Messiah.
45-47 - He warns the people to beware of the scribes.

Luke 11-15

Luke 11
v. 1 - Do we have a record of John teaching his disciples to pray?
v. 2 - The New Revised Standard's Version of "the Lord's prayer": "Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial."
v. 17-20 - Jesus uses logic to combat the accusation that he cast out demons by Beelzebub. [I guess this means he was a disciple of John Locke....]
v. 28 - What's important. Similar to emphasis in 10:20 - "that your names are written in heaven." Here, it is "Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it." And to Martha re: Mary -- she has chosen the better part.
v. 33 - Re: Our eyes are the lamp of our bodies. Is this talking about having an open mind?
vv. 37-52 - How much courage did it take for Jesus to speak these things? Was it hard for him, knowing it would certainly set these influential people against him? Also, was this appropriate as a guest in this Pharisee's house? Note: He spoke after the Pharisee rudely questioned his washing before dinner.

Can these following denouncements be laid against us?

• Being concerned more about appearances than our true characters
• Tithing everything while neglecting justice and love
• Loving the seats of honor
• Hiding our true nature from others, like unmarked graves
• Loading others with burdens too hard for them to bear, and not helping them
• Denying knowledge to others that we haven't pursued

Luke 12
v. 2 - Almost a verbatim repeat of 8:17, which followed the parable of the sower. Here, though, he is talking about hypocrisy.

Instructions from Luke 12:

• v. 1 - Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, that is, their hypocrisy.
• v. 4 - Don't fear those who kill the body; fear him who has authority to cast into hell.
• v. 15 - Be on guard against all kinds of greed.
• v. 22 - Do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear.
• v. 35 - Be prepared. (Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit.)

Luke 13
1-9 - Is the parable of the barren fig tree connected to Jesus' injunction to repent in verses 1-5? It follows right after. Is Jesus telling his listeners that they had better repent soon if they didn't want to be cut down?
10 - His opponents were "put to shame" after condemning Jesus for healing the crippled woman on the Sabbath. This probably did not endear him to them.
18-21 - Jesus' parables on growth of the kingdom immediately follow verse 17: "the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things he had done."
35 - Prophecy of Christ's triumphal entry: "You will not see me until the time comes when you say, 'Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.'"

Luke 14
1-5 - This time Jesus challenged the Pharisees and lawyers (unlike 13:12) before he healed the man with dropsy on the Sabbath, but they were "silent." They did not want to be shamed again in front of the crowd, and he seems to be willing to emphasize that point.
12-14 - "Invite the poor, crippled, lame and blind." How to we put this into practice?

Parables about eating:

1. Take your seat in the lowest place at the banquet
2. Invite those to your dinners who cannot repay
3. Jesus will reject those who reject his invitation to "eat bread in the kingdom of God."

33 - How literal is this hard saying? "None of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions." I believe this is talking not about his rejection of us, but of the impossibility of being a true disciple if we're still emotionally attached to our things.

Luke 15
v. 22 - In parable of the lost son – Here's another robe signifying honor – the way Jacob honored Joseph as his favorite son.
v. 29 - The older brother seems to have been motivated by duty – or even greed – not love for his father. He certainly did not love his brother. All these years he had resented his brother for leaving. If he had loved his father, he would have understood long ago that this would be his father's response to the younger son's coming home.

Luke 7-10

Note: I have transferred the following notes from Pressing On, an MSN blog I started at the beginning of 2008, my first attempt at my Bible Reading Blog. My original intention was to jot down things I hadn't noticed in previous reading or comments and questions I had about the text. If you have seen my more recent postings, you'll see I somehow can't resist outlining the text, which, of course, is why more than a year after I started I'm still trying to finish Isaiah in the Old Testament and Paul's epistles in the New.

Luke 7
14-16 - Sometimes Jesus causes fear.

30 - It appears that God had a purpose for the Pharisees and lawyers, but by refusing to be baptized by John, they rejected that purpose.

Luke 8
11-17 - Connection between the two parables. The good soil is not just those who "remain faithful," or keeping coming to church. In the NRSV, that could apply to the seeds among the thorns: "as they go on their way, they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature."

To be good soil, we must grow in our faith, having less and less interest in the cares of this life. The good soil is described as those who "hold the word fast in an hones and good heart, and BEAR FRUIT with patient endurance."

Then the next parable is about not hiding our lights. I'm not sure how to understand the next couple of verses, which teach that everything hidden will eventually be disclosed, and come to light, with an injunction to "pay attention to how you listen." It may again have something to do with growth, for "to those who have, more will be given." So when we listen to understand, our ability to understand increases exponentially.

Luke 9
10-12 - The reason they were in a deserted place with no access to food was for privacy - "they withdrew privately." Yet when the crowds came, Jesus was not only gracious, he fed them all.

14 - Again, this fear caused by God. This time, at the Transfiguration, Peter, James and John were "terrified" when the cloud overtook them, and God spoke from heaven. Afterward, they told no one – out of obedience to Christ? (9:22), or because it was something that had affected them so deeply they couldn't talk about it?

Luke 10
1 - Jesus sent the 70 disciples to towns where he "intended to go" – kind of a reconnaissance trip. Question: Why did he instruct them to "greet no one on the road"?

20 - An important reason to rejoice – not because God's power is with you (in this case, enabling the seventy to have power over demons), but "rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

21-24 - This seems to be a highlight in Jesus' ministry. He is so thankful for the way the seventy have responded and thanks God for their simplicity. Then he tells the disciples how blessed they are for seeing things that prophets and kings desired to see but could not.

42 - Story of Mary and Martha. Observation: To sit at Jesus' feet is better because "it will not be taken away from" us. Household duties, chores, job lists – all disappear – as we age, or lose abilities or interest, or lose opportunities. But the Word of God remains with us forever.

Exodus 9-11; Psalm 18:26-27; Luke 24

Exodus
9:1 - 5th plague - Disease of livestock - no promise from Pharaoh
9:8 - 6th plague - Boils - still no promises from Pharaoh
9:13-16 - 7th plague - Thunder and hail. v. 15 - God's message to Pharaoh: "By now I could have killed all of you, but I have let you live to show you my power and to make my name resound through all the earth. 9:19 - God warns of hail so Egyptians can shelter people and animals. 9:28 - Pharaoh's response: "Enough of God's thunder and hail! I will let you go; you need stay no longer." v. 35 - He reneges again.
10:1 - 8th plague - Locusts. After receiving the warning of locusts, Pharaoh's officials beg him to give in, so he relents and promises they can go -- but the men only, no children. So the locusts come, Pharaoh asks for forgiveness for his sin, the locusts go, and Pharaoh reneges again after the LORD hardens Pharaoh's heart.
10:21 - 9th plague - Darkness. After this plague (with no warning), Pharaoh promises again, but Moses wants to take their livestock. The LORD hardens Pharaoh's heart, and Pharaoh tells Moses he never wants to see him again.

Chap 11 - Warning of the 10th plague, but Pharaoh's heart is too hardened.

Psalm 18
v. 26-27 - Another part of this psalm that pertains to our Exodus reading today:

...with the pure you show yourself pure and with the crooked you show yourself perverse. For you deliver a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down.

Luke 24 The Good News!
v. 11 - The apostles thought the women's account of their encounter with the angels was just idle talk. [Some things never change. They had to see it for themselves.]

v. 13 - Two on the road to Emmaus - I wonder who they thought he was. No introductions were ever made. I've always thought this was a curious insert into the middle of this story. Maybe this is explaining where Jesus was immediately after the resurrection. While his disciples were looking for him, he was on the road to Emmaus, instructing and amazing these two travelers.

v. 36 - Jesus appears to his disciples (apostles?). At first they are frightened. Jesus sits and eats with them, relates OT prophecies to what has just happened, tells them to stay in Jerusalem, leads them to Bethany, blessed them, and ascends to heaven.

Exodus 6-8; Luke 23

Exodus
6:9 - "...they [the Israelites] would not listen to Moses because of their broken spirit and their cruel slavery." In other words, they had lost all hope. Since this escape from Egypt is used often as a foreshadowing of our escape from the slavery of sin, could this verse also apply to our world today?

6:16,18,20 - Notes on ancestry:

• Levi - Kohath - Amram (Jochebed) - Moses
• Jochebed, the mother of Moses, was also his great aunt. (Amram married his father's sister.)
• According to Ruth 4:18 (and other sources), Aaron's wife Elisheba was of the tribe of Judah: Judah - Perez - Hezron - Ram - Amminadab - Nahshon, who was Elisheba's brother. Nahshon's name is mentioned often as a leader among the Israelites. It doesn't mention that here, but I thought the name sounded familiar!
  
• Aaron (Elisheba) - Eleazar - Phinehas (priests we hear about later, as I recall) His other sons - Nadab & Abihu - are infamous for offering strange fire before God.

7:3 - God says, "I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and I will multiply my signs and wonders...The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD." Hard times ultimately show God's power.

Notes on plagues:
7:14 - 1st plague - Water turned to blood - 7 days - duplicated by Pharaoh's magicians. Pharaoh makes no promises.
8:1 - 2nd plague - Frogs - duplicated by Pharaoh's magicians. V. 8 - Moses to Pharaoh - "When do you want the frogs to go away?" Pharaoh's people could make them appear, but not disappear. Pharaoh promises, then reneges.
8:16 - 3rd plague - Gnats (not duplicated by Pharaoh's magicians.) Pharaoh makes no promises, but his magicians believe - "This is the finger of God!"
8:20 - 4th plague - Flies (except in Goshen). v. 25 - Pharaoh suggests compromise - "Sacrifice here." Then v. 28 - "Okay - leave. But don't go far. And pray for me." He reneges again.

Luke 23
vv. 1-5 - Accusations against Jesus before Pilate:

1. He perverts the nation
2. He forbids us to pay taxes
3. He says he is the Messiah - Then, when Pilate is not convinced -
   
4. He stirs up the people by teaching throughout Judea (from Galilee). Then Pilate passes him to Herod.
   

vv. 6-12 Herod views Jesus as some kind of circus act. Jesus refuses to answer his questions.

vv. 13-25 - The mob prevails over the leader, Pilate.

Reactions of witnesses to the crucifixion

• Simon of Cyrene forced to carry the cross behind Jesus
• Women wail and beat their breasts
• Those who crucify him cast lots for his clothing
• People stand by, watching. Leaders scoff.
• Soldiers mock him
• One of the criminals derides him
• The other rebukes the first and appeals to Jesus to remember him in His kingdom

Witnesses of his death

• Centurion recognizes him as innocent
• Crowds go home, beating their breasts
• Acquaintances stand at a distance and watch

Witnesses of his burial

• Joseph of Arimathea buries the body in a tomb where no one has ever been laid
• Galilean women follow Joseph and observe the place of burial
• Women go home to prepare spices and ointments
• Women rest on the sabbath
  

Exodus 3-5; Psalm 18: Luke 22

Exodus
3:17-19 - Amazing promises of God that Moses was to deliver to the Israelites:

1. I will bring you up out of the misery of Egypt
2. I will compel the King of Egypt to let you go
3. I will bring you into such favor with the Egyptian people that when you leave you will take with you their silver, gold, and clothing

3:18 - God told Moses to ask to leave on false pretenses (?), i.e. "3 days' journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices."

4:18 - Moses left Midian on false pretenses (?), i.e. to see how his family was doing.

4:24-26 - I don't understand anything about this passage. The LORD was trying to kill Moses? Zipporah circumcised their son, then told Moses he was a "bridegroom of blood" to her. The LORD's trying to kill Moses, then, apparently had something to do with their uncircumcised son?

4:30-31 - The signs Moses and Aaron performed seemed to easily convince the Israelites that they were from God. The signs gave them the credibility Moses had wanted.

5:3 - Another falsehood (?) - that God would punish the Israelites if they didn't take the 3 days' journey to sacrifice to Him.

5:4-14 - The request to Pharaoh for relief results in still more oppression. (Oh -- asking for a break? You apparently have too much time on your hands!)

5:22-23 - Moses rails against God because of the increased cruelty. Pharaoh's cruelty is the fault of God; God is not rescuing them quickly enough.

Psalm 18:7-15
Even though this is God's response to David's plea, it is an appropriate description of what is about to happen in Egypt in our Exodus reading. Look, for example, at verse 12: "Out of the brightness before him there broke through his clouds hailstones and coals of fire."

Luke 22
vv. 5-6 - Did Judas Iscariot think that he'd have it both ways: 1) get some money and 2) see Jesus walk away from the danger, as he had done before? Back in 18:32, when Jesus talked of his death, the twelve had not grasped what he was saying.

v. 7-13 - Reminiscent of when Jesus sent his disciples ahead to get the colt before his triumphal entry into Jerusalem (19:30). Everything was ready, "just as he had told them" (19:32 and 22:13).

22:36-38 - Another misunderstanding? It appeared to me as I read Jesus' instructions about the sword that he was talking about their future "mission" trips, but they interpreted it as what they would need right then.

22:39-46 - The disciples were asleep when they should have been praying -- they were ignorant of what was to come. A lesson for us here?

22:49 - Sure enough! Time for the sword. Good o'l Peter -- always ready for a confrontation.

22:54-62 - Peter's denial emphasizes the danger of saying to others (or to ourselves) "I would never...."

22:66-71 - The chief priests and scribes finally had Jesus right where they wanted him. Little did they know he was actually using them.

Exodus 1-2; Psalm 18; Luke 21

Exodus 1-2
2:9 - I wonder if Pharoah's daughter suspected that the "nurse" was actually the mother.
2:11,17 - A character trait of Moses seems to show up in these instances: Taking up for the defenseless.
2:24 - Taking up for the defenseless also a trait of God: "God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God looked upon the Israelites, and God took notice of them."

Psalm 18:1-3
Source of the song, I Will Call upon the Lord.

Luke 21
vv. 12-13 - Being brought before kings and governors would give Jesus' disciples a chance to testify about him.
vv. 20-24 - Another prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem. Refer back to 19:41-41, when he wept for the pending destruction of the city.
v. 24 - To what does "times of the Gentiles" refer?
v. 32 - Indicates that the previous verses would take place in the first century, which also indicates he's still speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem. See Isaiah 13:9-10 (Destruction of Babylon) and Isaiah 34:4 (Judgment on the Nations) for similar language.