Recap

So far in Luke, we've read through the introduction, Jesus' ministry in Galilee, and started the journey to Jerusalem. We noted how this book was written with the book of Acts to be one continuous story. We also looked at how, for Luke, the kingdom of God is centred on uplifting the marginalised and outcasts and bringing salvation and repentance, empowered by the Holy Spirit.

We read the two miraculous conception stories of John and Jesus who would both fulfil Old Testament prophecies. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, announced to shepherds by angels, showing God's desire to reach the poor and outcasts. At twelve, Jesus is in the temple, focused on God's work. He is later baptised and resists the devil’s temptations in the wilderness. Throughout, people are filled with the Holy Spirit to fulfil their roles. John the Baptist taught the importance of repentance and caring for the poor.

Then Jesus began his ministry, using Isaiah 61:1-2 to declare his mission to those on the margins of society. After being chased from the synagogue, Jesus liberated people from demons and illness, putting his words into action. He called his first disciples by demonstrating his power, filling fishermen's nets after an empty night, showing his provision. He also called a tax collector, a sinner, explaining that he came for those in need. Jesus healed a leper, and a paralysed man, again showing his power and care for the outcast.

This led to the section focusing on teaching disciples about the values of Jesus' upside down kingdom. We get the Sermon on the Plain, similar to the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). Luke includes curses following the Beatitudes, warning the proud and self-sufficient. In God's kingdom, those who recognise their need for him are blessed, while the self-reliant will be left wanting.

Jesus performed many miracles from healings, raising the dead, calming the storm, casting out demons, and feeding 5,000 people. This prompted the question, "Who is this Jesus?" and Peter answered, "The Christ of God." Jesus then revealed that he must suffer and die, and his disciples must also be willing to suffer for God's kingdom. This was confirmed when three of them witnessed Jesus' transfiguration, removing any doubt about his identity.

This started the journey to Jerusalem. But while they understood who Jesus was, the disciples still hadn’t grasped who they were meant to be. They were unable to cast a demon out because they lacked the faith. They let pride take over, arguing with themselves about who was the greatest. Then, when Jesus was rejected by some Samaritans, they threatened to burn the town to the ground, rather than show mercy and grace. Through these disciples, we got a perfect lesson on what not to do if we want to follow Jesus. 

Luke 10-11

Jesus takes seventy-two of his disciples and sends them out to carry his ministry with them. They are to go with the upside down values of the kingdom of God. They don’t need to take any provision or money with them, but just live off the generosity of others. While there, they are to heal the sick and share the good news of the kingdom of God.

The number seventy-two is significant. If you remember all the way back to Genesis 11 and the tower of Babel, God divided the people up into different nations. We read later (in Deuteronomy 34) that God put some of his key spiritual beings in charge of these nations to lead them in his place. Unfortunately, at least some of the spiritual beings rebelled and did their own thing. God’s kingdom over the earth was fractured.

If you were to count the number of nations that God divided the earth into (the list appears in Genesis 10) the number would be seventy-two. So when he divided his kingdom, he divided it into seventy-two pieces. Now Jesus has come to restore his kingdom, he symbolically sends out seventy-two disciples to reclaim authority back from these rebel spiritual beings.

As a quick nerdy side note. Some translations have seventy disciples. These translations prefer manuscripts that have seventy rather than seventy-two.

But this still works. When we compare the Hebrew Bible with the Greek Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) we see that the Hebrew Bible has seventy nations in Genesis 10, and the Septuagint has seventy-two nations.

The manuscript changes in Luke 10 probably happened because the manuscript writers were either used to the Hebrew Bible or the Septuagint and therefore updated it to match the version they had. Very nerdy, but I wanted to cover anyone who might be reading from a different translation.

When the disciples returned saying, “even the demons are subject to us in your name!” Jesus responds to them saying, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (Luke 10:17-18). Jesus’ new plan for the earth are those who are united in his name. These he gives the authority to lead to. But he warns them to not let pride in. They shouldn’t boast or rejoice in this authority, but instead be humbled and grateful that they get to be a part of heaven.

While Jesus is teaching, an expert on the law comes forward to test him, asking Jesus what is needed to achieve eternal life. So Jesus points him to the law, which the man summarises as, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27).

But the man isn’t satisfied and so asks Jesus to explain who his neighbour is. So Jesus tells a story of a man who has been robbed, beaten, and left to die on the road. One at a time, three men walk by. The first two are a priest and a Levite. These are both men of high social status, and yet both men ignored the dying man and walked on.

The third man was a Samaritan. As far as the Jews were concerned, the Samaritans were scum. And yet it was the Samaritan takes the dying man, bandages him up, and takes him to an inn to rest up, paying for his stay.

Jesus’ point is this, it’s not your social status that determines if you are a ‘good person’. It’s how you treat and care for those in need. In his story, those with great social status did nothing, while someone with low social status proved himself to be a true neighbour. 

Next we get a story of two sisters, Mary and Martha. Martha invited Jesus into her house, and then quickly set to preparing everything so to be a good host. Her sister, Mary, focused on Jesus, listening to his teaching. Martha is quickly annoyed that her sister isn’t serving as hard as she is and complains to Jesus.

But Jesus explains to her she misunderstood what is important. Yes, serving is good. This has been a key part of Jesus’ teaching to his disciples. But serving at the expense of drawing close and hearing from Jesus is not good. It’s a distraction that leads to anxiety and stress.

Let’s go back to the expert of the law for a moment. He summarised the law as loving God and loving your neighbour. In Jesus’ parable, Luke explores what it means to love your neighbour. Then, in the story of Mary and Martha, Luke explores what it means to love God.

Your neighbour needs your service. A man dying on the streets doesn’t need prayers and well wishes. He needs someone to bind his wounds and care for him. But God doesn’t need your service. He’s the God of all creation. What he wants is your attention. To have your eyes focused on him and be listening to what he is saying.

A little later, Jesus is praying, and the disciples ask him to teach them how to pray. He gives them a template prayer they can use and then explains that the most important thing is to come to God and to ask.

God wants to give good things to his people. That’s not the issue. It’s not that you have to twist God’s arm and persuade him to do good in your prayers. The important things is that you come to him to ask and are persistent in it.

We then get another clash between Jesus and some religious leaders. Jesus is casting out demons when a group accuses him of siding with the devil. That’s how he has the power to cast out demons. Jesus challenges their logic, pointing out how useless it would be for Satan to cast out his own minions. What would he achieve in doing that?

Also, Jesus’ focus isn’t just casting out demons. It’s transforming lives. If he were to just cast out the demon, but leave the person as they are, that demon would soon return with more demons and the person would be in a worse state than before.

He warns the crowd that though they want a sign from him, they won’t get one, apart from the sign of Jonah. This is a hint to his death. Just as Jonah spent three days in the belly of a large fish, Jesus would spend three days in the grave.

But even then, he knows his death and resurrection won’t be enough for these people. They are worse than the people of the Old Testament. At least they responded to the signs they received.

And the religious leaders and lawyers make it all the worse. They trap people in their traditions and hold people back from actually encountering God.

Psalm 115

This psalm isn’t attributed to anyone in particular and falls into the category of praise psalm.

Psalm 115:1 - The Lord’s name be glorified

Psalm 115:2-8 - A contrast between the living God and lifeless idols

Psalm 115:9-11 - An encouragement to trust in the Lord

Psalm 115:12-15 - The Lord will bless his people

Psalm 115:16-18 - The heavens are the Lord’s

The psalmist opens with a declaration that Lord’s name be glorified because he is loving and faithful. Other nations might ask if the Lord is even real, but he is. He sits in heaven with ultimate authority. He can do what we wants.

The other nations worship and pray to idols of silver and gold. These idols cannot hear their prayers or reply to them as they don’t have working ears or mouths. They might have noses and hands and feet, but they are not living. They cannot smell or touch or walk. They are useless. And those who make idols, or put their trust in idols, are similarly made useless. As for the Israelites, they should trust in the Lord, for he will rescue them and protect them. The Lord is mindful of his people and will bless them who fear him.

All of creation belongs to the Lord. The heavens are his domain, but he has given the earth over to humans. Therefore, while we are on the earth, we should praise him and bless him, for he is worthy of it all.

The psalm reiterates the power and authority of the Lord, as well as the intimate access that his people have to him. Other people might worship idols that cannot hear or speak, but the Lord’s people can speak to their God and he, in turn, blesses and protects them.