LUKE - The Starting Point of Christ's Ministry
As Jesus was concluding the Sermon on the Plain, He asked, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46) It’s a question that should challenge us to think deeply about what it means to follow Jesus. Can you simply claim to follow Jesus but not do what He says? Or is there more to it? As we consider this question, examine your life to ensure you are building your life on the right foundation.
Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world” (John 18:36). If Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world, then why would we—as citizens of His kingdom—live according to the principles of this world? Should we not live according to His kingdom principles? So as we continue our study in the Gospel of Luke this morning, I want us to pause and notice five principles for life in the kingdom of God.
It isn’t difficult to love someone who already loves us. In the same vein, it isn’t hard to do something nice to someone who has already done something nice for us. In this sermon, we are looking at the passage from Luke 6:27-36 where Jesus calls us to love our enemies. The world still adheres to the thought “eye for an eye”. Jesus is calling us to show an Uncommon Love towards those who hate us in return.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary the word counterintuitive means “contrary to intuition or to common-sense expectation (but often nevertheless true).” So to say something is counterintuitive does not mean that it is faulty, absurd, contradictory or unreasonable—it just means that we do not readily understand it because it goes against the way we normally think. The fact is: most aspects of the Christian faith are both counterintuitive and counter-cultural! Most of the concepts that we will be considering today will be contrary to what our intuition or common-sense are telling us, but nevertheless is true! We’ll be looking at four different issues in this passage. First, we’ll consider, why did Jesus need for extended times of prayer? Why did He need partners in the ministry? Why would people go to a man wondering around in the desert to be healed? And why would Jesus teach the things He did to the crowds? What He said made no sense at all from their perspective!
One of our Christian brothers in Ukraine related a story that a Russian tank approached the point there where they were helping people. The Russian soldiers got out of the tank and said, ‘We’re out of gas, but we’re also out of food and water, and we’re freezing.’ And so the Ukrainian believers that these Russian soldiers are fighting against gave them water, food, hot tea, and even let them use their cell phones to call their families back in Russia.” The prayer request of one of our leaders in Ukraine was: “Pray for us. Pray for our people. But pray that we will have opportunities to reach the Russian soldiers with the gospel.” There is no way to explain their attitudes and actions except to point to the work of God in their hearts! The sign that you follow Jesus Christ is that you love one another. What an amazing display of love by these Ukrainian believers!
As we continue our study through Luke—“In the Steps of the Savior”—I do not want us to forget the context in which Jesus is saying all these things. Anytime we seek to understand the meaning of a text, we must first examine its context, then its next larger context, and eventually in light of the overall teaching of Scripture. The Old Covenants pointed out our need for a Savior, and the New Covenant shows us all about that Savior. It is my prayer that we will come to an understanding of this new covenant and the promises of God that are found therein.
Unseen forces… invisible sources of power… Whether we’re talking about the gravitational force of the earth or the ultraviolet rays of the sun, we may not be able to see them, but we can definitely see their effect in our lives! As we continue our study through the Gospel of Luke, we will consider a passage today where Jesus’ power and authority came into question. Let’s study this passage to see what happened and to hopefully see the effects of the unseen power that courses through Jesus’ being.
In our text today from Luke 5, we encounter a situation that I’m almost certain none of you have ever experienced. Sometimes it can be difficult for us to understand something if we do not have any personal experience that can connect us to that thing or event. In our passage today, we are introduced to a man who is suffering from a highly contagious skin disease—referred to as leprosy in Scripture. When we think about lepers—and the pain and suffering that they must have undergone as a result of their disease—we probably feel sorry for them. But that was not how they were treated in the first century A.D. Let’s look at how Jesus broke the cultural norms to reach out with compassion to the dregs of the society.
As we continue our series—“In the Steps of the Savior”—we have come to the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Luke. Jesus is just getting started with His earthly ministry and His fame is growing. Already, He is known for His unmatched power and authority—power to heal those with diseases, authority to cast out demons, and the aptitude to teach like no one else in His day. We have come to the place in His-story where He is ready to call some of His followers to a greater level of commitment. In our passage today, we’ll be observing not only the actions and attitudes of some of these men who were candidates for becoming Jesus’ apostles, but we will also consider the high price of following Him.
There is nothing quite like the build up and anticipation for a winter storm in the South. A week ago today, the local meteorologists were telling us to get ready because a winter storm was on its way. Well, we’ve heard that before when it was much ado about nothing. But nonetheless, we prepare. Many would argue that the raids on the grocery stores and closing of schools and businesses are not only needed, they are essential. I wouldn’t disagree, but I do think we might take it a little overboard when we start hoarding 14 gallons of milk for a storm that’s supposed to last two days. Today, as we continue our study through the Gospel of Luke—In the Steps of the Savior—we’re going to spend a little time focusing on some things that Jesus considered essential. Then we will attempt to apply these principles in our own lives to see how we might emulate Jesus’ actions today.