This week we will continue to study
the Gospel of Luke.
(1) Whose suggestion was it to get into a boat to cross over to the other side only to return shortly (8:40)?
(2) Whom and what did Jesus have in mind for this short journey?
(3) Jesus obviously anticipated the storm. Why did He choose to sleep?
(4) What should these disciples have done when they were in “great danger" with the following resources?
a. A background of some as seasoned fishermen.
b. “Faith”
(5) What did the disciples choose to do?
a. In what way was it an act of faith?
b. In what way was it not?
(6) What had the disciples witnessed so far before this incident? Who did they believe Jesus to be?
(7) How did Jesus calm the storm? What was the significance of His method?
(8) Why then were they surprised by Jesus’ power? How different would His authority over the winds and waves be from that over demons and sickness?
(9) Have you "squalled" while going through a comparable life storm? How did you handle it? What would Jesus have remarked to you?
(10) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water and they obey Him.” (Lk. 8:25)
I think you have heard skeptics of the gospel say that if they saw God with their own eyes, they would believe in Him.
Of course, our natural and logical response is that if they can see God, they do not have to “believe” Him. Faith, by definition is to be “certain of what we do not see” (Heb. 11:1). Furthermore, because of our sins, as God puts it, “no one may see me and live” (Exod. 33:20).
That does not mean that God will not give us enough evidence for us to believe in Him. As Paul eloquently puts it, “For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities — His eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” (Rom. 1:20)
But God has not stopped at this — at what we call general revelation. He, through His Son’s incarnation, has made Himself known to us. The Gospel of John is also called the Book of Signs in that through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, John carefully crafts his gospel to tell of the signs (i.e. miracles) performed by Jesus. Its purpose is so that we “may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing, (we) may have life in His name.” (Jn. 20:31)
You may wonder why, we in the intellectual world, no longer witness similar miracles as recorded in the Gospels. For one, I believe, we now have the many apostolic testimonies of the life and work of the Lord Jesus, and also the privilege of the written Word of God in languages that we can understand. If we do not believe in God’s comprehensive witness through His written word, even if see miracles every day, like the resurrection of the dead (Lk. 16:31), we will still reject God.
But on the other hand, we do see miracles everyday — the rising and setting of the sun, the birth of a baby, and most of all the regeneration of a sinner who repents to God. These all witness to us the eternal power and divine nature of our Creator God.
(1) This short journey across the Sea of Galilee was obviously taken for the sake of this man. What does this tell you about Jesus?
(2) Can you describe what a person is like under demonic power? How are people without Christ similar to this person?
(3) From the exchange between the evil spirit(s) and Jesus, what more can you learn about the spirit-world and why would Jesus entertain their request?
(4) What might be the significance of highlighting the name of the demon?
(5) The rearing of pigs was necessarily a pagan practice and that identifies both the herdsmen and the demon-possessed man likely as gentiles.
a. Still, what would the normal reaction be to the healing of the demon-possessed man?
b. The people must have heard of Jesus. Upon seeing such a great miracle, what should their attitude toward Jesus be?
c. Why then did they ask Jesus to leave?
d. Have you ever come across people who rejected Jesus even after they have seen miracles, say of healing, by Jesus? What might be their reason(s)?
(6) Why did the man beg to follow Jesus? Why did Jesus reject his request? (Note: Mk. 5:20 tells us that the man bore witness in the Decapolis, which means ten cities. All were gentile cities, east and northeast of Jordan.)
(7) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” (Lk. 8:39)
I have used Evangelism Explosion (E.E.) to teach Christians not only in my home church, but those in other churches, equipping the lay people to be ready to share the gospel clearly, systematically and responsibly wherever they go. One of the emphases I like about E.E. is to urge those new converts to share their testimony immediately with someone they love. It not only serves to affirm their faith in Christ, but it is totally in tune with what Jesus told the newly converted, former demon-possessed man to do in Luke 8:39:
“Return home and tell how much God has done for you.”
Yes, this man would have little biblical knowledge, but such knowledge will come in time. But his conversion was not an accident. The extremely superstitious cities in the Decapolis desperately needed the gospel, and with his miraculous and undeniable healing, he instantly became a powerful testimony, drawing these people with a gentile background to Jesus.
As it happened, although the people of the town sadly urged Jesus to leave them, Jesus did not abandon them. As we read later in Mark 7:31, Jesus returned to the Decapolis and the people were far more ready to receive Him. I believe this was in part due to the testimony of this former demon-possessed man.
Indeed, we need to receive proper training in evangelism, but training cannot take the place of willingness and eagerness to share what the Lord has done for us irrespective of how well-versed we are in biblical knowledge.
(1) Based on what you have read so far in Luke, how did the rulers of the synagogue view Jesus?
(2) Why then did Jairus choose to fall at Jesus’ feet? Would you do the same, as one who might have gotten angry previously at Jesus because He blatantly broke the rules of Sabbath? Why or why not?
(3) If you were Jairus, what would you think upon hearing the news in v. 49?
(4) What impact might the healing of the bleeding woman (in v. 44) have on him?
(5) Even if the girl were truly dead, should they still say, “Don’t bother the teacher any more”? Why or why not?
(6) Jesus could have proceeded to raise the girl without saying a word. Why did He choose to tell Jairus, “Don’t be afraid, just believe”?
(7) Why did Jesus choose to revive the little girl only in the presence of a few disciples and the parents? Why would He exclude the wailing crowd from this? Did it have anything to do with their mocking of Jesus?
(8) What had this apparent tragedy meant to Jairus?
(9) What is the main message to you today and how can you apply it to your life?
“Don’t bother the teacher anymore.” (Lk 8:49)
The raising of his daughter was obviously a very significant event in Jairus’ life:
- The sadness of losing a 12 year-old child is unthinkable to all parents and to have her raised from the dead had to be the greatest joy of Jairus, far more joyful than the day of her birth.
- His love for the daughter was also very obvious in that as a synagogue ruler, [likely the one in Capernaum in which the healing by Jesus of the man with shriveled right hand had enraged the Pharisees to the point that they “began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus” (6:11)], to come kneeling before Jesus for help was a very courageous act that only a desperate father would do under the circumstances.
- But the healing of the bleeding woman was a double-edged sword to him. Such a miraculous healing obviously gave him greater confidence that Jesus could heal his daughter, and yet the undue delay due to her hiding had caused the life of his daughter. It must have been a very trying time for Jairus as Jesus tarried and waited for the woman to confess.
- And alas, once this drama was over, it turned out his daughter indeed had died — the broken-heartedness, and the anger could be felt by all, and yet, instead of proceeding to raise the girl without a word, Jesus chose to tell him, “Don’t be afraid, just believe, and she will be healed”. Jesus did not want Jairus to fall into unnecessary despair and grief even for a moment, no matter how short it might be. This is always the heart of our Lord.
- Of course, He raised the daughter to life in front of Jairus, and we can safely assume that his faith in Jesus would never be the same. His courageous faith in Jesus and his love for his daughter had paid off.
However, I find the words of the messenger who brought the news of the girl’s death very sad. The messenger said, “Your daughter is dead…Don’t both the teacher anymore.”
Should we approach Jesus only with a request? Only for healing or for meeting our needs? Is Jesus only a healer?
It reminds me of Mary, who also wept and considered Jesus’ arrival too late, because her brother Lazarus had died too (Jn. 11:32). But she did not tell Jesus to go away. She believed in Jesus not for the sake of healing or meeting her needs. She believed Him and loved Him as her Savior, Lord and friend. And that is who Jesus desires to be to all of us, including Jairus and his friends. If there was a time they needed Jesus most, it would have been at the time of the girl's death, but not necessarily for the sake of raising her from death, but for comfort, for strength and most important of all, for their salvation.
(1) What would be the physical condition of a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years?
(2) See Leviticus 15:19-24. What was the implication of her forcing her way through the crowd? Should not the people become aware of her uncleanness?
(3) Apart from her health problem, try to describe her other conditions ― physical, emotional and spiritual (i.e. attitude toward God).
(4) Imagine the following: She took great courage to come, she took great strength to force herself to the front, she had great faith (believing that touching Jesus’ cloak was enough to be healed), and she “felt” instant healing. How would you describe her feeling at that very point? What adjective might be used to most appropriately describe her?
(5) Why did Jesus ask “Who touched my clothes?” Did He not know? Why then did He ask? What’s the purpose?
(6) Why did the woman “tremble with fear”? Would it not be the opposite of the adjective you just used to describe her?
(7) Her faith has already brought her healing. Now with her falling at Jesus’ feet and willing to tell Him her whole story, Jesus further pronounced: “Daughter, your faith has healed (the original Greek word is “saved”, which is the same word used in 7:50) you. Go in peace (and be ‘whole’ of your suffering)” (Lk. 8:48, Mk. 5:34). What if, she chose to sneak away without being willing to be confronted by Jesus? She would still be healed, but would she be saved? Why or why not?
(8) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” (Lk. 8:48)
I have no idea why the NIV chooses to translate these parting words of Jesus, “your faith has healed you. Go in peace” (Lk. 8:48), to the woman who confessed her conditions and story to Jesus before the crowd. The same exact Greek word is used in 7:50 of the sinful woman who anointed Jesus and there, the NIV translation is, “Your faith has saved you, go in peace.” (Italics, mine)
Allow me to simply share the insights of Lenski with you in this respect:
“Not one word of blame or reproach; only words of cheer and uplift. The very address, ‘daughter’ bespeaks, loving concern. When Jesus attributes the woman’s restoration to her faith, i.e., to her trust and confidence in Him, He does not make her faith the causa efficiens (the cause of the effect), for this was His own power and will, but only the causa instrumentalis (the instrument of cause) as the organon lhptikon -- the hand that receives the gifts. Jesus Himself had inspired that faith (Mk. 5:27). This faith wrought the woman’s restoration by moving her to touch Jesus. The idea that this faith rests only on the physical touch is unwarranted; it rested on the person touched. Luther has the correct view: She believes that divine, omnipotent power resides in Jesus; that He can answer the secret, unspoken trust of her heart; that all she needs is the Word and preaching by which He has made Himself known, and uses the touch only as in some way to come in contact with Him. Who has seen such wonderful people; this Jairus who trusts that the hand of Jesus touching his child can bring back her life, and this woman who trusts that her touch of His garment will bring her restoration? No wonder that Jesus rewarded such faith.
"In the perfect tense, seswke (σέσωκέν, has saved) reaches back to the instant in which Jesus restored her and includes her continued restoration. Jesus wants the woman to realize the value of her faith and trust in Him. Compare 7:50 where the same words are applied to the soul condition of another woman and see there also the exposition of the word with which Jesus dismissed the restored woman.”
(Lenski, Luke, 488)
9:1-6
(1) Read this passage carefully. Do you get a sense that this was a message just for the Twelve’s immediate assignment or for the longer term? Why?
(2) If you were one of the Twelve, and were given such authority, how would you feel? But with respect to the preaching part, were they “qualified” to preach? How much did they know about the kingdom of God? Did it really matter?
(3) Jesus was very specific in His instructions of not taking anything for the journey. Should this principle be applied to us today?
(4) What about the instruction to stay in one house (instead of moving around)? What was the purpose of such an instruction?
(5) Was the shaking of dust too harsh a treatment against those who rejected them? Why or why not? What was the message here?
(6) Did the Twelve include Judas? Why then could he also perform miracles?
9:7-9
Note:
Herod was in essence a governor, but Caesar had bestowed the title of a king to his father, Herod the Great, who slaughtered the children of Bethlehem in Matthew 2.
(7) Luke gives us a bit more information about the differing opinions about who Jesus was. What can you tell about the reasoning and the causes behind each of these speculations?
- He is Elijah (see Mal. 4:5)
- He is like one of the prophets long ago (by then the Jews had not seen a prophet for some 400 years)
- He is John the Baptist (Herod’s speculation according to Matt. 14:2)
(8) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic…” (Luke 9:3)
Most Christian para-church ministries will describe themselves as ministries of faith, meaning that they believe that their ministries are in response to the call of God and as such they are committed to depend on God for their financial resources. Such an understanding is absolutely biblical — biblical in terms of both the teachings and examples taught in the Scripture.
But a more detailed look at the teachings and examples from the Scripture in this respect will point us even more directly and firstly to the ministers themselves. Abraham obeyed the call of God to uproot his family and he embarked on a journey marked by faith (Gen. 12). Elijah obeyed the call of God to flee to Kerith and he lived by faith (1 Ki. 17). And, Jesus called His disciples and they obeyed and lived by faith (Lk. 9:3).
However, modern-day theology in the West downplays the essence of faith in being a minister of the gospel in the guise of financial prudence. I am not advocating that the church should not look after their pastors responsibly, or that the pastor can ruthlessly and irresponsibly plunge the church into a financial crisis in the guise of faith. But the fact remains, if a ministry is of God, He will hold Himself responsible, and if a minister is called by God, one of the tests of his or her calling is whether God will provide for their financial needs. God does not change and neither will His Word.
This is why when a student intern who had a clear sense of calling into full-time ministry chose to live on student-loans when he quit his job and entered into seminary, I strongly advised him against it. If God called him into full-time ministry, He would provide all that he needs (though not all that he wants). If he could not trust God to provide for his needs while he was still single, how could he trust God to provide when he has a family? How could he teach the people to trust in God when he pastors a church?
I know that by ourselves we may not have faith — enough to embark on a journey like Abraham or Elijah, but I do trust that if God is the one who calls, He will also grant us faith — enough to finish the mission He entrusts to us.
(1) We have no idea how long the “short-term” mission trip was that the apostles took, but when they returned, they must have felt both exhausted and exhilarated (see Mk. 6:30-32). The first thing Jesus did was to withdraw with them away from the crowd. How important was it to the apostles at a time like this?
(2) What might be the problem(s) the disciples had in feeding the people:
a. They did not have enough money.
b. They did not want to spend so much money.
c. It was too onerous a task for them.
d. They did not consider this as part of their ministry.
e. They did not care about the people.
(3) What was the message to the disciples when Jesus said, “You give them something to eat”? What should their reply be? What would your reply be?
(4) In feeding the 5,000 (men), what options did Jesus have? What was the option He chose? Compare His chosen method with 2 Kings 4:42-44, and see the similarities and also the differences. Which of these catches your imagination?
(5) What had this experience meant for the hungry crowd and for the disciples respectively?
(6) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“You give them something to eat.” (Lk. 9:13)
I have had the privilege of working with some young pastors who have a burden to reach out to the marginalized of society. I still remember the time I went out with a young pastor after midnight to “skid road” to pass out hot chocolate and food to the street people and we ended up praying with a prostitute on the roadside together. While I admire the heart of the young pastor, I also detected a sense of anger in him towards others in the church who do not share the same burden as his. His is not an isolated example.
While I rejoice to see many Evangelical Christians who have a heart to care about the physical and the emotional needs of the marginalized, I often detect both a holier-than-thou attitude and also a sense of resentment towards others who do not share their passion.
When Jesus says, “You will always have the poor among you” (Jn. 12:8 ), of course, He does not mean we should not care about them, but rather, He is being practical in telling us that we cannot totally solve the problem of poverty this side of heaven. If we do not realize this, we will end up frustrated and angry, because sooner or later, we will realize that it remains an never ending problem (in spite of the recent prophecy by Bill Gates that given time, there will not be a poor nation in the world). No, it does not mean that we should therefore stop feeding the poor; it is just that we know we are simply doing our part in caring about the poor as an extension of the hands and feet of the Lord. However, it is more important to realize that in the end it is their salvation that is our ultimate mission.
That is the reason why, as the crowd sought to crown Jesus as king after the meal, He withdrew to the mountain and later on rebuked them for following Him for the wrong reason — that of “having their fill”, and He pointed out to them that ultimately, they should seek for “food that endures to eternal life.” (Jn. 6:15, 26-27)
The disciples had followed Jesus for some time, having seen Jesus’ miracles, heard His teachings, witnessed the fierce opposition of the Pharisee, and known Jesus up close. Jesus now began to reveal His ultimate plan of suffering to them. Before that, He wanted them to know who He really is:
(1) Who did the people, in general, think Jesus was?
(2) To be thought of as Elijah would have been a great honor already. Why was it not enough for Jesus?
(3) Why then did Jesus follow with the question, “But, what about you?"..."Who do you say I am?”? What is the significance of the word, “but”?
(4) As to who Jesus is, what do people say today, in general? In what aspects are the people right? In what way(s) are they wrong and how wrong are they?
(5) What about you? Who do you say Jesus is?
(6) Now Peter’s response was obviously correct. But was it enough for him to acknowledge Jesus as the Christ (i.e. Messiah)? Why not?
(7) Why did Jesus follow this question with telling them His sufferings, death and resurrection?
(8) Jesus used the occasion to correct the minds of men when it comes to following him, by stating, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (v. 23).
a. What does Jesus mean by “come after me? Try to define it as clearly as you can.
b. What does it mean to “deny himself”?
c. What does it mean to “take up his cross daily”?
d. What does it mean to “follow me”?
e. Have you done all of the above?
(9) What does following Him have to do with “saving” and “losing” one’s life? Does gaining the whole world necessarily lead to forfeiting one’s soul?
(10) Why did Jesus bring out the notion of being “ashamed of me and my words” within the preceding context? Can someone be truly His follower and yet be ashamed of Him and His words?
(11) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him….” (Lk. 9:26)
In the name of missions, there is a growing debate about whether we should require converts to Christianity to renounce their original religions, like Islam and Hinduism.
The debate is obviously prompted by the consequences of immediate persecution and likely death that these new converts face in their countries.
This, of course, is not a new debate. Christians in the first few centuries were facing immense persecution at the hands of the Roman government. Many historians put the number of martyrs often in the hundreds of thousands during some of the most severe periods of persecution. We also know that there were those Christians who would bow at the statue of the emperor in order to have their lives spared. Many church fathers refused to admit them back into the church based on the above words spoken by the Lord.
I have to admit that I have never experienced persecution, let alone the kind faced by Christians in Islamic countries, or in India or Pakistan. However, these words of Jesus were spoken exactly with these situations in mind.
In the Gospel of Mark, it was because Peter feared persecution, and loathed especially the likely death of Jesus that he “rebuked” Jesus. (Mk. 8:32)
If the way of the cross could be avoided, why would Jesus turn and rebuke Peter, even as “Satan”? (Mk. 8:33)
And if following Christ would not invite persecution, even death, why would Jesus forewarn that “For whoever wants to save his life, will lose it…” (Lk. 9:24)?
The call to “deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” applies to “anyone”, meaning everyone (Lk. 9:23). I am afraid there is no exception!