Read 310.) Luke chapters 7 thru 9. Within these 3 chapters, we move thru some 18 stories. From chapter 7, we have the first 4. It begins with the faith of the centurion. If there's one thing God truly honors in men, it is faith. Hebrews chapter 11 is devoted to mentioning God's heroes of faith and God's value of it. Faith is taking God at His word! Luke's account of this story is the most complete and adds detail that Matthew didn't. Jesus then raises a widow's son from the dead. Only Luke tells us this story. Next, we have an account of John the Baptist's wavering faith, and of Jesus' words of encouragement to him. Jesus also identifies John as Messiah's forerunner, thereby of course telling the people that He is their Messiah! The account closes on the note of how that sinners were repenting and coming to God, while the religious leaders and the larger part of the population would not. It would be their undoing. Chapter 7 ends with Jesus being anointed by a sinful woman. From this account, we know how important an issue the matter of personal sinfulness is, and how that Jesus is the forgiver of sins which proves He is divine, and of the necessity for faith in Jesus as Savior and Forgiver. By faith in Him, a sinful person is forgiven and saved!
There are 6 stories in chapter 8. It opens with the popular parable of the sower. We can understand it better, if we think of it as being a parable concerning soils and different men's responses to the Word of God. We want to hear it, believe, and be saved, and then retain it, and persevere so as to bring yet others in. With the parable of the lamp on a stand, Jesus explains that once having the Word of God, we are to be as that lamp, shining it on others everywhere that many more might believe and be saved. Jesus' mother and brothers come but the account is far more complete, especially in Mark 3. They had come to take charge of Jesus, thinking He had lost His mind! Then, crossing the lake, a storm arises that threatens their very lives, which Jesus calms with a word, and His disciples still do not fully comprehend who He is. Across the lake, Jesus delivers a man of a legion of demons who go into a herd of swine. These then drown themselves in the lake. The people of that region feared and asked Jesus to go away. Chapter 8 concludes with the raising of Jairus' 12-year-old daughter. A woman, having faith, is healed on the way to Jairus' home. Both stories emphasize the necessity and merit of having faith in Jesus as Messiah while He was among them.
Chapter 9 has 8 more stories. The first is of Jesus sending out His disciples to call all Israel unto Himself. We are told too, that Herod has become very aware of Jesus. Next, is the popular story of Jesus feeding 5,000 men with just 5 loaves and 2 fish. Approaching the end of Jesus' ministry, we next come to Peter's confession of faith. With this understanding, and because of larger Israel's rejection of Him, He tells them of the Gospel of His death and resurrection for the first time. It's meaning and purpose will be made clear shortly. Jesus then is transfigured before Peter, James, and John, manifesting His glory unto them with God's voice confirming it to them. A fifth event, Jesus delivers a boy from demonic torments, and tells His disciples He will soon be betrayed. The disciples then argue among themselves as to which will be the greatest, they being filled with pride. What a sorry scene that must have been. With 9:51, we are closing in on the end of His life and ministry, and the next 9 chapters will largely be of Jesus' teachings, on their way to His Passion in Jerusalem. A good deal of this will be unique to Luke's Gospel. Because He was headed for Jerusalem, Samaritans along the route would not welcome Him. The chapter closes on the cost of discipleship, particularly when He was physically among them. His own importance was such that every person was to immediately leave all, and simply follow Him. He would have provided for their every need… and, ultimately be ushered into the Kingdom, if most had believed and followed. It's what the Book is all about!
ForeverKingdom,
Harold F Crowell
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