October 30: Luke 17:11-18:14

October 30, Luke 17:11-18:14

Luke continued…

Luke 17:11-36 Jesus cleanses 10 lepers. What does it look like when you are blessed beyond compare by Jesus and your life is truly changed forever? Here is a great example. Jesus comes into the company of 10 lepers. In an instant, He heals them & tells them to go and show themselves to the priests. They all leave. One of them comes back and falls at Jesus’ feet and praises Him and thanks Him. This particular man was a Samaritan (remember that prior to Jesus, Samaritans and Jews had bad history and bad blood). Jesus looked at him and said, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Regardless of the 9 that didn't event thank Jesus for the healing, this foreigner did. What was the outcome besides his physical healing? His spiritual healing. From that point on, Jesus told him to get up and go and “your faith has made you well.” Out of the 10, it seems as though only one of them came to Christ. Not that the others were not thankful, they just didn't experience full life change, only physical.

The Coming of God’s Kingdom . This is another interesting exchange between Jesus and the Pharisees. They wanted to know how they could observe the coming of the Kingdom of God. Jesus plainly told them “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” Jesus brought the Kingdom of God and again, they missed it. He then took some time to teach His disciples. A day will be coming when they will look for Christ and He will not be there. Before He leaves though, He must suffer and be rejected (Jesus the Prophet!). He cautioned them - in the context of the coming of the future kingdom - life is going to be going on as usual and boom - Believers in Jesus will be taken up to heaven. Just like in the days of Noah and Lot, where people were going about their everyday lives, it will happen. Paul also talks about this in I Thessalonians 4, “Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord…” A day is coming my friends where 2 people will be hanging out and one of both or neither will be taken up into heaven. People get ready!  

Luke 18:1-14 The Parable of the Persistent Widow & . A parable about a widow who doesn't quit. The judge had to figure out what to do. He neither feared God or respected man. But because of the persistence, the judge granted her justice.The big point, “And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” God is the righteous judge who gives justice to His elect, His chosen ones, but we must remain persistent in Him.

And we read about The Pharisee and the Tax Collector. Powerful. Imagine the Pharisees hearing this one! These Jews thought that they were above reproach and the law - but their walk with God was a show and their hearts were not in it. You have 2 men praying and only one of them is honored by God. The arrogance of the Pharisee is obvious - no humility. On the opposite, “But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” This is an example of humility and conviction of sins. Jesus sums it up incredibly: “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” 

To sum it all up: 

• Do you give thanks to Jesus for saving you and sustaining you? 
• Are you persistent in pursuing Christ?
• Is your heart for show or sincerity for Christ?