In Today's Email:
Luke 17 Notes
In this chapter Christ tells of the Second Coming.
vs. 1-6 – Troubles in this life are inevitable. We are warned here against being the ones that cause them. We are also to be ready to forgive those that harm us when they repent. This is such difficult teaching that the disciples ask for more faith to be able to live by these principles. Christ tells them that even the smallest faith can do great things. This is not about us or our faith, but the God in whom we trust.
vs. 7-10 – Christ uses an illustration with servants and masters to show that our service to God does not merit special rewards. We are simply to serve. In the end, our love and devotion to our Lord will cause us to wish we had done more.
vs. 11-19 – Christ is in the borders of Samaria and Galilee when approached by ten lepers. He simply tells them to go and show the priests that they were now clean. When they turn to leave, they see that the miracle has already happened. Only one of them turns back to thank Christ, and that man was a Samaritan. Again, the lack of faith by the Jews is condemned by the faith of a Gentile
vs. 20-37 – The Pharisees pressed Christ to set a date for His kingdom to be manifest. They are speaking out of the Jewish expectation for the Messiah’s earthly kingdom, which will be realized in the Millennial Kingdom. They were mistaken about the nature of God’s kingdom. There are many parallels here to the Olivet Discourse. The arrival of the Kingdom at the Second Coming of Christ will be unmistakable. Before that day the nation of Israel would face a terrible time in the Tribulation. A final line will be drawn for those alive at the end of the Tribulation. It will be too late for them to repent as they see Christ’s return. That is the swift judgment seen in verses 33-36. There are two ways to interpret verse 37. The first is that it is alluding to the Battle of Armageddon (see Revelation 19:17). The second is that it is a warning to watch for the signs of Christ’s coming, just like seeing vultures means that a dead body is near.
Luke 18 Notes
In this chapter Christ travels south to Jericho.
vs. 1-8 – The Parable of the Persistent Widow teaches us the power of prayer. A judge refused to aid a widow until she had pressed him to his limit. This parable is one of contrast. If unmovable judge could be forced into action, why will not a loving God heed the cries of His children?
vs. 9-14 – The Parable of the Pharisee and Publican is another lesson through contrast. A Pharisee prays to God and presses His self-righteousness. A publican prays in humility. God heard the humble man’s prayer and rejected the Pharisee’s pride.
vs. 15-17 – This parallels Matthew 19:13-15 and Mark 10:13-16. It was common for Jews to take their children to receive a blessing from notable men. This blessing would be spoken while laying hands on the child’s head. The disciples thought they were helping Christ by keeping the children away. Christ rebukes them and allows the children to come to Him. The simple faith and love of a child is praised as being all that is necessary to find salvation.
vs. 18-30 – This parallels Matthew 19:16-30 and Mark 10:17-31. The rich young ruler rushes to Christ to receive Christ’s approval on his life. The man had missed the point of the Law, seeing himself made righteous through keeping it and not having his depravity revealed to him. Christ exposes this when He tells the man to give away his wealth and possessions. The man’s true god was wealth. Christ remarks on the difficulty of someone who is rich being saved. It is not that they cannot be saved, but that it is difficult for them to humble themselves to seek God. The camel going through the eye of a needle should be read literally. There is no tradition to think this is a gate in a wall or anything other than what it says. It is meant to press the severity of the statement through exaggeration. Salvation is only through God upon our repentance. There is no price too great to pay to find and serve Christ. Whatever the cost, it is vastly outweighed by the blessings God gives.
vs. 31-34 – This parallels Matthew 20:17-19 and Mark 10:32-34. Christ continues to warn the disciples about what is coming at the Passover. Christ again warns them of His death and resurrection.
vs. 35-43 This parallels Matthew 20:29-34 and Mark 10:46-52. There is another slight difference in these accounts. Matthew has Christ healing two blind men, while Mark and Luke have Him healing one. Mark even gives the blind man a name, Bartimeus son of Timeus. I don’t see this as an inconsistency, just that Mark and Luke are only speaking of one of the two that were healed. By calling Christ “the son of David,” they are acknowledging that He is the Messiah.
Closing Thoughts
Faith is a measurable. We may have no faith (Mark 4:40), little faith (Matthew 16:8), and even great faith (Luke 7:9). Faith may be increased. The primary method for doing so is through exercising it. The more we place our trust in God and see Him move in mighty ways, the greater our faith will be.
Hymn for Today
Our hymn today is “Give Me the Faith Which Can Remove,” written in 1749 by Charles Wesley.
O that I was as heretofore
When first sent forth in Jesus’ name.
I rush’d thro’ every open Door,
And cried to All, ‘Behold the Lamb!’
Seiz’d the poor trembling Slaves of Sin,
And forc’d the Outcasts to come in.
Give me the faith which can remove
And sink the mountain to a plain;
Give me the childlike praying love,
Which longs to build Thy house again;
Thy love, let it my heart overpower,
And all my simple soul devour.
I want an even strong desire,
I want a calmly fervent zeal,
To save poor souls out of the fire,
To snatch them from the verge of hell,
And turn them to a pardoning God,
And quench the brands in Jesus’ blood.
I would the precious time redeem,
And longer live for this alone,
To spend and to be spent for them
Who have not yet my Savior known;
Fully on these my mission prove,
And only breathe, to breathe Thy love.
My talents, gifts, and graces, Lord,
Into Thy blessed hands receive;
And let me live to preach Thy Word,
And let me to Thy glory live;
My every sacred moment spend
In publishing the sinner’s friend.
Enlarge, inflame, and fill my heart
With boundless charity divine,
So shall I all strength exert,
And love them with a zeal like Thine,
And lead them to Thy open side,
The sheep for whom the Shepherd died.