Posts Tagged ‘Luke (2007)’
The Gospel According to Luke – Mission and Prayer
At the start of Chapter 10, Jesus sends out 70 missionaries to minister to the towns of Galilee. He sends them in pairs in order that they may be a microcosm of the Church, and also because Torah establishes the validity of a claim by the testimony of two witnesses. Making no specific provisions for…
Read MoreThe Gospel According to Luke – Timeless Parables and True Discipleship
Timeless Parables and True Discipleship Beginning in Luke 12:13, we see that Jesus’ teachings sharply contrast worldly notions of fiscal prudence and advocate extreme trust in God’s provisions. Speaking tenderly to his disciples, Jesus is serious when he says "do not live in fear, little flock … sell what you have and give alms." Jesus…
Read MoreThe Gospel According to Luke – Parables of Sin, Repentance and Faith
Chapter 15 contains three classic parables, each targeting the self-righteous and speaking of the need to rejoice and repent. Jesus likens his close contact with sinners to that of a shepherd who risks death to save his lost sheep. Unlike the murmuring Pharisees, we must seek the lost, encourage our pastors to seek out the…
Read MoreThe Gospel According to Luke – Final Journey to Jerusalem
Our study in Chapter 18 begins with two classic parables that urge religious individuals to go substantially deeper in their faith: The Corrupt Judge and the Pharisee and the Publican. In the first, Jesus again (cf. 11:5-10) teaches His disciples to persist in prayer, "you ought always to pray and not lose heart." In the…
Read MoreThe Gospel According to Luke – Christ’s Jerusalem Ministry
Starting in Luke 19:28, we join Jesus in his final pilgrimage to Jerusalem for Passover. From the time of Christ until the destruction of the Temple, the Passover reaches its highest point of prominence in the Jewish liturgical calendar. Swelling three-times its size, the crooked, oriental streets of Jerusalem are crowded with pilgrims and lambs…
Read MoreThe Gospel According to Luke – Olivet Discourse, First Eucharist
Luke’s depiction of the Olivet Discourse is a wonderful, powerful message. Verse 5 begins with the warning, "the day will come when not one stone [of the Temple] will be left on another, but it will all be torn down" and "take care not to be misled. Many will come in my name saying, ‘I…
Read MoreThe Gospel According to Luke – Last Hours of Christ’s Life
Although Chapter 22 depicts Jesus’ final Passover beginning with Him blessing a cup, let us not be confused that this is the Institution of the Eucharist; he reveals Himself to us in bread and wine at the climax of the meal. Instead of following the order of the Passover meal to say "this is the…
Read MoreThe Gospel According to Luke – Resurrection Account
While every Gospel contains a Resurrection account, Luke makes certain key insights. "At dawn [having departed while it was still dark], women travel to Jesus’ tomb bringing the spices they had prepared. They found the stone rolled back" (24:1-2). Perplexed at the absence of Jesus’ body, their confusion changed to fear when they saw two…
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