As they continue on the journey towards Jerusalem, Jesus takes the twelve aside and tells the disciples about His impending death a third time. He explained that the Old Testament prophets had already prophesied about everything that would happen. He would be handed over to the Gentiles (the Romans) who would mock Him and treat Him shamefully including spitting on Him and flogging Him and ultimately killing Him. But on the third day, He would rise. Jesus knew all that would happen to Him and yet He didn’t deviate from His course towards the cross. Still, the disciples didn’t understand what Jesus was telling them. God withheld full understanding from them (1 Cor 2:6-11).

As they came near to Jericho, a blind man was begging by the side of the road. He heard the crowd going by and asked what was happening. When he was told that Jesus was passing by, he cried out referring to Jesus as the Son of David. He recognised Jesus as the Messiah. The people in front of him told him to be quiet but he called out even more, begging for mercy. The crowd tried to silence him but Jesus showed compassion and stopped to help him. Jesus asked a wide-open question, “What do you want me to do for you?” (What would your answer be to such an open question?) The man immediately asked for his sight. Jesus’ response showed that because of his faith he was both physically and spiritually healed. Once again we see the right response to Jesus—following Him and praising God. Everyone who witnessed the miracle also gave praise to God.

Like the people in the crowd, we can be so focussed on what’s important to us, even focus on Jesus, that we ignore or are even irritated by those who are crying out in need of mercy. Jesus took the time to stop and show compassion to those who needed it. Are you doing likewise?

Following Jesus’ warning that the proud will be humbled and the humble will be exalted when it comes to entering the kingdom, He points to little children as the perfect example of this disposition. There is nothing pretentious about a child. Children are naturally humble and know they are fully dependent on others. They accept things freely in faith. It is with this attitude that we need to accept God’s teaching. The Jews should have received the offer of the kingdom like children and today we should receive Jesus’ offer of salvation in the same way.

A rich ruler came to Jesus and asked what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. The man referred to Jesus as the Good Teacher and Jesus asked why he called Him good if God alone is good. The man had come to Jesus under the pretense that he could be good enough (what must I do?) and Jesus points out clearly that the only one who truly qualifies as good is God. Jesus isn’t denying that He is the Good Teacher but reminding the ruler that as such, He is God. Then Jesus pointed out that to qualify for eternal life based on personal effort would require doing all that is required by the Law (Gal 3:10-12; Jas 2:10-11). Jesus listed five of the ten commandments that deal with man’s relationship with others (Ex 20:1-17). The man, perhaps with an air of pride, claimed that he had kept all of those since he was young. Then Jesus said there was one thing he still lacked. What was that? Possibly it was tied to the one command Jesus left off, that of covetousness. Jesus told him to sell all he had, give to the poor (love others as you love yourself) and follow Him (love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength). When the ruler heard this, he was sad because of his great wealth. His wealth was an obstacle to belief. His trust was clearly in his wealth and self-righteousness and He wasn’t prepared to give that up to put all his faith in Jesus. Just like it is impossible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, it is almost impossible for the wealthy to accept salvation because their trust in their riches competes against simple belief in Christ. Like so many, the disciples had believed that wealth was a sign of God’s blessing, and if the rich wouldn’t enter the kingdom, who would. Jesus replied that what is impossible with man is possible with God—the wealthy too can be saved.

Peter then pointed out that they had given up much to follow Jesus. Jesus replied that they would indeed receive their reward. They had given up families and homes and they would become part of the family of God in the church. They had already received eternal life now (John 6:47) which they would enjoy in the age to come.

Consider money’s prominence in your life, both what you have and what you’re working for. Is it hindering your ability to follow Jesus wholeheartedly now?

Jesus’ message of the difficult times before His return may have left the disciples wondering what God was going to do during that time. Jesus encouraged them to pray and not lose heart. He told them a story of an unjust judge who didn’t fear God or respect man. A widow came to him seeking justice against someone who acted unjustly against her. Through her persistence, the judge eventually gave her justice, not because of the right motives but because he wanted to alleviate himself from the bother. If the unrighteous judge gave justice to the widow who had no relationship with him, how much more will the loving, merciful, righteous God give justice to Israel, His chosen people who belong to Him. While the passage speaks specifically about Israel, as believers, we are God’s children and share an even closer relationship with Him. We too can be confident that when we approach God with our needs, He will hear us and “give justice speedily”. Jesus ended with a poignant question, despite God’s disposition to us, when Jesus returns will He find people who have remained faithful to the end?

Jesus then addressed those who trusted in their own righteousness and treated others with contempt. The story is of two people who go to the temple to pray, a Pharisee and a tax collector. Immediately the people hearing the story would have thought of the Pharisee as more righteous than the tax collector. The Pharisee addressed God but compared himself to others. He thanked God but spent most of the time praising himself. The tax collector, however, could not even bring himself to look up to heaven. Instead, he beat his breast and simply prayed, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” Neither of the two could claim righteousness but only one of them admitted it. The Pharisee thought himself better than the tax collector and yet he should have followed the tax collector’s example of humility. Only the tax collector left with a right relationship with God because he recognised that he had nothing of merit in himself, he admitted he needed to rely entirely on God’s mercy. Jesus proclaimed that whoever exalts himself (proudly thinks they are more righteous than they are) will be humbled and brought low. But the one who humbly admits their lack of merit (not lack of worth) before God will be given mercy and lifted up to a right relationship with God. A good indicator of your own personal humility is in your comparisons with others. Do you find yourself thinking yourself righteous based on others’ apparent unrighteousness? Humility recognises that we are all sinners in need of God’s grace and helps us to reach out to others with God’s love rather than look down on them. Who do you need to reach out to today?

Jesus had just told the Pharisees that the kingdom of God was in their midst (Luke 17:20-21). It was available to them if they would just believe in Him. Knowing they would continue to reject the kingdom, Jesus turned to His disciples and discussed the time after His ascention. There would times when people would long to see Him return but they would not see it. There would be rumours that He was there but they could be safely ignored because when Jesus returns it will obvious to everyone just like lightning lights up the sky from one side to the other. When the kingdom does come, it will be like the days of Noah. People ate and drank and lived as if nothing was going to change but when Noah entered the ark, the floodwaters came and everyone was destroyed. A similar thing happened to Sodom. They were living as if life would continue as they knew it. But Lot was removed and fire and sulfur rained down on the city in judgement and destroyed them all. In both stories, people were not ready for the judgment that came their way. In the same way, people will not be ready when Jesus returns. When that time comes people should not be concerned with their material things like Lot’s wife was beause anyone who delays leaving in order to go and get their material things, to save their life, will lose it. This is time is not talking about the Rapture but the time of judgment before entering the Kingdom. Some will be taken away to judgment and others will be left to enter the kingdom. The disciples seem to ask where they would be taken to. Jesus’ answer about a corpse and vultures gathered is not clear but seems to confirm the idea of them leaving to judgment.

Our time on earth is limited. Your life could end before you’d like. We could be caught up in the Rapture at any time. And after a final time, Jesus will return to usher in the kingdom. We cannot know the time of any of these and so we must live our lives ready to face God at any time. The most important question you need to answer is will God accept you into His kingdom? Have you placed your faith in Jesus alone for your salvation? Then, having believed, are you living every day in light of eternity?

Luke continues to take us on Jesus’ journey towards Jerusalem. On the way Jesus passes between Samaria and Galilee and on entering an unnamed town, He encounters ten lepers. They clearly knew of Jesus and knew He could help them so they called out to Him for mercy. Jesus told them to go and show themselves to the priests (as instructed in Leviticus 13:1-14:32). All of them obeyed and headed to show themselves to the priests. As they obeyed, they were healed. Only one of them responded to their healing by returning to Jesus and praising God and giving thanks. Jesus pointed out that only one had the proper response and that he was a Samaritan, a foreigner. It seems that ten were healed physically but only one was healed spiritually. This situation showed the general unfaithfulness of the Jewish nation. They were ready to accept what Jesus could do for them, like heal them and feed them, but they didn’t accept Him as the Messiah. Those outside the nation, like the Samaritan, were responding to Jesus in faith.

When the Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus told them that it wasn’t going to arrive in a physical way that could be observed or pointed out. The kingdom of God was among them. It wasn’t that the kingdom was within them because they hadn’t believed. Jesus’ point was that He was right there with them and if they would acknowledge Him as Messiah, the kingdom would come.

The nine lepers and the Pharisees technically obeyed God but their hearts were far from Him. The Samaritan showed the proper response to God’s work, thankfulness, and praise. God isn’t wanting rote obedience but a relationship. He wants us to relate to Him in love and then obedience will follow from a right heart. Are you serving God from rules and regulation or from love?

Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings that are easily applied to everyday situations. Consider carefully which of the sayings you’ve read today are particularly applicable to you today and in the coming week. What do you need to change or do more of to make use of God’s wisdom in your life?

Believing in Jesus doesn’t immediately remove all temptation to sin. Temptations will come. Jesus warns that we should not be the source of temptation to others, especially not children (or those immature in the faith). Causing another to sin is so grievous that Jesus said it would be better if that person was drowned. Pay attention to yourself. We so quickly want to jump to the next step and rebuke those who sin against or around us. But first, pay attention to yourself and make sure you are avoiding temptation and sin (Matt 7:3; Gal 6:1). If someone sins against us we should point it out to them in a way that brings them to repentance. If they repent, then forgive them. Sin needs to be addressed and not swept under the rug, but forgiveness should be freely given. How often should you forgive someone who continues to sin and repent over and over? Every time they repent. Forgiveness frees both parties from bitterness, resentment, and hatred. We forgive because Jesus first forgave us (Eph 4:32; Col 3:13).

Jesus’ teaching to forgive others freely is not easy. We may feel, like the disciples, that we need great faith to obey such a high command. But Jesus assures us that with just a little faith we can accomplish much (if we are willing to just obey).

Jesus then provided an object lesson. The story describes a servant relationship but anyone who does a job they are required to do doesn’t get to relax until the job is done. Thanks for a job done may be nice but not required if the job is what was expected. In the same way, forgiveness is an essential duty of us as believers. All our service and obedience to God should be as humble servants.

Is there someone who has wronged you that you have not forgiven? Think carefully about why not. Consider how great your sin is against the Holy God and how He freely forgave you through Jesus Christ (Rom 5:8,10). If God reached out to forgive while you were still an enemy of His, what do you have to hold against someone else? Then consider that forgiveness is something He commands us to do? What do you need before you’ll forgive?

Jesus had just taught on using worldly wealth for the furtherance of God’s kingdom over selfish gain. The Pharisees showed they were lovers of money because they didn’t respond well. Instead, they ridiculed Jesus. He pointed out that they lived outwardly religious lives justified by their supposed adherence to the law. While they may have looked righteous before man, God knew their hearts. Their love of money blinded them into thinking that their wealth was a sign of God’s blessing for their righteous living, but what man uses to measure status and success is an abomination to God. Jesus went on to explain that the Law and the Prophets (The Old Testament) had been God’s revelation until John the Baptist. Now the good news of the kingdom that the Old Testament pointed to was being preached and they were trying to force their way into it through their justification by the law. But Jesus affirmed that the law would stand and those who insisted on living by it would be held to account down to every last point. James 2:10 makes this point very clear, failing in just one area of the law means you have not kept the law.

Jesus pointed out their failure to keep the law in the area of divorce. God’s ideal for marriage was laid out in the beginning, one man with one woman for life (Gen 2:24). Some of the Pharisees took a loose view of divorce. They taught that a man should not commit adultery, but if he wanted another woman, he could divorce his wife and marry the other woman so that adultery didn’t take place. This is an example of justifying yourself before man but being guilty before God.

Then Jesus told a story about a rich man who had an abundance. At his gate was a poor man named Lazarus who was covered in sores. He was so hungry he desired to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. He had no shelter because the dogs came and licked his sores. Lazarus died and was taken to be with Abraham. The rich man also died but he ended up in torment in Hades. While in torment he saw Abraham with Lazarus at his side and he asked Abraham to show him mercy from the anguish he experienced in the flames by sending Lazarus to dip his finger in water to cool his tongue. In this story, we don’t get a complete picture of heaven and hell but we do see physical and real anguish as well as a chasm that cannot be crossed. Not being able to obtain any personal relief, the rich man thinks of his family. He asks Abraham to send Lazarus back to warn his brothers so they can escape his terrible fate. Abraham replied that his brothers had Moses and the Prophets (The Old Testament scriptures) that provide a clear warning. The rich man insisted that if they were warned by someone who returned from the dead they would repent. Abraham was clear, if they did not listen to the warnings of Scripture, they would not change their mind if someone rose from the dead. The Pharisees were like that rich man. They were concerned about personal wealth and showed very little regard for the poor (or tax collectors or sinners). They had all the warnings of the Old Testament, which they studied, and yet they did not obey its teachings. Jesus, the very One who spoke to them would die at their hand and rise again from the dead and they still wouldn’t believe.

While these words were aimed squarely at the unbelieving Pharisees, we can still use them to ponder our own approach to God’s word. Are you concerned about living a life that “is exalted among men”? Take a moment to consider if your measure for success might be considered “an abomination in the sight of God.” Then consider your obedience to God’s word. Are you quick to obey the teachings of the Bible or are you looking for loopholes to excuse your actions?

Jesus moved from addressing the Pharisees to speaking with His disciples. He told a parable of a rich man who had a manager who had been irresponsible with his possessions. The man was like a financial planner or estate manager in charge of managing the rich man’s wealth. He was called to give an account and was going to be fired from his position. The man realised that losing his job would leave him in a tough situation so he decided on a scheme that would elevate him in others’ eyes so they would deal kindly with him after he lost his job. He brought in his master’s debtors and worked with each one to reduce their debt. He discounted their debts which allowed him to quickly generate cash flow for his master while making things easier for the debtors. The manager was commended for acting shrewdly by using his current situation and material things to plan ahead and secure his future. Jesus used this to teach His disciples that they should use material things for future spiritual benefit. He presented a good lesson from a bad example. The manager had used wealth for his own comfort. The disciples were encouraged to use worldly wealth shrewdly and wisely in service of leading others into the kingdom. When the money finally fails to be of use, in death, they will be welcomed into eternity with eternal friendships.

Money gives us an opportunity to show faithfulness with little. Unfortunately, money also presents us with the opportunity to be dishonest with a little. Whichever way we act with little shows how we will act when given more. If we are faithful with the worldly resource of money, then we show that we will be trustworthy with true riches. If we use the wealth God has entrusted us shrewdly and wisely for His kingdom then He will entrust us with greater responsibility, both in growing His kingdom here on earth and in future reigning responsibility in heaven. If we are unfaithful with what is not our own (everything we have belongs to God) then how will we fare when God evaluates our stewardship in order to reward us in heaven? Jesus concludes that we cannot serve two (conflicting) masters. If you love one, you will hate the other. If you are devoted to one, you will despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. A love of money will drive you away from God (1 Tim 6:10). A love for God will keep you from the unhealthy desire to accumulate wealth.

Take some time to consider your relationship with money. Whether you have a little or a lot, is money something you are overly concerned about? Do you view the money you have as God’s money that you are ultimately seeking to use to further His kingdom? How would you describe your use of money as showing your love for God?