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?

Part of Jesus’ training of His disciples included increased responsibility as He sent them out to minister on their own. He gave them power and authority to cast out demons and heal people from their diseases. The miracles they performed were both compassionate and validated the authority they had to proclaim the kingdom of God. Unlike most travellers, they were not to take anything along with them on their journey. No staff, bag, food, money or even an additional cloak. This was a mission where they were to rely on God and the hospitality of each town. They were not to move from house to house but remain in the first house that took them in. If a town did not receive them hospitably, they were to shake the dust off their feet as a sign against them. Shaking the dust off their feet was a cultural symbol that treated those Jewish cities as if they were unclean and pagan and their dust was not to be part of the holy land. The disciples left on their short-term mission. They had already witnessed miracles like the abundant catch in seemingly empty waters (Luke 5:5-6) which taught them that God could supply their needs and the miracle of Jesus sleeping through and calming the storm (Luke 8:22-25) which taught them that God would bring them through to complete their mission. Jesus’ first task for the disciples wasn’t to start the church. He began by giving them smaller tasks to test and strengthen their faith. Are you being faithful in the small things God is calling you to serve in?

The story returns to Herod the tetrarch who has heard reports of Jesus’ ministry. He was confused because there were different reports about who Jesus was. Some said he was John the Baptist raised from the dead (who Herod, by his own admission had beheaded). Others said He was Elijah or one of the old prophets who had risen. These stories all served to point the nation to God’s work among them. They all pointed to the Messiah. The stories of Jesus were spreading and even those in the highest levels of government were interested in what was happening. Some people are unsure of who Jesus really is. That curiosity is good because it provides an opportunity for us to introduce them to who He really is? Who have you introduced to Jesus recently?

When Jesus returned to Galilee, He was welcomed by the crowd who had been waiting for Him. This crowd welcomed Him while the crowd in the country of the Gerasenes had sent Him away in fear (Luke 8:37). One of the rulers of the synagogue named Jairus came to Jesus and pleaded with Him to come to his house because his only daughter who was twelve years old was dying.

Jesus headed to Jairus’s house but while He moved a great crowd pressed around him. In that crowd was a woman with an illness of perpetual menstrual bleeding that despite spending all her money on doctors had remained uncured. She had suffered from her illness for twelve years, the same amount of time Jairus’s daughter had been alive. Her illness also made her continually unclean so she suffered with both a physical and social problem. Her uncleanness under the law made anyone who touched her unclean for the rest of that day. She should not have been in that crowd. The woman came up behind Jesus and touched the edge of his clothing and immediately she was healed. Instead of Jesus becoming unclean, she immediately became clean. As that happened, Jesus asked who had touched Him. Peter replied as all of us would have. How can you ask who touched you when such a crowd throngs around you? But Jesus had felt healing power go out of Him. (He also knew exactly who had touched Him but, as He typically did, He wanted to draw her out to minister to her and the crowd). Realising that she wasn’t anonymous, the woman came forward and explained to everyone why she had touched Jesus and how she had been immediately healed. Jesus called her “daughter” and said she had been healed because of her faith and she should go in peace. Jesus’ words make it clear that there was no magic in touching His clothes but that her faith in reaching out to Him had been the initiator of her healing. She stepped forward in fear but Jesus sent her away in peace.

Jairus had been watching Jesus stop and attend to the woman and was no doubt anxious about the delay in getting to his daughter. Then the worst happened when someone came from his house and gave him the news that his daughter was dead and said he needn’t trouble Jesus anymore. Jesus heard this interaction and told Jairus not to fear but to believe and his daughter would be well. Jairus had just had the privilege of watching Jesus work a miracle for a woman who had been sick as long as his daughter had been alive. Today we are able to read about these miracles and, though they were unique to confirming Jesus as Messiah, still show us Jesus’ compassion and awesome power. Reading these stories can strengthen our faith and trust in Him to do what is best to His glory. Jesus went with Jairus to his house and then allowed no one in with Him except Peter, John, and James and Jairus and his wife. A large gathering of mourners was already present which was typical culturally. Jesus addressed them and told them not to mourn because the girl was not dead, but sleeping. The mourners laughed at Him because they knew she was dead. If it had been possible that she was only sleeping the response would have been different. This serves to prove she was dead and the miracle was a great miracle indeed. Jesus took the girl by the hand and asked her to get up. Her spirit returned to her and she got up immediately. Then Jesus had them give her something to eat. She was fully restored and ready to eat. Her parents were amazed and would probably have spread the word of what had happened but Jesus asked them not to, probably because of the rising opposition to His ministry.

In both of these stories Jesus turns around the impossible. An illness that lasted twelve years and despite great expense had remained incurable and a girl so sick she had died. Jesus reverse the effects of both based on faith. Our greatest illness is not physical but spiritual—we have an impossible chasm between us and God because of our sin—and Jesus died to cure us completely. Our access to that cure is also by faith alone.

An unknown time later Jesus got into a boat with his disciples to cross to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. As they sailed Jesus slept. Then a storm arose that filled the boat with water and they were in danger. They woke Jesus in fear that they were going to die. Jesus rebuked the storm and it brought immediate calm (which does not happen immediately after a storm). Then He asked them, “Where is your faith?” They were afraid, now not of the storm but of the One in whose presence they stood. Who is it that is able to command the natural elements and they obey Him except God alone (Ps 107:29). Why was Jesus asleep? He was tired, but He was also completely confident that He would get to the other side. Why? Because He knew that God had a mission for Him and nothing would happen to Him until it was time. Jesus was preparing His disciples for the mission He was going to give them. They would have to go out in faith that God would be with them no matter what they encountered along the way. As believers, we too can live with the faith that nothing will happen to us that is outside of God’s sovereign control and until He calls us home nothing can touch us.

After a calm second half of their voyage, they reached the country of the Gerasenes (sometimes called Gadarenes or Gergesenes) a predominantly non-Jewish area. There they met a man who was possessed by many demons. He lived homeless and naked among the tombs. When He saw Jesus he fell down and called out, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son. of the Most High God?” The disciples had marvelled after the storm asking who they were in the presence of. This man (at least the demons inside him) immediately recognised Jesus and who He really is. The demon pleads for Jesus not to torment them. When Jesus asked his name, he said his name was Legion because he was one of many demons that possessed the man (a legion was four to six thousand troops). They begged Jesus not to send them to the abyss (Rev 9:1). Instead, they pleaded with Jesus to allow them to enter a herd of pigs that were nearby. After granting them permission they left the man, entered the pigs and the pigs all rushed down the steep bank and into the lake and drowned. The herdsman saw all that happened and ran to tell those in the city. When the people came out and saw the previously possessed man clothed and of a sound mind, they were afraid and asked Jesus to leave. The man had the right response of immediately sitting at Jesus’ feet and desiring to follow Him. The townsfolk’s response was not joy over a member of their town healed but a fear that pushed Jesus away. As Jesus left, the man begged to stay with Him, but Jesus sent him home to spread the news about what God had done for him. He obeyed. What would you be prepared to give up to see someone saved? Would a large herd of pigs, which probably represented considerable wealth for the whole town, not just an individual, be too much?

Jesus continued His mission of proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom of God in all the cities (Luke 4:43) and the twelve disciples were with Him. There was also a group of women who followed Jesus in response to Him healing them. They included Mary Magdalene who had been healed from seven demons (probably a number indicating complete possession and healing) and Joanna who was the wife of Herod’s household manager, Chuza. There was also Susanna who was named personally even though she had no other “claim to fame”. Perhaps she was included because she had a significant impact in helping Jesus’ ministry. These and other women provided for Jesus and the twelve out of their own finances and abilities. This was not a usual practice in that day but these women, like the woman of the previous section, loved Jesus much because they had been forgiven much. They exhibit the right response we should all have to the gospel.

When a large crowd gathered including people from various towns, Jesus taught them in parables. He told them a parable about a farmer who sowed his seed. As he sowed, some of the seed fell on the path and was immediately eaten by the birds. Some fell amongst the rocks and though it sprouted, it quickly withered because it lacked moisture. Some fell amongst the thorns and thought it too sprouted, it was choked by the thorns that grow along with it. Finally, some fell on good soil and grew up to yield a hundredfold return. Jesus concluded that those who have ears to hear should hear. Those who were spiritually sensitive would understand the intended meaning but those who were not would only understand the surface story. The desired outcome was clearly to be the seed that produced a crop. In answer to His disciples, Jesus explained that He spoke in parables as a distinction between those who responded to the kingdom and those who didn’t and was a quotation from Isaiah 6:9. He then explained that the seed was the word of God and there were four types of responses from those who heard it. The first were those who heard but the devil snatched the word away before they could believe and be saved. This is the only group of whom it is said they did not believe and were not saved. The other three groups believed and were saved but had varying degrees of fruitfulness. The rocky soil was those who heard, believed, and received the word with joy but had no depth and so after believing a little while fell away. The thorny soil was those who believed but were too consumed by the cares and riches and pleasures of life that their fruit never matured. The good soil is the group who heard the word, believed and then held onto it and persevered in good works to produce fruit. What kind of soil is your heart?

The second parable is an extension of the first. To someone who receives the truth of the word of God, it is like a light and it makes no sense to hide it. Instead, we should share it and make Him known. The light will reveal everything that has been hidden including any attempts to conceal and reject the truth of who the Messiah is. The disciples, and we, are warned about how we respond to the truth. If we respond by embracing and sharing it, then we will grow in our knowledge and our ability to share. If we suppress the truth then what we have learned will be useless and ineffectual. How are you handling God’s truth? Is it a lamp to your feet and a light to your path (Psalm 119:105)? Are you using it to grow closer to God? Or is it completely ineffectual in your life?

Luke brings Mary back into the story along with Jesus’ half-brothers. They were unable to get to him because of the crowd so someone got the message to Jesus that they were waiting outside to see Him. Jesus used that opportunity to continue to teach. Those who obey God’s word which they have heard are the ones who share in an intimate familial relationship with Jesus.

All of these stories deal with how we hear and respond to God’s word. It’s no good to just read or hear God’s word. We must be changed. We must act on what we learn. A right response is to love much and persevere in good works in order to bear fruit. Are you a fruitful Christian?

Jesus was invited to dinner at a Pharisee’s house. We learn that his name is Simon. While Jesus was reclining at the table an unknown woman came in because she had learned that Jesus was there. It was not uncommon for religious leaders to leave their homes open for the poor to come in but they were expected to remain quiet and away from the banquet, just permitted to listen to the discussions. This woman is described as a woman of the city who was a sinner. She was possibly a prostitute but her hair being exposed meant she was unmarried and at least considered promiscuous. The woman began standing behind Jesus (Jesus would have been reclining at the table with His feet out away from the table). She was weeping and her tears wet His feet. She got down and wiped His feet with her hair and then kissed His feet and anointed them with an alabaster flask of ointment, probably perfume which was typically kept in alabaster.

Simon saw this and thought to himself if Jesus were a prophet He would have known that the woman touching Him was a sinner. His thoughts reveal that he had a righteous arrogance that placed him above both Jesus and the woman. Despite his private thoughts, Jesus answered him with something to say. We can almost hear the smugness in Simon’s voice as he answers, “Say it, Teacher”. Jesus tells him a parable of two men who owed money to a moneylender. One owed five hundred denarii and the other fifty. One denarius was a day’s wages so both debts were significant but one was ten times greater than the other. Neither of them could pay and the moneylender cancelled the debt of both. Jesus’ question to Simon was, “Which of these would be more grateful?” Simon rightly answered, “the one who had the larger debt cancelled”.

Jesus turned to the woman and pointed out the difference between her and His host. Simon hadn’t provided the typical hospitality gesture of water to wash a guest’s feet (Gen 18:4) but she had wet His feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. Simon had not welcomed Jesus with the respectful greeting of a kiss but she had not stopped kissing His feet from when she arrived. Simon had not thoughtfully provided oil for the dry skin of Jesus’ head but she anointed His feet with perfume. She showed great love because she recognised her many sins needed forgiving. Simon may have been a believer (he did invite Jesus for a fellowship meal) but he clearly did not show love like the woman. Jesus pointed out that the one who is forgiven much loves much but the one who is forgiven little loves little. The other guests and onlookers wondered amongst themselves who Jesus was that He was able to forgive sins (cf. 5:21). Jesus concluded by making it clear that it was because of the woman’s faith that she was forgiven, not because of her acts of love. Her love was a response to her belief that Jesus was the Messiah.

The question for you and me is, “how much do you love?” The answer will depend on how much we feel we have been forgiven. Do you feel, like Simon, that you aren’t a terrible sinner and that there are worse sinners out there? Or do you rightly recognise that any sin is an atrocious affront to a holy God who is absolutely perfect and cannot tolerate any sin? Have you grasped that Jesus needed to die for your smallest, least significant sin (in your eyes), or you rightly deserve eternal separation from Him? How does your life exhibit your gratitude to Jesus for what He has done for you?

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?

John the Baptist’s disciples reported the things Jesus had been doing to him (John had been jailed by Herod, Luke 3:19-20). John sent two of his disciples to go to Jesus and ask Him if He was the one who they were expecting (the promised Messiah) or should they still be looking for another? At this point, it seems that John has doubts, even less faith than the centurion perhaps. John’s messengers ask Jesus if He is the one. That very hour Jesus performed a range of Messianic miracles. He healed many people of their diseases, plagues, and evil spirits. He restored the sight of the blind. Not only did Jesus perform many miracles but He told John’s disciples to report all that they had seen and heard. Jesus’ response was a reminder to them of Isaiah 6:1-2 and that His miracles were a confirmation that He was the Messiah. Jesus then reminded John through a gentle rebuke that we are blessed if we are not offended to the point of turning away because of Jesus.

Jesus then turned to the crowds and commended John. John was not one who was easily swayed. He was not one dressed in luxury or who lived like a king. John was correctly identified by the people as a prophet. He was not only the last of the Old Testament prophets but also the one who was the forerunner of the Messiah as written about in Malachi 3:1. If John was the prophet who prepared the way for the Messiah, and Jesus had performed all the miracles expected of the Messiah, then the only logical conclusion was that He was the Messiah. Jesus complimented John and said that no one was greater than John. And yet Jesus declared that even the least of those in the kingdom of God will be greater than him. Being a prophet was not as great as being part of God’s kingdom. Even the least in the kingdom will have a greater spiritual capacity than John the Baptist. There was a divided response to what Jesus said. Those who had been baptised by John agreed and recognised that God was right. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected John’s message, the kingdom being offered to them, and God’s plan of salvation. Because the kingdom was being offered to the nation as a whole, the leaders’ rejection set them on a path to national judgement and the offer of the kingdom being revoked at that time.

Jesus then compared the response of the religious leaders to children calling each other in the marketplace complaining because others wouldn’t respond to their music. They were unhappy no matter which kind of music they played. They accused John of being demon-possessed because he didn’t eat bread and drink wine. But then they accused Jesus who attended meals and ate and drank (Luke 5:29-30) of being a glutton and a drunkard and a friend of tax collectors and sinners. There was simply no pleasing the religious leaders. But Jesus proclaimed that those who made the wise choice of listening to John and following Jesus would be shown to be wise.

Like John, we might have doubts. This in and of itself is not a bad thing. God will not be offended if you examine the evidence in order to gain more certainty of your faith. Remember that’s the primary reason Luke wrote his letter. But if we expect Jesus and God to meet our own standard then we are going to be disappointed—just like the religious leaders. Those who are wise recognise that God is God and we are not. As the creator, He gets to set the rules and the way things work in His universe. He even told us that His plan would seem foolish to human wisdom (1 Cor 1:25,27). Are you complaining and expecting God to do things your way? Or are you a child of wisdom?