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Showing Our Belief: Luke 12:35-59

Published November 11, 2026 in Written Journal Entries
Focus Passage: Luke 12:35-59 (NCV)

 35 “Be dressed, ready for service, and have your lamps shining. 36 Be like servants who are waiting for their master to come home from a wedding party. When he comes and knocks, the servants immediately open the door for him. 37 They will be blessed when their master comes home, because he sees that they were watching for him. I tell you the truth, the master will dress himself to serve and tell the servants to sit at the table, and he will serve them. 38 Those servants will be blessed when he comes in and finds them still waiting, even if it is midnight or later.

    39 “Remember this: If the owner of the house knew what time a thief was coming, he would not allow the thief to enter his house. 40 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at a time when you don’t expect him!”

 41 Peter said, “Lord, did you tell this story to us or to all people?”

 42 The Lord said, “Who is the wise and trusted servant that the master trusts to give the other servants their food at the right time? 43 When the master comes and finds the servant doing his work, the servant will be blessed. 44 I tell you the truth, the master will choose that servant to take care of everything he owns. 45 But suppose the servant thinks to himself, ‘My master will not come back soon,’ and he begins to beat the other servants, men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. 46 The master will come when that servant is not ready and is not expecting him. Then the master will cut him in pieces and send him away to be with the others who don’t obey.

    47 “The servant who knows what his master wants but is not ready, or who does not do what the master wants, will be beaten with many blows! 48 But the servant who does not know what his master wants and does things that should be punished will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded. And from the one trusted with much, much more will be expected.

    49 “I came to set fire to the world, and I wish it were already burning! 50 I have a baptism to suffer through, and I feel very troubled until it is over. 51 Do you think I came to give peace to the earth? No, I tell you, I came to divide it. 52 From now on, a family with five people will be divided, three against two, and two against three. 53 They will be divided: father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

 54 Then Jesus said to the people, “When you see clouds coming up in the west, you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it happens. 55 When you feel the wind begin to blow from the south, you say, ‘It will be a hot day,’ and it happens. 56 Hypocrites! You know how to understand the appearance of the earth and sky. Why don’t you understand what is happening now?

    57 “Why can’t you decide for yourselves what is right? 58 If your enemy is taking you to court, try hard to settle it on the way. If you don’t, your enemy might take you to the judge, and the judge might turn you over to the officer, and the officer might throw you into jail. 59 I tell you, you will not get out of there until you have paid everything you owe.”

Read Luke 12:35-59 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

In this passage, we find a sobering warning that Jesus shares. In verses 47 and 48 we read, “The servant who knows what his master wants but is not ready, or who does not do what the master wants, will be beaten with many blows! But the servant who does not know what his master wants and does things that should be punished will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded. And from the one trusted with much, much more will be expected.”

This is sobering to me because it tells me that we are judged both by what we know and by what we don’t know. Truth is not subjective to our whims; it is reflective of God’s character. God’s character does not change as we change. Because of this, there is one standard (God’s standard) that we will all be judged by.

There is punishment for not obeying God. This passage makes it clear of that, but it also tells us that there is a distinction. It is bad to not do what is right in God’s eyes, but it is worse to know what is right and to choose to not do it.

Obeying God is what leads us into being wise and trusted servants. Obedience isn’t where our faith journey starts, but it should be where it leads to. This brings me to the big thought I had with this passage: Our belief in Jesus is made known to others when we are living a life that is obedient to Jesus – doing what He wants us to do.

This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!

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When Jesus Said No: Mark 5:1-20

Published November 10, 2026 in Written Journal Entries
Focus Passage: Mark 5:1-20 (NIV)

1 They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”

9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” 10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12 The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” 13 He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

14 Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. 17 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

Read Mark 5:1-20 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

Following one of Jesus’ most unique and spectacular healings, we see a surprising response given to the man who Jesus had just cast thousands of demons out of. Mark shares in verse 13 how there were about 2,000 pigs in the herd that the demons went into. If there was one demon per pig, we get a very clear impression that there were a whole lot of demons present in one individual.

Mark concludes this event by sharing a brief conversation Jesus had with the man who had been healed. Mark tells us, “As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, ‘Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.’ So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.” (v. 18-20)

While I can understand Jesus’ perspective, and Jesus knowing that the man would be the most impactful witness for Jesus in that region, I can understand Jesus telling him to stay and share with the cities in that region. But from the man’s perspective, Jesus has just given him his life back, and the man wants to dedicate all he is to the One who freed him.

But Jesus said no. However, Jesus’ ‘no’ is not a complete sentence. In Jesus’ ‘no’, we find a different mission for this man. While this may have been relatively early in Jesus’ ministry, Jesus knew that the man had lived outside of society for years and it would be better for him to return. Jesus also knew that this man had a reputation that had spread to almost everyone living in that area.

Within the mission Jesus gave the man, He tells him to tell others how much “the Lord” had done for him, and how God had shown mercy on him. Jesus intended the man to point all the glory upward, and this miracle was to show how God was more powerful than the demons and other gods of the area.

In a way, the man does share this, but he specifically attributes all of this to Jesus. While Jesus said “the Lord”, the man said “Jesus”. Jesus was Lord in the man’s life. Jesus was his Savior. Even though Jesus didn’t let the man join His band of followers, this man likely made a much stronger impression on the success of Jesus’ ministry in that area then the disciples’ ever could have. And this man did it while Jesus was still alive.

All this leads me to a key idea that one dedicated follower of Jesus who is willing to share what God has done in their life is more impactful than a dozen followers who overanalyze the situation without any action. In this surface rejection, we see Jesus teaching all of His followers about the importance of action and sharing what God has done for us.

This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!

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Lord and Son: Matthew 22:41-46

Published November 6, 2026 in Written Journal Entries
Focus Passage: Matthew 22:41-46 (GW)

41 While the Pharisees were still gathered, Jesus asked them, 42 “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”

They answered him, “David’s.”

43 He said to them, “Then how can David, guided by the Spirit, call him Lord? David says,

44 ‘The Lord said to my Lord,
    “Take the honored position—the one next to me [God the Father] on the heavenly throne
        until I put your enemies under your control.”’

45 If David calls him Lord, how can he be his son?”

46 No one could answer him, and from that time on no one dared to ask him another question.

Read Matthew 22:41-46 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

When I look closely at this event, the implications of what Jesus was pulling together are fascinating. After receiving all the challenges the Pharisees and religious leaders could think up, Jesus chooses to counter their questions with a question of His own – one that is answerable, but one that is not logically possible.

Of all the people to know the scriptures well, the Pharisees and religious leaders knew them the best, so when Jesus sets them up with a question: “Whose son is the Messiah?” the leaders are quick to answer “David’s son”. (v. 42)

For some of these leaders, this setup question probably seemed a little too easy, that is, until Jesus lays out the remaining details of His counter challenge: David calls the Messiah “Lord”, and that title is reserved for a ruler, master, or the owner of something.

Ultimately, the highest “Lord” is God, but in any one of these cases, sons are not masters, rulers, or owners of their parents or grandparents. In this regard, there is a paradox that is very difficult to answer, and probably impossible to understand.

Looking back onto this event, and onto what the gospel writers share about Jesus, we can find the answer to this question: A virgin birth. If Jesus gave up His divinity and was born as a human, this can make sense. If God the Father was His Father, and a descendant of David was His mother, then the Messiah can have coexisted prior to David, ruling with God, and also be one of David’s descendants.

However, even this is hard to grasp: Why would God (a Ruler/“Lord”) give up His position in heaven for a race of beings that were actively rebelling against Him?

The answer is that He loves them. He loves the human race – which includes you and me!

In the answer to Jesus’ counter-challenge to the religious leaders, He shares a huge truth about Himself, and about how God cares about each and every one of us!

This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!

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Not All Are Equal: Luke 19:11-27

Published November 4, 2026 in Written Journal Entries
Focus Passage: Luke 19:11-27 (NIrV)

 11 While the people were listening to these things, Jesus told them a story. He was near Jerusalem. The people thought that God’s kingdom was going to appear right away.

 12 Jesus said, “A man from an important family went to a country far away. He went there to be made king and then return home. 13 So he sent for ten of his servants. He gave them each about three months’ pay. ‘Put this money to work until I come back,’ he said.

 14 “But those he ruled over hated him. They sent some messengers after him. They were sent to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’

 15 “But he was made king and returned home. Then he sent for the servants he had given the money to. He wanted to find out what they had earned with it.

 16 “The first one came to him. He said, ‘Sir, your money has earned ten times as much.’

 17 “ ‘You have done well, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘You have been faithful in a very small matter. So I will put you in charge of ten towns.’

 18 “The second servant came to his master. He said, ‘Sir, your money has earned five times as much.’

 19 “His master answered, ‘I will put you in charge of five towns.’

 20 “Then another servant came. He said, ‘Sir, here is your money. I have kept it hidden in a piece of cloth. 21 I was afraid of you. You are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in. You harvest what you did not plant.’

 22 “His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you evil servant! So you knew that I am a hard man? You knew that I take out what I did not put in? You knew that I harvest what I did not plant? 23 Then why didn’t you put my money in the bank? When I came back, I could have collected it with interest.’

 24 “Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his money away from him. Give it to the one who has ten times as much.’

 25 “ ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten times as much!’

 26 “He replied, ‘I tell you that everyone who has will be given more. But here is what will happen to anyone who has nothing. Even what he has will be taken away from him. 27 And what about my enemies who did not want me to be king over them? Bring them here! Kill them in front of me!’ ”

Read Luke 19:11-27 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

For those of you who enjoy analytics and numbers, this journal entry will be most enjoyable and interesting for you. Luke 19:11-27 shares a lesser known version of a parable that Matthew includes, but enough details are unique that make me think that Jesus shared this parable separately to a different group of people. Most of the time, we hear Matthew’s parable, but I want to share some interesting observations from Luke’s version, specifically about the money amounts:

  • The master gives ten servants three months of pay each.
    • Cost: 10 servants x 3 months = 30 months of pay
  • The first servant increases his three months of pay ten times.
    • Return 1: 3 months pay x 10 = 30 months pay
  • The second servant increases his three months of pay five times.
    • Return 2: 3 months pay x 5 = 15 months pay
  • The third servant returns his three months of pay untouched.
    • Return 3: 3 months pay untouched = 3 months pay.
  • The other seven servants return nothing.

The total cost of the investment is 30 months of pay, while the total return of the investment is 48 months of pay—and the knowledge of two especially resourceful servants.

This leads us to our big idea for this entry: We should be using what God has given us to grow His kingdom, while not comparing ourselves to others.

The first two servants went about growing the money they had been given, and they are both rewarded. Perhaps they made it a competition, but maybe not. What stands out about this is the third servant’s response to the master. In it he reveals that he has compared himself with the master (and the successful servants who are like the master) and has determined that he cannot measure up, which leads him to not even try. Competition is good if it pushes all parties forward, but it is bad if it discourages people from even getting involved.

God has given us all opportunity, but he doesn’t expect equal results/increase from everyone. God does expect us to increase what He has given us, but the amount of the increase isn’t important.

This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!

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