Reflective Bible Study Gospel Adventure

Showing Our Belief: Luke 12:35-59

Published March 9, 2022 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 March 8, 2022 in Written Journal Entries

Focus Passage: Mark 5:1-20 (NIV)

¹They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. ²When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. ³This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. ⁴For 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. ⁵Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

⁶When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. ⁷He 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!” ⁸For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”

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

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

¹¹A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. ¹²The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” ¹³He 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.

¹⁴Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. ¹⁵When 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. ¹⁶Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. ¹⁷Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

¹⁸As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. ¹⁹Jesus 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.” ²⁰So 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.

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Flashback Episode — Fishing for Fish: Luke 5:1-11

Published March 7, 2022 in Audio Journal Entries

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In our last episode, we looked at how some of Jesus’ closest followers drop everything and follow Jesus when He asks them to follow Him. To some people, this story sounds crazy to believe, and I believe this is one reason why Luke includes a little more details around the call of these early disciples. While it is miraculous in itself to think that God would invite humans to walk with Him, and it is miraculous to realize that these men were willing to drop a respectable life to follow someone who would ultimately be hated, condemned, and killed, Luke describes another miracle that likely prompted these early followers to pay attention.

In Luke’s mind, some people might not buy the idea that fishermen would drop everything to follow a religious teacher, especially One who lived the life of an outcast. So Luke gives us a little more detail surrounding the call of these men, and in Luke’s additional details, we learn what Jesus may have seen in these men leading up to their call.

Our passage is found in Luke’s gospel, chapter 5, and we will read it from the New Century Version of the Bible. Starting in verse 1, Luke tells us that:

¹One day while Jesus was standing beside Lake Galilee, many people were pressing all around him to hear the word of God. ²Jesus saw two boats at the shore of the lake. The fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. ³Jesus got into one of the boats, the one that belonged to Simon, and asked him to push off a little from the land. Then Jesus sat down and continued to teach the people from the boat.

⁴When Jesus had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Take the boat into deep water, and put your nets in the water to catch some fish.”

⁵Simon answered, “Master, we worked hard all night trying to catch fish, and we caught nothing. But you say to put the nets in the water, so I will.” ⁶When the fishermen did as Jesus told them, they caught so many fish that the nets began to break. ⁷They called to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They came and filled both boats so full that they were almost sinking.

⁸When Simon Peter saw what had happened, he bowed down before Jesus and said, “Go away from me, Lord. I am a sinful man!” ⁹He and the other fishermen were amazed at the many fish they caught, as were ¹⁰James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid. From now on you will fish for people.” ¹¹When the men brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed Jesus.

After reading about this miracle in our passage for this episode, it is no wonder that these fishermen decided to follow Jesus. After all, Jesus apparently knew more about fishing then any of them did.

However, Jesus described His role of teacher as turning them into fishers of people rather than fishers of fish.

But with this frame in mind, what prompted Jesus to invite these men to follow Him, and if Jesus were with us today, would He see the same character traits in us?

The first character trait that we learn about these men is that they were diligent workers. While Jesus was preaching, they were cleaning their nets. Verse 2 tells us that “Jesus saw two boats at the shore of the lake. The fishermen had left them and were washing their nets.” Whether they were interested in Jesus or not at this point, they were focused on the task, and while cleaning nets wasn’t likely very fun, it was necessary to being a productive fisherman.

The next character trait we discover is that when Jesus gets into Simon’s boat and asks Simon to push off from the shore so He could keep preaching, Simon agrees. With this little request, Jesus tests the waters with how willing, flexible, and helpful Simon was. We have no idea what Jesus talked about while sitting in the boat, but I am guessing that Simon kept the boat from drifting too far in any direction while also continuing to clean his nets.

The third character trait we discover in Simon and the other disciples is when Jesus has finished speaking. Whether Simon was interested in Jesus’ talk or not, when Jesus asks Simon to take the boat further out and cast the nets out to catch fish, Simon’s response is fascinating. Simon tells Jesus in verse 5, “Master, we worked hard all night trying to catch fish, and we caught nothing. But you say to put the nets in the water, so I will.”

Simon’s response to Jesus is along the lines of, “Well, I know how to fish, and last night didn’t go well. But if you claim to know better, then I’m happy to at least try it your way.” Simon is willing to try something new, something untested, and something that could either fail, or succeed. Simon is willing to find out which it is. This character trait would be a powerful asset moving forward with Jesus.

The last character trait we see in Simon is after they have finished catching all the fish. Simon tells Jesus in verse 8, “Go away from me, Lord. I am a sinful man!” Simon realizes that He is unworthy to be near Jesus, especially when Jesus had just demonstrated that He knew more about fishing than Simon did, and Simon acknowledges in a humble way that Jesus is holy – even if Simon didn’t realize how true this idea actually was.

All four of these character traits are important things for all followers of Jesus to work towards in our own lives. We should be diligent workers, we should be willing to obey Jesus with the little tasks, we should be willing to obey Jesus’ crazy, illogical, and challenging big requests, and we should be humble before Jesus and acknowledge our sinfulness and need of a Savior. With these four characteristics, we will be the people God created and called us to be, and we will be able to model Jesus to a world in need of a Savior.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

Be sure to seek God first and work towards incorporating all four of these character traits into your life. With a spirit of humility, an obedient attitude, and perseverance to press forward through challenges, we are able to grow into the people God wants us to be.

Also, be sure to always pray and study the Bible for yourself, because through prayer and personal study, we are able to grow personally towards God, and the closer we are to God, the more we will ultimately be like Him and the better we will be able to reflect His love to the world around us.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or walk away from where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

Flashback Episode: Year of Miracles – Episode 10: When Jesus calls Simon and the other early disciples to follow Him, we discover that Luke includes an amazing miracle of a boatload of fish that were caught during the worst possible time of the day to fish. Discover what we can learn about these early disciples from their willingness to obey Jesus with the small tasks leading up to this great miracle.

Lord and Son: Matthew 22:41-46

Published March 4, 2022 in Written Journal Entries

Focus Passage: Matthew 22:41-46 (GW)

⁴¹While 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.”

⁴³He 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.”’

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

⁴⁶No 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!

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