Day 26: teachings on worry, persecution and readiness; call to repentance; Sabbath healing; more teaching
chronological assignment for October 26: Luke 12-13
For more information about this study, see my introduction.
I follow two Bible reading plans yearly, one chronological and one with a daily Old Testament and New Testament reading. I publish those daily readings and prayer here. At the start of 2023, I started summarizing the books of the Bible, and those summaries can be found here.
In this chronological study, as we follow various clues in the Gospel writers’ accounts, we depart from daily assigned reading in the chronological plan that I follow, which usually assigns most or all of whole chapters. Since we look at smaller segments consisting of particular verses from all the accounts about the events of Jesus’ life and ministry, sometimes we find ourselves behind and sometimes we find ourselves ahead of the daily chronological assigned reading plan.
Today may be the only day so far that our assigned reading on October 26 exactly matches our study for today, as we cover Luke 12 and 13 in both.
LUKE 12: teachings on worry, persecution, and readiness
A lot of the teaching in Luke 12 is going to seem familiar now or when we re-address it later.
As I said yesterday, I struggled quite a bit with some of Luke’s placement of stories recounted in the other Gospels. From the end of Luke 9 to the beginning of Luke 19, it is quite difficult to reconcile Luke’s timeline with any of the other Gospel accounts. He seems to use this long section in his Gospel to recount a lot of Jesus’ teaching, which we find elsewhere in other accounts. There are at least two ways I’ve resolved this in my mind. First, I remember Luke’s account is based on interviews of eyewitnesses. It was obviously important to him to recount the content of the teaching, not necessarily the timeline of the teaching. What should matter to us is that the teaching occurred at all. Hearing multiple accounts of the same teaching with largely the same content does increase the validity of each account. Second, it occurs to me that Jesus might have repeated the same teachings numerous times because they were that important. One author places a teaching at one point and another at a different point because it is possible they actually happened at both points. At times you’ll notice that I try to consolidate these different episodes of Jesus’ teaching on the same topic. Other times I simply recognize we are repeating similar concepts because the episodes or content is too difficult to address in one place.
Read the next few verses with the knowledge that the Pharisees were so opposed to Jesus that they were seeking to kill Him, and the people did know the Pharisees had the power to kill those that opposed them.
“Under these circumstances, after so many thousands of people had gathered together that they were stepping on one another, He began saying to His disciples first of all, ‘Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed upon the housetops. I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him! Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God; but he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him. When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say’” (Luke 12:1-12).
These words are actually good for us in our current anti-Christian environment. We are not at the point where we are jailed or killed for our faith in the United States, although many of our brothers and sisters live under threat of that fate throughout the world. But our culture is becomingly increasingly hostile to Christianity. As throughout all the Gospels, Jesus is reminding us to keep an eternal perspective. The Pharisees had all the social power of their day. They ruled with fear. And they were the supposed religious authorities of the day. Jesus is plainly saying not to worry about their power, their teachings, and their opinions, as they are hypocrites. They may be seeming to be getting by with it in the short term, but they will ultimately be exposed. Jesus’ caution is not to fear man on earth and therefore compromise our faith. Our faith assures us of eternity with God through belief in the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross and His rising from the dead. Any suffering on this earth is temporary and not worth forfeiting our eternal security for. He is also reassuring us that, even if circumstances look bad, He is protecting us. We are so valuable to our Father and He is so watchful over us that He has the very hairs on our head numbered. We should expect persecution, but we should not waste time worrying about it. God, through His Holy Spirit, will give us exactly what we need in those moments, including the very words He wants us to speak.
“Someone in the crowd said to Him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.' But He said to him, ‘Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?’” (Luke 12:13-14).
This reminds me of Martha’s plea to Jesus to tell her sister Mary to help her serve. How much do we treat Jesus like our parent who we want to settle squabbles with our siblings? I think His question, like so many of Jesus’ questions, is rhetorical, meaning to inspire thought and not necessarily to be taken literally. Jesus is not the arbitrator and judge over everyday squabbles. He didn’t even come as Judge during His first coming to earth. He came as our Savior (but we also always remember He will return at His second coming as Judge). But Jesus teaches broad principles that we should be able to apply in our relationships with others. He doesn’t need to mediate every interaction.
Jesus addresses this man’s heart and motivation:
“Then He said to them, ‘Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.’ And He told them a parable, saying, ‘The land of a rich man was very productive. And he began reasoning to himself, saying, “What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?” Then he said, “This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.’” But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?” So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God’” (Luke 12:15-21).
While it may be fair for this man’s brother to divide the family inheritance with him, Jesus’ caution is not to place our focus and concern on the material possessions of this life. We can work so hard at making sure we have comfort and means in this life, forgetting that every day is a gift and we do not know how many of them we will have. Our focus is on Christ and His Kingdom, not on building our own little comfortable kingdom on earth.
“And He said to His disciples, ‘For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life’s span? If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith! And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying. For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things. But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also’” (Luke 12:22-34).
Such rich and appropriate conviction for us. Like Martha, we are “worried and bothered about so many things” (Luke 10:41) that are so irrelevant to our eternity. God is loving and sovereign and in control. He has the very hairs of our head numbered (Luke 12:7). Our very days were numbered by the Father before we were born (Psalm 139:16). “[W]hich of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life’s span?” (Luke 12:25). All these things we try to control are just illusions, and wasted time and wasted worry and wasted energy. Our Father knows what we need and He is capable of providing it. “[S}eek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you” (Luke 12:31). Our focus is on Him. Our focus is on eternity. It is not on all these temporary things that we only have an illusion of control over anyway. Hold those things loosely. Seek His kingdom. He has gladly given it to us. Please meditate with me on what it would be like if we really believed this. I love this quote from John Newton: “I am prone to puzzle myself over twenty things which are out of my power, and equally unnecessary, if the Lord be my shepherd.” Amen.
Jesus starts to teach about His second coming.
“Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit. Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them. Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves” (Luke 12:35-38).
I don’t think I’ve ever noticed this before and it is extraordinary. Jesus is our Master. He is telling us that if He returns and we are obediently waiting for Him, He will actually wait on us! He won’t just be pleased and thankful. He will wait on us!
“But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect” (Luke 12:39-40).
It’s easy to be ready if we know the exact time we are to be ready. But we have learned over and over that God our Father and Jesus our Lord care about our faith and obedience. Part of our not knowing the day or hour that He will return is a test of our faith and obedience. We may not like it, but the Lord does test our obedience. Look at Deuteronomy 8:2-6, “You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD. Your clothing did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. Thus you are to know in your heart that the LORD your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son. Therefore, you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him.”
“Peter said, ‘Lord, are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?’ And the Lord said, ‘Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But if that slave says in his heart, “My master will be a long time in coming,” and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk; the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers. And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes, but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more’” (Luke 12:41-48).
Jesus doesn’t seem to directly address Peter’s question, but I think His answer is addressed to all of us. The slave knows what he is supposed to be doing. He just doesn’t do it because he’s gambling on extra time before his master returns. But this gamble for us concerns the eternal state of our souls. Notice that what we know matters. If we know what we are to do and don’t do it, we face a greater consequence than the ignorant. The verse “[f}rom everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more’” is often quoted and, I think, taken out of context. This verse directly addresses our knowledge. We are held accountable for our knowledge. As students of His Word, we are not going to be able to claim we don’t not know what the Lord desired from us. These are convicting, sobering, and challenging verses. Once we have knowledge, we are responsible to act on it.
“I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!” (Luke 12:49-50).
Jesus is already looking forward to His return to earth when He comes as the Conquering King. His first coming required Him to come as the Suffering Servant. In the section of Luke we are in, Jesus is making His way to Jerusalem, where He will be crucified. He’s confessing He is not looking forward to this event. I was struck by His use of the word “baptism” because it is a unique usage. Strong’s Concordance calls baptism an “immersion or submersion,” but also says it refers to “calamities and afflictions with which one is quite overwhelmed.” This sounds like an appropriate description of Jesus’ crucifixion.
My friend Karen shared with me more of her reflections on this verse and concept: Christ’s baptism was that He submerged His will and died to self, both literally by submitting His body for crucifixion and figuratively by also submitting His will in obedience to the Father's plan. Christ arose and, in victory, He lives. By our baptism we declare we are dying to self via our submersion in the water and we rise again demonstrating our new life is in Him. Our baptism is a proclamation of our faith in Christ and our giving our life to Him. “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (Galatians 2:20). Jesus' baptism (via crucifixion) proclaimed that He IS the Christ (the Messiah) as He gave His life for us.
“Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division; for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. 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” (Luke 12:51-53).
We are seeing this truth lived out in our day as the church is purified and the stakes are increasingly rising for claiming Christ. Jesus has taught us that there is no middle ground. We are either for Him or against Him (Matthew 12:30). This will become increasingly evident in our relationships. Our prayer is to take the heat of these difficult relationships while maintaining love and compassion for the lost. Jude 1:17-22 speaks to this, “But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, ‘In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.’ These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.” When I heard Jackie Hill Perry teach on Jude, I loved her explanation of having mercy with fear. Our fear of the Lord results in our obedience to Him. We can have mercy on those who are struggling in sin, but we do not let our compassion cloud our fear of God and our standing on what He has taught is right and wrong.
“And He was also saying to the crowds, ‘When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, “A shower is coming,” and so it turns out. And when you see a south wind blowing, you say, “It will be a hot day,” and it turns out that way. You hypocrites! You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why do you not analyze this present time? And why do you not even on your own initiative judge what is right? For while you are going with your opponent to appear before the magistrate, on your way there make an effort to settle with him, so that he may not drag you before the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. I say to you, you will not get out of there until you have paid the very last cent’” (Luke 12:54-59).
Jesus told us to be ready at any time for His return. He also taught about what the times will look like before He returns. We do not know the day or hour, but we do know the current times are troubling, and we should be ready. I think it’s interesting that He is inviting us to analyze the signs of His return, but then He transitions to an invitation to judge what is right and wrong in our daily lives. Here is yet anothr example of Jesus giving us permission to judge right and wrong behavior This is the concept of righteous judgment we discussed with John 7:24. He has told us what is right and what is wrong. He is telling us we can make that judgment. We can resolve conflicts with our fellow man based on this judgment. He warns us against submitting ourselves to those who do not judge with righteous judgment. We increasingly find we are strangers in this world and the residents of this world are not our friends.
LUKE 13:1-9 : call to repent
“Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. And Jesus said to them, ‘Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish’” (Luke 13:1-5).
This phraseology “the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices” is so interesting that I looked it up in Matthew Henry’s commentary. What it implies is that these men were offering sacrifices in the Temple when they were killed, so not even being in a place of worship was protective for them. It also gives us context for who Pilate was and what he was capable of. Remember when Jesus appears before Pilate and Pilate says to Him: “You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You” (John 19:10)? Whatever the intent of those who brought up this massacre, Jesus uses it as an opportunity to remind us that we need to have our relationship right with Him because, as the parable we recently discussed says, we never know when our souls will be required of us (Luke 12:20). He reminds us of the basics of the gospel. We are all sinners. We all need a Savior. And unless we recognize this need before we die and plead for forgiveness on the basis of Jesus’ perfect and sufficient sacrifice on our behalf, we will perish eternally, meaning we will be eternally separated from God in hell. In Luke 12, we discussed being ready for Christ’s second coming. But we need to be aware that our life could end at any moment and we more likely need to be ready for that occasion rather than the Lord’s return. We should be equally ready for either event.
“And He began telling this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. And he said to the vineyard-keeper, “Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?” And he answered and said to him, “Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down”’” (Luke 13:6-8).
Oh, the patience and long-suffering of Christ. Did you notice that there is an advocate in this story? There is the owner of the vineyard and there is the vineyard keeper. Seems reasonable to think that maybe the owner of the vineyard is God and the vineyard keeper is Jesus. We know God is long-suffering. God describes Himself in Exodus 34:6-7: “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.” He is long-suffering but there is eventually an end to His patience. But we have an advocate before the Father who asks for a little more time on our behalf. He is willing to act on our behalf in the hope that we will come to a saving knowledge of Him that is evidenced by our bearing "fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:8).
I read a piece from Desiring God (https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/i-never-knew-you) about the kind of repentance that leads to salvation. It is a repentance that bears fruit. As the article says, “We are justified by faith alone, as the Reformers taught, but not by a faith that is alone. To truly receive the words of God is to intentionally, through a joyous faith in our crucified and resurrected Lord and active reliance upon his Spirit, obey them. Consider that if exposure to God’s word in the spoken gospel and the written Scriptures doesn’t soon change your behavior (even if slower than you might hope), if the transformation of your inner person does not extend to your outer life, you may well be wandering in the dream of those who never knew him.”
LUKE 13:10-17 : healing on the Sabbath
“And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, ‘Woman, you are freed from your sickness.’ And He laid His hands on her; and immediately she was made erect again and began glorifying God. But the synagogue official, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the crowd in response, ‘There are six days in which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day.’ But the Lord answered him and said, ‘You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead him away to water him? And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?’ As He said this, all His opponents were being humiliated; and the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him" (Luke 13:10-17).
If I am so tired of these religious officials, can you imagine how Jesus felt? But He demonstrates His patience in rebuking rather than destroying them. I wonder how many were saved by His patience? We know that Nicodemus was. I am struck by the fact that the official does not marvel that the woman is healed. He is just annoyed that it is done on the Sabbath. Jesus rightly points out that the official has zero compassion on not only a fellow human being but on a fellow Jew. The crowd rejoices at Jesus’ compassion, but the religious leaders continue to be humiliated, fanning the flame of their desire to have Him destroyed.
I was struck that this story spoke to several in the group about not only physical healing but spiritual and/or emotional healing. This inspired me to share something else I read, from Jackie Hill Perry: “A major component of healing is that of mind renewal. Asking God to heal you is a broader way to ask a specific question: ‘God heal me’ = ‘God renew my mind.’ Trauma affects our thinking patterns. The Spirit transforms them.” I’ve noticed a lot of the pop psychological thought of the day concentrates on “trauma” and the ways we are victims. We carry around these badges that supposedly explain our emotions, our behavior, and our actions, and we use them to attempt to control the actions of others. Let me give you a personal example. I carried around being the “victim” of infertility like a badge for years. I required people to be careful with me on this subject and was hurt when they were not. I literally had a mind-renewing revelation at one point that I no longer needed to carry around that badge. I no longer needed to be defined by that “trauma." I didn’t need it to occupy my thoughts or let it affect my interactions with others. I can now see how the Lord has used this truth of one of the circumstances of my life for good. It is a fact and the Lord has used it to mold, shape, and transform me. I do not miss the badge of victimhood. I am grateful for the Lord’s renewing and transforming power in this area of my life. 2 Corinthians 5:17 promises, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” We can be defined by Christ despite circumstance. May we cling to this hope.
Oh, dear Lord, the hurts and traumas are real. I do not deny that. May we be patient and gentle with one another, carrying each other’s burdens. May we find peace and comfort in You that surpasses understanding as we walk through bewildering, devastating, heartbreaking circumstances. May we have hope that You can heal and renew us, through the power of Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.
LUKE 13:22-35 : teaching in the villages
“And He was passing through from one city and village to another, teaching, and proceeding on His way to Jerusalem. And someone said to Him, ‘Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?’ And He said to them, ‘Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, “Lord, open up to us!” then He will answer and say to you, “I do not know where you are from.” Then you will begin to say, “We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets”; and He will say, “I tell you, I do not know where you are from; DEPART FROM ME, ALL YOU EVILDOERS.” In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being thrown out. And they will come from east and west and from north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God. And behold, some are last who will be first and some are first who will be last’” (Luke 13:22-30).
Jesus proclamation that “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6) is a very narrow door that is a stumbling block to many. As we’ve discussed before, God has provided every evidence we need to come to Him: His creation, the life of Christ, His Word, manifestations of His Holy Spirit. But He requires us to believe Him. And He requires us to acknowledge that we are sinners in need of a Savior and repent of our sins and then lead lives in keeping with repentance, by the power of the Holy Spirit. There are those who do not want to enter the narrow door because they do not want to live lives in keeping with repentance. Most of us can testify of our lives before and after repentance that it is now so much better. But so many are attached to their sin and they refuse to believe life could be better without it. Knowing of Jesus, being near Jesus in going through the motions of religious ritual, will not save us. Jesus knows and saves those who have departed from their evil ways because they are followers of Him. Until our life on this earth ends, the door is open. But there will come a day when it will be too late and the door will shut. The offer is open to everyone, not just to the Jews, His chosen people. They were the first to have the door opened to them and we, as Gentiles, were the last. But our either accepting or rejecting His invitation changes our standing before Him.
“Just at that time some Pharisees approached, saying to Him, ‘Go away, leave here, for Herod wants to kill You.’ And He said to them, ‘Go and tell that fox, “Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I reach My goal.” Nevertheless I must journey on today and tomorrow and the next day; for it cannot be that a prophet would perish outside of Jerusalem. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it! Behold, your house is left to you desolate; and I say to you, you will not see Me until the time comes when you say, “BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!”’”(Luke 13:31-35).
How convenient for the Pharisees to act concerned about Jesus’ welfare, when they really want Him to move on and stop affecting the people under their power. Jesus, though, lets them know that He is not concerned. God’s will and plan regarding Jesus’ life and death and resurrection will be fulfilled. Jesus demonstrates solidarity with the prophets of God who have been martyred before Him in Jerusalem. Hebrews 1:1 explains, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son.” God throughout history has communicated with His creation. He has reached out. He has been long-suffering. He has been merciful. He is willing to do everything for us. He just wants us to respond to His offer. As rebellious children, we break the heart of our Father. Those of us who are parents know this. There were so many wonderful things Kirk and I wanted to do for our son Drew that he missed out on when he was rebellious. God does not make us obey. But He gives us consequences for rebellion. The Jews’ rejection of Jesus means they will be overcome by Rome and their temple will be destroyed, their house will be left to them “desolate.” But God has a plan of redemption for the Jews. As Jesus enters Jerusalem before His death, people did proclaim, ‘BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!” Biblical prophecies can be fulfilled in multiple instances. That instance could be one fulfillment of Jesus’ words. It also seems likely that it could be fulfilled at His second coming when God’s chosen people, the Jews, finally realize Who their Savior is.
Thank you, Lord, for Your patience and long-suffering.
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