Partakers Christian Podcasts

Luke Looks Back 17

Study 16 - Luke 12:13 – 13:9

Priorities in life

There are at least 12 different parables or sayings in this section. The theme is how we should set our goals and live our lives in view of the uncertainty of this life and the promise of the life to come.

We read 12: 13 - 21.

Question 1:    Why exactly was the rich man such a fool? (You should get at least 4 different ways in which he was stupid.) Here is the story again.

The 4 things I can see in this passage are: He assumed he would still be alive to enjoy the produce from his crops.

He ignored the concerns of other people.

He assumed that "eat, drink ... " would lead to joyful merriment.

He ignored the claims of God on his life.

Question 2:    Isn't having big enough barns for your crops common sense? Isn't it what this world runs on?

Yes! It is what this world runs on. It is all a question of motives - good or bad. The teaching of the parable is summarized in the final phrase:  he worked for himself and was not rich towards God. It is not easy to be consistently rich towards God but that must be our life-long ambition.

Next we read 12: 22 - 34.

These verses are all about worry. A great deal of Western culture is driven by worry; if yours is not Western I have to leave it to you to work out how closely this conforms to your situation. We, in the West, are trained from an early age to think we must have the right toys, the right clothes, the right boy's toys, cars, etc. and to worry if we do not!  We cannot completely opt out of our world. In the words of Jesus we need to be 'in the world' but not 'of the world' (Jn 17: 11, 14).

Question 3:    Some of the Lord's servants rely on 12: 31 but if we all did that who would be the givers through whom the Lord would supply us? How then should we understand this?

We need to balance this saying with what Paul said to the Thessalonian Christians in 2 Thess 3: 10 - 'if a man will not work he shall not eat'. Somewhere between the two sayings is the right course for each one of us.

We read 12: 35 - 48.

This section includes no less than 4 different sayings about masters returning home or thieves breaking in. Most likely Luke has brought together things that Jesus said at different times simply linked by key words or ideas. The first homecoming is in v 35 - 38. The old Syriac and Arabic translations (culturally closer to those days) have the servants expecting the master who withdraws from the banquet (both equally possible translations) thus suggesting a pre-arranged plan for the master to bring food home from the banquet for his servants whom he then serves.

Question 4:    Assuming that is correct, what does this parable teach about the final great banquet (Is 25: 6; Lk 13: 29, 14: 15)?

This is an astonishing picture of Jesus receiving us, his servants, and serving us the good things of the great feast.

Question 5:    In the third and fourth episodes of masters returning (12: 42 - 46 and 47, 48) the emphasis is quite different. What is it?

These two parables, or sayings, with their emphasis on senior servants abusing their position over lesser servants, were probably chosen for inclusion by Luke to make some pointed comments to the church leaders of his day, some 40 years after Jesus said these things. They may well be strong rebukes to some church leaders in our day.

Question 6:    How do you understand the brutal bits (12: 42b, 46b, 47b) in these 2 episodes? Compare 1 Cor 3: 12 - 15. Is it better to shun responsibility in the work of the Kingdom and make sure we are not entrusted with too much? Why, or why not?

These sayings are a warning to all those who work in the church: from preaching, to Sunday School teaching and looking after the crèche, to work hard at our tasks, not to take them lightly and not to forget that we need the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit in all that we do for the Lord. Paul said: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.
 if we do that we shall not go far wrong.

Read 12: 39 - 45.

The sort of family division mentioned in 12: 49 - 53 is rather alarming. We must never be responsible for the destruction of the peace, except for the fact that we follow Jesus. We must do all we can, apart from denying him, to avoid division.

We read 13: 1 - 5.

One writer commenting on these verses says: Jesus' question and answer react to the popular notion that sin is the cause of calamity. If God is responsible for everything and God is a just God, the calamities must be the result of human sinfulness.  The fallacy in that argument is the notion that God is the immediate cause of all events, which leaves no room for human freedom or freedom in the created order, and therefore for events that God does not control ...'.

Question 7:    Do you agree with that statement?

This is a very doubtful argument, theologically. It leaves God as less than sovereign. The problem that led to the question to Jesus is basically the same as that faced by Job and, in the book bearing his name, the only answer given is that God is an unchanging rock for those who love him in spite of all apparent evidence to the contrary. Perhaps the phrase 'the ordinary chaos of life', accepting that God is sovereign but we can have no idea what he has determined, no window into his sovereignty, is a good and acceptable summary of these verses.

Finally we read 13: 6 - 8.

This little parable of the fig tree is based on Is 5: 1 - 7.

Question 8:    What does Jesus add to what that passage teaches? Here is the passage in Isaiah:

He includes a time marker, a year; probably to be understood as a period of grace before Israel would be "cut down". (Which turned out to be nearly 40 years before the siege and destruction of Jerusalem in AD 69, 70.)

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Saturday Special

Saturday Special

Hi, I'm Jo Royal - I'm an Assistant Pastor in Basingstoke and I love to drink tea, wear Converse and blog! I also love good conversations and often spend a fair amount of time reflecting on the conversations long after they are finished! It is this reflection that led me to the following thoughts that I would like to share with you about Strong Women.

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Last week, this statement cropped up in three separate conversations regarding different women. Strong women. And each time, I cringed. I used to be a 'strong' woman. I lifted weights at the gym regularly, practiced Judo weekly, and had a pretty good success rate with arm wrestling. There's nothing wrong with being a strong woman. But, this wasn't what they meant, was it? No, the focus of their strength had nothing to do with their muscles, but their character. Character can be understood as 'the stable and distinctive qualities built into an individual's life which determine his or her response regardless of circumstances.' Therefore, a strong character can simply be defined as someone with the ability to respond with strength in all circumstances. To remain constant and strong in a world crazed with uncertainty, inconsistency, and irrationality. A strong character is needed if we are to effectively navigate life's experiences. If this is the understanding of a strong character, then why does the phrase so often get spat out with disdain and caution when specifically referring to women? A strong woman? The term 'strong' when referring to the character of a woman, often carries quite a distinct interpretation.

• Bossy
• Opinionated
• Outspoken
• Stubborn
• But only of a woman.

Very rarely does the phrase get used when describing a man. And if it does, then it is usually referred to as a positive character trait. Is strength in a man a virtue, but strength in a woman a vice? Is it good that a man displays strength, but a woman conceals it? Is this what God ordained? Did he create men to have strong character and women to be weak? Can we read only of strong male characters in the Bible?

What of Ruth? (Click here to see a Partakers study concerning her!) A woman of 'chayil' - (power, strength, resources, effective) What of Deborah? The prophetess and judge who had to know her own (or God's) mind and speak it.

What of Mary? (Click here to see a Partakers study concerning her!) Who chose to go against the cultural norms of the day, and engage in something she (rightly) saw as more important. And what of Jael? (Click here to see a Partakers study concerning her!)

Who took matters into her own hands, confidently driving a tent peg through the head of an enemy. And Biblical women weren't strong? Shouldn't all Christians, whether male or female, aspire to have a strong character? A character that allows them to follow the will of God, speak on his behalf, and love and forgive in a culture that exemplifies the opposite? Shouldn't all Christians, whether male or female, demonstrate strength of character that comes from knowing who we were created to be? Shouldn't all Christians, whether male or female, be encouraged to speak up, and not shut up? Shouldn't all Christians, whether male or female, be encouraged to stand up for what is right Shouldn't a strong character in all Christians be celebrated and not shunned or frowned upon? Yes, even when that strength is embodied in a woman. And if the idea of this makes you feel uncomfortable, perhaps you ought to ask yourself why.

Think Spot

Think Spot 1st October 2012

Where is your faith?? Going down memory lane recently I remembered a man of 24 years of age who attended our mission hall in South East London and for some while did not seem to show particular interest in the preached message until one day he shook me with his amount of faith which on that occasion exceeded my own by far. We always went down to the famous Cutty Sark in Greenwich after the evening service close to the River Thames to hold a short open air service on a stretch of grass nearby.. We had the most improvised equipment imaginable to impart the message and a few gospel songs which were played on a record turntable in what looked to the unknowing onlooker to be an old pram on wheels. It was ancient I can tell you. However ancient I had inherited it and intended to put it to good use. It included a microphone attached which was powerful enough for proclaiming the gospel and all of this equopment run on an old car battery. Yes this was back in approximately 1970 I think. Now to the true story. One particular Sunday night as we began the evening service I could not believe for one moment we would be having the open air service later. It was raining cats and dogs as Britishers would say . It was incessant and looked in for the night. So I put away at the back of my mind any likelihood of us making the journey down to the river front that night. However, Fred had other ideas. As soon as the service finished he came up to me and said “Well are you ready?” Ready for what? ” I enquired. “Down to the Cutty Sark” he replied. “But its pouring with rain and so no one will be out and about and it will be a waste of time to go?” I replied. He came right up close and said with complete confidence “Where is your faith Mr Allis?” I was quite taken back but muttered “Oh come on then lets go” Well the faith was completely with Fred that night and so we went and I expected a completely deserted river front with absolutely no one in sight and I was right. As I commenced the service with a Bev Shea song I looked around and saw a few windows open in high flats at the waters edge but no sign of life. So with ' very little faith' I I began my gospel message aiming it towards the few distant windows high up where I noticed lights on. As I continued in what was probably about a ten minute address proclaiming Jesus Christ to my surprise a small boy came along the water front kicking a football and behind him, I supposed ,was his mother. She sat on the one wet seat about 20 metres away and rested while her boy played. Remember the rain was still pouring down. As I concluded she got up and came deliberately towards me and said “I came out tonight as my boy was getting so fidgety at home and was pleading to come out so I agreed unwillingly. I am so pleased I did ,now, because God spoke to me as you spoke and I want to return to Him. I have been backsliding for a long while but your message from God made the difference.” Thank you for making the effort on a night like this. Fred was listening quietly near by and as she and her son went on their way he said with a smile on his face “Told you so !, aren’t you glad you came? I certainly was! Joys Prayer Gracious loving Lord, how wonderful are the surprises you give us and they can make us feel so unworthy as we see even our little faith go down to zero when we look at the circumstances and take out eyes off You.. When David went against Goliath he was thought mad to do so by King Saul. However with confidence that His God was much, much bigger than Goliath he even ran towards Goliath and we know that` you Lord won a great victory through your servant David. He fully trusted you to give him victory. He knew it before the stone left the sling. Help us Lord like David not to be overcome with doubt and fear as we see the difficult circumstances. Help us to keep our eyes on You Lord. 'Faith doesn’t look at circumstances but straight at God.' Thank you Lord for your promised faithfulness each day and night. In Jesus Name, Amen Joys Prayer

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