Luke 24: A Walk with Jesus

This meditation is going to be short because I really want you to read verses 13-35 and think about what it would be to take a walk with Jesus. In this life, I can never take a walk with my Mom again, or with my Grandpa, but I can talk a walk with Jesus right now by reading Luke 24.

Luke 23: Paradise

A word from the lips of Jesus can fix anything. On a cross next to Jesus was a man who had lived a bad life. He had even sinned against God while he was on his cross (Matthew 27:44). But during the brief hours after that, he had changed. He was desperate, and he knew it. He also knew that Jesus was a King and that Jesus could help him! So, he appealed to that Man Who was on His Own cross. In the sentence that Jesus spoke, the word “paradise” is used. This word has such meaning that we can know that Jesus was promising this sinner far more than he asked. He can give you paradise, too (Revelation 2:7) .Will you yield to Him and receive what He gives (Acts 22:16)? 

Luke 22: Communion...Threatened

The importance of the death, burial, and resurrection can be seen in the Lord’s Supper—communion—which the early church observed every Sunday (Acts 2:42; 20:7-11; 1 Corinthians 11:23-29). The word “communion” has to do with fellowship between the worshipper and God as well as fellowship among all true worshippers. The scene of verses 14-23 is one that includes this idea. But the fellowship must be understood and maintained by worshipers who treat one another as brothers and sisters outside of worship. To do otherwise will threaten this communion (verses 24-30). And that will cut us off from God.

Luke 21: No Strings Attached - Part Two

It is easy to judge what other people do. We can get good at it either way—being fair judges or unfair judges. If a person puts everything she has into the church treasury, and if the amount she puts in can do almost nothing—what is the point? This meditation is about four of the thirty-eight verses in Luke 21. But doing a good job on these four can help us to do a good job on the rest. So, back to the widow—there was nothing small about her gift, for at least three reasons:

¨ Such a gift glorifies God

¨ Such a gift sets a good example

¨ Her giving with “no strings attached” opens the door for me
to see how great her soul was

Luke 20: Authority

This mediation begins with good questions about Jesus’ authority. The sad thing is that the good questions came from bad people, and Jesus knew it. So the more important thing was for them to examine themselves (rather than to examine Jesus). He made an effort to help them do this which they promptly rejected. So, He made no direct attempt to answer them (verse 8). He had been claiming authority from God in His teaching all along (Matthew 7:28-29) and demonstrating it in His miracles, signs, and wonders (John 3:1-2). He does have all authority today over me and over you (Matthew 28:18). So, let us examine ourselves honestly and choose to live in harmony with the demands of His authority. This may help to ready your mind for the reading of verses 9-47.

Luke 19: Blessed Be the King

This reading includes the event in the final week of Jesus’ life that is called “The Triumphal Entry” (verses 28-40). It was a great thing, predicted by prophets, arranged by Jesus, and filled with praise to the King. It was preceded and followed by many events where He was misunderstood, persecuted, and plotted against. He had entered the world as a King (Luke 1-2; Matthew 2), now He enters Jerusalem being called a King, and on Pentecost He would be crowned King (Acts 2). He overcomes all of the negative and reigns to this day as King of Kings.

“Blessed be the King”

Luke 18: No Strings Attached - Part One

I woke up in the middle of the night about two weeks ago and gravitated to the lessons to be learned from the rich young ruler. One point came to me that I had not meditated on very often. In verse 22, Jesus told him to sell his possessions and do something with the money. Which of these was it?

¨ Make a donation to your favorite mission work

¨ Start a school of preaching

¨ Broadcast the gospel to the world

¨ Give it to the poor

Common wisdom among religious people usually marks out the last choice immediately. But that was the only choice Jesus gave him. He did not say why—so that’s where the meditating begins. Maybe it is because such giving is a true example of “no strings attached” giving and frees one to take up the cross and follow Jesus (see Matthew 19:21; Mark 10:21).

Luke 17: You Must Forgive

Imitating God (Ephesians 5:1) is joyful, challenging, necessary, and productive. The command in verse 4 that we must forgive the person who repents will be much easier to obey if we practice daily imitating the God Who is always “ready to forgive” (Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 86:5). The fact that we don’t—or won’t—forgive in necessary situations could be explained by our failure to develop a forgiving nature. God did not have to develop it—HE IS IT. But we do have to develop it because the command in verse 4 (“You shall forgive him”) requires a forgiving spirit. Being such a person has another upside—it makes those who offend have an easier time choosing to repent.

Luke 16: Integrity

On a mission trip to India, a few of us were in a hotel room for Sunday evening worship. An Indian Christian, Benjamin Lazarus, spoke to us that night from Luke 16:1-12. His subject was “integrity.” It was a beautiful, thoughtful, memorable talk. I have used these verses often to try to make the same point that my friend made that night. Are you an honest, fair person who knows that God always wants you to do the “right thing”? How do you find out what the “right thing” is? Thanks again, brother Benjamin.

Luke 15: The "Lost" Parables

A brief amount of murmuring against Jesus is the first statement of Luke 15. Jesus used it as an occasion to give three “Lost” parables:

¨ The Parable of the Lost Sheep (One of One Hundred)

¨ The Parable of the Lost Coin (One of Ten)

¨ The Parable of the Lost Son (One of Two)

I am not listing the lessons that I think are in this well-known reading, but I do want you to write down the lessons you get from it as you read. Making some notes while you read is a good way to learn how to develop your meditation skills.

Luke 14: How Much Is It?

Few of us buy anything unless we find out how much it costs. I like fish, but when the menu says “Market Price,” I ask what “market price” is before I decide. The last paragraph of this chapter (verses 25-35) is about cost—“counting the cost.”

¨ What is the cost of serving Christ?

¨ What is the cost of not serving Christ?

¨ How do I learn to count the cost?

¨ Do I realize that after meditating on the cost, I should serve Him at all costs?

Luke 13: What Is This Thing Called Repentance?

Earthly tragedies can easily be used by thoughtful people for self-examination. At the beginning of this chapter, Our Lord used two recent events to encourage His listeners to think about the idea of repentance. Simply defined, repentance is a changing of the mind. Spiritually defined, it is a changing of the mind about one’s own sins—it is a resolution to think differently about sin and to stop. It is preceded by a different, but essential, emotion: godly sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:9-10). Have you repented? Do you realize that “perishing” is certain for all who do not repent?

Luke 12: Personal Pronouns

Verses 13-21 have been used many times to teach us about the sin of covetousness—the evil greed that leads us to trust in possessions. Part of the lesson is to note how much the man in the parable thought of himself:

“...within himself...I...I...my...I...I...my...I...my...my...I...my...soul...thou…”

These are personal pronouns—his selfish life was all about himself. But God also got personal with him in verse 20, and then Jesus got personal with us in verse 21.

Luke 11: Woe

The end of this reading has a description of one of those events in Jesus’ life that is truly sad. It reveals how difficult it is to make it clear to a hypocrite that he is a hypocrite and that he needs to change (verses 37-53). While He was visiting the house of a hypocrite, Jesus used the word “woe” six times to refer to the spiritual condition of these men. It is strong language, implying a rejection of their thinking, their values, their hearts, and their trouble-making for others. Their response? Read the last verse.

The Lessons:

Do not be a hypocrite

Accept the Lord’s diagnosis of your condition

Luke 10: Love, Love, Love, Love

The parable of the good Samaritan is in Luke 10. It is introduced by a conversation between a teacher of the Law of Moses and Jesus. At one point the lawyer answered correctly a question that was asked by the Lord about inheriting eternal life. It is about loving God with all of one’s heart, soul, strength and mind. There is a song that says, “The gospel in a word is ‘love.’” And love is all about obeying His commandments (John 14:15; 1 John 5:3). Meditate on this man’s correct answer so tat you can give Him a correct answer on the lat day (v. 28).

Luke 9: Dazzling White

This chapter has one of many incidents that help to identify Who Jesus really is. It is the transfiguration (also found in Matthew 17 and Mark 9). Verse 29 has a phrase that can be translated “his clothes became dazzling white” (Christian Standard Bible). It is one of several terms showing that this event was demonstrating that He is deity, a member of the Godhead. Don’t forget to meditate on the fact that God came in a cloud of glory and spoke words that gave more proof of the true identity of Jesus. Then, choose to listen to Him in all things (verse 35).

Luke 8: How Do You Hear?

This meditation centers in on one word: “How.” “Take heed how you hear,”  Jesus said. “How” is a common word, appearing 103 times in the New Testament. It is one of hundreds of words in this very chapter. It is part of a commandment to us to pay attention to “how” we listen to Jesus: “by what means” do we listen? It means that we must listen well when we listen. It applies to our attitudes as listeners. Do we listen to the Bible in humility, with a desire to learn and do the will of God, with a whole-hearted longing to understand and love the Lord God, with an appreciation of the fact that we have been given an opportunity to actually hear His word, and with the belief that He knows if we are taking heed to “how” we hear?

Luke 7: Go in Peace

Almost every chapter presents me with many ideas for meditations and a difficulty in deciding how to narrow it down to one. I did not even have to read this chapter in order to decide. The last words in the chapter are, “Go in peace.” Everything in the reading actually leads up to this, particularly verses 36-50. Think on these things:

¨ Who was to “Go in peace”? A forgiven sinner

¨ Why did she need peace? She had sinned

¨ What did she receive? Forgiveness from Jesus

¨ When did she have peace? Right then

¨ With whom did she have peace? God, Jesus, herself

¨ Do I have peace with Him and myself? Acts 10:36-48

Luke 6: Why Do You Call Me Lord?

Much of this chapter sounds like various parts of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). One verse of it includes Jesus’ question, “Why do you call me lord?” It is followed by, “And do not the things that I say?” Here are some points for meditating:

¨ What does it mean to truly call Jesus “Lord”?

¨ Why would anyone call Him “Lord” if they were not going to obey Him?

¨ Why did they call Him “Lord,” since they followed it up by not obeying?

¨ What does it mean NOW—TO ME—to call Him Lord?

¨ How does this mesh with Matthew 7:21-23?

Luke 5: Because You Say So

This meditation is based on the early part of this reading—a fishing story. In the middle of it, Peter says that he would put the nets back into the lake “because you said so.” Some points for meditation are the simplicity of the story (anyone can learn from it), we need to train ourselves to listen to Jesus, to trust Him, to be ready to act, to do what He says, to expect His blessings, and to continue following Him. All of this, and more, is in just he first eleven verses. And these great verses are followed by twenty-eight more that are just as good.