Bible

Back in the Bible room today, we continue reading in the book of Luke with Session 7, the summaries of chapters 17 and 18.

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Luke

Session 7

Chapter 17. Faith

Jesus continues speaking to His disciples:

• Of a certainty, there will be stumbling blocks in the future;
• But those who cause the trouble will face their own trouble;
• Especially if they cause one of His followers to stumble;
• They would be better off if they had been drowned in the sea;
• If your brother sins, and repents, you are to forgive him;
• Even if this occurs seven times in a day, keep forgiving him;
• The apostles have a request for Jesus: “Increase our faith”;
• He says: With very small faith you can perform miracles;
• Faith the size of a mustard seed will uproot a mulberry tree;
• If you had a servant, you would expect him to do his duty;
• When he does his duty, you do not owe him a special thanks;
• Likewise, when you have obeyed the teachings of Jesus,
• You will not think of yourselves as any special people;
• You will say: We have only done our duty;
• Jesus, and His disciples, are on their way to Jerusalem;
• Going through a certain village they meet ten leprous men;
• They all ask Jesus to heal them, which He does;
• One of the men, a Samaritan, returns to thank Jesus;
• Jesus wonders where the other nine men have gone;
• He tells the man his faith has healed him;
• Some Pharisees ask Jesus about the coming kingdom of God;
• Jesus says the kingdom of God will not be visible;
• He tells the disciples it will reside within them;
• And when Jesus returns it will be like lightning across the sky;
• But first, He must be rejected and suffer many things;
• It will become like the days of Noah, and the days of Lot;
• People will be eating, drinking, buying, and selling;
• Suddenly, all life will change when Jesus comes back to Earth;
• People will be separated, some will be taken, some will be left;
• Birds of prey will gather around the dead bodies.

Chapter 18. Persistent

Jesus tells His disciples a parable about a persistent widow:

• This widow has a case being heard by an unjust judge;
• He refuses to issue a judgement in this woman’s favor;
• Finally, after many contacts, the judge relents;
• He says because of her persistence he will rule in her favor;
• Jesus says: God will hear the persistent prayers of the just;
• In another parable Jesus talks about self-righteous people;
• A Pharisee and a tax collector go to the temple to pray;
• The Pharisee thanks God that he is better than others;
• The tax collector prays that God will be merciful to him;
• Jesus says that man will go home justified before God;
• The one who exalts himself will be abased;
• The one who humbles himself will be exalted;
• The disciples attempt to keep children away from Jesus;
• Jesus rebukes them, tells them to bring the children to Him;
• He says: The kingdom of God is made up of children;
• And everyone must become as a child to enter heaven;
• A certain leader asks Jesus how to inherit eternal life;
• Jesus tells him to obey all the commandments;
• His response: He has done that his entire life;
• Jesus says there is one more thing he needs to do:
• He needs to sell all he has then give the money to the poor;
• With this, he will have treasure in heaven;
• The man goes away sorrowful as he was very wealthy;
• Jesus says this is why it is hard for the rich to enter heaven;
• It is like a camel trying to walk through the eye of a needle;
• Some people hearing Him ask Him: Who then can be saved;
• Jesus says: With God all things are possible;
• Peter tells Jesus the disciples have left all to follow Him;
• Jesus says everyone who follows Him will be rewarded;
• They will receive many times more in this present life;
• And they will receive eternal life in the age to come;
• Jesus takes the disciples aside to talk with them;
• He says they are going to Jerusalem and things will happen;
• All the things written by the prophets will come to pass;
• He will be turned over to the Gentiles, mocked, spit upon;
• He will be beaten, killed, then rise again on the third day;
• The disciples had no idea what Jesus was talking about;
• Continuing on the road, near Jericho, there is a blind man;
• The crowd tells the blind man Jesus of Nazareth is walking by;
• He yells loudly: Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me;
• The crowd tells him to be quiet, but he is persistent:
• Again, he yells out, louder: Son of David have mercy on me;
• Jesus stops and asks for the blind man to be brought to Him;
• He asks the man what he wants Jesus to do for him;
• He says he wants to be able to see: Jesus gives him his sight;
• He tells the man his faith has saved him;
• So, the man glorifies God and starts following Jesus;
• Then the crowd gives praise to God.

End of Session 7 of the book of Luke.