The Good News according to Luke, chapter 7
To: 36,864 subscribers we pray ‘God is making Temples of His Spirit’, 6/29/22, God’s 3rd month, Sivan 30, 5,782, (Day 4 until sunset.)
Remember Luke writes in “Acts of the Apostles and Luke;” ”I have followed all things carefully from the beginning, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know for certain the things you were taught.” Luke is not an apostle but an excellent reporter and follower of Jesus. (Luke 6:6-11; On another Sabbath, Jesus entered the synagogue and was teaching. Now a man was there whose right hand was withered. The experts in the law and the Pharisees watched Jesus closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they could find a reason to accuse him. But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, “Get up and stand here.” So he rose and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil, to save a life or to destroy it?” After looking around at them all, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” The man did so, and his hand was restored. But they were filled with mindless rage and began debating with one another what they would do to Jesus.) (Jesus knows our thoughts and our needs before we ask; we still need to ask. Today’s denominations evolve with the times, like the Pharisees, are hostile toward Jesus’ law and particularly the Sabbath. Few who think Jesus changed the Sabbath to the first day, don’t attempt to keep it holy either. The trouble with folks doing what seems right to themselves is, ‘what seems right evolves with the times.) The Twelve Apostles
(Luke 6:12-16; Now it was during this time that Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and He spent all night in prayer to God. When morning came, He called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom He also named apostles: (1) Simon (whom he named Peter), and his brother (2) Andrew; and (3) James, (4) John, (5) Philip, (6) Bartholomew, (7) Matthew, (8) Thomas, (9) James the son of Alphaeus, (10) Simon who was called the Zealot, (11) Judas the son of James, and 12) Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.) (It wasn’t a mistake calling Iscariot, (John 6:64; But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus had already known from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) Jesus Ministers to a Great Multitude
(Luke 6:17-19; Then He came down with them and stood on a level place. And a large number of His disciples had gathered along with a vast multitude from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon. They came to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases, and those who suffered from unclean spirits were cured. The whole crowd was trying to touch him, because power was coming out from him and healing them all.) (Note that having an unclean spirit is also a sickness that can be cured.)
The Beatitudes (Luke 6:20-23; Then He looked up at His disciples and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God belongs to you. “Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. “Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you and insult you and reject you as evil on account of the son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and jump for joy, because your reward is great in heaven. For their ancestors did the same things to the prophets.) (Even people who go along to get along with the world’s evolving views are rejected by majorities.) Jesus Pronounces Woes:
Luke 6:24-26; “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your comfort already. “Woe to you who are well satisfied with food now, for you will be hungry. “Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. “Woe to you when all people speak well of you, for their ancestors did the same things to the false prophets.” ( Something is wrong spiritually when a preacher is roundly popular in a community.) Love Your Enemies
Luke 6:27-36; “But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other as well, and from the person who takes away your coat, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks you, and do not ask for your possessions back from the person who takes them away. Treat others in the same way that you would want them to treat you. “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to be repaid, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, so that they may be repaid in full. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because He is kind to ungrateful and evil people. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.) (This requires a supernatural nature change, ‘being born again-Fathered by God as does NOT judging others.) Judging Others
Luk 6:37-42; “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be poured into your lap. For the measure you use will be the measure you receive.” (He also told them a parable: “Someone who is blind cannot lead another who is blind, can he? Won’t they both fall into a pit? A disciple is not greater than his teacher, but everyone when fully trained will be like his teacher. Why do you see the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to see the beam of wood in your own? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck from your eye,’ while you yourself don’t see the beam in your own? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.) (Without being spiritually shepherded we are all somewhat hypocritical. Through Jesus’ imputed nature to our being we have power to overcome our inherited from Adam nature and put on Jesus’.) A Tree and Its Fruit; (Luke 6:43-45; “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from brambles. The good person out of the good treasury of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasury produces evil, for his mouth speaks from what fills his heart.)
Build Your House on the Rock
Luke 6:46-49; “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do what I tell you? “Everyone who comes to Me and listens to My words and puts them into practice – I will show you what he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep, and laid the foundation on bedrock. When a flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the person who hears and does not put My words into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against that house, it collapsed immediately, and was utterly destroyed!”)
Luke 7:1-10; After Jesus had finished teaching all this to the people, He entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave who was highly regarded, but who was sick and at the point of death. When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to Him, asking Him to come and heal his slave. When they came to Jesus, they urged him earnestly, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, because he loves our nation, and even built our synagogue.” So Jesus went with them. When He was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof! That is why I did not presume to come to you. Instead, say the word, and my servant must be healed. For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me. I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, He was amazed at him. He turned and said to the crowd that followed him, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith!” So when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave well.)
(Unless we know Jesus has ultimate control, we do not know Him. He is, Re-creator, Creator, Deliverer, Healer, Shepherd, The resurrection, ‘The Vine in whom each believer, (as a branch) get their nourishment, Redeemer, Mediator, Savior and coming King of Kings.)
Luke 7:11-17; Soon afterward Jesus went to a town called Nain, His disciples and a large crowd went with Him. As he approached the town gate, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother (who was a widow), and a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then He came up and touched the bier, and those who carried it stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” So the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they began to glorify God, saying, “A great prophet has appeared among us!” and “God has come to help His people!” This report about Jesus circulated throughout Judea and all the surrounding country.) (This Lord Jesus is coming back to rule from Jerusalem, bring peace, prosperity to His people and salvation to all who love Him.
(Zachariah 14:16-21; Then all who survive from all the nations that came to attack Jerusalem will go up annually to worship the King, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, and to observe the Feast of Shelters. But if any of the nations, anywhere on earth refuse to go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, they will get no rain.
If the Egyptians will not do so, they will get no rain – instead there will be the kind of plague which the LORD inflicts on any nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Shelters. This will be the punishment of Egypt and of all nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Shelters. On that day the bells of the horses will bear the inscription “HOLY TO THE LORD.” The cooking pots in the LORD’s temple will be as holy as the bowls in front of the altar. Every cooking pot in Jerusalem and Judah will become holy in the sight of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, so that all who offer sacrifices may come and use some of them to boil their sacrifices in them. On that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.