Dealing With Pharisees Part I: Testing The Teacher

This is the Bible study page for the Thursday Night Bible Study Group meeting August 4 to study Luke 13:31-14:6.  I believe that I told everyone last Thursday that the "Dinner Party" started in verse 7, but I was wrong.  Chapter 14 verses 1 through 24 are the same "dinner party" in Luke.  So, we'll begin it this week and finish it next.

It will be helpful to read the context of this dinner party.  It forms one event in Luke, but could possibly have been a composite of several dinners with any number of hosts.  Luke has this as one event, which is also a possibility.  Either way, Jesus is not all that comfortable a guest to have in the house of this particular host.  He eventually insults the host and the other guests, thoroughly.

Read through the passage (this part, and the rest through 24 for context) several times.  Try and get a sense of the setting.  Journey, Pharisees coming to Jesus to warn Him about Herod, and then a chief of theirs invites Him to dinner.  How nice.  Everyone seems to be getting along.  Make notes from the perspective of yourself standing among the crowd witnessing this.  Including looking in on the dinner party as they recline with some diseased person standing there with them (how does that look in your mind?).  Make notes on what you see, what you hear, who is doing what, and why.

After you gone through your own observation journey, perhaps read it through in different translations, then maybe read a commentary or two.  See if that helps to define the scene better for you.  Adjust your notes and questions accordingly.

Then go back through with the questions below:

• Luke is clear to point out the immediacy of the next event.  Why do you think Luke would tie the Pharisees warning so closely with the previous statements?
• They warn that Herod wants to kill Jesus.  How likely, based on the crucifixion account later, do you think it is that they are right?
• Jesus responds that He must go to Jerusalem, because no prophet can die outside of the city.  While that's not strictly true, what do you think Jesus is getting at?
• Jesus has to cast out demons and perform cures on His way, but look at the timing.  To what do you think Jesus may be referring in His "third day" reference?
• Jesus then prophesies over Jerusalem in the form of a lament.  How do you feel about Jesus' words?  What emotions do they evoke for you?
• Jesus has wanted to gather the city like chicks under the wings of a mother hen.  As people hear this, what do you think they think about His words?  What do you think this sounds like? See if you can find a reference to this imagery in the Hebrew Scriptures (Hen gathering her chicks).
• What do you think Jesus' last comment refers to, His Triumphal Entry or His eventual appearing later? 
• Jesus then enters the house of one of the leaders of the Pharisees.  How possible do you think it is that the preceding account was some sort of test?  What do you think the connection is?
• The "Guests" are watching Jesus very closely with a diseased person standing there.  He's obviously a plant (a human planted intentionally at the scene, not a shrub).  Jesus has already healed on the Sabbath several times already in Luke, so why would they be watching for what shouldn't really surprise them?  Have they not heard Jesus defend healing on the Sabbath before?  Don't these guys talk to each other?
• The man has a disease referred to in the KJV as "dropsy" and many other translations have picked this term as well.  Other modern versions call it "swelling".  Look up the word here in the Blue Letter Bible site.  What do you think it means, and what problems do you see in figuring that out?
• Jesus asks the guests (lawyers and Pharisees) about the legality before He heals.  Why do you think He would do that?
• They remains silent when asked about the legality.  Considering that Pharisees and lawyers don't always agree on things, why do you think they might have remained silent?
• Jesus heals the man and send him away.  Then starts the discussion.  What does it tell you about Jesus that He heals and sends him away first, then discusses it?
• Jesus then asks, who doesn't pull a son or a cow (really? cow?) out of a well on the Sabbath.  Again no one says a thing.  What is interesting to you about His question?  Consider His previous questions (13:15-16 for example), what is different here?
• They could not give an answer.  The NIV says they had nothing to say, but other translations state they were not able, and the Greek reads that way.  What do you think it means that they could not answer, why not?

That should keep us busy for some time.  Remember to be looking for the AHA moments as you read.  Let this stuff sink into your heart and remember it's for you in your walk with Jesus.  Let His Spirit interpret for you what He wants to reveal about you.  These are growth opportunities, let's grab them!

The Kingdom of God is like and full of...

This is the Bible study page for the Thursday Night Bible Study meeting July 21 to study Luke 13:18-35.  This passage has two very peculiar similes of the Kingdom of God, a parable about who will be there, and a prophecy over Jerusalem.  It's possible to see these three things related beyond simply all being about the Kingdom of God, but it's not necessary.

Read through the passage a few times, reading what came before and what comes after to get a sense of the literary context.  Luke has put these things together, and part of what we'll be doing is trying to figure out why. Make notes and jot down questions.  After that consult other resources and perspectives.  Revise your notes and questions accordingly.  After that, go back through with the questions below:

• Verse 18 begins with "Therefore", tying it to the previous passage (v.10-17).  What do you think these two "similes" (using "like" or "as" for comparison) have to do with the healing on the Sabbath?
• Jesus asks what he should compare the Kingdom to as a rhetorical device, it draws the attention of the listeners.  But He then answers with these two baffling comparisons.  What do you think His listeners thought of His comparisons?
• First the Kingdom is like a mustard seed.  In His description it is planted by a person and it then grows into a large tree used by birds for nesting.  How do these things, the mustard seed (Kingdom), man (God?), large tree, and nesting birds all have to do with the Kingdom of God?
• Again He asks the rhetorical question about to what to compare the Kingdom.  Why do you think He would ask the question again?
• This time, the Kingdom is like "bread starter" or a heavily leavened lump.  Now a woman conceals the lump in flour and the whole rose.  How do these things, the leavened lump (Kingdom), the woman (God?), and three measures of flour all relate to the Kingdom of God?
• Next, in verse 22, He's traveling toward Jerusalem again, and someone asks about getting to the Kingdom of God.  Try to look at this question from the perspective of a First Century Jew.  What do you think the man means by "few"?  (few Jews, few people-groups, few Gentiles, few porcupines, what?)
• Jesus responds with a "narrow gate" answer, but it's not like Matthew's quote in Matthew 7:13-14.  In Matthew there are two paths, one narrow, one wide.  Why do you think Luke's would have only one narrow door?
• Luke goes on to describe the door as to a household and many being shut out.  Now the description takes on a different tone, like that of Matthew 7:21-23.  In Matthew, the shut-outs prophesied and cast out demons.  In Luke the people ate and drank and heard Him in their streets.  What do you think Luke is getting at that makes his so different than Matthew's?
• What do you think of the "familiarity" of the people shut out in Luke's account?
• Jesus finally calls the shut-outs "evil-doers", but at first, and then again, He says, "I do not know where you are from".  What do you think this repeated phrase means?  Why wouldn't God know where these people were from?
• In the place the shut-outs go, they can see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob eating with people from all over (east, west, north, and south).  It sounds like this ability to see but not join in is what makes their place full of gnashing teeth and weeping.  Why do you think God would punish people in such a way?
• What do you think Jesus' description of the punishment sounded like to His Jewish listeners?
• Jesus then wraps up with a statement that the last will be first and the first who will be last.  What do you think He means here?
• Luke is clear to point out the immediacy of the next event.  Why do you think Luke would tie the Pharisees warning so closely with the previous statements?
• They warn that Herod wants to kill Jesus.  How likely, based on the crucifixion account later, do you think it is that they are right?
• Jesus responds that He must go to Jerusalem, because no prophet can die outside of the city.  While that's not strictly true, what do you think Jesus is getting at?
• Jesus has to cast out demons and perform cures on His way, but look at the timing.  To what do you think Jesus may be referring in His "third day" reference?
• Jesus then prophesies over Jerusalem in the form of a lament.  How do you feel about Jesus' words?  What emotions do they evoke for you?
• Jesus has wanted to gather the city like chicks under the wings of a mother hen.  As people hear this, what do you think they think about His words?  What do you think this sounds like? See if you can find a reference to this imagery in the Hebrew Scriptures (Hen gathering her chicks).
• What do you think Jesus' last comment refers to, His Triumphal Entry or His eventual appearing later?

That should keep us busy for a while.  Remember to use the AHA structure to examine personal application.

Seeing Things God's Way

This is the Bible study page for the Thursday Night Bible Study Group meeting July 7 to study Luke 13:1-17.  This begins the thirteenth chapter finally.  We'll be looking at a teaching, a parable, and a healing.  Some commentaries think they're separate (at least the healing from the parable/teaching), but I think there's a common connection.

Read through the passage in a few different translations, jot down notes and questions, and then check out some commentaries.  Revise your notes and questions if necessary, and then go through the questions below:

• Current events were circulated by word-of-mouth in that day, so the report in verse 1 isn't unusual or surprising in a sense.  It's even expected since everyone knew Jesus was from Galilee and would think He'd want to know.  So why do you think He responds so negatively?
• Jesus hears their report and begins challenging a belief that "things happen in proportion to the degree of sin of the people who suffer in it".  Jesus instead puts everyone in the same "sin-bucket".  Why do you think people would believe that sin drives the degree of suffering?
• Jesus says, "repent or perish", this sounds pretty strong and in the context, people actually died.  So, what do you think Jesus meant by this warning?
• What do you think it means to "repent"?
• In the context of the report, Jesus simply tells people to repent, but doesn't explicitly tell them from what (except the belief that suffering is directly related to the degree of sinfulness in a persons' life).  What do you think Jesus had in mind for them to repent from and to?
• The parable of the fig tree happens in a vineyard.  In their day this wasn't that unusual, and vineyards often are imagery for Israel, so what do you think the fig tree represented in parable?
• Who is the vineyard owner?  Who is the vinedresser/vineyard keeper/gardener/vineyard worker?
• If the tree has one more year, what do you think this means for the "fig tree"?
• So, if the problem the fig tree has is producing figs, what do you think this means for those needing to repent?  What do you think they need to do to survive after the year?
• If (and I believe it does) the parable related to the need for repentance, then what do you infer from it about repentance?  What do you think it teaches about what repentance means?  What do you learn about repentance for your own life?
• Immediately it's the Sabbath, and Jesus is teaching in the synagogue.  What do you think it means that Jesus is allowed or asked to teach in a synagogue?  Why do you think He would be allowed to do that when His popularity with the religious leaders is on the decline?
• Jesus sees a woman who is bent over and it is from spiritual oppression.  He heals her, but not with the wording associated with casting out demons.  So, what do you think was going on with the woman?
• Jesus calls her over to Him (up front), declares her healed, and then touches her.  Why do you think He healed her this way?
• The synagogue leader cites the law about abstaining from your occupation on the Sabbath.  What do you infer about what he believes about Jesus' occupation?  What do you think is Jesus' occupation?
• The synagogue leader doesn't address Jesus, he addresses the crowd.  Who do you think he had a problem with?
• Jesus wastes no time in calling out the legal problem.  Do you think the leaders would have considered animals more important than this woman?  So why would such exceptions be made for animals but not for people?  What sort of "healing" was going on besides Jesus that they would have prohibited its exercise on the Sabbath?
• Jesus points out the problem of priority in the oral tradition or explanation of the law.  What do you think God intends for the Sabbath?  What is it supposed to be about?
• His "opponents" were humiliated.  What does that tell you about those in attendance?
• Why do you think the crowd would be so favorable when the leaders were humiliated?  Why wouldn't that bother the crowd?

That should keep us busy.  Remember to apply the "Awakening", "Honesty", and "Action" process to find the application the Holy Spirit has for you in this passage.  What would repentance look like for you?

Dividing Fire and Divining The Times

This is the Bible study page for the Thursday Night Bible Study meeting June 30 to study Luke 12:49 through 59.  This passage has the feel of being disjointed and difficult to understand as organized.  Spend the time with it though to get the sense of why these three pieces are interrelated to each other and to what just preceded them.

For this passage it will be helpful to read all of chapter 12, and perhaps ahead into chapter 13 to get a better sense of the context.  Different translation may shed some light on details within the passage, but reading around this passage may help in overall understanding of these details.  I recommend doing both.  Make notes with observations and questions before looking at commentaries.

After you have worked through this passage yourself, go back through with the questions below:

• Jesus has just been talking about His "appearing" or His "return".  His disciples are possibly wondering when He might leave, and Jesus says that He has a "baptism" to endure and something about bringing fire on the land.  Putting those two things together, what do you think Jesus means? What do you think the disciples understood or thought about it?
• Jesus begins discussing how He has come and it will result in family division.  Throughout Acts (the other half of Luke's account), households convert together (Cornelius in Acts 10, the Philippian Jailer in Acts 16).  Households in the Ancient Near Eastern cultures were much more enmeshed than in our culture today.  How do you think Jesus means this effect, and what do you think it will look like?  What do you think this means for the structure of the Early Church which was founded on groups of households?
• Within the family structure Jesus says will become divided because of Him, He mentions mother-in-laws and daughter-in-laws.  What do you think is the significance of that here?  Why include that in Jesus' claim that households will become divided?
• Jesus switches to criticizing the crowd for being better able to predict weather than the times.  What about the times do you think Jesus is referring to?  What do you think that has to do with divided families, Jesus' "baptism" or "fire", or even going to court for damages?
• Finally Jesus brings up the topic of going to court for damages.  I surmise it's about "damages" (or some sort of debt) because of the punishment relating to "paying back".  But there also seems to be the underlying assumption that the party really is guilty of the damage/debt.  What do you think this is about?  Why "make friends" or "give work to be freed from him"?  What problem do you think Jesus is trying to fix with this lesson?
• How does freeing one self from the punishment of being sued relate to family division and predicting the "times"?  What do you think this has to do with Jesus' "baptism" or the fire He is bringing?
• If you've read ahead, and reviewed was came before, what do you think this passage or these elements have to do with what's going on when Jesus says them?

This should be plenty to keep us occupied for a time.  Remember to seek out the things in this passage that the Holy Spirit wants to use in your life to change you.  What snaps you "awake"? If you're honest, what action(s) do you need to take to respond to what the Spirit reveals?

See you all Thursday!

Ready and Waiting

This is the Bible study page for the Thursday Night Bible Study Group meeting June 23 to study Luke 12:35-48.  This is all about being ready, and the clear sense is that readiness refers to Jesus' return.

I figured this was a good stretch to try to get through.  There's a lot just in these verses without going further, but please read ahead if you like.  These verses have imagery of masters and slaves, but there are some really strange elements.  Some of the element refer back or forwards to other parables and statement of Jesus.

Read through the passage a few times.  Reading to the end of the chapter helps develop a local context as the topic of end-times is consistent through the end of the chapter.  Jot down notes, questions and observations.  Be sure to use different translations.  Then use commentaries with your notes.  After that go back through with the questions below:

• The first imagery Jesus uses is servants waiting for their master to return from a feast.  The idea (and custom) was that the feast could go long into the night, perhaps even into the next day (see verse 38 with the "watches" of the night).  So how do you think that applies to us, waiting day-to-day, for Jesus to return, knowing it hasn't happened in 2,000 years?  How do you understand this sort of "readiness"?
• When the master comes and finds the servants ready, he serves them.  This isn't Jesus using local custom, so what do you think He is referring to?  What do you think the people thought about that statement?
• The night was separated by the Romans into 3 watches, so what do you think it means for us that He may return in the "third watch"?
• Next the image is guarding the house against the thief.  This is reminiscent of the parable where the strong man had to be subdued before the house plundered (see Luke 11:21,22).  But here the problem being addressed is different.  There it was being strong enough to defend, here it's being awake enough to defend.  What do you think Jesus is wanting His followers to learn from this?
• Peter then asks about who this is for, the people or the disciples?  And Jesus then becomes very specific about "lead servants".  So what do you think was the answer for Peter?
• Who do you think the "lead servants" refers to today?
• Here the we find the statement in Luke that the one faithful over little is given much, but what does that mean in this context?
• This part of the passage has a parallel in Matthew 24:43-51.  What differences do you see between them?  Is the point the same?
• What do you think of the punishment for the unfaithful "lead servant"? in verse 46?
• Verses 47 and 48 don't really have a parallel with the other Gospels. What do you think Jesus is saying here? It sounds a bit like some bad servants are worse than others, so what do you think Jesus' point might be to the disciples?

That should keep us occupied for a bit. Remember to seek out and pay attention to those elements that jolt you Awake, be Honest about why and what you need to do, and then take that Action. 

Where's The Wealth?

This is the study page for the Thursday Night Bible Study meeting June 9 to study Luke 12:13-34.  This is a familiar parable and explanation.  It contains more of the material Matthew placed in the Sermon on the Mount, but also this parable which is only found in Luke.

Read through the parable and material following a few times, and try to use a few translations.  Make notes of details, questions, and observations you discover as you read.  The point is about greed, but see if you can find other, related points Jesus is making and jot those down as well.

Read a commentary or two, Study Bible notes, online commentaries, or what you can find.  See how these help answer some questions, and what new questions they bring up.  After you revise your notes and questions, go back through with the questions below:

• Why do you think the one brother wanted Jesus to be the arbitrator of the inheritance?
• Look up this article on "inheritance" on the Blue Letter Bible site.  What can you find here that would explain what the man asked Jesus to do?
• Jesus avoids the issue with the man, but He also uses this to discuss greed with His disciples.  What could that mean about the requestor's motivation?
• Read verse 15 in a few translations.  What do you think Jesus means here?
• In this parable the rich man has a problem.  Why do you think having too much is such a problem?
• From Jesus' setup, what do you think Jesus thinks is so wrong about saving?
• The man speaks to his soul, and then God speaks.  In verse 20, God says, "This night, they require back your soul."  From the context, who do you think is this they requiring the man's soul?
• The wealth of the man should have been toward God, but it wasn't.  Yet right off the bat, Jesus dives into talking about worrying about possessions.  What do you think is the connection between the request for Jesus to make the brother share, the parable about a rich fool, and the encouragement not to worry?
• What do you see as the connection between worry and wealth?
• It's possible that Jesus spoke to the Pharisees/Lawyers earlier, but her speaks to those struggling to make ends meet.  If that's the case, what do you think Jesus is saying to them about their situation?
• Where Jesus was pretty harsh with the lawyers and Pharisees, here He seems almost gentle.  Why do you think this required a different tone, whatever the difference?
• In verse 29, Jesus repeats Himself telling them not to worry.  Read it in the King James though, and consider the difference.  It's the same Greek word, but rather than anxious or worry, it's translated as doubt.  How do you think doubt relates to worry or being anxious?
• Look up the Greek word Luke uses here (he's the only one to use it in the Christian Scriptures). Consider the range of meaning and use.  What do you think the connection is between all of those possibilities?  What does that tell you about worry or anxiety?
• What do you think it means to "seek the Kingdom of God"?

That should keep us busy for the time we have.  Keep in mind the AHA process of application of what you read.

Don't Be That Guy

This is the study page for the Thursday Night Bible Study Group meeting June 2 to study Luke 12:1-12.  This passage is made up of related statements of Jesus which Luke has compiled and placed together here.  I believe he intends them as a commentary on Jesus' immediately preceding dinner discourse.  So, Jesus is explaining to His disciples why and how they shouldn't be like the Pharisees.  Like most of the stuff I suspect, that's not a given, nor is it necessary.

Read through the passage several times.  I have it broken into six small paragraphs.  You can divide it any way you like, but be sure to use at least two translations (one old and one new if possible).  Jot down notes and questions as you read.  Then browse a commentary or two, maybe one of the ones on Blue Letter Bible.  Revise your notes and questions if necessary.

Then go back through with the questions below:

• Why do you think Luke feels it's necessary to include the details of the crowd trampling each other and Jesus speaking to His disciples first?  How do you think they connect?
• Jesus tells the disciples to beware the "leaven" of the Pharisees which He labels hypocrisy.  Look up "leaven" at the Blue Letter Bible site.  What's the danger Jesus is pointing out about the Pharisee's hypocrisy?
• Jesus then goes into a series of short (as I see them) statements that sort of remind me of the Sermon on the Mount. He basically says there are (or will be) no secrets.  What does that mean to you?  How does that affect how you live out your salvation and choices you make?
• Next Jesus speaks of contrasting sorts of fears.  He goes from "Fear Not" to "Fear This" and then back to "Fear Not".  He ends with the statement that God "values" us.  Look up "value" (or "worth more") at the Blue Letter Bible site.  What do you learn from the range of meaning for this word?  Why or how do you think we are valuable to God?
• Next Jesus says that confession and denial of Him before men brings reciprocity in heaven.  What do you think Jesus is saying here in light of what He's just said about the Pharisees?  Which previous statement do you think most closely ties into this one?
• Then Jesus speaks of blaspheming the Holy Spirit.  Matthew has this statement at the point where people thought Jesus cast out demons by the power of their leader, but Luke has it here.  What do you think about this context made this placement make more sense for Luke?
• If Jesus and the Holy Spirit are both part of the Trinity, why do you think blaspheming One is any different than blaspheming the other?
• What does it mean to "blaspheme" the Holy Spirit?
• Finally Jesus winds up with how to respond when the disciples stand before judges for their faith.  How do you feel about such a charge?  How hard would it be for you to simply, peacefully, confidently wait for the Holy Spirit to bring stuff to your mind?  What are somethings you can do beforehand to perhaps give the Holy Spirit "more to work with" in the spur of the moment?

That should give us plenty to discuss this Thursday.  Can you believe it's June already?