Repent and Enter at the Narrow Gate, or Perish

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(Luke 13:1) There were present at that season some who told Him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

In the last chapter Jesus had been speaking to His disciples and a multitude of people, teaching them to be reconciled to their Lord and ready for His second coming.  At this time some of the present company told Jesus about a certain incident.  According to Biblical scholars, this was most likely about the Galileans who were followers of Judas of Galilee (Acts 5:37) who refused to acknowledge the Roman government.  There was an occasion recorded by the historian Josephus when Pilate surrounded and killed Galileans while they were sacrificing in the temple, thus mingling their blood with their sacrifices.

(2) And Jesus answering, said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans because they suffered such things?"

Jesus perceived that their reason for telling Him of this incident was to pass judgment on the character of Galileans who seemingly sinned above all and received their just punishment.  He point-blank asked them if that was their supposition.

(3) "I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you shall all likewise perish."

Jesus answered that was not the case, but unless they repented, they, too, would in like manner perish.  Indeed, they would.  The fate of those Galileans, killed while sacrificing at the temple, was an illustration of what was to happen to the Jews who would be slain in Jerusalem by Roman soldiers.  The broader point was that unless they repented of their sins, they would perish in hell for eternity.

(4) "Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were sinners above all men who dwell in Jerusalem?"

In this question of Jesus, He showed them that not only Galileans, whom they may have had contempt for, but also inhabitants of Jerusalem had died violent deaths.  Apparently, this was a recent occurrence that a tower which had been built at the Pool of Siloam fell and killed eighteen men likely as they were purifying themselves in the pool, which made this case much like the one they had described with the Galileans.  Did they also presume that those eighteen Jews were more sinful than the other Jews in Jerusalem?

(5) "I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you shall all likewise perish."

Again Jesus told them that was not the case, and that unless they repented, they would all perish in the same way.  Once again, it was a picture of what was to come.  As the tower fell and buried the eighteen in the pool, so would Jerusalem fall and they would all be buried in the ruins of the city.  This may have been exactly what Jesus meant, warning them to repent before all of Jerusalem fell, but I can't help but think about it in a broader sense.  That's because, if there was someone in Jerusalem who repented and followed Jesus, Jerusalem would have still fallen and could have killed that innocent person.  Jesus said it rains on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45) indiscriminately, but the just will have eternal life whereas the unjust will be permanently destroyed.

(6) He spoke also this parable, "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came and sought fruit on it and found none."

Jesus then began a parable to illustrate His point.  He spoke of a man who had a fig tree planted in his vineyard.  He went to it to gather fruit from it, but there was none.

(7) Then he said to the vinedresser, "Behold these three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none; cut it down, why let it cumber the ground?"

The owner of the vineyard spoke to the keeper of his vineyard, telling him he had been coming to that particular fig tree for three years looking for fruit and had found none.  He told the vinedresser to cut it down as it was taking up ground that a fruitful tree could use.  This was a symbol of God looking for good fruits from His creation, and finding none, wishing to destroy it and allow the more fruitful of His creation to take its place.

(8) And he answering, said to him, "Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig around it and fertilize it."

The vinedresser answered his master, asking that he allow the tree one more year.  He would work it, nurture and fertilize it.  The vinedresser is a symbol of Christ, the intercessor for us sinners, asking for patience while He was on earth to nurture and teach the sinners.  

(9) "And if it bears fruit, well; and if not, after that you shall cut it down."

Like the vinedresser for the barren tree, Christ the intercessor for sinners, asked for one more chance to allow sinners to bear the fruit of repentance, and if by then they did not, then they could be destroyed.  Interestingly, Christ's ministry was also three years like the time that the owner of the vineyard had been looking for fruit from the fig tree.  Still the Jews had not come to repentance, but Jesus in His love and mercy and patience, asked for more time for them.  Even at His crucifixion Jesus would ask forgiveness for the ones who crucified Him because they didn't know what they were doing (Luke 23:24).  However, after that, if they still did not bear the fruit of repentance, then they were to be destroyed.

(10) And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.

Sometime later Jesus was teaching at one of the synagogues on the Sabbath day.

(11) And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years and was bent over and could in no way lift up.

There was a woman in the synagogue who had a condition that kept her bent over and unable to lift herself up.  She had had the condition for eighteen years, but it did not keep her from attending the synagogue on the Sabbath.  I can't help think about what feeble excuses we might use not to attend church, but this woman went in her condition and received an incredible blessing as we will see in the next verses.  What blessings might we be missing when we miss church?

(12) And when Jesus saw her, He called and said to her, "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity."

When Jesus saw the bent over woman, He called out to her and told her that she was released from her infirmity.

(13) And He laid hands on her and immediately she was made straight and glorified God.

Jesus laid His hands on the woman, and she immediately straightened up and praised God.

(14) And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath day, and said to the people, "There are six days in which men ought to work; in them therefore, come and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day."

The ruler of the synagogue was indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath.  He seemed to be indignant at the people as well as he quoted to them the fourth of the ten commandments that men were to do their work in six days and not on the seventh.  He suggested people should come to be healed on one of the six work days and not on the Sabbath.  You would think that prayer and laying on of hands would be exactly what was expected on the Sabbath.  What Jesus had done could not really be considered work, but the laws had become so strict and cumbersome, they had lost all sense of their original purpose.

(15) The Lord then answered him and said, "Hypocrite, does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it away to watering?"

Jesus called the ruler a hypocrite and asked if he or any of them loosed their oxen and donkeys on the Sabbath and lead them to water.  That was considered work in their strict interpretation of the law, yet they, including the ruler himself who was being so hypocritical at that moment, would certainly do that.  If they would do good to water their animals, how much more good and proper was it to heal people from their infirmities when the occasion arose?

(16) "And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?"

Indeed, Jesus went on to say that as they would all loose their animals in order to water them, shouldn't that woman, who was a daughter of Abraham, one of God's own chosen people, who had been bound by Satan for eighteen years, be loosed from her bond on the Sabbath day?  After all, was she not worth more than the animals, as Jesus said in Luke 12:7, "You are of more value than many sparrows."

(17) And when He had said these things, all His adversaries were ashamed; and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.

When Jesus had spoken what He did, the ruler of the synagogue as well as other adversaries like the scribes and Pharisees who were surely also in the synagogue hoping to catch Jesus in the wrong, were all put to shame.  Whether or not they personally felt ashamed or not, they were surely disgraced and silenced as all the people rejoiced in what Jesus had done and said.

(18) Then He said, "What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it?"

I don't believe this question of Jesus was made at the same time as when He was in the synagogue, but rather later or at another time, "Then He said...."  Jesus asked a question He would answer Himself, what was the kingdom of God like and to what should He compare it for His listeners' understanding.

(19) "It is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and cast into his garden, and it grew and became a great tree and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it."

Jesus used this comparison to show that the kingdom of God was not a sudden perfection on earth that they might have believed it would be.  The people expected an earthly king Messiah who would set up His kingdom immediately.  However, He explained it was not like that.  It would start very small like the mustard seed but would grow to be enormous in the world and would shelter many who would take refuge in it.

(20) And again He said, "To what shall I liken the kingdom of God?"

Jesus asked the question again in order to give another example.

(21) "It is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till the whole was leavened."

Jesus said the kingdom of God on earth was like leaven, though small and perhaps seemingly begun in secret with a small few, would swell and spread till God's people throughout the whole world were leavened with the Gospel.

(22) And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.

Jesus went through cities and villages as He journeyed toward Jerusalem, and He took the time to teach people about the kingdom of God as He went along the way.

(23) Then one said to Him, "Lord, are there few who are saved?" And He said to them, (24) "Strive to enter in at the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter in and shall not be able."

Someone among the people Jesus taught asked Him if there were only a few who were saved.  He told the people to strive, or be diligent about their salvation, striving to be Christ-like in communion with Him in prayer, in study of the scriptures, contending with Satan and the world that opposed salvation.  Jesus called this a narrow gate that many would seek to enter but would be unable.  The use of the word "seek" here bothered me a little because Jesus had said, "Seek, and you shall find."  However, God said in Deuteronomy 4:29, that one would find Him if he sought Him with all his heart and with all his soul.  I believe that is what makes it the narrow gate.  It's not enough to just say we wish to enter the kingdom of God and call ourselves Christian because we say we believe in Jesus and Father God.  We must truly strive to make Him the Lord of our lives proving we desire Him with all our hearts and souls.  Just saying we believe and continuing to live a worldly life is trying to enter by a broad gate that is not of Christ and His narrow gate.

(25) "When once the Master of the house has risen up and has shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us,' and He shall answer and say to you, 'I do not know you where you are.'"

Jesus told them that once the Master of the house, meaning God in heaven, had shut His door, and people stood outside the door asking to be let in, He would answer and say He did not know them as His own who lived among His flock, as they came from the world.  Not only would people be unable to enter the narrow gate because they did not wholeheartedly seek the Lord with all their hearts and souls, but they came too late.  God said in Isaiah 45:23, and it was reflected upon in Romans 14:11, that in the end every knee would bow to Him and every tongue would acknowledge Him; every person would eventually acknowledge God, but it would be too late then.

(26) "Then you will begin to say, 'We have eaten and drunk in your presence, and you have taught in our streets.'"

Jesus said those people would plead their cases saying that they had been in His presence, if not with Him personally, in His church, and His word was taught in their streets.  They would say that they "knew" Him.

(27) "But He shall say, 'I tell you, I do not know you where you are; depart from Me, all workers of iniquity!'"

However, the Lord would reiterate that He did not know them where they were in the world.  He would call them workers of iniquity and would demand they depart from Him.  Most all the translations other than the King James Version translated Jesus's words as something to the effect of, "I don't know you or where you came from" or "I don't know where you come from."  The fact that it was said twice the very same way, "I do not know you where you are," or exactly in the KJV, "I know you not whence you are," I believe that is exactly what was meant.  The Lord Jesus knows everyone and He knows where they came from.  I believe the sense is that He did not recognize them as one of His own because of where they were in the world, living as the world and not as one of His flock.

(28) "There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you shall see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you thrust out."

Those Jesus told to depart from Him would find themselves wailing in anguish when they saw their fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the prophets who had foretold Jesus to them, there in the kingdom of God, and they were thrust out.

(29) "And they shall come from the east and the west, and from the north and the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God."

Souls would come from all corners of the earth to sit in the kingdom of God.  This meant Gentiles would come from all nations to sit in the kingdom of God, but they, God's chosen people, would not be able to enter because they never really knew Jesus and He did not know them as His own.

(30) "And behold, there are last who shall be first, and there are first who shall be last."

By this statement, Jesus was telling them that the last, the Gentiles, the farthest removed from God, and the last to receive the Gospel after it was rejected by the Jews, would be first in the kingdom of God.  God's first chosen and the first to hear the Gospel would become last because they had rejected it.

(31) The same day there came certain of the Pharisees saying to Him, "Get out and depart from here, for Herod will kill You."

That same day some Pharisees came to Jesus and warned Him to depart from there because Herod would kill Him.  From verse 22 we know that Jesus was journeying toward Jerusalem, so He was not there yet.  Therefore this may have been Herod the Tetrarch of Galilee whose jurisdiction went no further than Galilee.  Perhaps it was of good will that some Pharisees warned Jesus to get out of Herod's jurisdiction, but more likely they just wanted Him to leave and that was designed to make Him leave, whether or not it was Herod who sent them.  

(32) And He said to them, "Go and tell that fox, 'Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.'"

However, Jesus fittingly called Herod a fox as he was known as a crafty and incestuous prince.  He told those messengers to go tell Herod that He intended to stay and do the works He was sent to do for the short time He had left to do them, and on the third day He would depart for Jerusalem where He would be perfected when He died there.  Whether He would be just three days there before He was perfected, or rather what He said was to be symbolic of the three days He would be in the tomb before He rose again, the meaning was the same.  He had a short time to do His work and then He would be gone.

(33) "Nevertheless, I must walk today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem."

However, Jesus said that He would be walking toward Jerusalem those three days, though He intended to keep working His miracles as He journeyed.  He said that was because a prophet could not perish out of Jerusalem.  Obviously, it wasn't true that no prophet could ever perish outside of Jerusalem, but as that was where the Sanhedrin was which was said to be the only one to try and judge a prophet, that was where Jesus determined to go.  He did not fear death by Herod where He was and would not immediately depart, but He knew where He must go to die so He would be journeying that way.

(34) "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to you; how often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!"

Jesus then lamented over Jerusalem calling it a place that killed the prophets and stoned to death those who were sent to it in order to save it.  How often Jesus had desired to gather the people of Jerusalem together to protect them as a hen gathered her chicks under her wings, as He had made three different trips to Jerusalem in order to do just that.  However, Jerusalem rejected Him.

(35) "Behold, your house is left to you desolate, and verily I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you shall say, 'Blessed He who comes in the name of the Lord.'"

Because Jerusalem rejected Jesus, it was then consigned to destruction, and would not see Him again until the time when its people would acknowledge Him as Messiah and Savior coming the second time in the name and authority of the Lord.  However, that would be to the posterity of Jerusalem's present people, when the time came that they might be converted in the latter days.

Watch, Be Reconciled, and Be Ready

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(Luke 12:35) "Let your loins be girded about and lights burning,"

At the end of the last post, Jesus had been talking to His disciples about what was most important in life.  He continued here telling them to always be ready:

(36) "And you yourselves like men who wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks, they may open to him immediately."

Jesus told them to always be ready like men who were waiting for their lord, or master as meant in this case, whom they were expecting to return from his wedding.  Jesus was telling them to be just as prepared, waiting on their Lord whom they knew would be returning.  When He came to them and called them, they were to be ready, immediately responding to Him.

(37) "Blessed those servants whom the lord when he comes shall find watching; verily I say to you that he shall gird himself and make them sit down to eat and will come forth and serve them."

Just as the master of the house might reward his faithful servants who were constantly watching for him and waiting to do whatever he asked, Jesus revealed that their Lord would serve them by inviting them into His kingdom and feeding them His living water and making them as His very own with every blessing, inheritance, and reward of a son.

(38) "And if he shall come in the second watch or come in the third watch and find them so, blessed are those servants."

The Jews divided the hours of the night into watches.  The second watch was between 9:00 and midnight, and the third was between midnight and 3:00 in the morning.  Jesus's point was that even though they might have to wait a long time for their Lord to return, they would be blessed those who waited and were ready when He came.

(39) "And know this, that if the head of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not have suffered his house to be broken into."

Jesus warned them of a truth that if a man knew what time a thief was going to break into his house, he would have planned to keep watch at that time and not allow the thief to break in.  Anyone would do this, even those who were not always vigilant and ready.

(40) "Therefore, you be ready also, for the Son of man comes at an hour when you do not think."

Jesus's point was, of course, that they would not know when their Lord would return, but they should be as ready as if they did know the exact hour He was coming.  He would return at an hour least expected and they should be found ready for Him.

(41) Then Peter said to Him, "Lord, do You speak this parable to us or even to all?"

Peter asked Jesus if He was directing His message to His disciples to always be ready, or was it a message meant for all people?

(42) And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household to give their portion of food in due season?"

In the 13th chapter of Mark, when Jesus spoke of always being ready, He said in verse 37 that His message was to all people.  At first glance, here Jesus seems to imply that His message was to His disciples who were the stewards of His gospel and gave to the rest of the people their portions when appropriate.  However, I believe this message was meant to anyone who was a faithful follower of Christ.  As His own follower and steward of His gospel message, He would give it to that faithful follower to give to the rest of the people as needed.

(43) "Blessed is that servant whom his lord when he comes shall find him so doing."

Still using the example of a faithful servant to the master of the house, Jesus said that the servant who was faithfully doing his work for his master when that master returned would be blessed.  The implication, of course, was that Jesus's servants who were faithfully doing His work would be very blessed when He returned and found them doing that work.

(44) "Of a truth I say to you, that he will make him ruler over all that he has."

Just as that master would be so pleased as to give that faithful servant charge over all his household, so would Jesus be pleased to give His faithful servants all that He had to offer in eternity in His kingdom.

(45) "But and if that servant says in his heart, 'My lord delays his coming,' and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink and to be drunken, (46) The lord of that servant will come in a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and will appoint him his portion with the unfaithful."

However, Jesus went on to say, if that servant saw that his lord delayed in coming and began to act wickedly, he would find that his lord came when he least expected him and would find him unfaithful in his duties and would cut him in two as was a cruel punishment in Biblical times.  This represented the Lord Jesus's patience that is often thought of as His delay in coming.  If the servant of Christ began to weary of waiting and decided he would rather indulge sinful and wicked pleasures, he would find his Lord coming when he least expected it and he would be cast into the eternal fire of hell.  

Most of the Bible translations translated the word that was here translated as "unfaithful" as "unbelievers."  The original word "apistos" can mean either.  Thayer's number one definition is "unfaithful," and that seems to be the more appropriate definition here.  I agree with Adam Clarke, in his Commentary on the Bible, who wrote that this servant was not merely an unbeliever or infidel who had never known Christ.  He was someone who did know his Lord and had been given many blessings and privileges.  He knew the will of his Lord but chose to reject it and was unfaithful and therefore severely punished.

(47) "And that servant who knew his lord's will and did not prepare himself nor do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes."

Indeed, Jesus referred to this servant as one who knew the will of his lord, but did not do so accordingly and did not prepare himself for the return of his lord.  That servant would be beaten severely.  This represented the man who knew his Lord God's will and knew that He would be returning, but did not do what he knew he was supposed to do and instead chose sin and depravity.  He would therefore be punished severely in hell.

(48) "But he who did not know and committed things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For to whom much is given, of him shall be much required, and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more."

What Jesus said here confirms that Jesus spoke of the unfaithful rather than unbelievers in verse 46.  He distinguished the one who did not know his Lord and was therefore an unbeliever from the one who did know Him and was therefore granted more privileges.  The one who did not know Him and sinned out of ignorance, even though his sins were worthy of great punishment, would be given light punishment.  However, the man who had been given much and knew his Lord's will, and one to whom men had committed much as with a minister or teacher, would be held to a much higher standard and more would be required of him.

(49) "I am come to send fire on the earth, and what I will that it already be kindled!"

Jesus said He had come to send a fire on earth.  He came to bring the fire of the Gospel which was a light to those who received it and heat and torture to the wicked who rejected it.  In Matthew 10:34, Jesus spoke of Himself as bringing a sword, not peace.  His Gospel would divide people, those who received Him from those who rejected Him.  The word of God is said to refine men as gold and silver is refined by fire (Zechariah 13:9, 1 Peter 1:7).  Jesus would bring the Holy Spirit of fire after His death and resurrection.  His desire was that the fire of division would already be kindled, not that He desired evil and division, but He knew it must take place to bring about the greater good of salvation to men who accepted Him.

(50) "But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how I am constrained till it is accomplished!"

Jesus told them that He first had a baptism to be baptized with, this baptism being His great sufferings before He could set up His kingdom.  At this time He was constrained until His baptism of suffering was accomplished, but He seemed to long for it to come to pass.

(51) "Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division."

Jesus asked if they supposed He had come to bring peace on earth.  He told them that on the contrary, He brought division, not peace.  That is because the sword of truth would divide people, those who accepted His gospel of truth from those who rejected it and Him.  The sword would also divide the soul of man from its former self.  Jesus did not come to bring peace to all and to accept all as they were.  He came to have people die to their former selves that they might live.

(52) "For from henceforth there will be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three."

Jesus said that from that point forward there would be division within households.  There might be three who accepted Jesus's gospel against two who rejected it, or two who accepted against three who did not.

(53) "The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father, the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother, the mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."

Jesus elaborated on how households would be divided, father against son, mother against daughter, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law.  This was fulfillment of a prophecy in Micah 7:6 which added that a man's enemies would be the members of his own house.

(54) And He also said to the people, "When you see a cloud rise out of the west, immediately you say, 'There comes a shower,' and so it is."

Jesus also told the people that when they saw a cloud in the sky rising out of the west, they understood right away that it meant a shower was coming.  And indeed, they were right.

(55) "And when you see the south wind blow, you say, 'There will be heat,' and it comes to pass."

Likewise, when they saw a wind coming in from the south, they understood it to mean that heat was coming, and indeed, it did.

(56) "You hypocrites, you can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it that you do not discern this time?"

Jesus called them hypocrites, those who professed to be wise about the things of God and scripture.  They could discern the signs in the sky and on earth, but could not discern the time that they professed to know about when their much-anticipated Messiah would come.

(57) "Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right?"

How was it that they from their own observations of what they had seen and heard, could not judge what was the truth?

(58) "When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, on the way be diligent that you may be delivered from him, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer cast you into prison."

I believe Jesus's point was that they should discern the time and reconcile with God before it was too late.  They should do all they could to be delivered from an eternal consequence of their actions, before they were before the judgment seat of Christ and then cast into the prison of hell.

(59) "I tell you, you shall not depart from there till you have paid the very last mite."

Jesus's point was that the condemned would not be able to leave that prison until he had paid the very last penny.  But of course, no one can ever repay their sinner's debt to the divine Judge.  The only solution is to work out their salvation with Jesus Christ while they are on the way to the judge, that is, still alive and on their path to eternity, just passing through this time on earth.  Let us now, before it is too late, take hold of the arm of the Lord in order to make peace with Him (Isaiah 27:5).

Caution Against Covetousness and Worry Over Worldly Things

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(Luke 12:1) In the meantime, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy."

At the end of the last chapter, Jesus had been pronouncing woes to the scribes, Pharisees, and lawyers, for their hypocrisy and wickedness, and now it seems more and more people had gathered to hear what He had to say, so many that they trampled one another.  Jesus spoke this statement first to His disciples before He continued talking to the crowd.  He told them to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees which He translated for the disciples to be their hypocrisy.

(2) "For there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, neither hid that shall not be known."

In effect, Jesus told them that no sin covered by hypocrisy and lies would remain hidden.  Sooner or later, all things are revealed.  At the very least, nothing is ever hidden from God.

(3) "Therefore whatever you have spoken in darkness will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in closets will be proclaimed on the housetops."

Jesus added that whatever was said in secret, if it did not align with the image one projected, would be found out and proclaimed.  The Light that is Christ will reveal those things hidden in the dark.  "You will know them by their fruits." (Matthew 7:16)

(4) "And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do."

Although Jesus had told them to be beware of the Pharisees, He would not have them fear them.  The most they could do to them was kill their bodies, but then their souls would live forever in joy and glory with God.  As the apostle Paul said in Philippians 1:21, "...to die is gain."  It is possible that with the appellation "My friends" Jesus now turned His comments to the entire group of people.  Then again, Jesus's disciples were certainly His closest friends.  

(5) "But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear; fear Him who after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!"

However, Jesus told them who it was they should fear, the One who could cast them into hell.  It was a statement that could have been meant for the general audience, but it may have been directed more to His disciples.  Men could only kill the body; therefore they should not fear those who came against them because of the Gospel nor should they let the fear of man deter them from their mission.  They should only have reverential fear of the One who held their souls.

(6) "Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings? And not one of them is forgotten before God."

A farthing was a coin of very little value, a tenth of a denarius, about half a penny.  Jesus's point was that even sparrows of such little value were known and cared for by God.

(7) "But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows."

When it came to God's children, He knew every single detail and hair.  Therefore, men should not be afraid because they were of much more value than many sparrows.  In that sense, they were not to fear because God would take care of them.  However, even if they were killed, God cared for their souls in heaven.

(8) "Also I say to you, whoever shall confess Me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God; (9) But he who denies Me before men shall be denied before the angels of God."

Jesus told them that if they confessed their belief and faith in Him and His gospel, He would acknowledge them as His own before the angels of God at the judgment.  However, if they denied Him before men, He would also deny them before the angels of God at the judgment.  I don't think of this as retribution or revenge for denying Christ.  God gives us all a choice and to deny Christ because one is afraid of the consequences of men, means they give more allegiance to man than God.  They fear man more than God and therefore have chosen an idol above God.  They made their choice and God will respect that.

(10) "And whoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven Him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Ghost, it will not be forgiven."

Jesus went on to say that if one did speak a word against Him, that could be forgiven upon repentance.  However, if one blasphemed the Holy Spirit of God, that went too far and could not be forgiven.  One might out of ignorance, not realizing the true identity of Jesus as God Himself in human form, speak against Jesus.  I can't help but think about the apostle Paul, whom when he was Saul opposed the gospel of Christ, tried to destroy the Christian church, and even approved of the killing of Christians.  However, after his encounter with the Holy Spirit of God, he saw the truth, repented, and became one of the most devout followers of Christ.  Once a person knows the Holy Spirit, thus knowing the truth of the gospel of Christ, and then denies Him, that is when he has made his fatal choice.

(11) "And when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and powers, take no thought how or what you shall answer or what you will say, (12) For the Holy Ghost will teach you in the same hour what you ought to say."

Jesus added that when they were brought before the courts because of their profession of Jesus (note He said "when" not "if"), they were not to be anxious or try to rehearse how they were to defend themselves or what they should say.  The Holy Spirit of God would give them the words that would best argue their case if that was the purpose, or to otherwise be solely for the honor of God and according to His purposes.

(13) And one of the company said to Him, "Master, speak to my brother that he divide the inheritance with me."

Whereas we aren't sure exactly when Jesus turned His comments to the crowd, by now He was talking to the whole group of people, and one of them asked Jesus to speak to his brother about sharing with him the inheritance that was surely due him.  I'm sure he felt like he was only asking for what was fair and thought Jesus could make his case for him.

(14) And He said to him, "Man, who made Me a judge or an apportioner over you?"

However, Jesus refused to help him in this matter, saying in effect, that that was not His concern and purpose for being there.  He was not there to settle civil suits, but if the man had asked Him to speak to his brother about the gospel in order to save his brother's soul, that would have been another story.

(15) And He said to them, "Take heed, and beware of covetousness, for a man's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." 

Jesus then turned His comments back to the group telling them to beware of being covetous.  Although the man may have been lawfully due his half of the inheritance, it was certainly not the most important thing in life.  He could not make his desire to have what his brother had, or his "fair share," the most important thing in his life.  It could end up making him greedy and bitter and corrupting his very soul.

(16) And He spoke a parable to them, saying, "The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully."

Jesus then began to tell the people a parable.  He spoke of a rich man whose land had produced plentifully for him.

(17) "And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do because I have no room to store my fruits?'"

The man's land had produced so plentifully, in fact, that he began to wonder to himself what he could do because he had no room to store his enormous crop.

(18) "And he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my fruits and my goods.'"

The rich man decided within himself to tear down his barns and build greater ones in which to store all his crops and goods.  For one thing, he decided himself with no request to God to give him wisdom about the matter.  He considered everything his own, "my fruits and my goods."  He gave no thought to his blessings being from God, nor did he give thanks or seek guidance from Him.  He then made a rather foolish plan to tear down all his barns rather than just adding to them.

(19) "And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry.'"

After the man had built his many fine larger barns, he would then feel he was set for life.  He put all his faith in his goods and buildings and decided that would give him a life of ease wherein he could eat, drink, and be merry, and have no concerns.

(20) "But God said to him, 'Fool, this night your soul shall be required of you; then whose will those things be that you have provided?'"

However, in this man's case, God called him foolish because he had put so much faith and work in his worldly goods, thinking they would satisfy his soul, and he was going to die that very night.  Then what good would all his worldly goods be and to whom would they then go?  If the man's first thought had been to God and not to himself, he could have thought to himself that since he had more than he needed and could even store, he could give his excess to the poor.  Instead, he had greedily determined that it should all be his and he should build new barns to store it all for himself and his security.  It's not that there is anything wrong with preparing for the future, but in this case, it seems the man already had more than enough for his security and should have been thinking about building those treasures in heaven.

(21) "So is he who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God."

Jesus said that his parable told what was to be expected of a man who laid up treasure for himself and did not use his riches for the glory of God.  In Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus said not to lay up treasures on earth, but to lay them up in heaven, and that where their treasure was in the scheme of things, there their heart was.  The man in the parable and anyone who acted the same way demonstrated that their heart was toward their own riches and security in themselves on earth and not toward faith and dependence on God and following His precepts.

(22) And He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, take no thought for your life, what you shall eat, neither for the body, what you shall put on."

After what He had said about covetousness and worrying about worldly treasures, Jesus then turned His attention to His disciples, and told them that they should not worry about all the details of life.  Their focus should be on their heavenly Father and trust Him to provide what they needed.

(23) "The life is more than food, and the body than clothing."

Jesus told them that life was more than just food and the body was more than just its outer clothing.  They should trust in their Lord to give them all that was needed and not worry about trivial things.

(24) "Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn, and God feeds them. How much more are you better than the fowls?"

Jesus told them to consider the ravens that neither sowed nor reaped and had no storehouses or barns to store provisions, yet they were provided for by God.  He asked them to consider how much more valuable they were to God, first as His creation given dominion over all the earth (Genesis 1:26), and second because they were His own chosen people.  Shouldn't they be able to trust in God's provision for them?

(25) "And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?"

Jesus's question was a rhetorical one.  Of course, even with much thought and worry, they could not add even one inch to their height.  So they ought to think of all things.  Worry does not solve anything.  Trust in the Lord will.

(26) "If you then are not able to do the thing which is least, why take thought for the rest?"

Jesus told them that if they could not change even the little inconsequential things, they certainly should not worry about the rest.  Worry is of no use and steals joy and time.

(27) "Consider the lilies, how they grow; they don't toil, they don't spin, and yet I say to you that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."

Jesus told His disciples to also consider the lilies.  They grew with no work of themselves, yet God provided all they needed to grow.  Not only did He provide for them, but He made them more beautiful than even King Solomon in all his glory.

(28) "If then God so clothes the grass, which is today in the field and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more you, O you of little faith?"

If God gave even the grass everything it needed, something that was here today and gone tomorrow, how much more would He provide for them?  Jesus called them of little faith those who could doubt that God would provide even more for them than the grass.

(29) "And do not seek what you shall eat or what you shall drink, neither have a doubtful mind."

Jesus told them straightforwardly not to spend their time searching after food and drink, and not to have a doubtful mind, but have faith in God to provide.

(30) "For all these things do the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you have need of these things."

They were not to be concerned about worldly things like everyone else was.  Their Father in heaven knew what they needed and would provide for them just as He provided for the ravens and the lilies and even grass or weeds.

(31) "But rather seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you."

Rather than seek after worldly things, even their needs, Jesus told them to seek God first and He would provide for what they needed.

(32) "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."

Jesus told His disciples not to fear or worry because it was their Father God's pleasure to give them access to the kingdom of God.  If He was pleased to give them the greatest things, they had no reason to worry about the little things.  Even though this was directed to Jesus's disciples, there is a beautiful truth in it for us today.  When we accept Jesus's sacrifice for our sins and follow Him, God gives us entrance into His kingdom.  If He is pleased to do such a great thing for us, how can we doubt and worry about all the little things?

(33) "Sell what you have and give alms, provide yourselves bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys."

Jesus told His disciples to sell all they had and give to the poor and needy.  What He meant by providing themselves with bags that do not grow old was to put their treasure into something that would not rot or be stolen, a treasure in heaven by following Christ and doing merciful and loving things for others.

(34) "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Jesus concluded by saying that where their treasures were, whether stored up in their physical possession or stored up in heaven by their selfless and loving actions following Christ, that would be where the most important desires of their hearts would be.  

As this is a rather long chapter, I will end this post here and continue chapter 12 in the next post.

Woes to the Pharisees and Lawyers

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(Luke 11:29) And when the people were gathered thick together, He began to say, "This is an evil generation; they seek a sign, and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonah the prophet."

At the end of the last post, Jesus had been speaking to a group of people, and it seems the crowd became larger.  Jesus may have been referring to those who had sought a sign from heaven in verse 16.  He called them an evil generation for wanting yet another sign.  They came for the thrill of seeing Jesus do another miracle when He had already done so much to awaken their consciences to His truth.  He said there would be no other sign given them except for the sign of Jonah the prophet.  It's not that Jesus would do no more miracles, but He certainly wouldn't be performing them just to give people a sign that He was who He said He was.  That generation could expect nothing more of Him until His resurrection, typified by Jonah's three days in the belly of a whale.

(30) "For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation."

Jesus said as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites in that he was three days and nights in the whale's belly and then cast out alive, a miracle confirming his mission and message to the Ninevites, likewise He would be a sign to that present generation when He was three days in the tomb and then rising from death on the third day to confirm His mission and message to them.

(31) "The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, a greater than Solomon is here."

Jesus spoke of the queen of Sheba, a country of Arabia, who came from her faraway country to hear the wisdom of Solomon.  In the judgment day, she would be considered greater than that present generation and would by her actions condemn them, because she, as a Gentile, sought the wisdom of Solomon, and that generation of Jews who had Jesus, far greater than Solomon, rejected Him, and sought more and more signs from Him.

(32) "The men of Nineveh shall rise up in the judgment with this generation and shall condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, a greater than Jonah is here."

Likewise, Jesus said, the men of Nineveh would also rise up in the judgment day and would condemn that present generation because they had repented when Jonah preached to them, and that generation had the Messiah Himself, much greater than Jonah, and they did not repent.

(33) "No man, when he has lit a candle, puts it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they who come may see the light."

Still in answer to those who sought another sign, Jesus was the light of the world, and He shone His light in public where all could see.  He had not hidden His light from them, so that generation was inexcusable.  Another way to look at this was that Jesus would not hide His light in a secret place or under a bushel basket like He would be doing if He continued to show signs to a stubborn people who disbelieved every evidence of His Messiahship.  

(34) "The light of the body is the eye; therefore, when your eye is single, your whole body is also full of light, but when evil, your body also is full of darkness."

Jesus said the light of the body was the eye, not in the sense that that is where the light originates, but that is where it is received.  If it had a single clear vision of The Light that is Christ, then the whole body would be filled with light.  However, if the eye was evil, not clear, but clouded by stubbornness and prejudices, then the body would remain in darkness.

(35) "Take heed, therefore, that the light which is in you is not darkness."

Jesus gave a warning that they be careful about their eyes, that they readily receive the light of truth, and not be as that generation had been, never really desiring to know the light of Christ, but in obstinance and prejudice, could not see it, and therefore, were in darkness.  Note that Jesus said there would be some sort of light or lack thereof in each of us.  There would be either light or darkness, and they should take care that theirs be light and not darkness.

(36) "If your whole body, therefore, is full of light, having no dark part, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle gives you light."

Jesus said that if your whole body then be full of light, having no dark places of secret sin, then you would be as a bright shining light that gives forth its light to others in the room.  It was another way of saying, "Let your light so shine before men..." (Matthew 5:16)

(37) And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee sought Him to dine with him, and He went in and sat down to eat.

As Jesus was still speaking, a certain man, a Pharisee, asked Jesus if He would dine with him.  Jesus accepted and went into the house and sat down at the table to eat.  This was another occasion when Jesus accepted the invitation of a Pharisee to dine with him; the previous time was recorded in Luke 7:36.  

(38) And when the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner.

The Pharisee noticed that Jesus did not wash before He sat down to eat.  He was amazed that so great a prophet showed no regard for such a common custom.  I couldn't help but think about the first time Jesus sat down with a Pharisee.  In Luke 7:44, Jesus told that Pharisee that he had not offered Him any water to wash.  I imagine it was the same way in this case.  However, Jesus used it for a lesson:

(39) And the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness."

Jesus knew the Pharisee's thoughts and pointed out to him that Pharisees like him were fastidious with the cleanliness of the outside of their dishes, but the inside was filled with what had been unjustly taken from others through their dishonesty, greed, and extortion.  In the account in Matthew 23, Jesus used the words "extortion and excess" to describe what filled the inside of their dishes.

(40) "Fools, did not He who made that which is outside make that which is inside also?"

Jesus called them foolish for not realizing that God made the outside and the inside of people.  They did things in view of the public to show how clean and fastidious they were about the visible things of God, while inside they were filthy.  How could God be pleased with their outward demonstrations of purity when inside they were impure and wicked?

(41) "But rather give alms of such things as you have, and behold, all things are clean to you."

Jesus told them they should be inwardly clean as well, giving of their possessions to people in need.  They would be clean in all ways then, and when their inside hearts were clean, they would find that all the outside cleansing would become unnecessary.  The outside things could not make dirty the inside hearts of men.

(42) "But woe to you, Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God; these you ought to have done and not leave the other undone."

Jesus proclaimed woe to the Pharisees who were so careful to tithe every single little herb, but neglected justice and demonstrating God's love to the poor and needy.  He told them they should be doing both things.

(43) "Woe to you, Pharisees! For you love the uppermost seats in the synagogues and greetings in the markets."

Again Jesus pronounced woe to the Pharisees who loved the best seats in the synagogues and to be seen and greeted in the marketplaces, both resulting from their pride and vanity.

(44) "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are as graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them."

Jesus then addressed both Pharisees and scribes and called them hypocrites.  He said they were like unmarked graves that men walked upon and came in contact with unaware.  Coming in contact with the dead made one unclean.  Jesus was suggesting that they were secretly unclean to those they came in contact with.  They appeared pure and clean on the outside, but were unclean and wicked on the inside, defiling those who came in contact with them.

(45) Then answered one of the lawyers, and said to Him, "Master, thus saying You reproach us also."

One of the lawyers who must have been dining with them spoke to Jesus, and said that in what He was saying, He condemned lawyers as well, apparently because they, too, liked the uppermost rooms in the synagogues and to be greeted in the marketplaces.

(46) And He said, "Woe to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens oppressive to be borne, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers."

Jesus admitted that yes, He was indeed pronouncing woe on lawyers, too, because they made the laws so oppressive and burdensome on the people that they could not bear it, while they themselves did not adhere to the same oppressive laws.

(47) "Woe to you! For you build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them."

Jesus called them all out because they were hypocritical in that they built fine tombs for the prophets when their fathers, and very likely they would have also if they had been there, killed the prophets.

(48) "Truly you bear witness that you allow the deeds of your fathers, for they indeed killed them, and you build their sepulchres."

Jesus told them that their deeds truly bore witness to the deeds of their fathers.  They showed approval of their fathers' deeds by building those fine sepulchres; they tried to cover up what their fathers had done with a pretense of godliness by building beautiful tombs for the prophets their fathers killed.  Additionally, by building those beautiful tombs, it was as if they were glorifying what their fathers had done, setting up monuments in honor of it.  

(49) "Therefore also said the wisdom of God, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute.'"

However, the wisdom of God would reveal their true colors when He sent them more prophets and apostles, and they themselves would persecute and kill some of them.

(50) "That the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, (51) From the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple; verily I say to you, it shall be required of this generation."

Jesus here foretells the coming destruction by the Romans and calls it vindication for the blood of the innocent since the beginning.  They were just as guilty as their forefathers who had murdered the innocent, and even more so, because they knew the history and kept up the trade of persecution and murder, and even tried to cover it up.  God would tolerate it no more, especially after the persecution and crucifixion of Jesus, and the persecution of His apostles after Him.

(52) "Woe to you, lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered."

Again Jesus declared woe to the lawyers because they had taken the key to knowledge away from the people to whom they were entrusted to teach.  They so corrupted the scriptures that the people did not learn the truth about the coming Messiah and the gospel message.  They themselves did not enter into that knowledge that led to eternal life in the kingdom of heaven, and by their corrupt teaching, they hindered those who may have otherwise accepted and clung to the truth.

(53) And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press Him vehemently and to provoke Him to speak of many things, (54) Lying in wait for Him and seeking to catch something out of His mouth that they might accuse Him.

As Jesus spoke these things, the scribes and Pharisees were enraged and violently pressed Him for answers, asking Him about many things, hoping to trap Him into saying something they could use against Him.  The prophet Isaiah spoke about those who watched for iniquity and made a man an offender for a word (Isaiah 29:20-21).  The scribes and Pharisees were not at all sincere in any of their questions, nor did they sincerely listen to Jesus's answers; they only asked to keep Him talking and only listened to catch something they could use against Him.  Boy, does that sound like our present time!  People don't discuss and sincerely debate issues anymore; they only seek sound bites they can use against the other side.  And just as this led up to the destruction of Jerusalem, we seem to be heading for the destruction of the world in this and many other ways.

Jesus Teaches About Earnest Prayer and Demon Spirits

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(Luke 11:1) And it came to pass that as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples."

At the end of the last chapter, Jesus had been in the home of Martha and Mary, but apparently had left there, and was later in a different place, praying.  When He had finished praying, one of His disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray, as he said John the Baptist had taught his disciples.

(2) And He said to them, "When you pray, say, 'Our Father, who is in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.'"

Jesus then began instructing them on how to pray.  Biblical scholars say that this was at a different time than in Matthew 6:9-13.  I don't know why that has to be.  Luke says only that Jesus was praying in a certain place at some non-specific time, but there are subtle differences in the way Matthew and Luke described Jesus's instruction and prayer.  In Matthew, Jesus had instructed that they pray "after this manner," and proceeded to give them an example of prayer.  If, indeed, this disciple was asking again to be taught how to pray, and adding as John had taught his disciples, perhaps he was asking for a more specific prayer.  Jesus had taught them the manner in which they were to pray, but perhaps they still struggled with the words.  Here in Luke, Jesus says, "Say this...."  This may indicate to us that this is one prayer that we may recite as Jesus did.  In Matthew 6:7, Jesus said they were not to use vain repetitions as the heathens did.  I always took this to mean that we should speak from our hearts and not recite the same prayers all the time, as they did in the Catholic church I attended as a teenager.  However, the rest of Matthew 6:7 states that those heathen think they will be heard because of their many words.  That says to me that they used vain repetitions within one prayer.  They kept repeating themselves so as to give longer wordy prayers.  I now understand Jesus to mean it's always okay to recite His Word, and to also use it as a model of how we should otherwise pray.

First, Jesus said we were to address and acknowledge our Father in heaven.  We recognize and declare that His name is holy and to be given great reverence.  We recognize and declare that God's kingdom has come to earth, and we desire that it be successful, as our prayers should always align with that goal in mind.  We ask that God's will be done here on earth as it is in heaven.  Not our wills, but His will, as He always knows best.  We see short-term, but God sees the future and the big picture, and we should always desire that our prayers align with His perfect will.  Romans 8:26 tells us that the Holy Spirit within us helps us with groanings which are not uttered to make intercession for us according to the will of God, because we don't know how to pray as we should.  James 4:3 tells us that we don't receive what we pray for because we "ask amiss" for our own selfish desires.  We can be thankful that Jesus has given us the Holy Spirit to pray for the best outcome according to God's will.  And we can rest assured that God's will is always better than our short-sighted wills.

(3) "Give us day by day our daily bread."

Jesus continued with His model prayer.  He indicated that it was okay to voice an honest desire for care and maintenance for the day.  However, we should not be anxious about more than that.  In Matthew 6:34, Jesus said not to be anxious about tomorrow, that sufficient for the day is its own troubles.  In Matthew 6:32, He also said that our heavenly Father knew our needs.  We are to seek Him first and all our needs will be given to us.  "Our needs," not necessarily our wants.  It is okay to ask for our needs, but we should trust the Holy Spirit of Father God in heaven to take care of the true desires of our hearts that we may not even recognize, but in the end, we will look back and realize that His will was better than what we could have ever asked for.

(4) "And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."

Jesus taught that we should ask for forgiveness for our sins, not just once, but continually in our prayers.  We can ask this because we have also forgiven those who have wronged us.  In Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus went on to add that if we indeed forgave others, our heavenly Father would forgive us.  However, if we did not forgive, neither would God forgive us.  Finally, we ask that God not lead us into temptation.  It's not that God would otherwise lead us there; the sense is that we ask God to lead us away from temptation, and to deliver us from evil.

(5) And He said to them, "Which of you shall have a friend and shall go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves, (6) For a friend of mine in his journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.'"

Jesus began a parable by first asking his disciples a question.  Which of them could relate to the man in his parable?  That man had a friend to whom he went at midnight, a most inconvenient time, to ask for three loaves of bread, because another friend of his had shown up at his door and he had nothing to feed him.

(7) "And he from inside shall answer and say, 'Do not trouble me; the door is now shut and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you.'"

Jesus continued with his example which concluded his question about which of them had such a friend who would then reject him and tell him it was too late, he was in bed, and he couldn't get up and help him.

(8) "I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity, he will rise and give him as many as he needs."

Jesus said that mere friendship might not make the man willing to get up at midnight to give food to his friend, but because he persisted in asking, he would get up and give him as much as he needed.  Jesus's point was that we can go boldly to the throne of God and be persistent in asking for something in prayer.  Jesus said in Luke 18:1, "Men ought always to pray and not to faint."  This parable served as an example of prayer.  We may approach God at any time with the same confidence we would have when approaching a friend.  We come in prayer for needful things, as bread is needful, as we know that God gives us our needs, but not necessarily our wants.  We come in prayer for others, not for our own selfish desires, but that we may accomplish our Godly purpose in helping others.  Finally, if God doesn't seem to answer right away, it's okay to be persistent.  More than okay, it's pleasing to God; "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17).  Jesus implied that God would answer such a prayer.

(9) "And I say to you, ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you."

Indeed, Jesus told them that if they asked as modeled in His parable, it would be given to them.  If they sought something in prayer, like mercy, knowledge, or wisdom, they would find it.  And doors would be opened.

(10) "For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it shall be opened."

Jesus confirmed that everyone who asked for something would receive it, and those who sought something would find it, and those who knocked would have the door opened.  It's important to remember that we should pray for things within God's will and according to Jesus's model.  Remember James 4:3, "You ask and do not receive because you ask amiss, that you may consume it on your lusts."

(11) "If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? Or if a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?"

As an illustration, Jesus asked if a son asked for bread from a father, and here Jesus personalized it by asking any of them who were fathers to especially consider what He was saying, would they give a stone to their son who asked them for bread?  Would they give something that in no way solved their son's problem?  If their son asked for a fish, would they give him a serpent instead?  Would they give him rather something that would endanger him?

(12) "Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?  

Likewise, if a son asked for an egg, would the father give him a scorpion, something that would not help him but would hurt him?

(13) "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them who ask him?"

Therefore, Jesus concluded, since they as flawed sinful fathers knew how to give appropriate gifts to their children, how much more they could expect from the perfect just heavenly Father.  Jesus said their heavenly Father would give the Holy Spirit, the very best gift, from Whom all good gifts would come.  Our heavenly Father gives more than we could ask for, "for we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He who searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God." (Romans 8:26-27)  We don't always know what is best in a situation, but the Holy Spirit does know because His mind is aligned with the will of God, and as Romans 8:28 continues, "...all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."  But once again, our Father will not give us our lustful desires that He knows will hurt us; He gives us our needs for a greater end than we can imagine.  Would a father give his son a deadly scorpion just because he asked for it?

(14) And He was casting out a devil and it was mute. And it came to pass when the devil was gone out, the mute spoke, and the people wondered.

At what appears to be another time, Jesus cast a demon out of a mute man.  When the demon had been cast out, the formerly possessed man spoke, and the people who witnessed this miracle marveled.

(15) But some of them said, "He casts out devils through Beelzebub, the chief of the devils."

Some of the people who witnessed this said that Jesus cast out devils by the spirit of Beelzebub, Satan himself.  The account in Matthew said that these were Pharisees who suggested that.  The account in Mark said it was the scribes.  That is, if this is the same account.  I suppose it is possible this happened more than once, and Jesus would have the same answer.

(16) And others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven.

Others in the crowd tested Jesus to see in what spirit He operated and wanted to see a sign from heaven.  This was not included in the accounts in Matthew and Mark, so this possibly is another instance where people claimed Jesus must be working through Satan to be able to do such miracles.

(17) But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house against a house falls. (18) If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? Because you say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub."

Although they had not spoken what they thought to Him, Jesus knew what they thought and told them He knew what they thought, and demonstrated to them what an absurd idea it was that He would be doing good through Satan.  Satan's evil kingdom, if working against itself doing good, would fail.  

(19) "And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges."

Additionally, if it was only through the power of Satan that Jesus was able to cast out demons, then He asked them how it was that their own followers cast out demons, as some of the Jews had been able to do.  The actions of these "sons" would stand as judgment against what these people were suggesting.  They certainly weren't professing to cast out demons through Satan, so how could such an absurd accusation be made of Jesus?

(20) "But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God has come upon you."

By saying "the finger of God" Jesus may have been referring to Exodus 8:19, when Pharoah's magicians admitted that their tricks did not nearly measure up with the miracles wrought by Moses "with the finger of God."  Jesus's ease and His immediate perfect result in casting out the demon was likely very superior to any casting out of demons they had ever witnessed and should be considered as it was with Moses against Pharaoh's magicians, only by "the finger of God."  Thus there could be no doubt that the kingdom of God had come to them and they were rejecting it.

(21) "When a strong man armed keeps his palace, his goods are in peace."

Still referring to Satan, Jesus compared him to a strong and armed man who kept his palace and goods safe.

(22) "But when a stronger than he shall come upon him and overcome him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoils."

When one stronger than the strong man, that is Jesus Christ in this example, comes upon him and overcomes him, as when Jesus cast the demon out of the man, the stronger Jesus also takes from Satan all his power he had over the one he possessed, and He divides his spoils, taking possession of the formerly possessed man's mind and body, and makes him whole again.

(23) "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters."

At first glance, "He who is not with Me is against Me" seems at odds with what Jesus said in Mark 9:40, "he who is not against us is on our side."  In Mark 9, the man who was casting out devils in Jesus's name could not be said to be against Jesus and His disciples.  He was doing what he was doing for Jesus and His purpose of bringing souls to salvation.  In this case, those who asserted that Jesus performed miracles through Beelzebub were certainly against Him.  If the man in Mark 9 had been casting out demons in Satan's name, then He would have definitely been against Jesus.  However, he was working in Jesus's name trying to gather souls for salvation.  These people who called Him of the devil were not only not gathering souls, but were scattering souls with their blasphemy against Jesus.

(24) "When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walks through dry places, seeking rest, and finding none, he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'"

Jesus then said that when a demon spirit had gone out of a man, it sought another soul to possess.  Dry desert places to a demon spirit would be places where the Gospel of Christ was preached and accepted; it could certainly find no peace there.  Therefore, it would decide to return to the vessel from which it had left.  

(25) "And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order."

When that demon spirit in Jesus's example came back to its previous home, it found that body empty, as is meant by "swept and in order."  There was nothing else in there, just the empty body, as the account in Matthew 12:44 also added "empty."  In this example of Jesus, the person who had been possessed by a demon, but then cleansed of it, did not seek to fill himself with the spirit of Christ.  A person will be filled with one thing or another; he does not remain an empty vessel.  He who did not accept Jesus and His gospel was against Him, and empty, but not for long.

(26) "Then he goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there; and the last of that man is worse than the first."

If that demon found the man not filled with Jesus, then it would come back with seven other demons even more wicked than it was, and they would all inhabit the man.  There have been instances of multiple demons possessing one body in scripture; there was the man possessed by "Legion," so called because there were many demons, and there was Mary Magdalene who had been possessed by seven demons.  The last condition of the man who had been possessed by one demon, but did not seek to fill himself with Jesus, would be much worse when possessed by multiple demons than he was with the one.

(27) And it came to pass, as He spoke these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice and said to Him, "Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts which You have nursed."

After Jesus had spoken these things, a woman in the crowd of people listening, raised her voice and declared to Jesus that His mother was blessed to have given birth to and nurtured Him.  She surely meant it as a compliment to Jesus that He did and spoke such great things, that His mother was blessed to have been chosen as His mother.

(28) But He said, "Yea, rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it."

Jesus answered and said to the woman, that yes, His mother was indeed blessed, but much more blessed were those who heard His word and accepted it and kept it.  That was the most important thing, not to be merely associated with Christ, even as His mother, but to fully accept Him and His Gospel, and be counted among the saints in heaven.  Judas Iscariot was one of Jesus's closest associates, but he rejected Jesus.

As this is a rather long chapter, and has had much commentary up to this point, I will end this post for now, and finish chapter 11 in the next post.

Jesus Sends Seventy Out and Tells the Parable of the Good Samaritan

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(Luke 10:1) After these things the Lord appointed another seventy also and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself would come.

At the end of the last chapter, Jesus had been discussing the cost of following Him.  Some people said they wanted to follow Him, but seemed to have excuses why they couldn't do it immediately.  It seems Jesus may have been winnowing the fair-weather followers away in order to appoint seventy faithful disciples, and He sent those seventy out in pairs into every city and place that He Himself would visit, to prepare the people to receive Him.

(2) Therefore, He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers few; pray therefore, the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth laborers into this harvest."

Jesus said to the seventy disciples upon sending them forth, that the harvest of souls was very great, but those willing to do the work of gathering souls to Christ were very few in comparison.  He told them to pray to God, the Lord of the great harvest of souls, that He would raise up and send forth more laborers into that harvest.  They should pray that the Lord send them to the people most likely to become those laborers who would rise up once they knew their mission.

(3) "Go your way; behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves."

Jesus told the seventy to go on their way, realizing there may be danger.  He was sending them forth as harmless, innocent, defenseless creatures, into a spiteful, malicious, and cruel world.

(4) "Carry neither purse nor bag nor shoes, and salute no one on the way."

Jesus told them not to carry any provisions, money, or extra shoes, and told them they should not salute anyone on the way.  Jewish salutations were more than just a wave or head nod, but would have entailed embracing, kissing, and much speech, so they were told not to engage in that, but to be about their business.

(5) "And into whatever house you enter, first say, "Peace to this house."

However, when they came into a city and into a private house, they then were to offer salutation and the blessing of peace to the house and its inhabitants.

(6) "And if a son of peace is there, your peace shall rest upon it; if not, it shall return to you again."

If a peaceable person, receptive to their message, was there in that house, then the blessing of peace would rest upon that house and those in it.  However, if there was no son of peace receiving them, then there would be no blessing of peace on that household.

(7) "And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house."

As Jesus had told the twelve when He sent them out, He told these seventy they were to remain in one house, the first house that received them, for the entirety of their visit in that city or place.  They were encouraged to eat and drink what was offered and not to think of it as charity, as they were deserving of it as payment for their labor in the salvation of souls.  They were not to move from house to house.

(8) "And into whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you."

Wherever they went, if they were kindly received, they were to graciously eat whatever was set before them.  They were not to consider whether it was clean or unclean, or to their liking or not, but to graciously accept what was offered.  No man's law should come before politeness.  Christ taught that the laws were made for man, not man made for laws.  Although there was good and health in God's dietary laws, for a small amount of time it was more important to regard the feelings of their hosts.  When those hosts came to accept Jesus, they would likely change and their desire to follow Him and His commands might cause them to make better dietary choices, but for the time being, that was not important.  They also shouldn't feel anything was too good for them, but again, graciously accept what was offered.

(9) "And heal the sick who are there, and say to them, "The kingdom of God is near to you."

Jesus instructed them to heal the sick there and tell all the inhabitants that the kingdom of God was near to them, as they prepared the way for Christ to come to them.

(10) "But into whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go your way out into the streets of that city and say, (11) 'Even the very dust of your city which clings to us, we wipe off against you; nevertheless, be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near to you.'"

Jesus told them that if they entered a city that would not receive them, they were to go their way on their streets while telling the inhabitants of that city that they were wiping the very dust of that city off their feet as a testimony against them, for the kingdom of God had come near to them and they had rejected it.

(12) "But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city."

Jesus went on to tell the seventy that it would be much worse for that city in the day of judgment than it would be for even Sodom.  Sodom had rejected Lot's warning, but rejecting the gospel and Christ Himself was a much more heinous crime.

(13) "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they would have a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes."

Jesus then pronounced woe to two cities that had already rejected Him, Chorazin and Bethsaida, cities in Galilee.  He declared that if the same message and miracles had been done in Tyre and Sidon, Gentile cities, as they had heard and seen done, Tyre and Sidon would have repented long ago, and displayed their repentance sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

(14) "But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you."

Just as He had declared for Sodom, Jesus said that it would be easier on Tyre and Sidon in the judgment day than it would be for Chorazin and Bethsaida, because they had had the benefit of Christ and His message and had rejected Him; Tyre and Sidon had not been given that benefit.  I believe this goes to show that God will have mercy on those who may not have had a chance to accept Jesus for their salvation.  I've often heard that argument against salvation in Jesus only.  What about those in third world or dictatorial countries who have not had the benefit of knowing Christ?  Luke 12:48 states that the one who unknowingly did things worthy of punishment would be given very little punishment, but the one given much more understanding would have much more required of him.  Also when you consider that God is always righteous and just, and that He knows what would have been, you can rest assured He will have mercy on such people who have not heard His word, or else He will put someone in their paths to give them His word.  

(15) "And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, shall be thrust down to hell."

Jesus then called out Capernaum, calling it exalted to heaven, probably because it was situated on a high hill and enjoyed good weather and good water and was a famous port.  Its inhabitants were probably prideful and high and mighty in their opinions of themselves, but Jesus said they would be cast down into hell for rejecting His message of salvation.

(16) "He who hears you hears Me, and he who despises you despises Me, and he who despises Me despises Him who sent Me."

Jesus told the seventy, that as they were His ambassadors, people who received them and their message, received Him.  On the other hand, those who despised His ambassadors, despised Him, as well.  Furthermore, those who despised Jesus despised Father God in heaven who had sent Jesus.

(17) And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, "Lord, even the devils are subject to us through Your name."

The seventy disciples went forth and then later returned very joyous as they had witnessed the fruits of their labors.  They discovered that not only could they heal the sick as Jesus had instructed them to do, but they were also able to cast out demons in Jesus's name, something they probably did not expect, but were joyful to discover.

(18) And He said to them, "I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven."

Jesus told the seventy that He had seen Satan fall as quickly as lightning falling from heaven, meaning He had seen Satan's demons falling quickly at their commands, as He had sent them forth to do.

(19) "Behold, I give to you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you."

Jesus told them that He had given them that power that would even allow them to tread on serpents and scorpions and any other powerful instrument the enemy might use, and nothing would be able to hurt them.

(20) "Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

Jesus told them not to rejoice in the fact that demon spirits were subject to them.  Although it was an honor to be given talents and influence and the ability to work miracles, that was only because they were first believers and followers of Jesus, and they should instead rejoice in the fact that their names were written in the book of life in heaven.

(21) In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, "I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them to babes; even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight."

Jesus rejoiced in His soul at the success of His disciples in bringing His word and miracles, and He thanked Father God in heaven for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom of God to these lowly people, thus giving them eternal life.  It's not that He was rejoicing that those mysteries were hidden from the wise and prudent, but that even though God had not yet revealed those mysteries to the wise and prudent, He saw fit to reveal them to the simplest humble people, and in that, He rejoiced.

(22) "All things are delivered to Me by My Father, and no man knows who the Son is but the Father, and who the Father is but the Son and anyone to whom the Son will reveal."

Jesus went on to say that all things had been given to Him by His Father, meaning all power in God the Father in heaven had been given to Jesus on earth.  Matthew 11:27 stated much the same thing, "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father; neither does any man know the Father except the Son and to whomever the Son will reveal Him."  However, I couldn't help but notice Luke stated something slightly differently, "...no man knows who the Son is..."  Who exactly is the Son?  He's more than what we would call the "Son" of God.  He was God on earth.  He is literally almighty God in heaven who came down to the earth to save His children.  He is the Word of God who has been a part of God from the beginning of time.  Our puny human minds can't understand the complexity of God, so I believe God came to earth through the womb of an earthly woman and called Him the Son of God so that we could comprehend.  God can be in all places at all times, and will be, unless He has turned His back on us because we have rejected Him.  Yes, in a way, it appears Jesus prayed to Himself in heaven.  As a man, He was subject to human temptations and worldly distractions, and He desired that heavenly power to strengthen His human soul.  Additionally, I believe His actions were to teach us how we ought to pray in difficult situations.  The Father in heaven was the only One who knew who the Son truly was, and Jesus the Son was the only one who knew who the Father was, except for anyone to whom He chose to reveal Him.

(23) And He turned to His disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things that you see."

It was if Jesus was saying that His disciples were those which He the Son had chosen to reveal His Father and the mysteries of heaven to, and they were very blessed to have been given that gift of being able to see the things that they saw.

(24) "For I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which you see and have not seen them; and to hear those things which you hear and have not heard them."

In detailing how blessed they were, He told them that there had been many prophets and kings before them who had desired to see what they saw.  People including Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, and Solomon, and many other prophets and kings looked forward to the day when the Messiah would come, and would have loved to see all that they looked and worked toward come to fruition; they would have loved to hear the teachings of the Messiah firsthand.  Jesus's twelve disciples were blessed among all men to be able to be in their place and time as the chosen apostles of Jesus.

(25) And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

It is not told to us at what point people other than His seventy disciples joined with Jesus, but at some point, a lawyer among other people stood up and asked Jesus a question.  It is said he "tested" Jesus.  I suppose that the fact that He was a lawyer and knew the law very well, he was testing what sort of answer Jesus would give to his question about what he should do to inherit eternal life.

(26) He said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read it?"

Jesus, knowing that the lawyer was testing Him against the law, asked him what was written in the law and how he interpreted it.

(27) And he answering, said, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself."

The lawyer answered with what he had learned from Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18, that he was to love His Lord God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength, and that he was to love his neighbor as himself.

(28) And He said to him, "You have answered right; do this and you shall live."

Jesus told the lawyer that he had answered correctly; those were the very things he needed to do to have eternal life.

(29) But he, willing to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

The lawyer, seeking to justify why he had asked a question he already knew the answer to, asked Jesus who it was that was considered his neighbor whom he should love as himself.

(30) And Jesus answering, said, "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves who stripped him of his clothing and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead."

Jesus answered the lawyer's question by telling him a parable.  He told of a man who journeyed from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves who stole his clothing, beat him, and left him on the road half dead.

(31) "And by chance there came down that way a certain priest, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side."

It just so happened that a priest was going the same way from Jerusalem to Jericho and saw the half dead man, but instead of helping him, passed by on the other side of the road to avoid him.

(32) "And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked and passed by on the other side."

Then a Levite, another supposedly pious person, of the tribe of those who served and assisted the priests, came to that same place, took the time to approach and see the condition of the man, yet also passed on the other side of the road.

(33) "But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion."

Then a Samaritan, of a group that the Jews most detested and with whom they would have no dealings, journeyed by the same place.  When he saw the man half dead on the road, he had compassion for him.  He had compassion for him as a human being, a child of God, and didn't see him as an enemy.

(34) "And went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him."

The Samaritan went to the injured man and doctored his wounds with a balm of oil and wine.  He set him up on his own animal and led him to an inn, where he took care of him.

(35) "And on the next day when he departed, he took out two pence and gave them to the host, and said to him, 'Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.'"

The next day, when the Samaritan left the wounded man, he gave the innkeeper two pence to pay the expenses of the man, and asked him to take care of him, and if he had to spend any more money than that to help him, the Samaritan would repay him when he passed by that way again.

(36) "Now which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?"

Having finished His parable, Jesus asked the lawyer who among the three men Jesus had described was a neighbor to the man who had fallen among the thieves.

(37) And he said, "He who showed mercy on him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

The lawyer admitted that it was the Samaritan who had shown mercy to the man who would be considered neighbor to him.  Jesus told him that he should go and do the same sort of thing, meaning he should also regard every man as his neighbor, renouncing any bigotry he might have for a certain type of person.  We all have something within us that could be rejected by someone else, and if we could all see each other as human beings like ourselves and treat each one as we would like to be treated in such an instance, we would have peace in this world!

(38) Now it came to pass, as they went, that He entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha received Him into her house.

According to other passages in the Bible, this certain village Jesus came to was Bethany.  A woman named Martha received Him into her house.  It is deduced by Biblical scholars that Martha was a widow and her brother Lazarus and her sister Mary lived with her.

(39) And she had a sister called Mary who also sat at Jesus's feet and heard His word.

Martha's sister Mary was also in the house, and she sat at Jesus's feet listening to His word.

(40) But Martha was incumbered with much serving, and came to Him, and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her therefore to help me."

Martha was busy preparing food, possibly a feast, for her guest and very likely others who accompanied Him into her home.  It is plausible that Martha had urged Mary to help her, and when she wouldn't leave Jesus's feet, then she asked Jesus to tell her to help her.  I can relate to Martha.  I can hear myself asking Mary to come help me so we can hurry up and get this done so that I might be able to hear Jesus, too.

(41) And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. (42) But one thing is needful, and Mary has chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her."

However, Jesus answered her by saying that she worried too much about little things that didn't really matter in the scheme of things.  Jesus didn't require as much preparation as she was making.  However, what was actually needed in that scheme of things was Jesus's word of life, and Mary had chosen that as the most important thing, and Jesus commended her for that and declared He would not pull her away from that to help Martha.  I can actually relate to that, as well.  I have often said, "Let's just grab a sandwich, so we'll have more time for visiting."  I believe Jesus would have felt that was enough in order that all could participate in listening to His word.  More than that, He was teaching us a lesson about what really matters in life, and how we should devote more time to that, and not worry so much about the little things that don't really matter in the big picture.

It occurs to me that this was the same type of message that Jesus gave the seventy when they were received into a city or house.  He told them to graciously accept anything that was set before them.  In that too, Jesus was telling us not to fret over the little things.  Whether or not the food we are served is within our dietary rules is certainly not the most important thing in the big picture.  In this case, it was the bringing of the Word and the saving of souls.