BiblicalMastery Buddy's bible blog

Lesson 13

God’s Standards

Luke 6:12-26

It is so easy to look at oneself and think I am doing well spiritually.  Just in the last few days I received a wakeup call during a Life Action Summit meeting.  The speaker gave everyone a questionnaire. Everyone was asked to answer several questions about where we thought we were our spiritual walk.  Each question could only be answered yes or no.  Although I failed it miserably, it was no consolation that everyone with whom I spoke had also done so.

I told my wife that anyone who went through it with no problems should look at it to see if there is an issue with pride.  What I learned was even though I might have thought that I was doing ok, it is God who has set the standards and He is the one who judges me. 

I am so thankful that God’s grace does not depend on my trying to measure up to what He has deemed as an example of one He would call perfect.  I am a work in progress that will never be finished this side of heaven.

There is so much talk today about what constitutes a healthy church.  Even those that are seeing lives transformed by the preaching and teaching of the word still will have their weaknesses.  The best we can do is to try to follow God’s leading for the body called the church.  Rick Warren many years ago wrote the “The Purpose Driven Church.”  In it he called for the church to be balanced in the five purposes derived from the Great Commission and Great Commandment found in Matthew.  They are Worship, Discipleship, Ministry, Fellowship and Evangelism.  Very few churches reach the level in which there is not more emphasis given to one or the other of these purposes.

What God is looking for in a church is the willingness of His people to submit to His purpose.  We are to serve Him completely and leave the results to Him.  Jesus is still looking for disciples today who desire to follow and serve Him as we walk throughout our world.

Luke 6:12

Although not mentioned here specifically, Jesus had already started the selection process.  He had called Simon, Andrew, James, John and Levi by this time.  John talks about some of the others not mentioned before now in Luke.  They had already travelled with Him and seen Him heal individuals.  Just as important they had experienced firsthand the opposition from the religious leaders that would eventually result in the death of Jesus.  Those were the same men who oppose everything that the apostles would do after the resurrection of Jesus.  Jesus wanted the twelve to know what they could expect before they committed to following Him.

Before Jesus made the final cut and selected His closest associates, the disciples, He went away from the crowd and spent a night in prayer.  The choosing of the twelve was very important to Him and the Father.  They were to be the men to whom he was going to entrust the future of the movement that would be called Christianity.  He could leave nothing to chance.  Talking it over with His Father helped clarify who the men were to be.

1. Why did Jesus spend time with all of the men before deciding who would be part of the twelve who would receive most of His attention?
2. From what they had already experienced what could each of the men expect to happen in the future?
3. Why was it important for Jesus to spend a night in prayer before deciding on the men to be His disciples?
4. How often do you pray through a matter before making a decision?
5. What is usually the result when you either pray or do not pray about a particular situation?

Luke 6:13-16

After having spent the night in communication with the Father, Jesus came back to the group waiting for Him.  From the larger body of disciples He called out certain men who would be His closest companions.  Five of the men would have probably known each other coming from the same village of Bethsaida.  They were Simon, Andrew, James, John, Phillip.  Bartholomew, possibly also known as Nathaniel, was a friend of Phillip.  Eleven of the disciples were from Galilee.  The one lone exception was Judas Iscariot who was from Judah.

Jesus chose a very diverse group of men to be with Him.  There were fishermen, a tax collector and others about who little is known.  Two of the men were nationalists or zealots who were on the fore front of opposition to the Roman rule in their country.

Not only did the men have different careers but varying personalities.  Peter was bold, while Andrew his brother was the one who was always bringing others to Jesus.  James and John were quick tempered and ambitious.  Thomas was one who always needed to see evidence before making a decision.   He also showed a tendency to be brave in difficult circumstances.

These are the twelve Jesus chose to be with Him at all times to hear and learn what it would take for them become His disciples. Later after His resurrection they would be given the command to evangelize the world.

1. Why did Jesus just choose twelve men to travel with Him? (A group any larger would be unwieldy for one thing.)
2. Why did He choose such a diverse group of men? (It would take all different types to help grow the kingdom of Christ.)
3. Why is it important for a church to have people with different spiritual gifts, passions, abilities, personalities and experiences?
4. Why did Jesus deliberately choose a man who would eventually betray Him? (No one is beyond hope.)
5. What would Jesus have to do to transform that ragtag group of men in the twelve apostles we see in the book of Acts?
6. What work does Jesus have to do in our lives to turn us into a church that will impact the community in which God has placed us?

Luke 6:17-19

Coming down from the mountainside, Jesus once again was confronted with a throng of people waiting to not only hear Him but to receive healing.  It would be quite a scene greeting the new disciples with the people crowding in on Jesus hoping to touch Him.  This would be the first lesson for them to learn.  If they did not already know it, it would become apparent that they would have to share Jesus with the crowds that needed what only He could offer.  There would be plenty of time for them to be with Him in private sessions. Luke said power was flowing from Him and all were healed.

1. What awaited Jesus as He and the disciples came down from the mountain?
2. What would your reaction be to such a scene?
3. How did Jesus react to the scene before Him?
4. Although Luke said they came to hear them what would it take to be able to get the attention of the people? (In this case He would have to take care of their physical needs in order to calm them.)
5. What is the difference between the crowd that Jesus met and a mob? (Mobs are unruly the crowd around Jesus respected Him and did not get out of hand.)
6. What is the lessons can we learn about sharing Jesus with others from His example?

Luke 6:20

After taking care of the crowd He turned His attention to the disciples.  There was time to deal with every situation in a timely and orderly manner.  Jesus was never in a hurry, but used His time to the greatest benefit of each person. He began His role as rabbi to His disciples.

1. At what point was Jesus able to turn His attention to His disciples?
2. What role did He assume at that point?
3. What right did He have in assuming the role of rabbi? (He had selected the men who would follow Him for the rest of their lives?
4. What lesson can we learn from this verse?  (Jesus handles everything in an orderly manner. 
5. What would be our response to like circumstances? (We may want a leader to stop what he is doing to give us His full attention.)

Luke 6:21-22

If the disciples expected to hear the same old concepts that all the other rabbis taught they were in for a real shock.  The teaching was to be a radical departure from the dried and staid ideas they had heard so many times before.  Jesus began with attitudes He expected His disciples to possess.  Both in Matthew and Luke they are called the beatitudes.  Luke listed only four here as compared with the listed in Matthew 5.  The format is also different.  Many believe that these in Luke were not part of the Sermon on the Mount but were taught at a different time.  I have been a believer that Jesus spoke about the same subjects many times during the final three years on earth.  If this is true the words He used would be according to the circumstances in which He found Himself.

The one common idea is that those who have the attitude expressed in each one the beatitudes. Both in Matthew and in Luke those who follow the teaching of Jesus would have happiness, joy, peace and blessedness in his life.  It should also be understood that poverty, hunger and hatred, by themselves have nothing to do with the blessedness.  It is the way that a person approaches every aspect in life. The four are:

• Blessed are the poor. They will have the kingdom of God. Matthew speaks of poverty of spirit.  Luke does not go beyond the fact that a person is poor.  It is the acceptance that not all will have wealth and that should never be a hindrance to our relationship with God.
• Blessed are those who hunger.  This too is a temporary condition.  One day each follower of Christ will sit at the banquet table of Christ.  God will provide for all of the needs in a way He sees fit.
• Blessed are those who weep.  Laughter will follow. Each person experiences deep hurts.  Christ will help each to walk through them and bring joy to life.  Here again this too is a temporary situation.
• Probably the one that most would give a person the most trouble is the idea that there will be people who will lash out at followers of Christ. The result will be a day in the future when a person can leap for joy.  Although things may not go well on the earth, all is in preparation for that future time in eternity with Christ.

It is important for the disciples to understand that the things Jesus just shared with them were not anything new. He told them that the prophets that had gone before them had been treated the same way by their Jewish ancestors.

1. What is the one factor in all of these are we to understand? (Even in difficult situations Jesus can still provide joy and peace.)
2. Of all of these beatitudes which do you find the most difficult to accept?
3. Which do you think you could handle?
4. Why did Jesus begin His teaching with such harsh realities?

Luke 6:24-26

Jesus moved from those who were blessed, even in difficult situations,  to those experiencing all of the comforts of life.  He pronounced instead of a blessing a woe.  The word woe is a difficult one to translate.  It carries with both a denunciation and also a deep sorrow.  Those who are receiving the condemnation of Jesus do so not because of the fact that they have possessions but their attitudes towards those who do not.  As with the blessing they are neutral or amoral.  There is no righteousness or unrighteous found in any of them.  There are four different groups upon whom Jesus issues woes.

• Rich- It is not the wealth itself but the arrogance of those who have it that bring the judgment of Jesus.  Those individuals look in distain upon the poor but do nothing to alleviate the situation.  There are a number of Scriptures that show the attitude of the rich towards the poor.  Two of those instances are found in James chapter 2 and in the church of Laodicea in Revelation 3. Like poverty, this condition is temporary and wealth is fleeting. Sadly these individuals are getting their reward now and now storing up treasure in heaven where it really counts.  They do everything for today.
• Well-fed- Selfish individuals are the ones who enjoy all the pleasures of this world without any regard for the next.  They live for themselves and lack nothing.  The day will come in the future when all their indulgences will be a thing of the past.  Those who hunger now will eat at the banquet table of Christ while those live only for themselves will have nothing.
• Laughter- Moses turned down the pleasures of this world for the rewards that were to be his as He was faithful to God.  Those who live a life just to have a good time will one day come to the reality of how empty that life has been.  With that realization of a life wasted on the frivolous will come deep mourning and weeping.  The Old Testament speaks of joy turned into mourning because of the actions of the people.
• Popularity- The true prophet was usually rejected and persecuted.  Those who spoke the words the people wanted to hear were well received.  Jesus called those individuals false prophets.  Things have not changed for there are many false prophets in churches today preaching not God’s word but ones filled with promises of prosperity, health and a happy life.  Jesus’ woes on those men and women have not changed.  Sadly, many people are being mis-lead by the promises made by them.

 

1. What are some examples that show righteous use of wealth?
2. Why did Jesus denounce the wealthy of His day?
3. What is wrong with being well fed?  (Nothing if food is not hoarded and only used for one’s on benefit.  We are a nation of overeaters.)
4. What is wrong with being popular?
5. To what was Jesus referring when talking about false prophets?
6. Why are they more popular than those who truly speak the word of God?
7.  What are some examples of false prophets today?
8. How do they misuse the Scriptures?

• Spend as much time as needed before making important decisions.
• Wait until God gives you an answer to your prayers before proceeding to act.
• Praise God for the diversity He has brought to the church.
• Understand that the same things that God has given you can be a blessing or a woe (a sorrowful denunciation) of the way you use His gifts to you.
• Be careful of pride or arrogance in your life when relating to others.
• Always seek God’s treasure stored up in heaven and not those things that are temporary.

Many in the church world are calling for a radical departure from the way we have thought and done things over the last thirty to forty years.  Although we may not agree with them in everything they say, it is a wakeup call to churches that have become lethargic in the teaching and sharing of God’s word. We need teaching and preaching that will literally turn our lives upside down.  Paul was accused of teaching the very same thing we about read in Acts 17:6.  The charge was that, “These men who have upset the world have come here also.” 

This can only happen when we become passionate about two things.  The first is to study and meditate on His word until we make it our own.  Based on the first, we are to become true followers of Christ who are willing to share the radical gospel with those who do not know Jesus.  The time to start is now.
 

 

Lesson 12

Sabbath Problems

Luke 6:1-11

Back in the stone ages when I was young there were certain things that were just not done on Sunday.  In fact the state of Virginia for the most part shut down on Sunday because of the Blue Laws in affect at the time.  I cannot remember when they were stopped but during my childhood we had to deal with them.  Unless you were in what we would now call essential services then you remained closed on Sunday.  I remember that there was only one pharmacy open all day long. 

One time when I attended the Southern Baptist Convention in Atlanta one of the bellhops made the comment that Southern Baptists had the Ten Commandments and ten dollar bills and did not want to break either of them.  It is so easy to get called up in the letter of the law concerning a particular day that all of the enjoyment is taken from it.  God meant for Sunday to celebrate the resurrection of our Savior but also for a time to be with family and to participate in other Christ honoring activities.

We in the church can make rules and practice traditions in such a way that those things become a hindrance to reaching the world for Christ.  At one time it stood for no smoking, cussing, dancing and attending movies on Sunday.  Today we would have to include television to the lists that might cause us to be in sin.  Sadly, those ideas cause us to judge people according to our own standards and not what the Scriptures tell us.  The above lists may not be healthy or right choices but we have to be careful how far we go in setting the standards by which man is to live.

I have titled this lesson Sabbath’s problems.  Sunday is a marvelous day.  For some it is the only day they have off from work.  Others out of necessity have to take their Sabbath rest on another day than Sunday.  God set it aside primarily so a person had a day when he/she did not have to work.  Let us be careful that we do not make it more than God intended it to be.

Luke 6:1-2

There were two major reasons that Jesus found Himself at odds with the religious leaders.  One had to do with the question of His deity.  He continued to do things and say things which were evidence of His claim to be God’s Son.  The other which flowed from the first was His actions on the Sabbath Day.

Luke wrote that as Jesus and the disciples were walking they passed through a field of grain.  They pull off the heads of some of the plants rubbed them to get rid of the husks and ate the seed.  That event occurred on a Sabbath Day.  What they did was completely within the law. Moses wrote in Deuteronomy that it was permissible to eat the grain as long as one did use a sickle to harvest it.  A sickle is a long blade with a handle which would be swung back and forth to cut down the plants. (Deuteronomy 23:25)

When the Pharisees saw them doing this, they accused the disciples of breaking the law.  Technically, they were not breaking the law by picking the grain.  What upset the religious leaders was the act was done on the Sabbath.  In their interpretation of the law the disciples had perform work prohibited in that day. They viewed the men as having reaped the crop by pulling the heads off the plant. By rubbing in their hands they were threshing the grain. When they threw away the husks they were winnowing which was getting rid of the unusable part of the grain.

Notice that once again the Pharisees did not attack Jesus directly.  Their words implied that the disciples’ behavior was a reflection on Him as their teacher.  He was the one responsible for them breaking the Law.

Although not mentioned, there was possibly one other Sabbath Law they may have broken.  Depending on how far they had travelled that day they may have gone beyond the distance allowed to be travelled on the seventh day.

1. What were the primary reasons Jesus often found Himself at odds with the religious leaders of His day?
2. What gave the disciples the right to do what they did?
3. Why did the Pharisees have problem with their actions?
4. Who were they really accusing of breaking the Law? Why?
5. What do you think are some of the things that are proper to do on Sunday?
6. Why is the way we treat Sunday a dangerous thing?

Luke 6:3-4

Jesus did not try to defend the actions of the disciples by relating to the event that had just occurred.  He referred to what David did when he was fleeing from Saul.  He actually broke the law when he received the Consecrated bread from Ahimelech, the priest. (1 Samuel 21:6)  Only the priest was supposed to eat the bread that was placed before the Lord every day. (Leviticus 24:9)  This would have left the religious leaders defenseless since David was their hero.

1.  Why did he not attempt to defend the actions of his disciples based on the accusations of the Pharisees? (They had not broken the law but the additions made to it by the Jews.)
2. What did Jesus do by recounting the incident when David was fleeing from Saul and ate the consecrated bread?  (Took away the ability of the religious leaders to accuse the disciples?
3. In what ways must we be careful in accusing others of violating the teaching found in the Bible? (We do not always know the circumstances that caused them to act as they did.)

Luke 6:5

Jesus finally answered the real question the men were asking.  They would ask the same question in a number of different ways.  They wanted to know by whose authority He did the things that He continued to do.  The same question could have just as easily been directed toward the religious leaders because of their manipulation of the law.  They had added to God’s law until it had become a burden to the people.  It had become a way to put them in the position of dictating the way people lived and to serve their own self-interests.  By the time of Jesus the only people who could effectively understand the law were the Scribes and Pharisees.  This gave them the right to determine what could and could not be done on the Sabbath Day. 

Jesus could not have spoken any more clearly.  He said “The Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath.”  That one statement indicated the authority that He had received from the Father to use the Sabbath Day to do good as God had intended. The Scribes and Pharisees pretty much had it their way for many years.  He came along and told them by His words and actions that He had to return the Law to its original intent.

1. What did Jesus mean by the statement, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath? (Only He had the authority to put the proper interpretation on the Law.)
2. What had the religious leaders done to the Law over the centuries? (They had added layers of rules and regulations to God’s Law.)
3. In what position did their actions put them? (They were the last word in the interpretation of the Law.)
4. What is the danger for us to have too many rules in the church?
5. In what ways have we made it difficult for people to come to Christ?

Luke 6:6-7

Luke recorded another incident that occurred on the Sabbath.  As Jesus was teaching in the synagogue He noticed a man with a withered hand.  Since the use of the right arm or hand usually indicated the strength of a man and God, He probably was not able to work.  

The religious leaders were focusing all of their attention on Jesus to see what He was going to do. This man may have been brought there as a test for Jesus. It is disturbing that they had no regard for the condition of the man but he was only important if they could use him as a means to trap Jesus if He broke the law.  They were looking for a way to accuse Him.

Over the years the law had been expanded to state that the only help a person could receive on the Sabbath was to preserve life.  If a person had a non-life-threatening injury or illness he would have to wait until the next day to be treated.  Their idea of the law was more important than the well-being of men.

1. What was the condition of the man before Jesus?
2. What problems did his condition present for him?
3. For what purpose may the man been brought there by the Pharisees?
4. What does this event say about the religious leaders?
5. Why did they care more about the law than the condition of men?
6. How can we fall into the same trap?
7. What do we really care about as a church?

Luke 6:8-9

Jesus saw right through their plan.  He knew exactly what they were thinking.  The very fact that they had let a deformed man into the synagogue exposed them.  Normally they would not even allow such a person to be in their presence.  Unlike the scribes and the Pharisees, Jesus had a deep concern for the physical and spiritual condition of all men.

To bring attention to the hardness of the Jews he called the man to the front of the synagogue.  He then asked the entire group assembled whether it was lawful:

• To do good or to do harm on the Sabbath?
• To save a life or destroy it?

The questions should have had an obvious answer.  Any caring person would of course say to do good or to save a life is the only way one is to act.  Jesus asked the question because the attitudes and actions of the Jews indicated that the Law was more important than helping a person in need.

1. In what ways was their plan obvious?
2. What would tell us that the man had been placed in the synagogue to trap Jesus?
3. In what ways was the attitude of Jesus different from the Pharisees?
4. In what ways do we sometimes act like the Jews?
5. In what ways do we sometimes display the same concern and compassion of Jesus?
6. What did Jesus as the questions of those there in the synagogue? (It was obvious by not doing good that they meant harm to those in need.)

Luke 6:10

Jesus did not let the fact that they were watching Him to condemn His actions keep Him from helping the man.  So that all would know that He was the one who healed him, Jesus commanded him to stretch out his bad hand.  When he did as he was told his hand was made whole.

1. What was the concern of Jesus?
2. How did the man show faith?
3. What was the result of the man’s faith?
4. When have there been times you have not acted to help someone out of a concern of what others might think?

Luke 6:11

The scribes and Pharisees showed what kind of people they were.  They became outraged because Jesus had dared to heal someone on the Sabbath Day.  Following the incident they got together and began to devise a plan for dealing with Jesus.  There is no mention of joy or celebration over the fact that a man now could become productive once more and be accepted into the fellowship of God once more.

1. What did the actions of the Jews indicate about them?
2. Why could they not find joy in the healing that had occurred?
3. What things do we do that make us look like the Jews?
4. What do you think the others assembled thought of what Jesus had done?
5. What are the things that cause you to rejoice?
6. What are the things that cause you to become outraged?

 

• Make Sunday holy and not hollow.
• Have compassion on those in need.
• Do not let your righteousness become self-righteousness.
• Remember that all of us are in need of spiritual healing.
• Remember that it is God’s standard under which you live and not man’s.
• Be careful to not be use to promote someone else’s agenda.
• Remember that if you stand firm in your faith there will be those who do not like what you believe.

There are at least two references in the Bible warning us not to add or take away from the words written in its pages. We need to be careful not to make church a burden for those who are coming from a non-church background.  They need to find us as a compassionate caring people.  It serves no purpose for us to be judgmental and self-righteous.  Remember each us were at one point in our lives without hope and separated from God.

Jesus came to reach out to the lost sheep of this world.  Let us use every opportunity to make the church an attractive, friendly and loving place for all who wish to bless us with their presence.

 

 

Lesson 11

The Attacks begin

Luke 5:27-39

Me- I have not said it in a while but this section is only an example of the opening of the lesson.  You may insert your own personal experiences here.

I am sure that there is not a single one of us who does not feel he or she has been rejected or attacked at some point.  Sometimes they are unprovoked. There have been other times when we may have actually brought them on ourselves.  One such experience occurred many years ago when I was still working. Having worked in purchasing for a number of years, I believed I understood how that function could benefit an organization if done properly.  For some reason that I do not understand to this day upper management did not agree with me.  It was a struggle the entire time I stayed with them to try to do my job.  At one point my director even told me that the organization did not care how other companies did things that the practices in place at that time were not going to change.  She even went so far as to hint that if I wanted to see things done differently that I should look for another job. A side note: Since I have retired some of my ideas have been put into place. They have organized in such a way as to allow Purchasing to operate as it should.

We-

The church can be guilty of rejecting and attacking as well.  All over this country and even in our own church this has gone on.  Many times it will focus on the Pastor.  A church will call a new man to come to be its spiritual leader.  Especially when a church has plateaued or is declining we expect the new person to come in and do whatever is necessary to turn things around.  Sadly, when he begins to monkey with the ways things have always been then some in the congregation begin to criticize his ideas and may attack him personally.  He may be viewed as a great preacher but no one hears what he has to say because he has stepped on that which is sacred to that body.

Eventually he will either weather the storm, choose to leave or be voted out. No matter what happens there are deep hurts and scars left in the lives of everyone concerned that will take a long time to heal.  The worse scenario is that all of the conflict may lead to a church split or its demise. 

In the last two lessons we have seen Jesus healing those who were rejected by society because of their physical condition.  Today we will get a picture of a different type of rejection leading to an attack on Jesus.

God-

Luke 5:27-28

Luke wrote that Jesus noticed Levi.  Notice may not be a strong enough word to picture what actually took place.  Jesus was probably familiar with Levi (Matthew).  On that particular day He looked at Levi intently.  He would have watched him as he went about his task of collecting taxes for the Roman government.  One may even wonder if Jesus had taken note of the way he handled his business. Could he be one who was actually honest in his transactions?  His tax booth was most likely located along the shoreline of the Sea Of Galilee.  He was there to collect taxes from the fishermen as they came in from their work. 

It is strange that Jesus would want Levi to follow Him as a disciple.  The fact that Levi was a tax collector would make him one of the most despised men in all of Israel.  Tax collectors were appointed by the Romans to collect the taxes due them.  Today they would be considered a person who had purchased a franchise. Once he had paid for the privilege he was allowed to charge any amount of taxes he desired.  Anything over the amount due the Romans would go into the pockets of the tax collectors.  Most of them thus would become wealthy men at the expense of his fellow countrymen. They therefore were rejected and outcast in society, not unlike a leper.

To Levi Jesus issued a simple command, “Follow Me.” He immediately left the tax booth and the taxes he had collected and followed after Jesus.

1. What made Jesus take notice of Levi?  (He would be out of place in a place of fishermen.)
2. What attributes might Levi have possessed that would have caught the attention of Jesus?
3. What was his primary responsibility? (To collect taxes for the Roman government)
4. How would the people feel about such a man?
5. Why? (Because most of them abused the position and used it as a way to get wealthy.)
6. In what way was Levi like the leper and paralytic? (He would have been one rejected and an outcast of society.)

Luke 5:29

As would be expected, Levi wanted to share the good news with those who may have been his colleagues.  He invited both tax collectors and a group of individuals called sinners. More than just being a party, he wanted them to have an opportunity to hear experience being with Jesus. From Luke it is learned that it was a large crowd.  This may say something about Levi.  Apparently he was well respected among those with whom he worked and associated.  With his own he was not an outcast.

1. Why would Levi invite those he did to the celebration?
2. Who were in attendance?
3. Why did he invite tax collectors and sinners?
4. What does the fact that it was a large crowd say about Levi? (He was well respected by his peers.)

Luke 5:30

The Scribes and Pharisees would not have attended such a celebration.  They had no respect for those in attendance.  Anyone who did not walk in their circle were held in contempt and totally disregarded.  Notice that they did not confront Jesus personally but went to the disciples to register their complaints.  They could not understand why a man who was a rabbi would associate with the dregs of society.

1. Why would the Scribes and Pharisees not attend such a celebration?  (They would never associate with sinners.)
2. Why would religious leaders avoid and ignore such people? (They would become ceremonially unclean to be involved with them. Never would they have done the things that Jesus did in healing a leper or paralytic even if they had the power to do so.)
3. How were the actions of the Scribes and Pharisees, like the way we often handle conflict? (We do not approach the person with whom we have a conflict but go to others to complain.)
4. What was their problem with Jesus?
5. How much like the Pharisees are we?

Luke 5:31-32

Jesus did not let others answer for Him. He used a short parable to speak to the issue.  On the surface it appears that His response indicates that the reason that the religious do not hear what He has to say because they are righteous men and He as the physician came to bring healing to those who were sinners.  Underlying what was said, He was dealing who those who were lost but claimed that they were righteous.  The Scribes and Pharisees saw themselves as one who the righteous ones and everyone else were sinners. In reality the religious leaders were in need of the great Physician and were no different from those they claimed were sinners.

1. Why did Jesus not allow others speak for Him? (At that point the disciples did not even understand fully who He was.)
2. How should we handle conflict that may involve us?
3. How did Jesus respond?
4. What was He really saying? (Only those who are self-righteous see themselves as not needing forgiveness.)

Luke 5:33-36

The religious leaders then tried a different tactic.  Instead of criticizing Jesus directly they decided to get at Him through the actions of His disciples.  According to the claims of those men both they and John’s disciples followed the tradition of fasting.  They wanted to know why the disciples did not do the same.  What they were saying was, you have not taught your disciples to follow the law, what kind of teacher are you?

Jesus responded with a parable.  He equated what was happening to the Jewish marriage which was a time of celebration and joy.  While the wedding celebration was going on, those with the   bridegroom would not find it necessary to fast, which was a sign of contrition, because of the happiness all around them.  In the words of Jesus there would come a time following His crucifixion and before His resurrection that the disciples would feel the necessity to fall down before God because of the uncertainty of their future. 

Sadly, the Scribes and Pharisees had abused every facet of their religion.  Fasting was certainly one of those situations.  They did this act and other things they primarily did to show how pious they were.  They would even put white powder on their faces so others would know that they were fasting. 

1. Having failed in the previous effort to discredit Jesus what was their new tactic?
2. Why did they invoke John into their argument?
3. What were they trying to prove about Jesus by making the claim that the disciples were not following the tradition of the Jews?
4. Why did Jesus not answer their question directly but told them a parable? (He did agree with them that the disciples did not fast.)
5. Why did He then use a parable to answer their claims?  (To diffuse their reasoning.)
6. How had the Pharisees used the practice of fasting?
7. What picture did Jesus paint for those who were with Him?
8. What does this parable say to you?

Luke 5:36

Jesus then told the men two more short parables that dealt with the idea that they were following a dead religion that would get them nowhere.  The first spoke to the idea that would be familiar to them. They understood that you could not sew a piece of cloth that was not previously washed and shrunken onto an old garment that may have been washed a number of times.  To do so would cause the old garment to have a larger tear. It was a picture of trying to patch the new teaching into an old practice of religion.

1. Why did Jesus consider the Jewish religion dead? (It was based on an ideology of works leading to salvation.)
2. Why did Jesus use a parable to explain where the Jews were going wrong?
3. Why can you not patch the gospel of grace into a religion based on the works?
4. Why does the religion of the Old Testament not work for mankind?

Luke 5:37-39

To emphasize the point He told another parable which is basically the same but using a different example.  In that parable He spoke of new and old wineskins. Old wineskins cannot hold new wine because the gas from the fermentation process would cause the skins to burst.  Only new wine can be put into new skins.  Again He was trying to tell them that the teachings of the Old Testament were not for a new day. Sadly, the final picture Jesus paints is that those who believe as the Scribes and Pharisees believed did not want to hear the radical teachings of Jesus.  Man loves the status quo especially when it comes to religion.

1. Why did Jesus tell the same parable in two different ways?  (To emphasize the point of the good news He was bringing to man.)
2. What did the final words of Jesus mean?
3. Why do we have trouble with change?
4. What kind of change did Jesus bring to the world?

You-

• Every opportunity you have look around to see who may be potential leaders in the church.
• Be careful that you do not judge someone because of their appearance.
• Remember the Bible says if you have a problem with someone you are to deal with them personally and not through someone else.
• Do not get caught up in the status quo when it hinders the growth of God’s kingdom.
• Be deeply committed to Christ and do not just put on an act to impress others.  God sees through that kind of person.

We-

The church is to be the place where outcasts and those who feel rejected by those around them can find a place where they are accepted and loved.  We have seen three examples of different people from varied backgrounds who came to Jesus and received healing in both body and spirit.  It is interesting how Jesus called all kinds of people to be His disciples.  Most of us if we were trying to put a leadership team together would select individuals who had nothing in common.  Like every church it is important to remember that we do not decide who becomes a follower of Christ.  Every person comes to Jesus with the same needs.  We are all sinners who need the saving power of Jesus.  He is the unifying force in everyone’s life.

To continue with this idea, those who look down on others and reject them see others as inferior to themselves.  It is so easy to become self-righteous because do the right things and no the nomenclature, when our hearts may not be truly in tune with God.  Humility leads to the realization that we are equal and Christ must do a work in all of hearts.  Let us look at others in the same way that Jesus did and His church will grow spiritually.