Luke 10:29

Luke 10:29 says, But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?  The lawyer, still trying to get Jesus to say something that he could use against Him, asked who his neighbor was when it was determined that God expects us to love our neighbor as ourself.  People are still trying to make Jesus look bad today by twisting or mistnterpting His words.  Verse thirty adds, And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.  Jesus did not answer the man's question directly, but used it as a teaching opportunity.  Jesus said a man went from Jerusalem to Jerico and thieves stripped him of his clothes, wounded him, and went away leaving him in a ditch.  We still hear of much the same thing happening too often today.  Verse thirty-one continues, And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.  A priest, a man who was supposed to represent God, came that way, and didn't even cross the road to check on the man.  He may have felt that he was too busy doing God's work to be bothered, and we need too be careful that we don't get so caught up in religious activities that we don't have time to help others.  Verse thirty-two states, And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.  A Levite, another man of God at least in name, came along, went over and looked at the man, then went on his way on the other side.  Looking on people in need and doing nothing to help them is never enough for us as followers of Christ to do.  Verse thirty-three adds, But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,   Jesus said a Samaritan, someone the Jews would have nothing to do with, came along and had compassion on the man.  Sadly, there are people that we would have nothing to do with as Christians today who have more compassion on those in need than we have as Christians.  Verse thirty-four continues, 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 out of his way, and at expense to himself, helped the man.  He treated the man's wounds, set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn.  I would assume that the man had been riding his beast, and now he had to walk.  We should be willing to go out of our way to help others, even if it costs us to do so.  Verse thirty-five concludes,  And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.  The next day, the Samaritan made arrangements for the continued care of the man until he was well.  Sometimes, we may need to go beyond just meeting the immediate physical needs of those that we help, and be willing to make sure that they can get back on their feet before we feel we have done enough.  Verse thirty-six asks, Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?  Jesus then asked the lawyer which of these three was a neighbor to the man who had fallen among thieves.  The question of who was his neighbor was the man's original question, and now Jesus was going to allow him to answer it.  At times, God may allow us to answer our own spiritual questions, but as followers of Christ, we will always have to guidance of the Holy Spirit available.  Verse thirty-seven answers, And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.  The lawyer had very little way to avoid answering the question without saying the one who helped the man, who was the Samaritan, was the neighbor.  Then, Jesus told the lawyer to go and do likewise.  We don't need to ask questions to limit who we help today, but simply need to help those that we come into contact with in any way that God leads us to do.

Lukec10;21

Luke 10:21 says, In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.  Jesus said that we cannot know Him and come to Him through earthly wisdom, but can only come as babies, helpless by our own understanding and power.  Education and earthly power or position will never bring us to God.  Verse twenty-two adds, All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.  Jesus said the heavenly Father gave Him all His power, and that only He knew Who the heavenly Father really was.  Likewise, only the heavenly Father knew Who Jesus was, and those that the heavenly Father revealed the knowledge of Who Jesus was to.  We can know Who Jesus is, but we can never know all of Who God is.  Verse twenty-three states, And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see:  Jesus privately told the disciples that eyes of those who blessed what they saw, the miraculous works of Jesus, were blessed.  We are still blessed when we see Jesus Christ for Who He is, and that is the Savior of all who will accept Him as such by faith.  Verse twenty-four adds, For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.  Jesus told the disciples that many prophets had desired to see and hear the things that the disciples saw and heard, but they hadn't seen nor heard them.  A desire to hear and see about salvation is not enough until Jesus comes to us and we accept Him by faith.  Verse twenty-five says, And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?  A lawyer stood up and asked Jesus what he had to do to receive eternal life, not because he really wanted to know, but to tempt, or somehow trick, Jesus. There are still people today who question Jesus, not because they desire to follow Him, but in order to somehow discredit Him.  Verse twenty-six adds, He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?  Jesus asked the lawyer what was written in the scripture and how did he interpret it.  We must acknowledge God's law and what it means if we are are to follow Jesus Christ successfully.  Jesus said He did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it.  Verse twenty-seven continues, And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.  The lawyer answered that we are to love God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind, or with all the we are in other words, and that we are to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.  The lawyer knew what was required, but he had not put his faith in it based on the reason that he asked the question.  We may know all the facts about how to be saved, but until we accept them by faith in Jesus Christ, it will do us no good.  Verse twenty-eight concludes, And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.  Jesus told the lawyer that he had answered correctly, and to now go and do these things by faith, and he would have everlasting life.  Of course, the lawyer could not do these things by his own ability and neither can we.  We all fall short when we attempt to come to God by our own merit, which is why faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord is the only way we can have everlasting life.

Luke 10:10

Luke 10:10 says, But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say,  Jesus also told those disciples what to do in a city that would not receive them.  Verse eleven adds, Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.  They were to go out in the streets of those cities, shake the dust off their feet, and tell the people there that the kingdom of God had come nigh to them.  They were not to rant and rave, but were simply to tell the people in those cities that they had been given the opportunity to become a part of God's kingdom.  We are not to be angry at people who will not hear us when we witness, but we can at least tell them that they had the opportunity to be saved.  Verse twelve, continues, But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.  These disciples were also to warn the people in those cities that it would be more tolerable for the people of Sodom in the day of judgment than it would be for them.  Those who have a greater understanding of the gospel and reject it will be held more accountable then those who never heard the gospel.  Verse thirteen declares, Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.  There was a warning to two cities in particular, telling them if the mighty works done in them had been done in Tyre and Sidon, that they would have have repented long ago.  Since great works of God have been done in America, and we call ourselves a Christian nation, if people here reject Christ, I believe they will be held more accountable than in places where Christ cannot be preached.  Verse fourteen adds, But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you.  Jesus said it would be more tolerable in Tyre and Sidon, Gentile cities, where His message had not been preached,  than in these two cities.  Verse fifteen continues, And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.  There was a warning for the people of Capernaum, another Jewish city where Jesus had preached, that they might think they were exalted to heaven because the were a part of the nation of Israel, but they were to be cast down into hell for rejecting Jesus Christ.  It doesn't matter if we feel that we are exalted by God because of where we were born if we reject the gospel of Christ.  Verse sixteen says, He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.  Jesus said that those who rejected the disciples that He sent rejected Him and the heavenly Father Who sent Him.  This remains true today of those who reject us when we share the gospel of Christ with them.  Verse seventeen adds, And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.  These seventy that Jesus sent out returned telling Him that even the devils were subject to them when they dealt with them by faith in Jesus's name.  We have no less power when we are truly acting in the power of Christ today.  Verse eighteen states, And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.  Jesus said He had seen Satan fall from heaven.  His power had always been limited, and it still is today.  Verse nineteen adds, Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.  This did not mean that these disciples were to go out and look for serpents and scorpions to walk on to prove their faith, but that if they were to step on them while proclaiming the gospel that they would have no more power over them than any enemy of God had.  They were secure in their relationship to God through faith in Jesus Christ no matter what.  If we stand for God, nothing can stand against us.  Verse twenty continues, Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.  Jesus told these disciples not to rejoice in their victory over demons, but to rejoice that their names were written down in heaven.  This is reason that we should rejoice today as well.  

Luke 10 :1

Luke 10:1 says, After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.  Jesus appointed seventy other disciples and sent them out by twos to prepare the people in the cities around there where He might come for His coming.  We today are to prepare the cities around us for the second coming of Jesus by sharing the gospel with them.  Verse two adds, Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.  The harvest then, those who needed to hear about Jesus was great, and it is even greater today.  There were few laborers, those who would share the gospel then, and their are few today.  Just as Jesus told them to pray to the Lord of the harvest then to send harvesters, so must we today.  Verse three states, Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.  Jesus told these seventy to go on their way, and He sent them as lambs among wolves.  We may find it dangerous to preach the gospel today, but we still must go where God sends us and do what God calls us to do.  Verse four adds, Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.  Jesus gave them the same instructions that He had given the disciples earlier.  They were to take nothing with them and not to salute people along them way.  They were to let nothing distract them from their mission.  I believe that too often today we want to carry too much with us as we go where God sends us instead of relying on His provision, and we are often distracted by others along the way.  Verse five says, And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.  Jesus told them to declare peace to the first house they entered.  If they accepted the disciples and the gospel of Christ then they would have peace, and so will anyone who accepts Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord today.  Verse six adds, And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.  Jesus warned them that some people would accept their message and others would not, and this is still true today. Verse seven continues, And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.  Jesus told them to stay in the house that they were invited to stay in and to eat and drink whatever was offered them, and that as laborers for Christ they were worthy to have their needs provided for.  God will provide for us as Christians today if we rely on Him in faith.  Verse eight states, And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:  In any city that received these disciples,  they were to eat what was set before them.  They were not to make special demands for what they ate, but were to eat as those that they met ate.  We should never demand better for ourselves today as we share the gospel than what those that we are sharing it with live off of.  Verse nine adds, And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.  These disciples were to heal the sick and tell them the kingdom of God had come nigh to them.  Jesus had yet to complete His sacrifice of Himself for our sins, but the time was getting closer.  When someone accepts Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord today, their salvation is assured. 

Luke 9:57

Luke 9:57 says, And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.  As Jesus and His disciples were traveling a certain way, a man came to Him and said that he would follow Jesus, whom he called Lord, anywhere that He went.  The man had decided on his own to follow Jesus, and this was a bold statement, and many people make the same bold statement today, but it wasn't necessarily a statement made from faith in Who Jesus really is.  Verse fifty-eight adds, And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.  Jesus toldcthe man that he hadn't counted the cost of following Him.  Jesus said that unlike the foxes and birds, He didn't even have a place to lay His head.  Jesus had no home here on earth, and if the man was going to follow Jesus for earthly rewards, he was going to be disappointed.  This earth is not our home, and if we are following Jesus for earthly rewards, we are going to be disappointed.  Verse fifty-nine states, And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.  Jesus called on another man to follow Him, but the man said let him go and bury his father first.  Matthew Henry says the man's father was not yet dead, but had only a short time to live.  When Jesus calls us following Him should be our first priority.  Verse sixty adds, Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.  Jesus told the man to let the dead bury the dead, and for the man to go and preach the gospel.  We cannot allow anything in the world to stop us from following Jesus Christ when He calls us, nor from doing what He calls us to do and be truly faithfulful.  Verse sixty-one says, And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.  Another man who had decided on His own to follow Jesus said that he would follow Him once he said goodbye to his family.  He was putting saying goodbye to them as a condition to following Jesus, and we can never do this.  We must put following Jesus above everything else.  Verse sixty-two adds, And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.  Jesus said that no one who had claimed to follow Him and continued to look back at the things left behind as more important than following Him was not fit for the kingdom of God.  Once we become a follower of Christ, we cannot look back on what we have left behind materially and allow it to be more important than following Him, and that even includes our family. 

Luke 9:46

Luke 9:46 says, Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest.  Jesus's disciples started to reason, or we would probably say argue, about which of them should be the greatest.  They still did not understand Who Jesus really was nor what He had called them to do.  Some people today still argue about who is the greatest in God's kingdom, but when they do, it shows that they really don't know what it means to follow Christ.  Verse forty-seven adds, And Jesus, perceiving the thought of the heart, took a child, and set him by him,  Jesus knew what they were thinking, and took a child and set him by Him.  We need to realize that we will be held accountable not only for our actions, but for our thoughts as well.  Verse forty-eight continues, And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great. Jesus said anyone who received a child in His name received Him, and anyone who received Him received the heavenly Father Who sent Him.  The key is not receiving the child, but faith in Jesus Christ as ones Savior and Lord.  Then Jesus said the least among them, and He was talking to His disciples, would be greatest.  We should never serve God for self recognition by the world.  Verse forty-nine states, And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us.  John told Jesus that the disciples had seen someone casting out devils in Jesus's name, and they forbid him from doing so.  The man was evidently being successful in doing what God would have His people do, even if He wasn't one of the twelve disciples.  We should never attempt to stop other people from doing God's work because we feel they aren't qualified or authorized.  Verse fifty adds, And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.  Jesus told them to not forbid the man, because anyone who was not against Jesus was for Him.  We cannot limit who serves God as long as they have put their faith in Jesus.  Verse fifty-one says, And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,  When the time came that Jesus was to be received up, or killed, He set His face resolutely toward Jerusalem.  Jesus knew what awaited Him, but He didn't waiver in His resolve to do it, and neither should we.  We should set our face resolutely not on Jerusalem but on Jesus, and never waiver in our faith, even if it costs us our life.  Verse fifty-two adds, And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.  Jesus sent a messenger before Him into Samaria, a place that the Jews avoided.  We need to carry God's good news of salvation to all people, whether we like them or not.  Verse fifty-three continues, And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.  The Samaritans did not receive Jesus, and He remained steadfast in His resolve to go to Jerusalem.  If people that we witness to do not accept us, we must still remain steadfast in doing what He calls us to do.  Verse fifty-four states, And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?  When James and John saw that the Samaritans rejected Jesus, they asked if they should call down fire from heaven as Elijah did and destroy the Samaritans who rejected Jesus.  Destroying those who reject Jesus is not our responsibility.  We are still to reach out to them with the love of God.  Verse fifty-five adds, But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.  Jesus rebuked James and John and told them they didn't know what spirit they were under, but it wasn't His spirit.  If we begin to call for the destruction of those who will not accept Jesus, then we are not operating under His spirit.   Verse fifty-six continues, For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.  Jesus told them that He didn't come to destroy people but to save them, and that is still true today.  Jesus and the disciples went to another village to witness, and if we are rejected when we witness today, we must just move on to someone else to witness to. 

Luke 9:37

Luke 9:37 says, And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill, much people met him.  After Jesus went down the hill, or mountain, with Peter, James and John they were met by many people.  The three disciples had wanted to build a tabernacle for Jesus and Moses and Elijah because of the glorious thing they had seen, but Jesus led them back down the mountain to where the people were.  If we have a mountaintop experience, we cannot just stay there, but must go back down to where the people are.  Verse thirty-eight adds, And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child.  A man in the crowd called out to Jesus, calling Him Master, and said that Jesus had to look on his son, who was his only son.  If we come to Jesus with a problem today, we must acknowledge Him as not only our Master, but the Master of the universe.  Verse thirty-nine continues, And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him.  The man said his son was under the control of a demon that was causing him to foam at the mouth and hurt himself.  If we have a child today that is under the control of a demon, and that might be drugs or alcohol instead of a real demon,  we need to come to Jesus in prayer out of real love and concern for them.  Verse forty concludes, And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not.  The man had come to the disciples who had remained behind and asked them to cast the devil out, and they could not.  What we need to realize is that of our own ability we can do nothing spiritually, but only by the power of the Holy Spirit can we.  Verse forty-one states, And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither.  Jesus called those there, including the disciples, a faithless and perverse generation and asked them how long He could be with them.  Though Jesus's time on earth was limited, by faith the people then and we today can do great things for God, but too often we like them fail to act in faith.  He told the man to bring his son to Him, and that is what we must do for our children today.  Verse forty-two adds, And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.  While the boy was on his way, the devil in him threw him down and caused him to harm himself.  The devil will still do all that he can to keep us from coming to Jesus.  Jesus rebuked the devil then, and He will do the same today if we allow Him to.  Verse forty-three says, And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wondered every one at all things which Jesus did, he said unto his disciples,  The people were amazed and wondered about the miraculous things Jesus did, but we are not told that they put their faith in Him for Who He is, the only begotten Son of God and the Savior of all who will put their faith in Him.  Wondering about God is not enough.  Verse forty-four adds, Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.  Jesus had a message for His disciples, and that was that He would not be with them long before He as delivered into the hands of men who wanted Him dead.  We have so much more of an advantage as followers of Christ today, because the Holy Spirit is always with us.  Verse forty-five continues, But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying.  The disciples didn't understand what Jesus was telling them and were afraid to ask Him.  If we do not understand something that Jesus is teaching us today, we need never be afraid to ask Him what He means.