Luke/Acts for Beginners

Jesus knew what they would be facing as they went into the world to fulfill their mission. It would cost them their very lives. It is normal to want reassurances to know that what you are doing is worth the cost, and that there will be success. Recall that even John the Baptist expressed concerns related to the authenticity of Jesus as the Messiah (Luke 8:18-20).

We too are disciples fulfilling the same mission. We also face opposition as we dedicate our lives to the mission of the gospel. The promises He made were not only to those of His time but extends to all disciples until our Lord's return. As additional reading, note John 17:20-24. In the midst of this remarkable prayer on the eve of His arrest, Jesus included us in His prayer to the Father.

The key point of this parable is the danger of greed and pride. Greed is a condition where one is never satisfied with what they have or position they hold. The greedy person wants more and more. Pride is based in focusing on oneself. Note the several times the man used the personal pronoun, "I". He had been blessed with an abundant harvest and certainly could use additional barns for storage. But his motivation was for his own personal gain (greed and focus on self). The man with the abundant harvest and barns did not truly own what he had been blessed with, or even his life.

In Genesis 12:1-2 God makes the covenant with Abram (later named Abraham) that He was going to bless him. Note the second part of that blessing in verse 2, "so that you will be a blessing". God has always required we do something with the blessings He gives us.

Today we are blessed, also for a reason. God has blessed us with the opportunity to be reconciled back to Him through Jesus (John 14:6). We are not to hide this blessing away and be satisfied with our own position with God. To do so has the opposite effect of destroying that relationship because we are deliberately disobeying the Father's will. Note that we have been blessed with what Paul describes as a treasure in earthen vessels (II Corinthians 4:7). It is a precious treasure that grows and is preserved by sharing it. Most of all, as Paul states, "to show the surpassing power" belongs to God and not us.

In verse 34 Jesus provides us with the true focus of our efforts. We are living and serving our Lord and not ourselves. When we do the work assigned to us as Christians and dedicate it to the Father's glory, we are increasing our reward in heaven. Unlike rewards in this life, these are eternal.

A point of note: The true reward is not given in things. Be careful because if that is our focus then we are in danger of the sins of greed and pride. As we mature spiritually we realize that what we hope to achieve with our service is the Father's glory. He will reward His faithful servants and punish the unfaithful (Matthew 25:14-30).

We don't know when the Lord will return but we know He will as He has promised. Being ready shows our faith in His promises. Beyond that, however, there is the idea of being ready to serve and teach others. Every day there are opportunities to obey our Lord. We must be aware and ready to meet these opportunities.

The Jewish leaders had imposed over 600 interpretations and rules in addition to those put forth by the Law of Moses. These sometimes were in direct conflict with God's intentions. By placing rules on activities related to the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders were able to maintain control and power over the population. It is possible that in the beginning of trying to understand and implement the Law of Moses, the leaders had good intentions. But over time, just as Jesus warned in His parable of the man needing bigger and more barns, they had succumbed to the sins of greed and pride by their quest for personal recognition and power.

Although we do not recognize the Jewish requirement to observe the Sabbath, we must be careful that we do not impose man-made rules as we teach about Jesus and living the Christian lifestyle. We need to change but this should be in keeping with the requirements and intentions set forth by Jesus. We are under a law of grace (John 1:17). It grants us tremendous freedom to live as God desires. In doing so we focus on doing the good that opportunities present us rather than focusing on rule keeping. Rules are important, but the reason and good behind them is more important. Christianity is more about being Christlike than rule keeping.

Our Lord's Kingdom will start small and grow to cover the entire world. We see that growth in scripture as well as in our world. In scripture it started with one, Jesus Christ, grew to 12 and then to thousands. Today it has grown to millions of believers.

To enter the Kingdom, one must do so as the Master requires and not as we desire. Part of this choosing is also to the choice to remain faithful.

Look for responses that show we must humbly submit to our Lord and carry His message. As we do so we not only fulfill our role as disciples but bring glory to our Lord which has an impact on those around us.