Luke Part 2 Week 24

Day 1 

RECEIVE 

Luke 13:10-13 

¹⁰ One Sabbath day as Jesus was teaching in a synagogue, ¹¹ he saw a woman who had been crippled by an evil spirit. She had been bent double for eighteen years and was unable to stand up straight. ¹² When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Dear woman, you are healed of your sickness!” ¹³ Then he touched her, and instantly she could stand straight. How she praised God! 

The reference to the “Sabbath day” reveals they were still living under the law system of the Old Testament. This would be true until the Day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2. On this day Jesus saw a woman bent double for 18 years. His heart went out to her. He announced, “Dear woman, you are healed of your sickness!” Imagine her being able to instantly stand up straight when He touched her. She had much for which to praise God. 

REFLECT 

There were physical miracles when Jesus was on earth. Think of the great spiritual miracle that occurs now when a person trusts in Jesus as Savior and becomes a new creation.  

RESPOND 

Join with a friend in talking about how an individual becomes a new person or new creation by trusting in Jesus for salvation. See 2 Corinthians 5:16-18 and Galatians 6:14-16. 

Day 2 

RECEIVE 

Luke 13:14 

¹⁴ But the leader in charge of the synagogue was indignant that Jesus had healed her on the Sabbath day. “There are six days of the week for working,” he said to the crowd. “Come on those days to be healed, not on the Sabbath.” 

The leader in charge of the synagogue was upset that Jesus would do this act of kindness on the Sabbath day. He thought people should come from Sunday through Friday to be healed, but not on Saturday. In the Old Testament law system the Sabbath was a special day set aside from all other days.  

REFLECT 

Have you heard some today refer to Sunday as “the Christian Sabbath”? That expression is never used in the Bible. The Sabbath is always Saturday.  

RESPOND 

Before his conversion, the apostle Paul was a Pharisee who attempted to keep all the laws of the Old Testament. After his conversion he wrote the Colossians not to judge others regarding special diets or days (see Colossians 2:16-17).  

Day 3 

RECEIVE 

Luke 13:15-17 

¹⁵ But the Lord replied, “You hypocrites! Each of you works on the Sabbath day! Don’t you untie your ox or your donkey from its stall on the Sabbath and lead it out for water? ¹⁶ This dear woman, a daughter of Abraham, has been held in bondage by Satan for eighteen years. Isn’t it right that she be released, even on the Sabbath?” ¹⁷ This shamed his enemies, but all the people rejoiced at the wonderful things he did. 

Jesus rebuked the Jewish law-keepers for their hypocrisy. They did some acts on the Sabbath without any thought but condemned this act of kindness Jesus did for this woman. The words of Jesus “shamed his enemies.” All the people rejoiced, however, at the wonderful things He did in spite of the Jewish condemnation of His act of kindness.  

REFLECT 

Are you especially pleased when the Lord uses you to help someone in need? 

RESPOND  

Read some Bible passages about helping others. See Acts 9:36-37; Galatians 6:1-3; 1 Peter 4:10-11. Talk about these passages with a friend. 

Day 4 

RECEIVE 

Luke 13:18-19 

¹⁸ Then Jesus said, “What is the Kingdom of God like? How can I illustrate it? ¹⁹ It is like a tiny mustard seed that a man planted in a garden; it grows and becomes a tree, and the birds make nests in its branches.” 

Some see the mustard seed as the symbol of the outward growth of Christendom. Today there are many denominations. Some people are so bound to their denomination they will not attend a church or a Bible study that teaches the Bible but is not of their denomination. They do not realize that in the first century there was not the clergy/laity division we have today, nor were there any denominations.  

REFLECT 

Are you more concerned about the denomination of your church or that it teaches the Bible? 

RESPOND 

Today one of the most basic decisions to be made is: do I follow the Bible and the Bible alone or what my denomination teaches? Talk about this with a friend.  

Day 5 

RECEIVE 

Luke 13:20-21 

²⁰ He also asked, “What else is the Kingdom of God like? ²¹ It is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.” 

Yeast, also called “leaven,” is used in the Bible in the negative sense. It does not refer to the spread of that which is good, but to that which is not good. In the Old Testament there were false prophets; in the New Testament there are false teachers. Leaders in the church always need to be on guard lest unbiblical teaching permeates the church. This refers to those who teach something the Bible does not teach. 

REFLECT 

Are the leaders in your church on the alert so false teaching does not enter your group? 

RESPOND 

Luke wrote the book of Acts as well as his gospel. Notice how he commended the church in Berea as he wrote Acts 17:10-12. Is this a model your church follows today?