Luke Part 2 Week 6

Day 1 

RECEIVE 

Luke 9:4-6 

⁴ “Wherever you go, stay in the same house until you leave town. ⁵ And if a town refuses to welcome you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate.” ⁶ So they began their circuit of the villages, preaching the Good News and healing the sick. 

The apostles Jesus sent out were not to move around in a town. Apparently they were not to be looking for better places to stay. If a town refused to welcome the visiting apostles, they should follow the custom of shaking the dust off their feet when Jews left Gentiles. This shows they were treating those who rejected the apostles as if they were Gentiles. Verse 6 refers to what they were doing in Galilee.   

REFLECT 

Think how serious it would have been for the people in a town to be rejected because they had rejected the representatives of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. 

RESPOND  

Visit with a friend about the seriousness of rejecting those who represent Jesus. The Bible is the authority to check to see who accurately represents Jesus today. Believers should be like those in Berea as mentioned in Acts 17:10-11. 

Day 2 

RECEIVE 

Luke 9:7-9 

⁷ When Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, heard about everything Jesus was doing, he was puzzled. Some were saying that John the Baptist had been raised from the dead. ⁸ Others thought Jesus was Elijah or one of the other prophets risen from the dead. ⁹ “I beheaded John,” Herod said, “so who is this man about whom I hear such stories?” And he kept trying to see him. 

Herod Antipas was the son of Herod the Great. Herod Antipas had John the Baptist beheaded, but he wondered who this person was about whom so many stories were circulating. Herod kept wanting to see this person who was causing so much conversation in the territory that Herod Antipas was governing. 

REFLECT 

Have you known of a person about whom you were hearing so much discussion that you wanted to meet him? Did you ever get to meet the person? If so, what was he or she like? 

RESPOND 

Those who follow Jesus should be the kind that others would want to meet. Join with a friend and pray that you could be the kind of people that others would like to be around and hear what you have to say.  

Day 3 

RECEIVE 

Luke 9:10-11 

¹⁰ When the apostles returned, they told Jesus everything they had done. Then he slipped quietly away with them toward the town of Bethsaida. ¹¹ But the crowds found out where he was going, and they followed him. He welcomed them and taught them about the Kingdom of God, and he healed those who were sick. 

After the apostles reported about their trip, Jesus wanted to slip away for time alone. When that was interrupted by the crowds, Jesus took time to welcome them, teach them, and healed those who were sick. Jesus was an example of considering interruptions to be divine appointments. That is an example to follow today. 

REFLECT 

Does it impress you that so often Jesus wanted to be alone? 

RESPOND 

Even at Jesus’ transfiguration, He took Peter and brothers James and John so that they might be alone (see Matthew 17:1-3). See also Mark 6:31-33. The late evangelist Vance Havner was known for saying, “You either come apart and rest awhile, or you just come apart.” 

Day 4 

RECEIVE 

Luke 9:12-13 

¹² Late in the afternoon the twelve disciples came to him and said, “Send the crowds away to the nearby villages and farms, so they can find food and lodging for the night. There is nothing to eat here in this remote place.” ¹³ But Jesus said, “You feed them.” “But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Or are you expecting us to go and buy enough food for this whole crowd?” 

The disciples were now concerned about feeding the large crowd that had gathered. They wanted them to be sent away to find food and lodging. Jesus told them, “You feed them.” The disciples mentioned the little bit they had. Only John’s gospel mentioned the “five loaves of bread and two fish” were what a young person had.  

REFLECT 

Think of the problem the disciples were up against. They seem not to have recognized that Jesus was a miracle worker and could take care of the problem.  

RESPOND 

Talk with a friend about how many times people try to work things out with their own talents and not rely on God to provide the answer.  

Day 5 

RECEIVE 

Luke 9:14-17 

¹⁴ For there were about 5,000 men there. Jesus replied, “Tell them to sit down in groups of about fifty each.” ¹⁵ So the people all sat down. ¹⁶ Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread and fish to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. ¹⁷ They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers! 

Notice that the 5000 only counted the men. By the time women and children would be added some think there would have been as many as 10,000. Notice also that Jesus used what the disciples had as He performed the miracle to feed this enormous crowd. Afterwards the disciples picked up “twelve baskets of leftovers!” One wonders if each apostle was standing there holding a basket of leftovers when the 12 didn’t know how the crowd could possibly be fed. 

REFLECT 

Has God sometimes provided much more for you than expected? 

RESPOND  

Join with a friend to read Ephesians 3:20 for what Paul said after he prayed for those in Ephesus. Consider memorizing this verse so you can easily call it to mind in the future.