Luke 8
COMMENTARY:
: 3 And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance. (5224 “substance” [huparchonta] means possessions, resources, goods, wealth, things that one possesses or property.)
DEVOTION: One commentary called this group of women who supported Jesus the “first women’s missionary society.” It is interesting to know that the LORD needed a group of people behind him to support his ministry. We have a list of individuals who helped with their possessions to keep Jesus’ ministry going forward. HE had needs other than what the fish could provide to pay HIS taxes.
God has always used HIS people to support HIS work. The priests were supported by the people. The kings were supported by the people. There was booty from the wars to help support the kingdom of Israel. Money was a tool that is needed to see the work of the LORD move forward. Jesus never wanted more money than was needed. Rich people didn’t want to follow Jesus because they were asked to give up their wealth. The disciples were sent on missionary trips with nothing but the clothes on their backs. They were supposed to be supported by the people they ministered too.
These women were helped by the LORD. They wanted to show their appreciation by supporting HIS ministry. They also traveled with Jesus. There was nothing wrong with this as they were always faithful to the commands of the LORD regarding their relationship to HIM.
There had to be money to feed him and the twelve for three years. There had to be money for clothes for them for the three years. There had to be money for other things. We know that every ministry needs financial support from those who are involved in the ministry. The local church needs our support to keep going. Our missionaries need support to keep them on the field. Each parachurch ministry needs the help of God’s people to keep it moving. Money is necessary. God allows some to have finances to help ministries he wants supported. Some don’t have money but support the ministry through their prayer life. Both are important to the work of the LORD.
Each of us has to ask the LORD what HE would have us do for HIS kingdom. What are we doing for his kingdom? Are we using our gifts for HIS service?
These listed are using their substance to keep the ministry of the LORD moving forward to its completion. Let’s help the ministry that the LORD has laid on our heart.
CHALLENGE: Honor the LORD each paycheck with your money. It will save each of us from the sin of worshiping money.
: 15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, have heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. (5281 “patience” [hupomone] means steadfastness, endurance, perseverance, tarrying, expectation, constancy or the power >to withstand hardship or stress.)
DEVOTION: This fourth seed group was the only ones who were true believers. They were the only ones that produced fruit in their life. There were three characteristics to this group.
First, they were willing to hear the Word of God. They listened to what was said and understood it through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. They were good listeners.
Second, they not only listened they keep the word. They applied the truths of the Word of God to their life. They listened to what Jesus had to say and then practiced what HE was preaching. They clung to the Word of God. They were obedient.
Thirdly, they first listened. Then they applied it to their own life. Finally, they patiently spread the Word of God. They didn’t jam it down everyone’s throat but presented the truth of the Word of God lovingly. They loved the people first and then showed them a better way to life their life.
When they practiced these three things in their life they produced good fruit for the kingdom of God. There were people who became like them. They were people that listened to the Word of God and grew in their knowledge of the LORD. They turned into mature believers who were willing to share the Word of God with others.
CHALLENGE: Can Jesus say that about us?
17 For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither anything hid that shall not be known and come abroad. (2927 “secret” [kruptos] means hid, hidden, inward, concealed, private, disclosed or cover.)
DEVOTION: The hidden things of God were being revealed by Christ to HIS disciples. One by one each parable was beginning to sink into the minds of the disciples and by the time HE left this earth they through the ministry of the Holy Spirit would be able to go out into the whole world and reveal God’s plan for the future.
They would preach the truth that was revealed to them. They would under the guidance of the Holy Spirit write the books of the Bible to help us understand what they had learned from the LORD while HE was here on the earth.
We are expected to take what we learn to others. We are to spread the word to all those in our world. We are to believe it and show it by our lifestyles.
Too often people don’t see the truth of the Word of God because they look at our churches and our lives and see nothing different than how they are living. This is sad. I just finished a book by Ravi Zacharias called “Has Christianity Failed You? The answer to the question is NO!! Christianity hasn’t failed it is the representatives of Christianity and the church that has failed our world. The church has a divided message today. There are those who believe that all of us are sinners on our way to Hell for eternity while there are some who teach that there is no Hell or it will be empty because everyone is going to heaven. They are wrong but people get confused if our message is not Biblical.
Our life and church should only teach sound doctrine. That is the way we are going to show them the truth of the Word of God. Study the Bible to find the truth that it teaches and share it with others so that the secrets that Christ revealed are shared with the rest of the world without confusion.
One day the future that Jesus taught is going to happen and those who are believers will be called to heaven to meet HIM in the air. The rest of the world will go through a time period of seven years with progressive suffering for those outside of Christ. If we are warning them they might listen.
CHALLENGE: God wants everyone to look at Biblical Christians and see them as those who live out the Word of God and teach it as truth. It is not just their opinion.
: 25 And HE said to them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered saying one to another, What manner of MAN is this! For HE commands even the winds and water, and they obey HIM. (2004 “commands” [epitasso] means charge, enjoin, order, to give instructions, or direct somebody, to do something with authority.)
DEVOTION: After following someone for a long time period it would seem that you would know the person you are following. This was not just a forty hour a week following. This was a twenty-four hour a day following of Jesus. This would go on for three and a half years. They were following a man that they were watching at all times.
HE had performed miracles in their sight many times. HE had taught the truth that they had learned. HE had confronted the wrong beliefs of the Pharisees. They had watched both Jew and Gentile come to HIM.
Now they are in a boat and a storm comes up that stares them. Remember that they are fisherman and they knew about these types of storms. It was a test and they failed. They knew who Jesus was and what the future was going have for HIM.
Yet, they had to wake HIM up and tell HIM about the storm. HE went out and calmed the storm. They looked at HIM strange. They didn’t understand what was happening. They had been through many storms but this one ended quickly when HE spoke a word.
Their question was “Who can this be?” or What manner of man is this!
They didn’t understand that HE was God in the flesh. HE was the creator of the universe. HE was in control. To them HE was just a good teacher who could manifest the power of God at times. They were not getting the true picture. They were confused.
We sometimes get confused about who we are following. To us, some of the time, we are just following a man who could maybe answer our prayers. We sometimes think that HE is just like a genie in a bottle. The problem is that we have a limited understanding of who HE really is.
We need to give HIM the place that HE really desires in our life. We need to make HIM the supreme ruler in our life.
CHALLENGE: We need to depend on HIM fully. Once we do these things,
we will have the answer to the disciple’s question.
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