Luke 7:40-50

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40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. 41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. 

44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” 48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” 50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” ~ Luke 7:40-50

Simon concluded the Lord Jesus didn't know who the woman was, therefore He's not a prophet. But the Lord Jesus knew what Simon was thinking. So, in v.41 the Lord Jesus reaches out to this man who wants to do Him in and says, "Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty." A guy approaches a moneylender, and says I need a year and a half's pay.  And he loaned him a year and a half’s wages. And another person came and they needed, two months wages. He loaned it to him. 

In v.42 we learn, "Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both." Neither of these could repay their debt. So the moneylender graciously forgave them both. The moneylender incurred their debt so that neither of them would have to think twice about it.

Anytime somebody forgives a debt, they themselves incur that debt in full. If I lend you $75,000 and you can't repay it and I say, "I forgive that," then I've incurred that debt completely. That debt is now mine. The cost is transferred to me. I pay the bill. When God forgave our sins, He incurred the debt and the Lord Jesus Christ died to pay it. The debt just doesn't go away. It still has to be paid. Forgiveness transferred our debt to the forgiver.

At the end of v.42, the Lord Jesus asked a pertinent question: "Which of them will love him more?” In v.43 "Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said." 

While Simon assumed that he was the one with the smaller debt, the Lord Jesus never says this. He does make it clear later that the woman has a large debt. And he knew Simon would assume that he had the smaller debt. But the Lord Jesus wants Simon to understand that he too has a debt. It is not a small, insignificant debt that can be worked off. It is a huge debt, every bit as large as this woman’s.

Then in v.44 it starts to make sense. "Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair."  Great love comes from great forgiveness. The woman so loved because she was so aware of her unworthiness. Simon didn't even do the courteous things for the Lord Jesus when He arrived at his house. Simon did not even recognize his own sinfulness, but the woman did recognize hers. This is why she had a heart for the Lord and Simon did not.

In v.47 we read, "Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” This is perfect tense which means something happened in the past with continuing effect now and into the future. She came there already forgiven to find the Lord Jesus to thank Him. 

According to v.48, the Lord Jesus affirms it when He says to the woman, "Your sins have been forgiven." Again it's the perfect tense, have been in the past with continuing result. And, the evidence is there from her love. She loved much because she was forgiven much. Great love comes from great forgiveness.

According to v.49, "The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?" These always asked questions but they never got to the answer. Their self-righteousness caused blindness, making them unable to see the greatest to ever walk the earth.

Notice the woman didn't say anything. She didn't have to for her actions spoke volumes. And then in v.50, He said to her, "Your faith has saved you." It wasn't her love that saved her, it was her faith that saved her which produced her love. It is always our faith that saved us, always. In Ephesians 2:8-9 we read, "For by grace are you saved through faith, that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God not of works lest any man should boast."  And because our faith in the Lord Jesus saved us, our love is manifest because our sins are forgiven. "Go in peace." The Lord Jesus is literally saying, "Go into God's peace, and live there forever."

When the forgiveness of God defines us, we are put in a position to be used of the Lord in remarkable ways. It is His peace that has been unleashed in our souls and we throw caution to the wind. He is the audience of the forgiven. Being a leader is much like being a conductor of an orchestra, you have to turn your back on the crowd in order to lead the band.

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Luke 7:36-39

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36 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. 39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is, that she is a sinner.”  ~ Luke 7:36-39

Our text today is a narrative, a true story. In v.36 we learned that as "the friend of sinners," the Lord Jesus responds affirmative to the invitation of a Pharisee, who is the worst of sinners, even worse than the prostitute. The worst possible sinner, the most unredeemable of all is the one who thinks he's not a sinner and doesn't need redemption, who thinks that God is pleased with him the way he is. This is the worst of sinners.  

The Apostle Paul was one of these and that's why he called himself "the chief of sinners." The worst kind of sin is the sin of self-righteousness, the assumption that we by our own religious activities and moral merit can somehow earn a place in the kingdom of God. That is the most heinous crime of all for it treats the sacrifice of Christ with utter disdain, as being unnecessary and foolish.

The religious leaders hated the Lord Jesus and His message. And, they were in the process of accumulating incriminating evidence against Him. This is why Simon the Pharisee asked the Lord Jesus over for a meal. This Pharisee has in mind getting Jesus in a situation whereby His own words He can incriminate Himself.

Simon is no friend of the Lord Jesus, though he may have feigned a measure of friendship. He is a hypocritical enemy, along with the rest of the self-appointed guardians of external righteousness. He hated everything Jesus said and was. But the full hostility hasn't yet broken out. They’re still accumulating their material against Jesus. They want Him dead. Now there are serious plots. Trapping Him in His words is their intent so that they can then accuse Him of some crime of bringing about His own execution.

The Lord Jesus willingly went into the house of a man whom He knew was a hypocrite. He went there knowing the man was going to do everything he could to get some incriminating evidence against Him. The Lord Jesus graciously meets with the people who saw Him as their enemy.

The meeting was a lunch meeting where they reclined around the meal table. The doors were open and the town folk were allowed to listen to the conversation that ensued around the table which was in the middle of the house. Everybody who is around the table is leaning in to the table. Around the perimeter walls were spaces for the local people to come in and experience the event itself and to hear the discussion and learn from it.  

In v.37 we read, "A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume." It was not shocking for a stranger to listen in on the conversation, but it was shocking that a woman who was a prostitute came. And, by the way, this is not Mary Magdalene. She is first introduced in Luke 8:2.

This woman brought an alabaster jar of perfume which was part of the trade of being a prostitute. In v.38, we learn she went to the Lord Jesus to anoint Him with this costly perfume. She is weeping. She is flooded with tears over the reality that she is unworthy. As she weeps, she begins to wet His feet with her tears.  She's  sees all things that the host did not provide the Lord Jesus when He arrived, primarily washing His feet.

And then we read in v.38, "Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them."  She took her hair down because all Jewish women in public were required to wear their hair up. To let one's hair down was a sign of shame and looseness. But she had no choice except to use her hair to clean and dry His dirty feet. 

Once His feet were clean, it says she was kissing His feet. The Greek word that Luke employs is kataphileō is an intense word. This word is used in Luke 15:20 of the father's kisses when the prodigal came home. This woman is there at His feet and first the tears start falling on His feet and then she realizes that she can use the tears to clean His feet, a courtesy that hasn't been given to Him. And then she can take her hair down and use her hair to dry His feet.

And then comes the woman's final act of generosity, she anoints Jesus' feet with the perfume. So swept away in the emotion she opens the alabaster bottle and she pours the perfume out on His feet.

I mean, this could be a very, very difficult situation for Jesus. In the first place, she's a known prostitute.  She's shamefully taken down her hair, certainly in the view of the Pharisee.  She's touching Him.  Not only is she touching Him, but she's washing His feet with her hair.  Not only that but she continues to embrace His feet to hold on to Him, as if she didn't want to let Him go.  And then she's pouring out this perfume. This could be a very serious breach of propriety. It would be very easy to say, "How in the world does this prostitute feel so familiar with Jesus? She must know Him. How did He have any relationship with such a shameless woman?" Well somebody might make an obvious connection.

Then in v.39, Simon the Pharisee picks up on it. "When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is, that she is a sinner."

In v.39, Luke gives us a view into the Pharisee’s thoughts. The Pharisee wondered if the Lord Jesus was a prophet, but now he concludes the Lord Jesus could not be for if He was He would have had insight into this woman’s background and rejected her overtures. What the Pharisee thinks he sees, is not what the Lord Jesus sees. The Lord Jesus does not see a sinner in this woman who was a prostitute, what He sees is her. 

Simon, the Pharisee was a man who was looking to incriminate the Lord Jesus. But as much as he wanted incriminating proof that Jesus was not the Messiah, he couldn't bring himself to say, "Here's a man who is familiar with a prostitute."  No one ever accused the Lord Jesus of that. That shows a measure of real respect of the Lord Jesus and a true understanding of His goodness and purity so that the worst the man can say was, "He just doesn't know who or what kind of person she is." Simon chalks it up to ignorance rather than evil. 

Notice the Lord Jesus is not put off by this woman or her past. He does not reject her or keep her at a distance. He is not afraid that her impurity will rub off on Him. Instead, he accepts the woman as she is. He does the same for us. He doesn’t require that we clean ourselves before we come to Him. He doesn’t require that we get our lives together before He hears our prayer inviting Him into our lives. Instead, He invites us in just as we are.

Luke 7:31-35

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31 Jesus went on to say, “To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other: “‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry.’ 33 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ 35 But wisdom is proved right by all her children.” ~ Luke 7:31-35

In today's text, the Lord Jesus uses an illustration to identify those who did not believe in Him and thus plotted to kill Him. These people, for the most part, had acknowledged that John the Baptist was a prophet who was the forerunner announcing the arrival of Messiah. But, as we saw in v.30, the religious leaders rejected God's definition for themselves, not having been baptized by John. What started out as a revival quickly disintegrating and the people rejected the Lord Jesus. Their problem was a weak understanding of their sinfulness and of their need for a Savior. They never "proved right" the claims of the Lord Jesus.

John Owen once said: "He who has a slight view of sin has never had a great view or great thoughts of God." If we don't think our sin is all that bad, we will not think that we need God. In order for the "good news" to be the "good news" it must be opposed by the "bad news" which is our hopelessness apart from the Lord Jesus.

Seeing all of this, the Lord Jesus says in v.31, "To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like?" The Lord Jesus' assessment of the people is yet another attempt to open their eyes to the truth. He likens them to spoiled children who refuse to believe. And, because they were self-righteous, they thought they had, by their keeping of the law and the traditions, entered into a state of pleasing God, and therefore they were not sinful. They believed they were not headed for judgment, they didn't need to repent and they certainly didn't need to be baptized with some Gentile baptism that was used for Gentiles coming into Judaism. 

Then the Lord Jesus uses an illustration to describe those to whom He speaks. In v.32 He said, "They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other: “‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry." The Lord Jesus provides a picture of children celebrating. Music is being played, and people didn't dance. A dirge is being played and no one cried. The picture is that of the message brought forth by John the Baptist. These people were like spoiled children who were unwilling to be moved in their hearts by John's strong message of repentance. 

In v.33-34, the Lord Jesus provides the application of the illustration in v.32. John came blowing the minor key, playing a dirge. His ministry was judgment, fire, wrath, and vengeance. His preaching was designed to make his hearers embrace the brokenness that comes over their sinful condition. 

John the Baptist came eating no bread and drinking no wine. He didn't engage in normal life. John was totally disconnected. He couldn't eat what they ate. He couldn't drink what they drank. If his diet was bugs and honey and water, he would not be able to engage himself in the normal life of the people around him. He disdained normal, common, everyday provisions. He didn't eat bread, he didn't drink wine.  He lived a life of self-denial in every way. He didn't look like everybody else, nor did he live like everybody else. He didn't talk like everybody else. 

The people concluded of John the Baptist, “You say he has a demon." But, before this, the people said that he was the true prophet of God, the voice of one crying in the wilderness. The conclusion about John the Baptist of the religious leaders was not informed by the Scriptures. Their conclusion was due to their hardened hearts. They were hardened because they had rejected God's diagnosis of their true condition. 

In v.34 we read, "The Son of Man has come..." The Lord Jesus refers to Himself by a title of the Messiah drawn out of Daniel 7:13, which was His most common way of referring to Himself. In fact, Luke refers to the Lord Jesus as "the Son of Man" twenty five times. The term "Son of Man" has the double meaning of human being and exalted heavenly one. 

A study of the term "Son of Man" in the Gospels enables us to see that He didn't refer to Himself most often as Son of God but as Son of Man. The Lord Jesus was very subtle in that He was always opening his identity to those with eyes to see, but He wasn't opening it so blatantly that everybody would come and make Him king. He had to steer a very narrow course in disclosing His identity, not just openly saying, "I'm the Messiah." 

The Lord Jesus was quiet and subtle. And He would make claims that were explicit in certain settings and implicit in others. And only when the time was right, mainly when He was on trial for His life, and they said, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the living God?," did He say, "I am, and you will see the Son of Man coming with great power and glory." 

While John was preaching judgment, the Lord Jesus was emphasizing the kingdom. And, John associated with nobody while the Lord Jesus associated with everybody.  Because John associated with nobody they said he's demonic. Because the Lord Jesus associated with the sinners, they called the Lord Jesus "a glutton and a drunkard."

In v.35 we are given a conclusion, "But wisdom is proved right by all her children." The wisdom of revelation leads to salvation. Salvation wisdom is vindicated by what it can produce. The spiritual children of John the Baptist were the ones with the most wisdom for they heard what John had to say and they responded to the invitation of God to enter into eternal life. 

The Lord Jesus compared His generation to people who were childish, not childlike. He was mostly referring to the religious leaders, but He includes the common folk, as well. When we want to avoid the truth about ourselves we can always find something in the preacher to criticize. This is one way we justify ourselves. But God’s wisdom is not frustrated by these deflecting arguments. This is demonstrated in the changed lives of those who believe. This is how true wisdom is “proved right.”

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Luke 7:24-30

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24 After John’s messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 25 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces. 26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 27 This is the one about whom it is written: “‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ 28 I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” 29 (All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptized by John. 30 But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.) ~ Luke 7:24-30

In today's text we learn that almost everyone in Israel believed that John the Baptist was a prophet sent from God. When a Gentile wanted to embrace Judaism, there was a ceremonial baptism that they went through in order to identify with Judaism. But John was baptizing Jews, which was tantamount to them confessing, "I am no better than a pagan. I am no better than a Gentile," which was very hard for the Jews to admit. 

In v.28 we read, “I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." John the Baptist, according to the Lord Jesus, was the greatest man who ever lived. And, the greatest man that ever lived had none of the normal criteria for which the world would acknowledge him as being from God. In today's world, most would say John was unconventional, politically incorrect, insensitive, irritating, and he ought to be shut up.  That's exactly what Herod said, who represented the world.  

The greatest man to ever live ended up in prison and beheaded. He had no wealth, came from a very humble family of a priest in the Judean hill country. He had absolutely no social prominence, no worldly status, no education, no success, no achievement by any measure of the world.  He held no position, built no organization, headed no institution.  He wrote no books, left no sermons except a few excerpts from his preaching, possessed no social position, owned nothing, had no particular charm. In fact, John was very uncharming.

Today, we learn why John the Baptist was great. As we considered yesterday, John had some doubts and he sought to get them resolved. That's a part of his greatness. It takes humility to entertain one's doubts. Pride stifles greatness, know-it-alls are never great. It's the humble people who know what they don't know and seek to learn it that become great, if in fact they do.

John preached a hard message of repentance. He spoke of hell, fire, judgment and damnation. John not only confronted the Jewish leaders and called them snakes and said if you're going to be true repenters then bring forth fruit that is fit for repentance. John went eyeball to eyeball with Herod Antipas, condemned him for seducing his brother's wife and then taking her as his own wife. 

John was a man of conviction, he knew what he believed. The people went out to hear John because this man was a man who was strong, was bold, and courageous.  He certainly didn't try to gain favor with those who were in the royal palace. He didn't seek an indulgent life of ease and luxury. He wore clothes made out of Camel's hair. His diet was locusts and wild honey. He didn't have a life of ease, he didn't own anything, he lived out in the wilderness, the vault above his head, stars, was his ceiling.  This is a man of self-denial. 

John's greatness was within his calling. He had the amazing privilege of being the forerunner to the Messiah. God defined John. This is when we are at our best, when God defines us. This is where we discover real life, real meaning, real significance.

In v.28 we read, "I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." The Lord Jesus says, "The least person  in the kingdom of God is greater than the greatest man who ever lived." He described the greatest as the one who gets the fact that he is the least. Humility is the greatest quality of the believer who understands the Lord Jesus measured up on his behalf, and when God looks at us He sees us through the lens of His Son, the Lord Jesus.

Now, those whom the Lord Jesus calls great, access God's greatness through our admission that we do not and can not measure up. When the Lord Jesus fulfilled all of the Old Testament, He brought it to its intended purpose in our lives. This is GREATNESS! He fulfilled the Law and the prophecies of the Old Testament, and having received His performance on our behalf, we are positionally perfect in Christ. That is GREATNESS! 

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Luke 7:18-23

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18 John’s disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, 19 he sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” 20 When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’” 21 At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. 22 So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 23 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” ~ Luke 7:18-23

Our text begins with "18 John’s disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, 19 he sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?"

We all understand believing doubt, or doubting belief. We all have said, "I believe but my faith is incomplete, my faith is challenged and battered by doubts."  Amazingly this is exactly where John the Baptist is in our text for today. This one of whom the Lord Jesus said, "The greatest prophet of all." Here is a prophet of God, the forerunner of the Messiah, the last of the Old Testament prophets and the greatest, who is struggling with doubt.

To date, there was plenty of reason to believe that the Lord Jesus was the Messiah.  Some believed, but most did not. Doubt plays a big role in whether we believe or not. John Drummond points out that the Lord Jesus consistently made a distinction between doubt and unbelief. “Doubt is can’t believe; unbelief is won’t believe. Doubt is honesty; unbelief is obstinacy. Doubt is looking for light; unbelief is content with darkness.”

We shouldn't be surprised to find a believer, John the Baptist, struggling with doubt.  If the greatest man who ever lived had doubts, then maybe it's understandable that we have some doubts as well.

Today, we find John in a prison. He's been in prison for many months. And his disciples, according to v.18, reported to him all the things the Lord Jesus was doing. For some time John had no firsthand information about the ministry of the Lord Jesus. He can't hear and he can't see the Lord Jesus. And doubt was growing on the edges of his faith.

So John sends his disciples back eighty miles to where the Lord Jesus was ministering in Galilee and says, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” Doubt comes from our inability to deal with negative circumstances when we perceive ourselves as being faithful people. Like John the Baptist, our doubts come when we are convinced that we belong to the Lord, we're loyal, we're faithful, we've lived and served Him and things aren't turning out the way we expected.

When we have illegitimate expectations, when we've bought false ideas about the way things should be and we think God doesn't deliver on His promises, we will have a problem with faith. This sentences us to a life of serious debilitating and discouraging doubt that robs us of our forward lean and our hopeful usefulness.

Honest doubt, is not bad. It could be a great starting point toward deeper faith in the Lord Jesus. Doubt is a bad finishing point because as a starting point doubt is connected to rationality. And part of rationality is to be able to discern what is true and what is not. One of the features of the sorting process is the skepticism that causes us to evaluate. Doubt is an essential part of faith.

Almost everything that John the Baptist expected to happen didn't. John grew up understanding when the Messiah comes redemption comes, salvation from all who hate the Jews will come. John believed that when Messiah comes, the Abrahamic Covenant will unfold, and the Davidic Covenant will be reality. John didn't understanding the time sequences in between.

When the Messiah came, it didn't happen. And John comes to this point and he's down in a prison, completely out of circulation and all he hears about is the Lord Jesus traveling around healing people, raising dead people, and casting out demons. And most of the people healed and delivered were not believers in the God of the Bible. So, he naturally struggles with doubt.

John suffered from incomplete revelation. When we, like John, lack enough information, we must go to the one who has the information. When we have doubts, we must go to the Word of God and get our doubt turned into faith.

We read in v. 21-22, "21 At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. 22 So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor." In response to John's disciples question, at an instant, the Lord Jesus responded by healing many.  

In His response the Lord Jesus said, “The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.” This was evidence that the kingdom had begun, even though the earthly fulfillment of that kingdom is yet future.

Then in v.23 we read, “Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” We are going to wrestle with understanding God's ways, that's ok. We must not let the lack of revelation and wrong expectations cause us to stumble out of our pursuit of the Lord Jesus. And, if this happens, if we end up believing a little more in the God of the Bible, we are blessed of God.

We know that later, Herod had John beheaded and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl who had danced for Herod on his birthday. John the Baptist was beheaded before the Lord Jesus died and rose from the dead. He never heard much of what the Lord taught and he never saw His power on display. And when he died, his disciples came to tell the Lord Jesus because He was John's Messiah.

Not all his questions were answered before John was murdered. The kingdom, however, had been previewed and John had gotten the message that all of this indicated that the kingdom had begun. Even though it's not yet in its final form, the kingdom is still in place and you and I are in it. And yet, we still struggle with our questions.

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Luke 7:11-17

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11 Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. 12 As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.”14 Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” 15 The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. 16 They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” 17 This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country. ~Luke 7:11-17

The theme of the entire Bible is the Lord Jesus Christ. Today, we come to a story of a man being raised from the dead. But, this story isn't really about the man. No, this story is about his mother. This widow who had lost her only income maker was herself broken which is the true beginning place of a personal relationship with God.

In v.11 we read, "Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him."  This story took place soon after the healing of the Centurion's servant and it was witnessed by a large crowd who had made it their habit to follow the Lord Jesus around.

"Jesus went to a town called Nain" which is about twenty miles from Capernaum.  It would be a full day's walk to this city that was south of Capernaum. It was about six miles southwest of Nazareth so that Capernaum, Nazareth and Nain, kind of in a triangle. Nain means "green pastures."

Everything within the plan of God is guaranteed. In Jeremiah 29:11, we read, "I know the thoughts that I have toward you." There are no random thoughts in God's mind. He doesn't have to remember anything, nor does He forget anything except the believer's sin. Everything in our lives has purpose and is meaningful. 

In our text, we discover the Lord Jesus was not alone. His disciples were with Him. According to v.12, "As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her."  

It just so happened as the Lord Jesus and His disciples arrived in Nain, a funeral procession was going by. Perfect timing. Providential timing. The man dies at the right moment. They get him ready for the funeral at the right moment. They have the funeral and the procession just so happens to intersect with the Creator of all worlds. From a human viewpoint, this is a coincidental event. From the viewpoint of God, it is exactly on schedule.

The funeral was over. The people were carrying the corpse of the once alive man on a stretcher through the gate of the city. The burial place was outside of town. The dead man was the only son of his mother. And, the one thing a mother in Israel wanted was a son. 

We read in v.13, "When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.” In the funeral procession, the widowed mother was alone going ahead of the dead body of her son. She's leading the procession to the town's graveyard. The Lord Jesus recognizes that this is not just an only son, but that this woman is a helpless widow. God has always had a special spot in His heart for widows. She had lost her financial security, and hopelessness was winning the day. 

The experience of this woman breaks the heart of the Lord Jesus. Seeing her in such pain moves Him to act on her behalf. Her pain taps in to His compassion which drives Him to her tearful condition. 

In v.14, we read, "Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!"  He touched the dead body of the son of the widowed woman. But, He, according to the Old Testament scriptures was instructed to touch not a dead body. His compassion elevated the woman's value to such a place that the Lord Jesus valued her more than His teachings regarding protection from disease. 

After touching the dead young man, the Lord Jesus tells him to "get up.'" In a split second life surged into the corpse of the once dead man. And, no one asked the Lord Jesus to raise this man from the dead. No one knew He could do this. 

Faith is not always necessary for God to do His most powerful work. Many claim that the reason people don't get healed is that they don't have enough faith. It is never faith itself that activates God's power. He doesn't need our faith to do what He wants to do. There are times when the Lord Jesus responds to our faith, but it isn't always necessary, as illustrated in this story. In fact, in most of His healings that are recorded in the Gospels, no faith is indicated.

In v.15 we read, "The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother." The dead man sat up speaking. He didn't have to learn how to talk all over again, even though he had been dead for quite a bit of time. And then, the Lord Jesus "gave him back to his mother."  That was the point. The Lord Jesus was highlighting the broken heartedness of the mother. And, then, He did what was necessary.

In v.16, we read, "They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said."  The onlooking people were afraid because they knew they were in the presence of someone very special. There was no other explanation. Whenever God makes appearances in Scripture, you have this kind of reverential fear. When God's power is put on display like this, we come to see God in a new light, and we are filled with awe and praise. 

It had been four hundred years since there had been a visit from God. There had been no miracles. There hadn't been any words from heaven. God had been silent for centuries. And there was this longing for God to visit His people. The problem is this: for all of the places for Him to show up, Nain? Obscure Nain? Such are the ways of God to reveal Himself to the weak and insignificant.

In 1 Corinthians 1:28-29 we read, "God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important … so that no one can ever boast in the presence of God."

Those who witnessed this miracle were terrified, and it catapulted them into sharing this news about Jesus throughout Judea and the surrounding country. They had realized that God had visited them because there was no explanation for the dead man coming back to life, except that the Creator did it. And, this type of story spreads, it spreads rapidly and everywhere.

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Luke 7:1-10

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1 When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. 2 There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. 3 The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4 When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, 5 because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” 6 So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7 That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” 10 Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well. ~ Luke 7:1-10

Today's text took place during the fall of the year. The Galilean ministry of the Lord Jesus had begun in the summer of that year, so He's just been in His Galilean ministry a few months. By now the Lord Jesus had a huge crowd of people following Him. Today's story took place immediately after the Sermon on the Mount. This story is a perfect example of what the Lord Jesus had just preached, it illustrates that God is gracious to give a living, breathing example of the Sermon on the Mount.

Here, in v.2, we learn of a man with compassion: a Centurion who loves his servant.  In those days a slave was considered a tool to be discarded if it didn't function.  And, here is a a Centurion who loves his enemy. In fact, he not only loved the Jews but was generous enough that he built their synagogue.  

So, here is a Roman Centurion soldier who calls the Lord Jesus, "Lord." Everything the Lord Jesus had just taught in the Sermon on the Mount is manifest in this Centurion.

At the end of v.1 we learn that the Lord Jesus went to Capernaum, a city which was well aware of the Lord Jesus and His ministry at the time. The Sermon on the Mount was delivered on a hillside which was walking distance from Capernaum which was the main city on the north shore of the city of Galilee.

In v.2 we read, "There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die." Centurion is a title given to what was essentially a captain in the Roman army. They were the highest ranking officers. They received their rank by moving up through being battle tested. Before becoming an officer, this man was a soldier's soldier. He knew how to lead, he knew how to set an example, he knew how to fight, he knew how to command. At the same time, he knew what it was to be submissive to those that were over him. He was among the best of the best in the pagan environment.

Every time the New Testament mentions a Centurion, it does so with respect. Every time they appear on the pages of the New Testament, there is an affirmation of this kind of manhood, character, and integrity as a soldier. Three of the Centurions mentioned in the Bible are believers in the Lord Jesus. This Centurion is unnamed.  

So, the content of the Sermon on the Mount is being illustrated in this story that begins with a servant who was about to possibly die due to a sickness. 

According to v.2, this Centurion looked at his slave who is about to die with high regard. The word "valued highly" is entimos in the Greek meaning “precious” or "honored." It is also used in Luke 14:8 describing the distinguished guest at a banquet. It is also used of Epaphroditus in Philippians 2:29 to refer to him as one who is held in the highest regard, with the greatest honor, very valuable.  So, this very valuable young boy is sick. He's the object of concern and affection by this rough, tough soldier.

Matthew fills in some information in the diagnosis in Matthew 8:6, "Lying paralyzed at home, suffering great pain." He is a paralytic. He is in severe pain and the agony causes the heart of the compassionate Centurion to help him. The Lord Jesus had taught, "Blessed are they who mourn..."

According to v.3, the extent of the Centurion's love takes him to the Lord Jesus. Somehow this man knew about the Lord Jesus. And Matthew says he asked Him to heal his servant. But, according to Luke 7:3, he didn't ask Him directly. "The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant." He didn't go himself to Jesus. We learn later that he didn't go himself because he felt unworthy.  

So, the Jews responded in v.4, "When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, 5 because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue." They don't say to this Roman, "Well, you know, we're going to go because if we don't go you're going to make it hard on us. You're going to raise our taxes or you're going to inflict some injury on us or you're going to...you're going to notch up the oppression."  

These Jews considered the man worthy. No animosity. And they say he is worthy for the way he has loved their nation. Herein, we see their bad theology which was to earn favor and to reward good behavior. By the way, this is the only time in the New Testament where any Jew advocates on behalf of a Roman soldier.

In v.5 we further understand why these Jews thought so much of this Centurion. We read, "because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue." This Centurion was wealthy and generous, but it was more than that. This man had a great desire for the truth. He wanted to know the Word of God. That's why he built a synagogue, because that's the place where the Word of God was taught. He had literally become a proselyte to Judaism. He built the synagogue where we can be certain he went to hear the Word of God. This is a man of great humility and great love and great faith.

The disposition of this centurion was magnanimous because between the Jews and the Romans there was great animosity. It wasn't that he loved a few Jews, he loved the people of God which means that he had come to understand not only the true and living God, but that he had come to understand that these were the people of the covenant of God.

By the way, the word "loves" is agapaō, the deepest word for love in the Greek language. He loved his servant and the nation with a God kind of love, the love of the will, commitment love. So, here is a man who, against the grain of normal Roman attitude, loves his slave and the Jewish nation. And, in a transcendent way, he loves his enemies which the Lord Jesus had just taught was a definitive mark of a child of God. 

Remember what the Sermon on the Mount begins with?  Blessed are the poor, and the meek, and the mourning, and the hungry. That's all talking about humility. People in the kingdom see their spiritual bankruptcy. This is the case of this man.  

In v.6-8 we read, "6 So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7 That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it."

The Jews said the Lord Jesus, "You've got to heal because this centurion is worthy." This is the typical self-righteous approach, isn't it? The Centurion's attitude was, "I'm not worthy." The contrast is clear. The system says, "You're worthy."  The Centurion says, "I'm not worthy." This is true humility. Self-righteous pride is not of God and humility marks one the son of God.

In Luke 7:9, we read, "When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel."  The Greek word used here for amazed is thaumazō meaning astonished. This Centurion's faith amazed the Lord Jesus. This Centurion is the only person who amazed the Lord Jesus with his faith. The Lord Jesus was amazed at people's unbelief, according to Mark 6:6, but only here was He actually astonished at someone's faith.

In v.10 we read, "Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well." The servant's paralysis and pain not only left, but the disease as well. Great faith in great promises lead to great results. If we want results, we first must know God's promises. Faith by itself does nothing. Faith must be based on the promises of God.

Luke 6:46-49

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46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.” ~ Luke 6:46-49

Today, we come to the end of the Sermon on the Mount. We read in v.46, “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord’ and do not do what I say? The people gathered there at the Temple during that Feast of Tabernacles called the Lord Jesus, "Lord" which  means “master.” 

The people there that day admired the Lord, but admiration was not enough. Their problem was not their admiration, their problem was they did not believe the Lord Jesus to be the Messiah. Patronizing the Lord Jesus has never been His desire.  

This brings up a pertinent question, "How close do we have to be to get saved?" In John 1:12 we read, “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” If we want to be included in the family of God, we've got to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord over sin and death.  

In John 6:40 we read, “This is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him, may have eternal life.” In Acts 4:12 we read, “And there is salvation in no one else; there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

In Romans 10:9-10, we read, “9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”  Believe in the Christ who is Lord, who overcame death. 

These people the Lord Jesus was addressing here were the most religious people, but the answer is not how good we can become. The Lord Jesus says, "we have to recognize our sin, we must see that we are so spiritually bankrupt, blind, and starving, that we are broken over our alienation from God." This is the word that He refers to in v.47.

In v.47, we read, "As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like." We come, we hear, and we put into practice. What they had come to hear that day was the Sermon on the Mount which was teaching about us coming to the end of our self-preservation, and coming to the One who would go to the cross to bridge the enormous gap between us and God created by our sinfulness.

In v.48, the Lord Jesus continues by saying, "They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built." 

In Israel during the summer, many of the rivers dry up, leaving a sandy bed empty of water. But in winter, after the September rains had come, the empty river bed became a raging torrent. Many, looking for a site for a house, found an inviting stretch of sand there, only to discover when the winter came, that they had built their house in the middle of a raging river which would sweep their house away. 

On the other hand, the wise man searched for rock which would provide a much better foundation. When the winter weather came their house stood strong and firm and secure. In both cases the parable teaches the importance of laying the right foundation for life; the only true foundation is placed in the teachings of the Lord Jesus. When a flood came the deep foundation endured the torrential rains. 

In v.49 we read, “But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.” The words heard here were the words describing us coming to the end of ourselves and depending upon our Savior's ability to preserve us and make choices for us as we bow our will to Him and His definition of all things.

God has provided for us in the Lord Jesus Christ what God He from us in the Old Testament Law. The good news is that Christ is not only our pardon, He is also our perfection. He measured up to the truth and substantiated it. Being made right in God's eyes and living a life the Lord Jesus died to give us could not be produced by our efforts. In His mercy, God has provided His Son as a substitute for us. Christ’s substitution is crucial for us becoming right with God and to live the life the Lord Jesus died to give us now. 

This has made it possible for you and me to have a personal relationship with God. The foundation to this relationship is the Lord Jesus Himself. He is also the foundation to our ability to learn from God the wisdom we need in order to make wise decisions.

Many have attempted to make Christianity about us either earning and/or maintaining God's favor. This is impossible. I like the way Max Lucado describes Christianity when he says, "It is easier to raise your sail than it is to row your boat."

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Luke 6:39-45

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39 He also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher. 41 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. 43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. ~ Luke 6:39-45

The Lord Jesus is teaching the twelve disciples the Sermon on the Mount. In today's portion of it, He is making a distinction between His teaching and the teachings of the religious leaders of Israel. The teaching of the religious leaders produces fear, bondage and death, and His teachings produce hope, trust and life. 

In our text today, the Lord Jesus is teaching His disciples four marks of false teachers. The first is found in v.39: "Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit?" The religious leaders were separated from God because they did not have a personal relationship with Him. And, as a result, they lacked true spiritual guidance and direction.

If we follow the teacher who doesn’t know the way to God, we will end up in hell. That’s the pit the Lord Jesus is referencing here in v.39. On the other hand, when we follow the One from God, we will end up with Him in heaven.

Throughout the Bible, blindness is metaphorically used for being void of truth, for not having any spiritual insight. This is caused by being spiritually dead to God. It is our sinfulness that has separated us from God.

In Psalm 82:5 we read, “The wicked do not know, nor do they understand; they walk about in darkness.” In 2 Corinthians 4:4 we read, “The god of this world has blinded their minds.” People who don’t know God are blind to truth and if you follow them, you’re going to end up in Hell. 

The Lord Jesus taught of hell often. Thirteen percent of his teachings refer to eternal judgment and hell. Two-thirds of His parables relate to resurrection and judgment. The Lord Jesus wasn’t cruel or capricious, but He was truthful. His honesty stuns us. Had He not spoken truthfully to us, you and I would still be dead to God because our sin would not have been atoned for and we would not be redeemed.

The second mark of false teachers is they are limited by the realm of time. They’re not of God for their sin separates them from a personal relationship with God. In v.40 we read, “The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.” The Lord Jesus has access to eternal life and transcendence. All we can know is what we have been taught by the one we follow. And, we can’t get above the Lord Jesus. The view of the Jewish religious leaders was myopic because they had no connection with and to God.

In v.40, we read, “everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.” If we apply everything our teacher gives us, we’re going to be just like him. That’s the most we can do. We can only know what our teacher tells us. If our teacher doesn’t know the truth, we’re not going to know it, either.

The third mark of false teachers is found in v.41-42, which reads, "41 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye." 

The Jewish religious leaders were hypocritical. They could not fix anyone else because they could not fix themselves. They could not solve anyones problem because they had a massive problem of their own. The problem was the large beam in their eyes. This beam was the main beam in a building. These false teachers were blinded by their beam of self-righteousness. These false teachers were trying to deal with the people's sin and they had the most massive of all sins, the carefully crafted beam of self-righteousness, the worst of all sins. 

Self righteousness is the sin that the Lord Jesus repeatedly condemned. It is a sin of blindness, it puts a beam in one's eye so that reality can't be seen. It distorts vision of everything real. It tells us that we do not need a Savior.  It tells us that we do not need God's grace, because we see not any need for forgiveness. 

The fourth mark of the false teacher is they are evil. In v.43 we read, “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.” The fruit of a tree is an unfailing indicator of the health of the tree. If we have good fruit on the tree, we’ve got a good, healthy tree. If we have a bad tree, we’re going to get bad fruit. If the tree is toxic, the fruit is toxic. 

The Lord Jesus expands on his analogy in v.44, by saying, “Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers..” If we’re looking for figs, don’t look for a thorn bush. We get thorns from a thorn bush. Trees produce what is normal for their nature. They produce what is good or bad based on their nature. 

In v.45, the Lord Jesus concludes this passage by saying, “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” 

A good man has a changed heart, and an evil man does not. The good man here, then, represents the one having believed in the Lord Jesus. And because he has been reconnected with God, he brings forth what is good. Anyone is good because of God's presence in him.

On the other hand, the evil man has an evil heart, and so what comes out of him is only evil. Not only out of his mouth but in his conduct. The mouth is just sort of the first place that evil shows up. And, the destiny of those who die in their sin is Hell.

A glimpse into Hell will not brighten our day, but it will enlighten our understanding of the Lord Jesus. He didn’t avoid the discussion. He planted a one-word caution sign between you and hell’s path: perish. “Whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

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Luke 6:37-38

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37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”  ~ Luke 6:37-38

The Sermon on the Mount is not for all people, it is only for the believer in Christ. The Sermon on the Mount is not about getting us into heaven, it is about getting heaven into us, now. The goal is our sanctification which is the process whereby our minds snd wills are being changed by God. The goal of our sanctification is God's influence in the lives of the unbelieving world through our broken lives.

In v.37-38 the Lord Jesus gives the persecuted believer four commands which facilitates the practical expression of His love to the unbeliever. Nobody gets saved by being loved. But, through love, a platform is created which gives the believer the opportunity to represent the love of the Lord Jesus to their unbelieving enemies. 

These four actions make it easier for the believer to earn a hearing with the unbeliever. These four are: don't judge, don't condemn, forgive and give. Note that the first two of these are negative and the last two are positive. We are to do these four things to our enemies for their eternal benefit.

The first of these four is, "Do not judge." This doesn’t forbid exercising our discernment, conviction, rightly assessing someone's sinful actions. This command forbids harsh, hard, critical, heartless hostility toward our enemies who treat us badly. The Lord Jesus is telling us to not pronounce judgment on our enemies, those who treat us poorly. We are to speak blessing into their lives. We are to not pass sentence on them. We are to love them mercifully.

And the response from them is a reward for us: "we will not be judged" by them. We must remember this is not justification teaching, this is sanctification teaching. Sinners will always give us back what we give them, and if we are not judgmental, harsh, cold, and condemning, they will return to us the favor. Unbelievers are good to those who do good to them. And, when we treat them this way, the potential of the door opening to share the good news with them will be more likely to open.

The next command in v.37 is, “Do not condemn.” The Lord Jesus is telling us to not put ourselves in the place of the judge. This happens when we feel that our country is going down the tubes, and all of a sudden we identify the people who are leading this parade as the enemy, and we pronounce damnation upon them.

Next, on the positive side, in v.37, we read, “Forgive.” We are never more like God than when we forgive somebody. If we are merciful like God, if we are kind and compassionate, tender-hearted, forgiving, we are representing Him to them.

According to v.38 we are to, “Give.” And, as we give, and give, and give, it will be given to us. The Lord Jesus says, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” 

If we do not judge them, they won’t judge us. If we do not condemn them, they won’t condemn us. And if we forgive them, they will tend to forgive us. And if we give to them, they will tend to give to us. That is the common human way to love.  But for us, it has to start with loving those who hate us before they can see that His way is the best.

In v.38, we read, “and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” In order to understand these words, we must understand the practice known as “gleaning.” When harvest time came, the wealthy landowners would hire workers to come and help them bring it in. By custom and practice, they would also allow the poor and the widows and orphans to come and “glean” or pick up the grain or produce that the workers spilled, missed or otherwise left behind. This was how the poor were taken care of in biblical times.

The workers job was fill their baskets and take them to the barn and come back out to the field and start the process again until the day was over or the harvest was complete. Since they were paid by the hour, they had little incentive to fill their baskets to the brim. Both in terms of lighter loads and extending the work day, it wasn’t in their best interests to completely fill their baskets. 

Not so with the gleaners. The gleaners would fill their baskets to the brim and then they would shake them so that the grain would settle further down — as far down as possible. After that, they would press the grain down even more to take advantage of every available iota of space until the basket was overflowing. To them, it was literally a matter of life or death. 

A full basket meant that their families would eat one more meal or two and a partially full basket meant that they might not. Pressing down the grain then, might make the difference between surviving the winter or starving. When the Lord Jesus spoke these words about a good measure being pressed down, the folks hearing them would have immediately understood the implied illustration.

The goal, then, is to have sinners not judge us, not condemn us, forgive us for the offense against them, and be generous with us. And, if that’s the case, that would indicate that they have accepted us. It will be at this point that we will have the best opportunity to share the gospel with them. Once we have earned the right to tell them about God's love as demonstrated at the cross of the Lord Jesus, they will be more likely to listen and believe.

I close with a question given by President Abraham Lincoln. “Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?”