Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

“And he said to them, “When you pray, say, “Father, may your name be treated as holy. May your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation.”” (Luke 10:1)

Chapter eleven starts with the disciples wanting to know how to pray. Funny how nothing has really changed and this desire is STILL part of almost every believer today. How do we pray? How do we really communicate with the Father? Jesus told them HIS prayer: He acknowledged the Father, thanked Him, submitted to Him as is right and good, requested continual feeding and acknowledged that the Father was His Source EVERY day, declared that He would walk in forgiveness, and thanked the Father that God doesn’t lead us into temptation but instead gives us what we need to stand and succeed in Him – helping us AND delivering us. It is a GREAT prayer and a good model for our prayer life and our own lives. It is a pattern of reliance on God, of trusting in Him, and humbly submitting to how He wants to do things. We can’t do anything of ourselves and need to rely on Him for all things (John 15:5). We need to use what He’s given us to bring glory to Him. We need to rely on Him and walk in Him. We need that daily reminder to submit. We need to choose to do it. It is the way Jesus operated (John 5:19-20; 12:49). It is the way WE should operate.

Jesus shows us His prayer is more than a prayer, but a heart attitude by immediately teaching on godly behaviour. That the Father provides for His children. That we will find what we seek and receive what we ask for when we are asking according to the Will of the Father (the Word). That if a human father wouldn’t give a bad or dangerous gift to their child, shouldn’t we even more expect our heavenly Father to give us the Holy Spirit? Jesus demonstrated the power of the Holy Spirit by casting out a demon that was causing a man to be unable to speak (not all muteness is demonic). Some people scoffed, saying that Jesus was casting out demons by demonic power. Jesus almost laughed at them. Almost. If a house divided against itself, it would collapse. How could demons drive out other demons and not be lessened? And if Jesus cast them out by demonic power, then how did the Jewish priests deal with them? Was THEIR power demonic too? Jesus told them that they were witnessing the finger of God, proof that the kingdom of God had come upon them. He also warned them to seek God, especially after a healing. If you ignored your now empty body, you’ll find the demon returning and bringing others with it. They craved bodies. Filling the newly empty spot with the Holy Spirit is what ensured deliverance permanently because only God can stand against the demonic (which is why Jesus gave permission for disciples to use the authority of His name).

A woman called out, calling Jesus blessed (in the common vernacular of the time), but Jesus said no. It is those who truly hear the Word of God (submitting to what they’ve heard in obedience) who are BLESSED. He turned attention off of Himself, not having come to accrue fame. The crowds pressed in on Him wanting more miracles, to see more power. But Jesus rejected their demands for signs and miracles. We cannot exist on signs and miracles. They are wonderful, but it is the Word that sustains. And the Word, the message of the gospel, should be spread. You don’t get a light to hide it. Neither should you hide the Light of God, but spread it for all to see.

During this teaching session, a Pharisee asked Jesus to a meal. Jesus went. The Pharisee was shocked that Jesus didn’t wash His hands before eating. Jesus took the opportunity to warn them about reliance on looks, on the outer layer. It didn’t matter if you kept the Law of Moses with your actions and words, but broke it in your heart. Without the correct heart intent, it was nothing (1 Corinthians 13:1). There was nothing godly about right action without true justice in the heart. One of the lawyers was triggered by that, but Jesus included them in the lesson. Jesus wasn’t insulting them (they took it as such), but challenging them to search their hearts and pay attention. They were headed in the WRONG direction. Legalistic justifications is NOT salvation. It is NOT the intent of the Law. They had removed the key to true knowledge by burying it under ritual and regulation. They were REALLY angry about it and from that time consistently laid traps and tried to ambush Jesus so that they could discredit Him.

There were THOUSANDS of people around Jesus. Chapter twelve continues the day. First, Jesus was speaking to His disciples, warning them of the ‘yeast’ of the Pharisees. The legalistic do-do not that creeps into everything they touch. Jesus told them that whoever confesses Him (Jesus) before others – refusing to water down or turn into a burden Jesus’ teaching, character, Lordship, and Word – these will be the ones Jesus confesses to the Father. The Pharisees had intimated Jesus was operating by a demonic spirit, but it was Holy Spirit Jesus operated by. If you believed the Pharisees, you would deny Holy Spirit – blocking the only way we have as human beings to come to the Father and be saved. If they were challenged and brought to trial over upholding Jesus and the Truth, Holy Spirit would give them the words to say in that moment. They weren’t even to worry about it.

Suddenly, a man in the crowd demanded that Jesus tell his (the man’s) brother to share their father’s inheritance. But Jesus wasn’t the appointed judge or arbiter in that case. Jesus warned about loving physical riches and ignoring spiritual ones (God first means you don’t love natural things even if you enjoy them – 3 John 2). Jesus expanded on this in parables, emphasizing the need to keep a watch on our spiritual condition. Being ready at any moment for what God wants to set into motion, because while God tells us what is coming (Genesis 18:17; Amos 3:7; 1 Thessalonians 5:20) we are not told specific times. We are to be wise and faithful servants, ever ready for whenever the Lord wants to do something or return. Not waiting in slumber, but ready and eager for whenever and whatever the Lord’s will is.

Jesus pointed out that His very presence and teachings would cause division between the true lovers of God and the lovers of doctrine. Of those who would choose humble submission and those who would not. In the natural we see the weather and can make predictions about what is coming. But if we listen to the Lord we can make predictions about what is coming – not prophecies about Tuesday 7pm, but clearly seeing the way God’s wind is blowing and seeing clearly the storm the world wants to kick up. We should be able to look around us and see that the time to play games is over. That now is the time to get serious about the Lord and the Lord’s Ways. Jesus reminds us that we get so busy judging each other and doubling down on doctrinal rules and procedures that we forget the heart behind the Word. The POINT of commands: obedience to God. We are not owed an explanation. But God deserves obedience. He IS God. If we don’t start obeying Him – starting with loving each other and walking in forgiveness – we run the risk of being judged ourselves because of the hardness of our hearts.

Summary

Key Players: God, Jesus, Disciples, Pharisees, a Lawyer, Jews

Key Verse(s): Luke 11:1-13; 12:22-40