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Introducing January Introducing January ON THE LAST TRIP WITH OUR LORD—Luke 13 Onwards to His cross own character, and the certainty that As early in Luke’s record as 9:51, after his actions would never hinder the the Transfiguration and healing of the divine plan that sacrifice would be demon-tormented boy, the Lord ‘set made at the Passover hour, in the place his face to go to Jerusalem, (ESV)’ for of the Father’s choice. Listen, however, the last time (matching the order in to the chapter closing with the Matthew 17 and Mark 9). Here in Luke outpouring of Jesus’ heart of love for 13:22, the point is made again. It His people—and even for those would add to the tension for the hardened against Him. disciples, though hardly for their Master, that later some Pharisees said to Him, ‘Get away from here, for Luke’s respect for one woman Herod wants to kill you.’ With the It is then most fitting that Doctor increasing hostility of the sect in the Luke records here the care of the closing months of Jesus’ ministry, it Saviour for the woman bowed down seems most probable that this was by spirit power, described with medical aimed at dissuading Him from further precision, recognising the condition threats to their own prestige, rather and its source: ‘who had had a than genuine care for His safety. It’s disabling spirit for eighteen years. She clear, however, that the Lord was was bent over and could not fully preparing His own for the suffering that straighten herself.’ That day she was would come with open persecution, as rewarded for her (doubtless regular) the four mentions of His own destiny visits to the synagogue by the Creator in Matthew’s record show (16:21; who could rebuild her spine, and 17:9,22; 20:17-19); and Luke is surely could also deal with the evil that using the news of Pilate’s callous caused her affliction. How she would treatment of the Galileans, and the love the Man whose face she looked disaster in Siloam, to add to this on as she raised up her own in amazed theme. It was the Good Shepherd release; and heard Him speak of her strengthening His flock (including those dignity as ‘a daughter of Abraham’! not of the Twelve). He takes There were faces red with shame; opportunity to send a message of while the people were delighted at this unsparing truth to Herod about his Man who could answer the authorities 1 with authority and act with power from enriched by the devoted service of the above. Lord of the Sabbath: for the people of Galilee were at last seeing the great The author’s skill light Isaiah had foretold. Luke distinguishes this account with fine points worthy of the Creator’s ‘O Saviour Christ, our woes dispel ... hand at work: ‘And he was teaching’ is For some have lost the love they had ... unusual wording—not the past tense of Thy touch has still its ancient power; didasko = ‘teach’, but the verb to be, No word from Thee can fruitless fall ... with a participle, didaskon, meaning And in Thy mercy heal us all.’ ‘was teaching as his custom was’. ‘On H.Twells the Sabbath’ also stands out, being M.A. plural in the Greek—those Sabbaths, one after another, were greatly From Study Groups ‘WHAT IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD LIKE?’ (Luke 13) From Aberdeen: Sidlow Baxter views the parables of the ‘mustard seed’ and the ‘leaven’ as simply an indication of the growth of the kingdom of God (Explore The Book, J. S. Baxter p.168). Nevertheless, a case can be made for the view that the ‘birds’ and the ‘leaven’ represent evil which spreads throughout the kingdom [Comment 1]. Perhaps there is significance in the fact that those two parables are preceded by the earlier parable of ‘wheat’ and ‘tares’ growing together (Mat. 13:30). Leaven is generally set forth in Scripture as symbolising evil or corruption. How might evil be at work in the present age? The leaven certainly may have begun its work among the early flock. Paul warned the disciples that ‘from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them’ (Acts 20:30 NASB). Evil doctrines and practices progressed further when church and state became intertwined. In more recent times the introduction of evolution to replace creation is apparently gathering pace throughout Christian circles. Some years ago, brainwashing was associated with communist regimes, but now we have a more subtle form of brainwashing to contend with. We have the daily doctrine of evolution being 2 constantly presented, and assumed to be correct through many media outlets. This constant bombardment of the doctrine of evolution is a poison to be avoided. Consider Jesus’ challenging question, ‘However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?’ (Luke 18:8). Cp. B.S.,1996, p.152, in comment on the parallel passage in Matthew 13. James Johnson From Aberkenfig: Disaster and faith Whenever suffering comes, whether from disasters or illnesses, especially when young children or babies are involved, it is very easy for God to become ‘the whipping boy’ to carry the blame. Human beings need someone or something to blame, which is quite clear in current world attitudes. And, if governments or authorities cannot be held to account, God is an easy target, sadly, for both believers and unbelievers, for suffering can often shake our faith. Isaiah 53 says: ‘Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows’ (ESV) where ‘griefs’ can be translated as ‘sicknesses’ (Strong’s Concordance), which illuminates the effect that illness has on the heart of God. The Lord Jesus felt keenly the pain of the widow of Nain (Luke 7:13) and the distress of the desperate woman and grief-stricken Jairus (Luke 8). Here in Luke 13 He is not unmoved by the deaths of so many, nor by the cruelty of Pilate; but He seeks to show the questioners that these things happened as a result of man’s sinfulness—i.e. that of Pilate and presumably the carelessness of the builders of the tower—not the sinfulness of those who died. This mistake of thinking that all ill-health or suffering comes purely through the sin of those affected is seen in Job 4:7, as Eliphaz seeks to persuade Job to admit his assumed faults, something that God refutes in chapter 42:7-8. In Job’s case Satan was instrumental in bringing upon Job his dreadful suffering. Certainly God allowed it, but Satan incited it. We see another example of Satan’s vindictiveness in the woman in Luke 13, where Jesus shows that she had been ‘bound’ for 18 years by satanic power. When we look at Mark 4:39 where Jesus rebukes the wind as He calms the storm on the lake, surely it is inconceivable that He would rebuke something that the Father had brought about; rather we see how Satan was again seeking to destroy what God was working in this world. Of course human suffering can come about through God’s purposes: Exodus 4 shows that God does indeed make man ‘mute or deaf or seeing or blind’. However, John 9:3 makes it clear that such things are often to show ‘the works of God’—something that is far from easy to accept or bear—and the trials of 1 Peter 1:5-7 can also be used to ‘prove the genuineness of faith’. It has also to be admitted 3 that some illnesses, and even disasters, are caused by man’s disobedience and ignorance, here in the tower falling. In later times we look at the wreck of the Titanic and see man’s carelessness and pride overriding ‘best practice’—hardly the fault of a loving God! For all right-thinking people we recognise the hazards of smoking, drug abuse, sexual promiscuity and alcohol abuse—things that make sin in the human heart such a destructive and powerful agent of painful and distressing things. Thankfully we can look to God and see that He is indeed the ‘Father of mercies and God of all comfort’ (2 Cor. 1:3) who cares deeply for us and provides the strength and support we need in all our afflictions in life [Comment 2]. Edwin Stanley From Belfast: Helping those who doubt God In life we have mountain-top experiences and low valley appearances; yet God’s word speaks of giving thanks and praising Him in all seasons of life (Phil. 1:29). When in the valleys we may experience guilt for doubting God’s promises to bring us through trials (1 Pet. 1:6-7), creating a drift farther away from God—something which Satan loves. So how can we help? The first thing we have to recognise is that this is the journey of those who doubt God because of suffering. We need to understand where they are on this path and encourage them to pray (James 5:13). They travel on this journey at their own pace, with the apostle Paul's goal in view that one day they will rejoice in their sufferings (Rom. 5:3), but only at their appointed time of acceptance and not ours! We share in their burdens (Gal. 6:2) by listening and remembering that if one suffers then we too should share in this with them (1 Cor. 12:26). Will this be more than they can bear? For certain the truth is that their suffering will not be more than He, the Lord, can bear (1 Pet.
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