The Gospel According to Luke Chapter 12 and 13 Feb 5, 2017 Our text this week is Luke 12 and 13. We’re “doubling up” with two chapters in order to get back on our schedule of completing our study of Luke’s gospel by April 30. Start this week and spend some good time back in Luke’s gospel between now and Feb 5 when we get back together. Obviously we won’t be able to discuss both chapters in detail, and I won’t attempt to cover both chapters in detail in my lecture. My goal will try to see the common themes that run through these chapters – why did Luke include these particular pericopes in this portion of his gospel. Verses 12:1-12 Fear God and Not Men 1. What was the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and why did Jesus call it leaven? 2. When is the hidden stuff going to be shouted on the housetops? Or, do you take this passage in more of a figurative way and, more importantly, what was Jesus’ point? 3. Find the three mentions of fear. What apparent contradiction do you see about whom to fear or not fear and how do you resolve that apparent contradiction? (Maybe you don’t see an apparent contradiction.) Verses 12:13-34 A Treasure That Does Not Fail 4. Read this exchange between the person in the crowd and Jesus with his disciples and write down two or three actions or attitudes that you should try to avoid and two or three actions or attitudes that you should try to cultivate. Verses 12:35-48 Waiting for the Master - Ready for Action - 5. Do the same for this passage. What are actions or attitudes or perspective or mindset should you not have and what actions or attitudes or perspective or mindset should you seek to have? 1 The Gospel According to Luke Chapter 12 and 13 Feb 5, 2017 Verses 12:49-59 Casting Fire on Earth 6. What was hypocritical about being able to predict the weather? 7. What was “the present time” that Jesus was referring to in verse 56? 8. What does “settling out of court” have to do with the rest of this division? Verses 13:1-9 Repent 9. What was “that very time” mentioned in verse 1? What was that setting? 10. What do you think prompted Jesus’ response to the report about the death of the Galileans? 11. What do you think Jesus meant by his response, including the additional experience of those killed by the tragic accident in Siloam? 12. What was the point of the parable of the barren fig tree? 13. Do you think the parable was related to what Jesus was saying in verses 1-5? Why or why not? 2 The Gospel According to Luke Chapter 12 and 13 Feb 5, 2017 Verses 13:10-21 Hypocrisy in the Synagogue 14. What happened in the synagogue? 15. What are the parallels between the disabled woman and the donkey that Jesus referred to and what are the stark differences? 16. Can you believe the attitude of the synagogue ruler! Are we guilty of anything even close to that level of hypocrisy? 17. What is the point of the two comparisons (mustard seed and leaven) with the kingdom of God? 18. I’ve included verses 18-21 in this section because of the opening phrase, “He said therefore…”. The NASB has “So He was saying…”. The NIV has “Then Jesus asked…” and the NKJV has “Then He said…”. All of these translations indicate that the setting was the same, that Jesus spoke about the kingdom to the people that were there in the synagogue where he had just healed the woman and sternly rebuked the synagogue ruler for his hypocrisy. If you agree with this, what is the connection between the healing miracle and the kingdom of God? Verses 13:22-30 19. As I read verses 22-30, I was particularly shocked by one of the things that Jesus said. Can you guess what shocked me? Are you shocked by anything that Jesus said in these verses? 20. What do you learn about salvation from this passage? 3 The Gospel According to Luke Chapter 12 and 13 Feb 5, 2017 Verses 13:31-35 21. It seems clear to me that Jesus was speaking metaphorically or figuratively about “today, tomorrow, and the third day”. I don’t think he was saying that he was going to arrive in Jerusalem literally in 3 days. So, what was he talking about? What good cross references does your study Bible give you? What good insights do you get from a commentary or from the notes in your study Bible? Summary and AppliCation 22. What evidences of eye-witness testimony do you see in this chapter? 23. Pick one of these chapters and consider, if you had to teach that chapter, what would your “aim” be? a. For chapter 12: To cause the audience to know that… b. For chapter 13: To cause the audience to know that… 4 .