Luke Week 18: 6:12-26

What makes someone a Friend?

What makes someone an acquaintance?

What makes someone a Best friend or close friend?

Why do we have Different levels of Friendship?

Jesus had a lot of disciples. Though it isn’t every fully recorded we know based no the text that it wasn’t a strange idea that there were people following Jesus. It is reported multiple times that there were crowds and many who followed Jesus.

However when we hear the word Disciples we often only think of the 12. The main Twelve that Jesus called.

Read Luke 6:12-16

Luke 6:12–16 NIV

12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. 13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: 14 Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15 Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, 16 Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Why do you think Jesus Choose 12?

There are two common thoughts surrounded behind the idea of Jesus choosing the 12.

He Choose them to be friends.

Mark 3:14 NIV

14 He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach

He choose them “That they might be with him”. This Can be taken a variety of ways but it moves beyond just teacher and student. There is a deeper relationship that is formed here. It could be argued that it was a friendship. That They were there as support and love and care. They would go and be with him. They would follow and change their lives to follow after their teacher.

Does Jesus need friends? Honestly, No God does not require us as men or women to feel satisfaction. Yet, it is his love for his creation that goes deeper and recognize that God wants to be in relationship with people.

We recognize that with utmost humility.

2. Jesus knew the end was coming and he needed people to send.

Jesus knew the end was near. I think we often forge the realities of time and Jesus ministry was short. Think about it for a moment 3 years is not that long of a period of time. 3 Years ago for us life was in turmoil. Things were difficult and we didn’t know what was happening. The world was till upside down. Yet, for many the year 2020 feels like an eternity ago.

Jesus had the opportunity to affect and change this small group of men to become the messengers of the New covenant. In many ways he was the author and they were his book.

Jesus was working on their hearts so that they could spread the good news.

If Jesus was alive today how might he spread his Message?

Have you ever thought about that. Today there are so many ways that information can be shared. Surely he wouldn’t need to use people to do it. When i was reading about this idea the original author said Jesus would just write a book.

Jesus probably wouldn’t even need to write a book. IF he wanted to communicate it now he would make a you tube video or some other digital expression.

He choose them to be his disciples they were to be learners. He designated them as more though. He dessignated them as Apostles. They weren’t just learners they were to be sent out to spread the good news on his behalf.

There once was a little girl who had a lesson about the disciples and she was having trouble with the wrod apostles so she just called them Jesus’ Samples

That is what they were to be a sample of who Jesus was.

What do we know about the 12?

They were ordinary men.

Strange mixture.

Tax collector, fishermen, Zealot.

The only way this group would have worked is if God was in it.

Matthew the tax collector and Simon the Zealot

they would not have worked well together.

Jesus can use anyone to

Read Luke 6:20-26

Luke 6:20-26

Luke 6:20–26 NIV

20 Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 22 Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. 23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets. 24 “But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. 25 Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. 26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.

This is a passage commonly known as the sermon on the plains. IT holds many similarities to the beatitudes and Matthew’s sermon on the mount but they aren’t always thought to be the same sermon reference point.

Would you rather have a million Dollars right now or start with a Penny and double it every day for a month?

The problem is with the Penny is it doesn’t seem like a lot of money. Yet when you start doubling something happens.

First you start with just a penny. Then its two cents. Then Four then 8 now its 16 whopping cents. 11 days pass you break the $10 mark with $10.24. Hold on a little longer just five days later you will be at $163.84

Still is nothing compared to a million right.

Day 20. Only 10 days left in the month. you are at 5,242.88

21-10485.76

22-20971.52

23—41,943.04

24—83886.08

25—167, 772.16

How are you feeling about that one million?

26—335,544.32

27—671,088.64

Now you know what is about to happen tomorrow

28—1342177.28

29—2684354.56

30—5368709.12

The willingness to take a little bit of delayed gratification is amazing isn’t it. Let’s look at that.

What do the different Blessings have in common?

What do the different Woe’s Have in Common?

There is a stark difference between the lives of the Disciples and the lives of the opponents of Jesus. The life of following Jesus is not one that is promised to be always easy. There is an element of the promise that there will be hardship and suffering that comes with faith. There isn’t the promise of always having right now.

The Idea of Woe is important. It is caution. it is a reminder that when things are good there is more to be on guard about. Jesus was calling out the importance and the value of those who do not have.

We are reminded that God is a god of Justice and that he will make things right in the end. That if we live a life without regard to the things of God then we have a lot of reason to be Worried.

This doesn’t mean that Being rich or well fed is sinful it is saying that we need to be aware of how much we have and how we treat that and recognize the privilege it is.