Luke Week 21: 7:11-35

What are the different feelings that we experience?

Have you ever thought of God as Emotionless?

It wasn’t uncommon in the middle east to have a view of God that is known as stoicism. This is the idea that God did not experience emotion. Stoics believed that the primary characteristic of God was Apathy. There argument was this.

If someone can make another sad, glad, or joyful even if for just a moment he can influence that person. This makes them greater then the other person. No Can be greater than God (have influence over him). Therefore God can not be capable of emotion.

This view of God would drastically change the way we understand the Gospel and even the stories of Jeuse lets read together.

Read Luke 7:11-16

Luke 7:11–16 NIV

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.”

When you hear the words of v. 13, “his heart went out to her” what emotion is Jesus showing? Why is that important?

Compassion is an amazing emotion. It is something that can drive us to be more than who we are. It is something that pushes us and challenges us to do acts outside of our normal activity. I am always amazed when we show compassion and love for others because it is here that we also connect to people at a deeper level. Jesus’ heart was breaking for this woman. He wanted her to be comforted. This was a great loss for her because she is a widow and she has lost her only son. Her only son would have been her provider. Her future was uncertain and falling apart in this moment.

This story is compared to the story of Elijah and the widow at Zarephath.

1 Kings 17:17–24 NIV

17 Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. 18 She said to Elijah, “What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?” 19 “Give me your son,” Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. 20 Then he cried out to the Lord, “Lord my God, have you brought tragedy even on this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?” 21 Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the Lord, “Lord my God, let this boy’s life return to him!” 22 The Lord heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived. 23 Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, “Look, your son is alive!” 24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth.”

Elijah the great prophet showed compassion. Jesus showed compassion on this women.

How do you think people would respond today to someone coming back from the dead?

Read Luke 7:18-23

Luke 7:18–23 NIV

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.”

Is it Odd that John is not sure about Jesus? Why?

John had certian expectations of who Jesus was going to be as the Messiah. Jesus was not doing or acting like the Messiah that John expected. John expected the Unquenchable fire

Luke 3:17 NIV

17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

John expected Judgement. Jesus Was a healer and a teacher.

Luke 7:23 NIV

23 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

This is connected to Isaiah Chapter 8

Isaiah 8:14–15 NIV

14 He will be a holy place; for both Israel and Judah he will be a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare. 15 Many of them will stumble; they will fall and be broken, they will be snared and captured.”

Read Luke 7:24-30

Luke 7:24–30 NIV

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.)

What is the problem with a shallow faith?

Malachi 1:6 NIV

6 “A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the Lord Almighty. “It is you priests who show contempt for my name. “But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’

Read Luke 7:31-35

Luke 7:31–35 NIV

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.”

Who are the people of this generation?

who can please the fickle and self centered?