“Walking With Jesus” aka ‘Walking in the Spirit’
‘...So Walk Ye In Him…’ Colossians 2:6
By Margie Green
“For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your ‘good’ order and the steadfastness of your faith IN CHRIST. As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding (flourishing) in it with thanksgiving.” Colossians 2: 5-7
What is the common Thread throughout Luke Chapters 13 & 14 of the many Parables as told by Jesus.
Jesus / Holy Spirit / God
The Cross
Our Salvation (Repent or Perish)
Each Parable Jesus shared, had me looking “inward’. Closely examining my motives, my heart, my life.
Are they Pure?
Am I being Selfless? (concerned more with the needs and wishes of others than with my own)
Does my life produce the “Fruit” God is looking for?
Am I keeping my eyes focused on Jesus and not the distractions of the world?
Am I God’s Humble Servant?
Chapter 13, Verses 1-30 are about Questions Answered by Jesus
- A Political Question about Justice - (13-1-9)
- A Legal Question about the Sabbath (13:10-21
· A Theological Question about Salvation (13:22-30)
- A Personal Question about Danger (13:31-35
Chapter 14 The Man Who Came To Dinner - Jesus addresses:
· The Pharisees - False Piety (14:1-6)
· The Guests - False Popularity (14:7-11)
· The Host - False Hospitality (14:12-14)
· The Jews - False Security (14:15-24)
- The Multitudes - False Expectancy (14:25-35)
Luke 14 tells us that: Jesus was invited to go have a meal at the house of a Pharisee.
Several Commentators said that Jesus never missed an invitation to a meal. (Remember the children's song, it says in Luke 19:5 “When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.” We can only guess that Zacchaeus fed Him while Jesus was a guest in his home.
There is also the ‘visual’ of Jesus standing at the door knocking….. Revelation 3:20 it says:
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and
opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”
****The invitation Jesus received to supper was on a Sabbath. Jesus speaks very specifically and honestly to five groups of people.
In verses 2-6 He speaks to the Pharisees about their pseudo-spirituality. (fake)
In verses 7-11, He talks to the guests surrounding Him about their miserable manners and practices.
In verses 12-14, He corrects the Host who invited Him concerning his wrong motives for hospitality.
In verses 15-24, He replies to the man who interrupted Him regarding his mistaken assumption of his destiny.
In verses 25-34, He addresses the crowd about their need to think carefully.
Jesus went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath: Even though Jesus had some of His greatest disputes with the Pharisees. (He still associated with them – not to be one of them, but to love them and show them a godly example.
They watched Him closely: The word used for watching is the word used for ‘interested and sinister espionage.’ Jesus was under scrutiny.” “They watched as intently as a dog doth for a bone.” Jesus was under constant observation. People wanted to know what He would do in different situations, and they formed their opinions about Jesus (and His God) based on what they saw.
In 2 Corinthians 3:2-3, Paul explains that we are letters from Jesus, that all men read. The letters are not written with ink, but with the Holy Spirit, and not on paper, but on our own hearts. ‘WE’ are the only kind of Bible that many will ever read.
Now the Sabbath meal was different from other meals in that all of the food had to be prepared before the Sabbath. You weren't to kindle any fire. If you were to have anything that was hot it had to be hot before the Sabbath. And somehow there had to be ways to maintain it being hot. Now in those days they also had definite rules of those things that you could not do to keep food hot and things you could do to keep food hot, but there was a kosher way of keeping your food hot even that they had developed for the Sabbath day.
So, the Sabbath day meal was different. And they were watching Jesus. Now it seems that they were watching Him because this was a setup. And, behold, there was a certain man before him who had the dropsy. And Jesus answering spake the words to the lawyers (Luk 14:2-3)
Answering what? It doesn't say they asked Him any question. BUT JESUS …. He knows the motives of our hearts - He knows what’s in our minds, even before we speak. Here He was invited to eat on the Sabbath day to break bread with them, and here right before Him they have set this man with this disease of dropsy next to him.
And so Jesus answering them, realizing that it was a setup, said to the lawyers and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? And they held their peace (Luk 14:3-4).
Jesus, again, answering a question with a question. And so Jesus took the man, healed him, and let him go; And he answered them again saying, “Which of you shall have an ass or an ox that has fallen into a pit, and will not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day?” And they could not answer him again to these things (Luk 14:4-6).
THE MEAL
There was always a Great importance placed around meals. Usually, they had at these feasts a table with three pillows around it. They were called tricliniums. (Jesus always shows me pictures in my mind - helps me understand what’s going on much better. This is one of those pictures). And they would usually sit the people three at a table, and the middle pillow would be the place of honor at that table. And say you were going to invite nine guests. You would have three tables set up in this triclinium, and at each of the tables you would have the center pillow for your guest of honor. And of course, they would sit and sort of recline, and that is why they are called tricliniums. They would recline on these pillows and eat in sort of a reclining position.
SPECIAL NOTE HERE: During a Bible Study recently with my husband, we were in the OT Book of Leviticus, regarding offering food to God. The people would offer up to God, an Ox or lamb (for example) without blemish, or if they were poor, they could offer a turtledove. The burnt offering sacrifice was a consecration (sacred) to the Lord, totally consumed by the fire, representing a life completely sacred (consecrated) to God. They would lay their hands on the sacrifice, identifying with the animal. Then the animal slain and burned on the altar, with its aroma rising up as a sweet-smelling savor to the Lord.
Romans 12:- Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship.
The grain offering was offered to God as a sweet savor of His enjoyment. Nothing smells better than bread while it is baking. “Lord, I am spending time with You, not to bring requests but just for Your pleasure and enjoyment.”
They could also offer up bread they had baked to the Lord - a symbol of the “work of man’s hands”. (They had tilled the soil, planted and harvested the seeds). They would be offering to God their service - the work of their hands, the ‘Sweet Aroma” of baked bread.
The “Peace Offering” - the ox/ cow/lamb etc, without blemish - A person would bring their animal to the priest, put their hand upon its head, and the animal was slain. The priest then burned the fat and a portion of the lamb, and gave a portion of the roasted lamb to the one who brought it to sit with their family and eat with God. And thus “they” came into this ‘Koinoina’ (FELLOWSHIP) with God.
THE IDEA WAS: They were ALL partaking in the ‘Same” meal - in FELLOWSHIP - With God - They became ‘Part with God”
In biblical times, eating together was very symbolic. Through this bread WE become united (one) as it is assimilated (taken in) to both our bodies.
This is why Communion Service is such a meaningful and beautiful experience. Jesus is the
bread that UNITES US ALL TOGETHER.
In the PARABLES, when Jesus was invited to share meals, He used these as teaching opportunities:
When invited to dinner / Wedding - Jesus Taught Humility
Don’t sit at the Best Seat unless someone more honorable than you should be asked to sit there. Sit at the lowest seat - be humble
A sign of Greatness is Humility
James 4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
When you invite others to dinner, don't just invite your friends or relatives who can reciprocate.
Our ‘Motive’ for sharing must be the praise of God and not the applause of men.
The eternal reward in heaven and not the temporary recognition on earth.
Mr. Wiersbe said; ‘You can’t get your reward twice’.
Luke 14: 12 Then he turned to his host. “When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward.
Be careful when you make an ‘Excuse’ to God and you don’t have a ‘Real’ Reason.
The person who is good at excuses is not good at anything else.
‘The skin of a reason is stuffed with a lie’.
People today make the same mistake that the people in the parable made; they delay in responding to the invitation because they settle for second best. The Christian life is a feast, not a funeral and everyone is invited to come.
Mark 5:19 “But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.”
God is giving us ALL the INVITATION to the SUPPER - THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB.
ARE WE GOING TO ACCEPT HIS INVITATION? Or ARE WE MAKING EXCUSES? WILL WE BE LEFT OUT WHEN THE DOOR IS SHUT? LUKE 15:1-2 SUMS THIS ALL UP:
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
Jesus Receives Sinners - Us
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
We can become One with Christ
Romans 6:5 If we have become one with Christ in His death, we will be one with Him in being raised from the dead to new life.
1 John 1:3 “We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have ‘Fellowship” with us - and our fellowship is with the Father and with the Son, Jesus Christ.
FELLOWSHIP - Communion, ONENESS with the Eternal God. This is the Ultimate purpose for our existence.
How do we Rate “Our Own” FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD?
Casual?
Close?
Intimate?
Choose to have an intimate relationship with God.
Fellowship / Dine with Him DAILY.
Become One (1) with HIM
HE IS THE ‘BREAD OF LIFE”
John 6:35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
HE IS THE “ LIVING WATER”
John 7:38 “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”
GOD WANTS A LOVING RELATIONSHIP WITH US. HE INITIATED THIS RELATIONSHIP BY HIS LOVE FOR US. JOHN 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
WE LOVE HIM BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US. 1 John 4:19
We HAVE NOTHING GOD NEEDS
WE CAN ONLY GIVE HIM WHAT HE DESIRES FROM US…..
-OUR LOVE -
Sources: Warren Wiersbe
Matthew Henry
Charles Spurgeon
Chuck Smith
David Guzik
Luke 3:13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it,[fn] but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,
Luke 3:14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.