Day 65

Luke 12:54-59 (NIV)

⁵⁴ He said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does. ⁵⁵ And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. ⁵⁶ Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?

⁵⁷ “Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? ⁵⁸ As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled to him on the way, or he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. ⁵⁹ I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.”

Helpful Info

The climatological phenomena he describes are indigenous to Palestine, where the west wind would bring moisture inland from the Mediterranean (cf. 1 Kgs 18:44–45) and the south wind would bring the heat from the Negev desert, “a furnace blast of desert air (common in late spring) that can raise the temperature thirty degrees in an hour. Green, J. B. (1997). The Gospel of Luke. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Luke 12:54–59 (NIV)

Pray for God to show you something to use from the passage

Read the Passage

Who is in the passage?

What action verbs do you see?

What other words stick out in your mind

Questions

Do we look at life through the spiritual eyes of God? What keeps us from doing this?

Why do people decide not to settle with God?

Notes

vs 54-56 Jesus now turns back to the crowds and talks about why they cannot see what is right in front of them.

They can see the weather and predict well. (see above Info) Why can they not see with their spiritual eyes what is right before them and do something about it? (think about 7:21-22 or 11:29-32)

vs 56 Hypocrites is a strong rebuke.

This present time- what is happening before them (john 1:10-11)

They do have to interpret, Jesus isn't going to give them the sign that leaves no room for faith, that will come at His second coming. This time Jesus is giving them more than they need to see who he is but they must reason it out.

vs 57- they have the ability to figure it out. To see Jesus is the Christ.

vs 58-59- Jesus uses the illustration of Greek court system to explain what they should do with the fact that he is the Christ--

The adversary has been wronged by you and is taking you to court. Wouldn't it be smart to settle the matter before the irreversible judgment is made? -- Jesus saying you know you done wrong settle with God before it is too late. Jesus is the opportunity for settlement with God. It is up to them to use the opportunity.

If you wait then you will be judged and have to go to prison. And that settlement is final. Every last penny (actual the coin he talks of is worth about 25min of an average days wage. It is the lowest denomination of coin)

Jesus is trying to get them to look and see what is being offered by God to them. It is Jesus! Take advantage of it!

Do we see with Spiritual eyes what God offers us? Do we act on it?