Jesus in Luke: The Son of Man Invites Everyone In
Luke’s account portrays Jesus as the Son of Man, a title Jesus often used of Himself, and was written to the Greeks. It presents the human side of Jesus and emphasizes his teaching. Greeks were famous for their story-telling so the most frequent phrase in Luke is “and it came to pass.”
Most movies of the life of Jesus rely primarily on Luke’s gospel because of its flowing narrative form. Luke is the most vigorous champion of the outsider. An outsider himself, the only Gentile in an all-Jewish cast of New Testament writers, he shows how Jesus includes those who typically were treated as outsiders by the religious establishment of the day; women, common laborers (sheepherders), the racially different (Samaritans), the poor.
We can identify with Jesus. Jesus identified with us so we would be able to identify with him.
For years Monterey, CA, was a pelican’s paradise. As the fishermen cleaned their fish, the birds feasted on all that was left over. The birds became fat and lazy having grown dependent upon the fishermen’s continued practices.
Eventually, these scraps were utilized and the practice of feeding the pelicans ceased. No longer in the practice of fishing for themselves many starved to death. New pelicans were imported from the south and placed among their starving relatives. These new arrivals immediately started catching fish. The process of mentoring had begun and before long the famine was ended. These pelicans needed another pelican they could identify with to show them the way to live. This is a great demonstration of how Jesus came and became one of us to show us how to live!
Luke 7:8-9 (Roman Centurion say it and it will be done) I am a man under authority, with soldiers under me…9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel." NIV
Luke would highlight such a statement and there is a very important reason I want us to see. There is only one other place I’ve found in Scripture where Jesus remarks about a person’s great faith. It is the story of the Canaanite woman who made her request to Jesus referencing dogs that eat crumbs from their master’s table.
Matt 15:22-28 A Canaanite woman came to him, crying out…"Lord, help me!" she said. 26 He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." 27 "Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." 28 Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith!" NIV
The context of her pursuit was among Jews who considered Gentiles as dogs because of their idolatry of which she was aware. In the context of this situation he’s speaking what she was feeling and what the Jews were thinking.
This centurion and this Canaanite had one thing in common. They were both Gentiles with no awareness of the Law. They were more conscious of Jesus than they were conscious of sin
Rom 3:20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. NIV
Jesus was invited in to a Pharisee’s house and a sinful woman anoints his feet. The Pharisee is outraged and Jesus responds with this parable:
Luke 7:41-43 "Two men owed money. One owed 500 denarii & the other 50. Neither had the money to pay, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?" 43 Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled." "You have judged correctly," Jesus said. NIV
Those who say “God couldn’t forgive me, I’ve made too many mistakes” are actually candidates to be more appreciative of and in touch with his grace than others. However, it is wrong to think that the more sinful you were before Jesus saved you the more you will love God.
James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. NASB
You are completely guilty no matter what you have or have not done. If our two kids were sprayed by a skunk and one is three feet closer then technically one doesn’t stink as bad but they both stink. We are all completely sinful without Christ. Stop thinking you’re not stinking. You stink!
The problem is “gooder” people feel better than “badder” people = pride wears a crafty disguise to hijack grace.
Adam sinned and exchanged his freedom for slavery. The children of a slave were born into slavery and their children as well. Regardless of your behavior, you’re still a slave in need of a Savior. Jesus came to bring us out. Don’t be deceived into thinking your goodness makes you better. Because of sin we all really stink.
Jesus alone moves from the grip of guilt to the grip of grace. #destinyokc
You are completely guilty no matter what you have or have not done. Because we are all completely sinful without Christ your actions never determined your guilt.
Thank God for his wonderful grace through Jesus Christ who drew us in including us in his love
DISCUSSION GUIDE FOR COMMUNITY GROUP LEADERS
Click here for a downloadable pdf file of this discussion guide.
Icebreaker: What was the best thing that happened to you this past week?
Jesus came addressing the exclusive religious order of his day moving the order from exclusion to inclusion. Luke helps address this issue.
Discussion Question:
1. Have you ever felt excluded or treated as an outsider? How did you respond and
were you able to gain entrance?
Luke 7:8-9 (Roman Centurion say it and it will be done) I am a man under authority, with soldiers under me…When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” NIV
Jesus was fascinated with the faith of two people in Scripture; this situation with the Roman Centurion and then with the Canaanite woman. They had only one thing in common. They were both Gentiles with no awareness of the law.
Romans 3:20 “..through the law we become conscious of sin.” NIV
Discussion Questions:
1. Share some ways religion can cause people to feel defeated?
2. How are you spending intimate time with God in a way that is more relational
than religious?
One huge problem with religion is that people who behave somewhat better than others become proud of not being so sinful. This is a lie and is a trick of the enemy to get us involved in the sin of pride.
James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. NASB
We are all completely and totally sinful without Christ because of the Fall of mankind regardless of our personal behaviors.
Jesus alone moves from the grip of guilt to the grip of grace.
Discussion Question:
1. Share a time in your life when you moved from guilt to grace discovering greater
freedom in Christ.
Take a few moments to pray with anyone in your group who feels they are under the grip of guilt.
GP4RL: Give thank you cards for month of November.
GOING DEEPER
Luke’s account portrays Jesus as the Son of Man, a title Jesus often used of Himself, and was written to the Greeks. It presents the human side of Jesus and emphasizes his teaching. Greeks were famous for their story telling form of oratory, so the most frequent phrase in Luke is “and it came to pass.” Most movies of the life of Jesus rely primarily on Luke’s gospel because of its flowing narrative form. Luke’s genealogy traces Jesus all the way back to Adam, the first man (Luke 3:21-38). Since the Greeks, like the Romans, were a polytheistic society, Luke used the casting out of a demon as his first miracle, and ended his gospel with the promise of the Holy Spirit, uniting man with God.
The Message Bible Introduction to Luke: “Most of us, most of the time, feel left out-misfits. We don’t belong. Others seem to be so confident, so sure of themselves, ‘insiders’ who know the ropes, old hands in a club from which we are excluded.
One of the ways we have of responding to this is to form our own club, or join one that will have us. Here is at least one place where we are ‘in’ and the others ‘out.’ The clubs range from informal to formal in gatherings that are variously political, social, cultural, and economic.
But the one thing that they have in common is the principle of exclusion. Identity or worth is achieved by excluding all but the chosen. The terrible price we pay for keeping all those other people out so that we can savor the sweetness of being insiders is a reduction of reality, a shrinkage of life.
Nowhere is this price more terrible than when it is paid in the cause of religion. But religion has a long history of doing just that, of reducing the huge mysteries of God to the respectability of club rules, of shrinking the vast human community to a “membership.” But with God there are no outsiders.
Luke is the most vigorous champion of the outsider. An outsider himself, the only Gentile in an all-Jewish cast of New Testament writers, he shows how Jesus includes those who typically were treated as outsiders by the religious establishment of the day; women, common laborers (sheepherders), the racially different (Samaritans), the poor. He will not countenance religion as a club. As Luke tells the story, all of us who have found ourselves on the outside looking in on life with no hope of gaining entracnce (and who of us hasn’t felt it?) now find the doors wide open, found and welcomed by God in Jesus.
Gospel of inclusion = written by an outsider who was looking in as Jesus included him and brought him in.
Luke is the most vigorous champion of the outsider. An outsider himself, the only Gentile in an all-Jewish cast of New Testament writers, he shows how Jesus includes those who typically were treated as outsiders by the religious establishment of the day; women, common laborers (sheepherders), the racially different (Samaritans), the poor.