The Rich Man & Lazarus

Sunday, January 29, 2012

The Rich Man & Lazarus

Week 16 

Bible Text: Luke 16:19-31

Key Verse: Luke 16:29-31

Luke 16:19 a rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen: fine linen would have been expensive, and purple was a color reserved for people of wealth, royalty, or connections to the Roman Empire. The rich man could be one of the colonizers, who built cities for themselves from taxes and tributes imposed on the Jews. Colonizers were also known to drive people from their farms, making former landowners their servants. Original readers of Luke would not have felt sorry for this man.

Luke 16:20 at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus: the Greek may be translated as "thrown at the rich man's door". This is not the Lazarus Jesus raised from the dead (John 11:43-44). If this is a parable, it is the only one in which Jesus gave a name to one of the characters "covered in sores".

 

Luke 16:24 send Lazarus: the rich man believes he can give commands from Hades and Lazarus will obey. Notice that he speaks to Abraham and not directly to Lazarus.

 

Luke 16:30 someone from the dead: the story may suggest that Lazarus was intended, but Luke's account seems to imply that Jesus was speaking also of his own resurrection. If a person's mind is closed and Scripture is rejected, no evidence, not even a resurrection, will change him.

 

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Monday: Devotional Reading – Time for prayer & adoration:

Read through the scripture several times, just listening to the words.

Tuesday: Literary Reading – Listen for literary content:

Focus on the text, itself.

Wednesday: Lutheran Theological Reading – Read from a Lutheran perspective:

Reflect on the convictions, insights and expectations that rise particularly from our Lutheran Heritage.

Thursday: Historical Reading – Read with an ear for History:

Reflect on the historical situation.

Friday: Catch up on missed reading time

Saturday & Sunday: Day of Rest

For More Detailed Reflection Questions please check-out the link "Daily Reflection Questions" link.

Daily Reflection Questions

The Parables of the Lost & Found

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Week 15 

Bible Text: Luke 15:1-32

Key Verse: Luke 15:31-32

Luke 15:2 the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling: the Pharisees are not happy that Jesus draws crowds of tax collectors and sinners.

Luke 15:4-7 which are you: the answer to Jesus' question is that no one would do this. Sheep left unattended in the wilderness could scatter and be attacked and eaten by wild animals. This shepherd will do anything to bring one sheep home.

Luke 15:8-10 ten silver coins: these coins are drachmas, each worth about one day's wage. Even if these are the only coins she has, could a women in the ancient world set aside all other tasks to look for one lost coin? The answer is "no". This women will do anything to find one lost coin.

 

Luke 15:12 share the property: in Jewish families, sons inherited goods and property from their fathers, with the oldest son generally receiving a larger share. The inheritance was usually divided only after the death of the father, so the younger son's request is unusual.

 

Luke 15:17 when he came to himself: this phrase does not necessarily imply that the son repents. He does not think about how he has wronged his father - that comes later, perhaps in 15:21. Literally, his first thought is, "How many of the hired workers of my father have too much bread?"

 

Luke 15:32 this brother of yours was dead: this statement might be like one person cutting off a relationship with another by saying, "you are dead to me". It could also mean that the son, who was starving even before he started to return home, looked like a dead person when he arrived home.

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Monday: Devotional Reading – Time for prayer & adoration:

Read through the scripture several times, just listening to the words.

Tuesday: Literary Reading – Listen for literary content:

Focus on the text, itself.

Wednesday: Lutheran Theological Reading – Read from a Lutheran perspective:

Reflect on the convictions, insights and expectations that rise particularly from our Lutheran Heritage.

Thursday: Historical Reading – Read with an ear for History:

Reflect on the historical situation.

Friday: Catch up on missed reading time

Saturday & Sunday: Day of Rest

For More Detailed Reflection Questions please check-out the link "Daily Reflection Questions" link.

Daily Reflection Questions

 

Healing the Bent Over Woman

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Week 14 

Bible Text: Luke 13:10-17

Key Verse: Luke 13:16

Luke 13:11 with a spirit that had crippled: various disorders were caused by evil spirits. The description of this woman's infirmity suggests that the bones of her spine were rigidly fused together.
Luke 13:14 cured on the sabbath: a focal point of the attack against Jesus was his conduct on the Sabbath.

Luke 13:16-17: this phrase emphasizes that the woman is Jewish. Being Jewish makes a difference. Paul makes the same point in Romans 3:2. Jews, he says, have been entrusted with God's revelations and have received God's irrevocable gifts and call. Those listening to Jesus also appear to agree, because they are ashamed when they absorb the point of his argument.

 

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Monday: Devotional Reading – Time for prayer & adoration:

Read through the scripture several times, just listening to the words.

Tuesday: Literary Reading – Listen for literary content:

Focus on the text, itself.

Wednesday: Lutheran Theological Reading – Read from a Lutheran perspective:

Reflect on the convictions, insights and expectations that rise particularly from our Lutheran Heritage.

Thursday: Historical Reading – Read with an ear for History:

Reflect on the historical situation.

Friday: Catch up on missed reading time

Saturday & Sunday: Day of Rest

For More Detailed Reflection Questions please check-out the link "Daily Reflection Questions" link.

Daily Reflection Questions

Week 13; The Good Samaritan

Bible Text: Luke 10:25-37

Key Verse: Luke 10:27, 28

Luke 10:25-29 wanting to justify himself: this phrase could indicate that the man is trying to make himself righteous before God, or simply win an argument. it could also mean he is serious about observing God's teachings, not to earn favor with God, but to thank and praise, serve, and obey God.

Luke 10:33 a Samaritan: this is a story about being a neighbor, and it is also about the important contributions made by out-siders. The last time Samaritans were mentioned in Luke (9:51-56), they refused to welcome Jesus. The fact that a Samaritan stopped to help the man who was beaten would have surprised first-century readers.

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Monday: Devotional Reading – Time for prayer & adoration:

Read through the scripture several times, just listening to the words.

Tuesday: Literary Reading – Listen for literary content:

Focus on the text, itself.

Wednesday: Lutheran Theological Reading – Read from a Lutheran perspective:

Reflect on the convictions, insights and expectations that rise particularly from our Lutheran Heritage.

Thursday: Historical Reading – Read with an ear for History:

Reflect on the historical situation.

Friday: Catch up on missed reading time

Saturday & Sunday: Day of Rest

For More Detailed Reflection Questions please check-out the link "Daily Reflection Questions" link.

Daily Reflection Questions

Week 12: The Sending of the Seventy

Bible Text: Matthew 8:19-22, Luke 10:1-16

Key Verse: Luke 10:8, 16

Matthew 8:19-22 I will follow you: The scribes were scholars who studied, copied, interpreted, and taught the Scriptures. they tend to be connected with the Pharisees in Matthew's Gospel. If one wants to follow Jesus, nothing else can matter. He has no home in the world. That points to Jesus' death on the cross.

Luke 10:1 appointed seventy-two: recorded only in Luke, though similar instructions were given to the Twelve. Certain differences in early manuscripts make it unclear as to whether the number was 72 or 70.

Luke 10:9 the kingdom of God is near: this is the heart of Jesus' message.

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Monday: Devotional Reading – Time for prayer & adoration:

Read through the scripture several times, just listening to the words.

Tuesday: Literary Reading – Listen for literary content:

Focus on the text, itself.

Wednesday: Lutheran Theological Reading – Read from a Lutheran perspective:

Reflect on the convictions, insights and expectations that rise particularly from our Lutheran Heritage.

Thursday: Historical Reading – Read with an ear for History:

Reflect on the historical situation.

Friday: Catch up on missed reading time

Saturday & Sunday: Day of Rest

For More Detailed Reflection Questions please check-out the link "Daily Reflection Questions" link.

Daily Reflection Questions