As Jesus’ time on earth shortened, the religious leaders were ramping up their opposition to him, trying to trip him up through the questions they were asking. If they could get him to say the wrong thing, they would have a reason to have him arrested.

Jesus took advantage of this opportunity to teach his followers. His time was short and there was still so much he wanted them to know. Jesus’ focus was on preparing them for how they should live their lives as they wait for his return.

His wisdom is still valid for us today as we wait for the day when Jesus will come back for us. Let’s simply sit at the feet of Jesus this morning and soak in all of the things he felt it was important for his followers to hear before he left them.

1. GIVE:

“…give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.” – Matthew 22:21

There’s an element of honesty here. As we live in a community, we cooperate with the government and authorities by giving what is required of us. In the same way, we live a generous and honest life with God, giving the tithe that is required but also responding generously to anything He asks us to give.

2. STUDY:

When the Sadducees asked him a question about the resurrection from the dead, Jesus said, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God” (22:29). By studying God’s word, I increase my knowledge of the Scriptures and gain a clearer understanding of who God is and how incredibly BIG He is! This understanding helps me face any situation before me.

3. LOVE:

When the Pharisees tried to trap Jesus with the question of which commandment in the Law of Moses was the most important, Jesus answered: “’You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments” (22:37-40).

The Law of Moses can be quite overwhelming but if we focus on living our lives out of a deep love for God and love for others, the result will be a life marked by holy living.

4. PRACTICE:

When we love God with all our heart, soul and mind, we live a life to please only Him rather than focusing on pleasing people. Our religion becomes more than just what we say but how we live. Unlike the Pharisees, we practice what we preach.

“So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden. Everything they do is for show” (23:3-5a).

5. BE HUMBLE:

“The greatest among you must be a servant. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (23:11-12).

Jesus went to the fig tree looking for fruit and there was none.

In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he was hungry, and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” And immediately the fig tree withered up. – Matthew 21:18-19

Jesus went to the Temple looking for fruit and there was none.

Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling coves. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!” – Matthew 21:12-13

What is worse – to say you will NOT bear fruit but then bear fruit, or to say that you WILL bear fruit but then NOT bear fruit?

“But what do you think about this? A man with two sons told the older boy, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ The son answered, ‘No, I won’t go,’ but later he changed his mind and went anyway. Then the father told the other son, ‘You go,’ and he said, ‘Yes, sir, I will.’ But he didn’t go.

“Which of the two obeyed his father?” – Matthew 21:28-31a

Jesus has purchased our salvation and prepared the way for us to bear fruit. He expects us to do what he has called us to do – bear fruit. If we do not make use of this salvation and bear fruit as he intended, what will his response be?

“Now listen to another story. A certain landowner planted a vineyard, built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenant farmers and moved to another country. At the time of the grape harvest, he sent his servants to collect his share of the crop. But the farmers grabbed his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. So the landowner sent a larger group of his servants to collect for him, but the results were the same.

“I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit. Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.” – Matthew 21:33-44

If we call ourselves Christians and create an appearance of being Christian, yet our lives do not produce fruit, we are wolves disguised as sheep.

“Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.” – Matthew 7:15-20

Producing fruit is not something I can do on my own. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes? I have to allow God to make me into a good tree in order to produce good fruit. I go to God, just as I am, submitting who I am in order to be clothed with who He is.

“The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a king who prepared a great wedding feast for his son…But when the king came in to meet the guests, he noticed a man who wasn’t wearing the proper clothes for a wedding. ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how is it that you are here without wedding clothes?’ But the man had no reply. Then the king said to his aides, ‘Bind his hands and feet and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

“For many are called, but few are chosen.” – Matthew 22:2,11-14

Am I wearing the “proper clothes” today? Am I clothed in the kind of real faith that produces spiritual fruit?

Precious Lord, thank you for the gift of salvation and the opportunity to work in your vineyard today. Empty me of my own selfish tendencies, fill me with your Spirit and work through me to produce fruit for you today. Amen.

Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. They can’t fast while the groom is with them. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. – Mark 2:19-20

Early on in his ministry, Jesus began talking about his death. The disciples were slow to understand but Jesus was preparing them, little by little, for what was ahead. As time went on, he would give them a little more information about the suffering that was coming.

Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead. – Mark 8:31

Six days later Jesus took Peter, James and John and led them up a high mountain to be alone. As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed and his clothes became dazzling white, far whiter than any earthly bleach could ever make them. Then Elijah and Moses appeared and began talking with Jesus.

As they went back down the mountain, he told them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept it to themselves, but they often asked each other what he meant by “rising from the dead.” – Mark 9:2-10

God could have opened up the minds of the disciples and helped them to understand how Scripture was being fulfilled. Jesus could have had a lengthy conversation with His followers, clearly revealing His role and what was about to take place. But sometimes God reveals things a little at a time – all as a part of His larger plan.

“The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but three days later he will rise from the dead.” They didn’t understand what he was saying, however, and they were afraid to ask him what he meant. – Mark 9:31b-32

They were now on the way up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. The disciples were filled with awe, and the people following behind were overwhelmed with fear. – Mark 10:32a

They did not understand what was about to happen, yet they could feel the enormity of what was coming. They had a choice, yet they continued to follow Jesus. Their love for Jesus Christ and their faith in him was enough to continue moving forward, regardless of their fear or anticipation of the unknown.

“Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die and hand him over to the Romans. They will mock him, spit on him, flog him with a whip, and kill him, but after three days he will rise again.” – Mark 10:33-34

“…Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?…” – Mark 10:38b

“…For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Mark 10:45

There have been many times in my life where I was able to look back and see the evidence of how God was preparing me for my current situation. I did not understand at the time, but later God increased my understanding. Looking back, I can see how various experiences in my life were shaping me into the person I needed to be for God’s plan. I can look back and see how God was revealing, little by little, things I needed to learn for a future purpose.

Because I can look back, as the disciples did, and understand NOW what God was teaching me THEN, I can trust Him with my TODAY knowing that God has a plan for my TOMORROW.

Pray boldly…

Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus with her sons. She knelt respectfully to ask a favor. “What is your request?” he asked.

“Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!”

Pray sacrificially. Am I able and willing to suffer for Christ?…

Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup. But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or on my left. My father has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.”

When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Matthew 20:20-28

Pray for opportunities to serve and not to be exalted or glorified…

As Jesus and the disciples left the town of Jericho, a large crowd followed behind. Two blind men were sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was coming that way, they began shouting, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

Pray with passion…

“Be quiet!” the crowd yelled at them.

When Jesus heard them, he stopped and called, “What do you want me to see!”

Pray specifically. What am I asking Jesus to do?

Jesus felt sorry for them and touched their eyes. Instantly they could see! Then they followed him. – Matthew 20:29-34

In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he was hungry, and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” And immediately the fig tree withered up.

The disciples were amazed when they saw this and asked, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?”

Pray confidently, knowing what Jesus is capable of accomplishing…

Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.” – Matthew 21:18-22

Pray in faith and without doubt. Pray for anything…

Pray…

Pray to God persistently…

One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”

Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?” – Luke 18:1-8

Pray to God humbly without self-righteousness and without the attitude that God owes me or that I am more righteous than someone else…

“Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week and I give you a tenth of my income.’

“But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful on me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” – Luke 18:10-14

Pray to God with a child’s heart…

“Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” – Luke 18:16-17

Pray to God with empty hands…

Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: “Good teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”

Those who heard this said, “Then who in the world can be saved?” – Luke 18:18-26

Pray in faith, knowing that nothing is impossible for God…

He replied, “What is impossible for people is possible with God.”
Peter said, “We’ve left our homes to follow you.”
“Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the Kingdom of God, will be repaid many times over in this life, and will have eternal life in the world to come.” – Luke 18:27-30

Serve God generously…

Luke chapter 16 spoke strongly of how we should serve God generously with our time, resources and money. In Luke 17, Jesus calls us to serve God faithfully, as a servant would serve his master. To serve God faithfully requires obedient submission to Jesus and His commands. We serve God faithfully, not looking for applause or thanks but simply out of obedience and dedication to our Master.

Serve God faithfully…

“When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of the sheep, does his master say, ‘Come in and eat with me’? No, he says, ‘Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.’ And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. In the same way, when you obey me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.’” – Luke 17:7-10

We know that God blesses His children, but do I serve Him in order to obtain those blessings or am I content in simply knowing that I have obeyed and knowing that my Master is pleased with my faithfulness?

Serve God obediently…

As he entered a village there, ten lepers stood at a distance, crying out, “Jesus, Master have mercy on us!”

He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. – Luke 17:12-14

Jesus could have touched them and healed them immediately but instead, he gave them a command. Their response was immediate obedience. Before they even completed the task Jesus asked of them, they had received their healing.

Serve God thankfully…

One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan.

Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.” – Luke 17:15-19

Serve God for His glory…

When we take the time to thank God for all He is doing for us, we are taking the glory of the good in our lives and giving that glory to God. No assuming God knows we are thankful. No wondering if our blessings our circumstantial – God gets the credit. Not a result of my own doing or righteousness, but out of His grace and mercy, God gets the glory!

Serve God patiently waiting for His coming…

Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when the Son of Man returns, but you won’t see it. People will tell you, ‘Look, there is the Son of Man,’ or ‘Here he is,’ but don’t go out and follow them. For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other, so it will be on the day when the Son of Man comes. But first the Son of Man must suffer terribly and be rejected by this generation.

“And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot. People went about their daily business – eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building – until the morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and burning sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. Yes, it will be ‘business as usual right up to the day when the Son of Man is revealed. On that day a person out on the deck of the roof must not go down into the house to pack. A person out in the field must not return home. Remember what happened to Lot’s wife! If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it. That night two people will be asleep in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding flour together at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.” – Luke 17:22-36

Lord, today may you be pleased with our service to You. May you find us generous, faithful, obedient, and thankful. To YOU be the glory for all the good things in our lives yesterday, today and tomorrow. As we patiently wait for your return, we will go about whatever business you daily call us to. We are Your servants and You are our Master. Our eyes are fixed on You. Thank you for Your grace and for Your mercy. We love You, precious Father! Amen.

Then Jesus told this story to his disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a manager handling his affairs. One day a report came that the manager was wasting his employer’s money. So the employer called him in and said, ‘What’s this I hear about you? Get your report in order because you are going to be fired.’” – Luke 16:1-2

Have you ever noticed how much time Jesus spent talking about money and the temptations of worldly riches verses building treasures in heaven? Here the lesson is about wasting money – money that does not even belong to us but to our Master. My natural tendency when I read this Scripture is to assume that God is not talking to me; after all, I don’t have that much money to waste. But this morning I know He is talking to me.

When the man realized that he would soon be out of a job and homeless, he decided it was time to make friends – fast! He went around to his customers and one by one reduced the debt they owed to the employer, creating a group of people who were grateful to him. Instead of being angry, the employer admired the shrewdness of the manager.

“And it is true that the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world around them than are the children of the light. Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your earthly possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home.

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” – Luke 16:8b-13

In our society, money = status. In Heaven, it will not. But, how we use the resources God gives us here on earth will certainly impact our eternity. Jesus told this story:

“There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores.

“But Abraham replied, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead.’” – Luke 16:19-31

Lord, open my ears so that I may hear you today. Show me ways in which I am wasting my money, my time, my resources, my life. May I live each moment directed by You, filling my time and using my resources for Heavenly gain and not earthly status or pleasures. Amen.

Count the cost…no one can be more important.

“If you want to be my disciples, you must hate everyone else by comparison – your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters – yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple.” – Luke 14:26

Count the cost…nothing can be more important.

“But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’

“Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? And if he can’t, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.” –Luke 14:28-33

Count the cost…Am I prepared to leave the ninety-nine to rescue the one?

“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over nine-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!” – Luke 15:4-7

Count the cost…How hard am I willing to search for the lost? Will I go out of my way?

“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she find it, she will call her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.” – Luke 15:8-10

Count the cost…Will I rejoice when the lost is found? Will I join Heaven’s celebration or am I too focused on myself to find joy in someone else’s salvation?

To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.

“His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’” – Luke 15:11-32

Our human nature is to think of ourselves first – to provide for our own needs then care for others out of our excess. Jesus preaches a different kind of lifestyle – commitment to Jesus, thinking of God and how He would want us to care for others before our own concern for ourselves.

Jesus noticed that all who had come to dinner were trying to sit in the seats of honor near the head of the table, he gave them this advice: “When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? The host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table!

“Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” – Luke 14:7-11

Maybe this is where we developed the customary question, “Is this seat saved?” It has become a common courtesy to ask this question before sitting down in a seat. Now, no one likes false humility either so I am guessing that Jesus is not encouraging us to pretend humility but to sincerely humble ourselves, thinking of others first.

Jesus addresses the question of who we are choosing to sit with as well. Do we think of who will make us look good or who will make us feel better about ourselves, or do we ask the question, “Who would you like for me to love on today, Jesus.”

Then he turned to the 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 reward. Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.” – Luke 14:12-14

Again, we cannot be focused on what we can gain from someone else but on what someone else can gain from God through us. God wants us responding to His Spirit and ministering to whoever He sends us to, not thinking of ourselves for own gain but seeing ourselves as tools God may want to use in any and every situation. But how often do we make excuses for our own selfishness? How often is our commitment to our own plans stronger than our commitment to God’s plans for us?

Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I now have a wife, so I can’t come.’
“The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.’” – Luke 14:16-24

Commitment to God – fully devoted to Him. God calls us to count the cost before making the decision of whether or not to accept His invitation. It will require humility, it will require us being more committed to Him than we are to our own plans. Today is a great day to renew our commitment. God, how would you like to use me today?

A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, “If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.

“Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? And if he can’t, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.” – Luke 14:25-33