Author: Stephen Ricker

Luke 16:18 is today’s BDBD

A quick read of the passage could lead a person to say that Jesus’s mention of divorce and adultery is out of place and not connected to the “Parable of the Shrewd Manager” (1-13) nor Jesus’ response to the sneering Pharisees (14-17). However, upon study, it is in the perfect place. Jesus mentioned that the […]

Luke 16:16-17 is today’s BDBD

Jesus divided Israel’s history into two covenant periods (though more can be found like God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who became Israel.). The former Jesus called “The Law and the Prophets.” The present he called “The Good News of the Kingdom of God.” God supplied words for both covenants, words to live by. […]

Luke 16:13-15 is today’s BDBD

Jesus was addressing his disciples (1). However, it appears that some Pharisees were also in the crowd (14). They were wolves in sheep’s clothing, sneering as Jesus taught. Jesus stated, “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and […]

Luke 16:10-13 is today’s BDBD

The quantity of valuables do not determine if a person is trustworthy with someone else’s possessions. Trust is earned by being faithful in small matters, for whether it is a small amount or a large amount, if a person is untrustworthy with one, they are untrustworthy with billions. If a person is untrustworthy with something […]

Luke 16:1-9 is today’s BDBD

The “Parable of the Shrewd Manager” (aka “The Parable of the Unfaithful Steward”, and “The Parable of the Dishonest Manager”) can distract a person’s attention to side debates and thoughts till one loses the main point of the parable. This is a difficult teaching to comprehend. The details, though interesting, seem mostly to support the […]

Luke 15:31-32 is today’s BDBD

Jesus concluded “The Parable of the Prodical Son” by revealing God’s love for both sons. Perhaps a better title would be “The Father’s Love for Sons Who Reject Him.” Yet, that is too long. How about simply “The Father’s Love”? When the Father addresses the older son, Jesus does not say that the older son […]

Luke 15:25-30 is today’s BDBD

How many times does something happen in my life and I ask, “Why?” “Why did God allow this to happen?” I try to do the right thing, knowing that I will fall short of perfection. Yet, I believe that I have done enough of the right things to live a life where goodness and mercy […]

Luke 15:20-24 is today’s BDBD

The younger son “came to his senses” (17, literally “came to himself”), meaning he had given himself over to experience stimuli, a type of madness of the soul (heart, will, and mind). Now, he retook control of his soul. He decided to return to his father, knowing not what awaited him. He hoped to experience […]

Luke 15:13-19 is today’s BDBD

Looking from a mountain top citadel, the view of opposing mountains and the valleys looks like a journey of adventure and fun. However, one does not see the rivers between are fast turbulent bearriers. Nor seen are the venomous snakes, wild animals, mosquitoes, poisonous plants, and selfish people living between the citidale and the disappointing […]

Luke 15:11-12 is today’s BDBD

Jesus continued his teaching to a mixed crowd. Luke notes two differences to those who were present. One personality type was the social outcasts and sinners who gathered around to hear Jesus (1). The other personality type was the self-righteous socially accepted religious leaders who came to destroy God’s work through Jesus’ ministry (2). Jesus […]

Luke 15:8-10 is today’s BDBD

The Parable of the Lost Coin is similar to the Parable of the Lost Sheep. However, Jesus’s conclusion is slightly different. The difference is in the Lost Coin. Jesus says, “…rejoicing… over one sinner who repents.” In the Lost Sheep, Jesus says, “…more rejoicing…over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do […]

Luke 15:1-7 is today’s BDBD

Jesus receives lost rejected souls and socially scorned people, those who have rebelled against God and selfishly hates others. He compares them to lost sheep. He receives them cordially and affectionately. He embraces them, taking them in his arms to his bosom, near his heart, as the word implies. What mercy! Jesus receives sinners in […]

Luke 14:34-35 is today’s BDBD

Jesus concludes his teaching to the large crowds that followed him. He had been expounding on his claim, “And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple” (27). His concluding remark is, “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It […]

Luke 14:28-33 is today’s BDBD

Jesus provides two illustrations to explain and support the truth that I must carry my cross as Jesus bore his cross. The first example illustrates the important preconstruction practice of considering the cost before building. Making and keeping a budget at the get-go with milestones is important for any project. If I do not have […]

Luke 14:25-27 is today’s BDBD

Jesus had something to say to the large crowds following him. They needed to know that following him came at a high price. Tolls did not exist on Roman roads. Jesus did not charge a fee to listen to him. No record exists showing he took an offering from anyone. However, there was a price […]

Luke 14:21-24 is today’s BDBD

Jesus continued his parable, “The Great Banquet,” explaining what was happening right before the established elite’s eyes and repeating the ancient prophets’ words concerning what was to come. The servant in the parable had just reported to his master the absentee excuses of those who were invited to the banquet. The master, who owned a […]

Luke 14:18-20 is today’s BDBD

The people invited to the banquet initially accepted the invitation. But when the time came to attend, all had excuses for why they couldn’t. Their excuses were ridiculous. The first said he just bought a field and must go to see it. Who buys a field without seeing it? And couldn’t seeing a field wait […]

Luke 14:15-17 is today’s BDBD

Jesus and his disciples were invited to dinner at the home of a prominent Pharisee. Jesus had been discoursing with the host, teaching him a better way of thinking and life. He concluded a parable about the reward that goes with covert generosity by saying, “But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the […]

Luke 14:12-14 is today’s BDBD

Acts of kindness do not go unnoticed nor unrewarded. Jesus continued teaching the host who disapproved of Jesus’ kind act of healing a man with dropsy on the Sabbath. Jesus switched the subject from humility to being rewarded for acts of kindness. The host, a prominent Pharisee invited Jesus and his disciples to a dinner […]

Luke 14:7-11 is today’s BDBD

It is better to be honored by another than to be embarrassed by an honorable host. Jesus’ parable concludes with God’s unchangeable conduct: He is ever abasing the proud and giving grace, honor, and glory to the humble. “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” This […]

Luke 14:1-6 is today’s BDBD

Jesus was often invited to Pharisee’s houses on the Sabbath. (Luke 7:36, 11:37) This was considered an honor. However, the religious leaders did not honor Jesus in their hearts. They watched him closely hoping to find some reason to discredit him. (Matthew 12:10; Mark 3:2; Luke 6:7, 20:20) Luke’s record of this healing reveals today […]

Luke 13:31-33 is today’s BDBD

How decisive am I to seek and fulfill God’s plans for me? Do I have the resolve to continue to the end? What if I knew that from here to there, from now through awaited suffering, rejection, torture, persecution, and even death till the destination? Will I make every effort to seek the kingdom of […]

Luke 13:26-30 is today’s BDBD

What is the difference between an excuse and a reason? An excuse is spoken to either explain a fault or an offense in the hope of being forgiven or understood and/or to seek to remove the blame from oneself. An excuse is saying, “It wasn’t my fault,” or “I had no choice.” A reason is […]

Luke 13:24-25 is today’s BDBD

“I will make every effort to be the best athlete in my sport to be honored by the crowd.”“I will make every effort to be the best business tycoon in the land to have power and wealth.”“I will make every effort to be the best artist to be celebrated for my skill and brilliance.”“I will […]

Luke 13:22-23 is today’s BDBD

Jesus started his final trip to Jerusalem. He was in a hurry, but not so much a hurry that he quickly passed people. Jesus stopped by every big town and small village he passed. He did not stop to rest. He stopped to teach the people about the kingdom of God, his favorite subject these […]

Luke 13:18-21 is today’s BDBD

The crowd was thinking, “We are God’s kingdom. Israel is God’s kingdom. The Messiah by the power of God’s hand will fight for God’s kingdom.” Jesus knew their thoughts. So he asked them questions. He taught them parables. “What is the kingdom of God like?” “It is like a mighty kingdom getting all kinds of […]

Luke 13:10-17 is today’s BDBD

Jesus healed a crippled woman on the Sabbath as he made his final trip to Jerusalem. He had healed on the Sabbath before and been criticized. (Luke 6:6-11, 14:1-6, Matthew 12:1-8, 11-12, John 5:1-18) The synagogue ruler was reasonable because, from his point of view, the people could have waited a day to be healed […]

Luke 13:6-9 is today’s BDBD

Jesus’ parable is a continuation and graphic explanation of his warning to the people, “Repent or else…” The man who owes the fig tree in his vineyard is God. The fig tree is often used in the Bible to represent Israel, thus referring to the misguided Jews who came to Jesus wanting to incite Jesus […]

Luke 13:1-5 is today’s BDBD

Jesus was told of a horrible act committed by Pilate. Perhaps the messengers thought Jesus would proclaim a woe or curse on Pilate. Maybe they wanted this to be the catalyst to start a war against Rome. Jesus did none of these things. Rather, Jesus indirectly focused on the messengers through an indirect association. The […]

Luke 12:54-59 is BDBD

The general concept Jesus is speaking about here is that through cause and effect and patterns we know what will happen in the physical world in regards to the weather. Predicting the weather in the next few hours based on what we see and feel in the atmosphere is possible. Similarly, the Old Testament reveals […]

Luke 12:51-53 is BDBD

Some believe that Jesus came to bring peace on earth. Here, Jesus said he did not. The misconception rests on the misunderstanding of who Jesus is and what he did when he came. The world has always had war, people fighting each other. The belief amongst many Jews was that the Messiah would forcefully stop […]

Luke 12:49-50 is BDBD

Jesus speaks of a consuming fire. The fire here is not the chemical reaction that results in light and heat. Rather, this is a descriptive word used to illustrate an ongoing action/reaction after Jesus completes his work. What was that work; preaching, teaching, raising disciples, the cross, his resurrection, his ascension, or the work of […]

BDBD is Luke 12:41-48 (#2)

This is a continuation of yesterday’s BDBD. “Of corroborative value is the personal history of Peter (John 21:18, 19; 2 Pet. 1:14). Jesus foretold that Peter, then middle-aged (“when you were younge”), would die at an infirm old age (“when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will gird you”). […]

BDBD is Luke 12:41-48 (#1)

Peter wanted to know if what Jesus said was for everyone or just the disciples. Jesus answered with a parable. His answer should be considered to accompany the previous. Today’s BDBD is a continuation of yesterday’s. The quote below from “The Church and the Tribulation” continues yesterday’s. “Jesus bases the parable of the servants on […]

BDBD is Luke 12:35-40

Jesus wants his faithful servant to always be “dressed and ready”, eagerly and patiently waiting for his coming to take us away to be with him for eternity. (1 Cor. 15:51-52, Phil. 3:20, 1 Thess. 1:10, 1 Tim. 6:14, James 5:8) The servants being “taken away” (“rapture”, only found in the Latin Septuagint) at the […]

BDBD is Luke 12:32-34

Jesus will start his final long journey to Jerusalem after teaching this series (13:22, 31, 14:25, 17:11). While walking from town to town, he will seek to focus his disciples’ attention on his death, resurrection, and ascension and on what they are to do when he is gone. These three verses concern his kingdom which […]

BDBD is Luke 12:31 (#2)

Rebuking worry Jesus said, “But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. The Kingdom of God is where King Jesus rules completely and unquestionably. (John 14:15-24) The bride of the Kingdom of God thinks about him, loves him, and lives to enjoy him and fulfill his will. Luke 17:20-21 […]

BDBD is Luke 12:31 (#1)

Jesus tells me to seek first the kingdom of his Father (aka the Kingdom of Heaven). Jesus has mentioned the kingdom of God at least thirteen times before (4:43, 6:20, 7:28, 8:1, 10, 9:2, 11, 27, 62, etc.). The kingdom of God is mentioned over 1,300 times in the Bible. Many of Jesus’ parables concern […]

BDBD is Luke 12:22-31

Worry is mentioned four times in the universal mending subject in this passage. Worry can affect all; no matter being rich, poor, or of moderate income. A sociable elite and a society outcast will worry about an unfathomable future. Living on the north and south poles, on the equator, and anywhere in between will not […]

BDBD is Luke 12:16-21

Investing involves time. Both long-term and short-term investments must be considered. Short-term investments should not endanger long-term investments. Investing does not only involve finances. One must also invest in the body, mind, and emotions. Physical planning determines what, when, and how much I eat and includes proper physical exercise. Mental investing demarcates what, when, and […]

BDBD is Luke 12:13-15

The Lord has graciously allowed me to see people in many parts of the world. Several years ago on a short mission trip, he sent me to one of the poorest nations in the world. where most of the people were friendly, happy, and satisfied. Upon my return, I traveled through many of the richest […]

BDBD is Luke 12:11-12

Many noble children of God have praised God for wonderful works in others, helped the poor, and forgiven those who sinned against them. They did not deny Jesus in the face of suffering, famine, poverty, and humiliation. They have stayed in Jesus’ light and drink from the heavenly fount. These often dissolute humble pilgrims have […]

BDBD is Luke 12:8-10

Jesus makes it clear that my decisions now will lead to actions that will set my future for the rest of eternity. If, when pressed before others to admit that I have faith in Jesus, I must not deny him, doing so will bring shame before the heavenly hosts in my future. Note though that […]

BDBD is Luke 12:4-7

If I were told that there is a hungry lion in the next room and I am going to be sent into it I would be afraid. If I am told there is an evil man in the next room and he is angry with me and I am going to be sent into it […]

BDBD is Luke 12:1-3

Jesus had become very popular. Films about the gospels often show Jesus, the twelve apostles, and perhaps a few others walking down lonely dirt roads. However, the gospels make it clear, such as verse one that many thousands of people would gather at their stops and also walk with them (10:1). Jesus was very popular […]

BDBD is Luke 11:52-54

Jesus pronounces one final woe upon the Pharisees, who barrage him with questions to trap and discredit him (5:21, 5:30, 6:2, 11, 19:47-48, 20:19-20, 22:2). Jesus claims that they have taken away the key to knowledge and hindered those who are entering (52). In 7:30, Luke comments, “The Pharisees and experts in the law rejected […]

BDBD is Luke 11:47-51

Who is helped when an elaborate tomb or memorial is built? Surely, it is not for the person who died. Does the family benefit from a pile of stones with a shiny plaque? Does the society that pays for it profit? After a few years, no one even notices it. Perhaps a few who visit […]

BDBD is Luke 11:45-46

“Expert(s) in the law” is a term used mostly by Luke (7:25, 30, 37 45-46, 52, 13:3). However, Matthew once referred to a man as “an expert in the law” (Matthew 22:35). They were “scribes”, most of which were a sect of the Pharisees trained in writing skills and used to record events and decisions […]

BDBD is Luke 11:42-44

Jesus continues his confrontation with the religious leaders by citing six woes. A woe is deep distress and misery, as from grief. The first woe is for being exact and zealous for the observation of religious traditions and rituals while neglecting justice and the love of God. Jesus cited that their love for others and […]

BDBD is Luke 11:37-41

The Pharisees and all the Jews held onto traditions that many began believing were as important as the Law of Moses. They considered these traditions a form of worship. (Matthew 15:9; Mark 7:3) For example, “When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such […]

BDBD is Luke 11:33-36

Jesus continues his response to those who ask for a sign from heaven (16). First, he uses the similitude and proverb in verse 33. Jesus would give no sign to them to show that he was the Messiah at this time because it would do no good. Jesus preached and did works openly, not in […]

BDBD is Luke 11:29-32

When the religious leaders claimed Jesus was driving out demons by Beelzebub’s authority, they also tested him by asking for a sign from heaven. When they said, “…from heaven,” they meant something that clearly only God could do. They believed that Satan would command other demons to come out of someone. Jesus taught the silliness […]

BDBD is Luke 11:24-28

Jesus’s parable illustrates what will happen to a person and society that does not have God’s presence after it has been freed of demons. Jesus continues to address the comment that he drives out demons with the power of Satan. When asked Jesus will drive out a demon. That is only the beginning of a […]

BDBD is Luke 11:21-23

Jesus teaches through a parable that he has ultimate power. Jesus attacks Satan who also has power. Jesus overpowers Satan and utterly defeats him. Thus, Jesus rescues people from Satan’s evil rule. Satan never wins. Addressing the religious leaders, Jesus also teaches that a person is either against him or for him. Neutrality does not […]

BDBD is Luke 11:17-20

Jesus is full of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit knows everyone’s thoughts to the deepest crevices, the dark hidden places, thoughts that haunt our every moment, and the soul’s joy. So, Jesus knew the thoughts of those who came to him. Jesus knows every thought through the Spirit right now. The jealous and fearful […]

BDBD is Luke 11:14-16

Jesus had been driving out demons for three years. So did the twelve and the seventy-two when he sent them out. Now a great crowd followed him. The religious leaders were jealous. Their pride and pay were hurt. They attacked Jesus’s character and ministry. They claimed, “By Beelzebub, the prince of demons, he is driving […]

BDBD is Luke 11:11-13

Jesus’ teaching in these three verses is among the best that illustrates prayer is a religious word that means personal communication with God, my Father. The communication is similar to that of a father with a child. It is not business communication. It is not a drama or a play. It is not a political […]

BDBD is Luke 11:9-10

I ask for what I wish, seek for what I miss, and knock for that from which I feel shut out. Jesus gives assurance that I will receive, find, and the door will be opened. The point in these two verses is confidence and faith in God. I have owned a coo-coo clock for many […]

BDBD is Luke 11:5-8

After Jesus taught his disciples topics to include in their conversations with God he told some parables. The first concerns a friend who comes asking at midnight for food to serve to an unexpected traveling friend. He is not asking for selfish things. He is asking so he can help another. “Yo, neighbor,” he calls […]

BDBD is Luke 11:4c

Jesus taught this prayer to his followers, those seeking to learn from and follow him. After Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist he was full of the Holy Spirit. Luke 4:11-12 states, “Jesus… was led by the Spirit into the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing […]

BDBD is Luke 11:4b

Jesus taught his disciples what to pray, including asking God for the forgiveness of sins against him (4a). Then he taught them to tell God, “…for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.” The original Greek reads, “…for we forgive everyone who is indebted to us,” which is like Matthew 6:12, “…as we also […]

BDBD is Luke 11:4a

“And forgive us our sin” is a direct word-for-word translation from the original Greek, “Kai aphiemi hemin hemon hamartia” (a transliteration). There are no extra words and no excluded words. To appreciate what is being asked of God, I need to understand and accept that I possess sin (hamartia). So, what is sin? What is […]

BDBD is Luke 11:3

Jesus continues teaching his disciples the topics that are important to pray about. He had mentioned these prayer topics including a few more during The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:9-13). “Give us each day our daily bread,” is stated both times. God is the one who gives me food including physical bread. The Lord […]

BDBD is Luke 11:1-2

Conversations with God His Father were an essential and desired part of Jesus’ life. For three years, his disciples watched him pray in solitude. John the Baptist also prayed and taught his disciples to pray. Now Jesus’s disciples asked him to teach them how to pray. Elsewhere, Jesus taught them when and where to pray. […]

BDBD is Luke 10:38-42

Martha and Mary both loved Jesus. Martha opened her house to him and his disciples. Martha wanted to be a good host, so she was busy with all the preparations that had to be made. Mary listened to Jesus while sitting at his feet. She was listening carefully to what Jesus said.Martha was upset with […]

BDBD is Luke 10:29-37

Jesus explained to a self-righteous religious leader, a Bible teacher what love for a neighbor is with a now well-known parable. It is known as “The Parable of the Good Samaritan”. Jesus and the Bible expert agreed that if a person loved God and neighbor they would inherit eternal life. Jesus told him if he […]

BDBD is Luke 10:25-28

When I am asked similar questions twice, I grow annoyed. When I am asked a third time, I grow tired of answering. However, Jesus finds new ways to articulate an answer when asked similar questions over and over again. Jesus was often asked, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? and, “Teacher, what […]

BDBD is Luke 10:21-24

What is hidden and what is exposed is the subject of Jesus’s joy through the Holy Spirit. God reveals the truth to whom he chooses when he chooses. The hidden thing that Jesus refers to is Satan falling from heaven as fast as lightning because Jesus gave authority to the laymen evangelists in his care […]

BDBD is Luke 10:17-20

The laymen evangelist teams were joyful when they returned because demons submitted to them in his name. Jesus acknowledged that Satan fell as fast as lightning from heaven because of their work that trampled on snakes and scorpions. Jesus described the evil spirits who rebel against God as the lowest and most dangerous of creatures […]

BDBD is Luke 10:8-16

Jesus is still instructing the seventy-two laymen evangelists before they enter the Samarian mission field. They are to be attentive to the people’s reaction to the good news. If the town welcomes them they are to eat what is given them, heal the sick, and preach, “The kingdom of God is near you.” They are […]

BDBD is Luke 2:1-20

1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)3 And everyone went to his own town to register.4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee […]

BDBD is Luke 10:5-7

Jesus gives the thirty-six laymen evangeliic (i.e., missionaries to their region) pairs some instructions before they go to their mission field. I, like most Christians, am a layman evangelist; that is, I do not receive pay from my local congregation. I can learn some good advice from this on how to obtain a hundredfold crop. […]

BDBD is Luke 10:1-4

Before Jesus went through Samaria, he sent 36 pairs (seventy-two lay persons) ahead of the group traveling with him. The twelve apostles were not sent with them. The laymen were instructed to go into every town and place where he was about to go. Luke did not use a Greek adjective that would designate them […]

BDBD is Luke 9:57-62

When people hear the good news, they either quickly reject it, accept it superficially, conditionally, or wholeheartedly and absolutely. Jesus’ parable of the soil types is meant to help those who follow him understand this and be prepared (Matthew 13, Mark 4). Luke 14:25-34 records that Jesus will tell the crowds who follow him to […]

BDBD is Luke 9:52-56

Samaria was a region sandwiched between Judea to the south and Galilee to the north. Perea was the eastern neighbor on the other side of the Jordan River and The Mediterranean Sea was its western shore. The people of Samaria and the Jews had dissension since the time of King Solomon (John 4). The Jewish […]

BDBD is Luke 9:51

Luke records in verse 51, “As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” Luke marks time so the reader will relate to Jesus and the disciple’s mindset and heart. The two were very different. Jesus would leave and the disciples were not ready. For me […]

BDBD is Luke 9:49-50

Jesus’ teaching here is related to the former concerning the disciples’ pride. The Twelve were more exclusive than Jesus. Jesus’ disciples wanted to stop a man who they believed was practicing faith without Jesus’ official license and authority. He was not “one of them.” They were greater, and he was lesser, was the thought that […]

BDBD is Luke 9:46-48

The disciples were presumptuously proud. They argued about who was the greatest among them (46; Mark 9:33-35). The argument came from their pride and ambitions. Pride is an arrogant or disdainful conduct or treatment caused by a high opinion of oneself; our skills, accomplishments, state, possessions, or position. Pride is easier to recognize than define, […]

BDBD is Luke 9:42-45

Jesus rebuked the evil (unclean, unholy) spirit. Jesus has authority over unholy demons because he is the ultimate power. Evil spirits fear his power. They leave when he says, “Leave” (Zechariah 3:2; Mark 1:25; Luke 4:25, 39; Jude 1:9). Luke states that the boy was healed. Jesus gave the boy back to his father. The […]

BDBD is Luke 9:37-41

Jesus and three of his apostles came down the mountain after Jesus was transfigured to find a large crowd, confusion, and arguing. (Mark 9:14-15) The commotion centered around a father who wanted Jesus to drive an evil (unclean) spirit out of his boy. The signs of demon possession in the New Testament include: speechlessness (Matthew […]