Author: Stephen Ricker

When I heard that Jesus of Nazareth was coming my way, I said to my blind friend across the street, “I believe Jesus can give me sight”. “You do? Like you believed John the Baptist was a prophet? Didn’t Herod, the builder of this city, kill him?” he replied, pointing to the new city to […]

Someone recently asked me, “What do you think about a statement I read, ‘Once there is a conflict of will, what you want in life, and what God wants for you, life becomes a struggle.” This statement has some truth, yet it is misleading. Consider the meanings of “conflict of will” and “life becomes a […]

Tonight at twilight (sunset) starts the 14th day of the Hebrew month Abib, the first month on the Hebrew calendar (Exodus 12:1). This is when the Lord God commanded all Israel and those who believe in and worship the Lord to keep the Passover meal (Exodus 12:6-8, 14; Leviticus 23:4-5; Deuteronomy 16:1-2). At twilight (sunset) […]

On Monday morning at dawn, when the temple gates opened to the public, the day after the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem (41; Matthew 21:10; Mark 11:11-12, 15), Jesus entered the temple courts (45). This was a large open area, 35 acres (0.14 sq. km), where the Gentiles who converted to Judaism were allowed to pray […]

The Sunday before his arrest and crucifixion, Jesus and his disciples arrived in Jerusalem, traveling from Jericho and passing through Bethaphage and Bethany, two small towns less than two miles east of Jerusalem. (28-29; John 12:1, 12) When he arrived at the Mount of Olive in Bethphage he stopped at a crossroads where one street […]

Jesus answered a certain ruler who asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus cited the second half of the Ten Commandments, the ones that concern our interaction with other people. When the ruler heard Jesus’s answer, he replied, “All these I have kept as a boy” (21). Perhaps Jesus was going to […]

A “certain ruler” came to Jesus as he approached the entrance to Jericho (35, 19:1). He was a ruler (18), most likely Jericho’s synagogue ruler (8:41 is Capernaum’s synagogue ruler). He certainly had the qualifications. He kept the commandments (19) probably including the extra rules created by the Pharisees and teachers of the law, he […]

The social and spiritual health of a nation, society, religion, and city can be determined by how their children are faring. Children fare well when they learn love, respect, faith, and discipline from their parents, family, and neighbors (Ephesians 6:4, Colossians 3:21; Hebrews 12:7-11). When children see their parents love and respect God and each […]

Humility is Jesus’s lesson in this parable. The tax collector is the example given of humility before God and men. Humility is a personal quality in which an individual knows his state before God, shows dependence on God, and respects others. The tax collector did not look up to heaven. He bowed his head because […]

“The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector” follows “The Parable of the Persistent Widow”. This is the last parable that is unique to Luke’s gospel. Three more follow. However, they are in another gospel account and thus not unique to Luke. Luke supplies a comment at the beginning, as he had done with […]

“Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.” (Hebrews 11:1-2) Jesus’s example of the persistent widow in the first seven verses is a prime example of faith expressed with pleading day after day, even though the odds of […]

How do you spot a genius? When someone says, “Chopin was a genius composer,” how do they know? Many claim, “Leonardo da Vinci was a true genius who graced this world with his presence.” Is this true? And why do historians say, “William Shakespeare was the world’s premier genius playwright and poet.” Really? Of all […]

Jesus just told his disciples that he would suffer many things, be rejected by his generation, and then leave them (25). They would desire to see him, but he would not be with them for a long time (22). He would, however, eventually return. The whole world will know when he returns. No one will […]

Jesus, referring to himself as the Son of Man, meaning the Messiah per Daniel 7:13-14 and Psalm 80:17-18, tells his disciples they will long to be with him for he will have left them, but only after he must suffer many things and be rejected by his generation. This was the second time he told […]

A group of Pharisees approached Jesus with a question about the Kingdom of God. It is rather peculiar that a group of them came to ask Jesus when the Kingdom of God would come. To understand their intent I need to understand the popular teachings and understanding about the Kingdom of God at the time. […]

Luke is the only Gentile of the four gospel writers. He is the only one who records the healing of the ten lepers. The emphasis of the passage is that only one of the lepers returned to “give praise to God,” and he was a “foreigner” (18). The other nine were Jews. Jesus often pointed […]

Jesus’s teaching is concluded by a short, unnamed parable. So I will name it, “The Parable of the Duty of the Unworthy Servants”. The premise is this: 1. Christians are God’s servants. 2. God owns his servants. 3. God gives his servants duties. 4. God’s servants obey his commands, the duties he commits to us. […]

When Jesus told his disciples that if a brother or sister in Christ were to sin against them, they were to confront them about it, and if they repented, forgive them, the disciples were like deer staring into an oncoming truck’s headlights (3). Most stunning is that Jesus said they should repeat this seven times […]

Jesus continued to build upon his statement that offenses will come to all; however, those offenses (stumbling blocks) should not come from his disciples. The type of offense Jesus meant is a behavior or attitude that leads another to sin, especially a brother or sister in Christ. I am to watch myself so I am […]

After preaching about the Law given through Moses and the writings of the prophets (16:31), Jesus flows through four related teachings (1-3a, 3b-4, 5-6, 7-10). The first is today’s BDBD, where Jesus warns his disciples to be sure that they are not to be the cause of someone else’s sin. He was not teaching this […]

How many seek God and his righteousness? “Seek and you will find,” promises Jesus (Deuteronomy 4:29; Jeremiah 29:13; Matthew 7:7; Luke 11:9). This is true if the Bible and God’s people are but a few minutes away or in a place where they are hours away, even in areas where Christianity is illegal. The promise […]

Jesus continued teaching on the subject of riches for before him were Pharisees who loved money and were sneering at him (14) and his poor disciples who gave up everything to follow him (15:1, 3; 16:1). He told them “The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus”. The parable contrasts the life results of an […]

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 […]

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. […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

“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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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”). […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

“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 […]

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 […]