No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as well!

Luke 13:3

This isn’t one of the things we like to hear from Jesus. But Jesus tells the truth. The message He is giving them here is a national one. The Jewish nation was preparing to reject their Messiah.

The awful events of the near future were as yet unknown to everyone but the Lord Jesus. As a result, His words were meant as a merciful warning.

Heavenly Father, I have learned to be so thankful for Christ’s honesty. Life would be so much worse without the truth. I don’t have life to waste. You are so merciful to even make Yourself known to us. Your way, over and over, proves Your glory, holiness, power, and love. I want to do what I do out of love for You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

And He responded to them, “Do you think that these Galileans were more sinful than all Galileans because they suffered these things?

Luke 13:2

The questions Jesus asked present to us a fascinating study. The question He asks here is quite a revealing one. This may have been a subject that He and His disciples discussed on other occasions. The Jewish elites seemed to be very interested in establishing who was guilty of sin, so as to make themselves look better.

Heavenly Father, thank You for making our lives so much more than what they would otherwise be. We are often content with beggarly things in our minds and hearts while wanting riches in our hands. But you are the One Who has the riches for the inner man. We will look to You for all that we need. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

At that time, some people came and reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.

Luke 13:1

Though I do not know of this particular event being recorded elsewhere, it is entirely consistent with the tenor of Pilate’s ‘relationship’ with the Jews, and Herod.

Of course, those who reported this probably wanted Jesus to respond with force. Though we often fail to see it, Jesus was surely asked to use violence against the Romans on more than one occasion. His peaceful message frustrated some, confused others, and helped many more.

Heavenly Father, Your ways don’t always make sense to us. But we always end up seeing that Your ways are for the best. We don’t always understand what You are doing at the moment. But we stand in awe of Your plan and purpose for the ages. You are truly glorious! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

I tell you, you will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny.

Luke 12:59

Greed never pays. It is always better to be sensible, not selfish, with money.

Heavenly Father, You are the Beneficent One. You could choose to never give anything to anyone. But You have blessed Your creatures. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

As you are going with your adversary to the ruler, make an effort to settle with him on the way. Then he won’t drag you before the judge, the judge hand you over to the bailiff, and the bailiff throw you into prison.

Luke 12:58

Jesus is speaking of situations in which a person legitimately owes a debt, but is trying to avoid it by allowing the matter to be taken to court. In such cases, it is better to compromise and pay the dept through agreed terms than to wait and let the court decide.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your mercy upon us. You are Great and Wonderful! You are the Only True and Living God, and we will praise You forever. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?

Luke 12:57

Jesus is changing the subject, and yet this flows from what He had been saying. Even those who are supposedly godly people will try to get away with things that they know are wrong.

We tend to use our judgment for our neighbor, or our friend, but fail to use it on ourselves. Judgment is a a good internal tool, but a poor external one.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love for us. Sometimes we feel so inadequate, but really we know very little of our true need. You alone can show us the way that we must go. Give us a heart of love for You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why don’t you know how to interpret this time?

Luke 12:56

This is one of the consistent messages of Scripture. Humanity spends a lot of time predicting for ourselves what we think might happen next. We spend a lot of our resources trying to determine what the future holds.

Weather tracking systems are a perfect example of this. They can help us avoid loss of life and possessions. But we very often fail to even think about the cosmic timetable. Predicting this new 2022 is important to us. Yet knowing what eternity holds for us is not considered nearly as much.

Because of the message of the prophets, there was a lot of material from which to make a determination concerning the timetable of God. Only God knows exactly what will happen. And yet, He has chosen to reveal a lot of things to us in His Word.

Heavenly Father, You are the God of this new year we have before us. It is Yours in every way. Every day of it is meant to be lived for You. And the story of this year is about You. Each day in it is new because of You. And each day is a gift. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

And when the south wind is blowing, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is.

Luke 12:55

Obviously a good strong wind from the south will usually bring warmer temperatures with it.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your provision. You know everything ahead of time. You know what we need and when we need it. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, right away you say, ‘A storm is coming,’ and so it does.”

Luke 12:54

A cloud from the west would be from the sea, and so would be likely to be a storm headed inland. Weather patterns in many parts of the world are fairly predictable.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your faithfulness. You are always in control. Your ways are constant. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

They will be divided, father against son,
son against father,
mother against daughter,
daughter against mother,
mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law,
and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.

Luke 12:53

This is a quote from Micah chapter 7. Micah speaks of the decline of Israel spiritually. Jesus connects to it here to show why so many would reject Him.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your love, your compassion, and your grace. So many have failed to accept the gospel, and yet you have offered it freely. You are perfectly wonderful! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.