S – One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.

Luke 16:10 ESV

O – Jesus shares a universal principle.  The faithful person with little will show the same conviction and dedication with much.  The opposite is true as well.  A person of little commitment will show the same for both small and large responsibilities.

A – Jesus does not discourage gaining wealth.  He actually says it can be an effective tool in sharing the gospel.  Then, he challenges the individual to become faithful and honest stewards of the wealth are given.  If we do this well with little, more will be given to us.  All along the journey, using the wealth as a way of sharing the gospel with others.

R – Heavenly Father, you are Jehovah Jireh, our Provider.  You give us everything we need.  We choose to be faithful and honest in our stewardship of all that you have blessed us with.  Continue to show us how we can share the gospel with the resources you give us.

S – And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. ²¹

Luke 15:20–21 CSB

O – Commentary:

It was a breach of an elderly Jewish man’s dignity to run, though familial love could take priority over dignity after a long absence (cf. Tobit 11:9—mother and son). Given the normal garb, the father would have to pull up his skirt to run. Kissing was a conventional greeting for family members or intimate friends; normally it consisted of a light kiss on the lips (easily distinguishable from lovers’ passionate kisses).

 Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, Second Edition (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2014), 221–222.

A – While he was “a long way off,” his father saw him, felt “a deep, visceral sense of sympathy” and it caused him to run toward him.  All of this is counterintuitive to our human nature.  Yet, it is the perfect analogy of God’s love for us.  He loved us while we were sinners, felt compassion to meet our disobedience and self reliance and he moved from heaven to earth to meet us in our sin.  He had every right and dignity to not move…but he did.

R – Heavenly Father, you are mercy, grace and truth.  Thank you for loving us so much that you moved toward us in our sin.  Thank you for your mercy and grace that forgives us of all things.  We invite your Holy Spirit to work in us today to grow us into your character and love.

S – Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? ³⁵ It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” 

Luke 14:34–35 ESV

O – Commentary:

Salt … if it loses its flavor: Sodium chloride cannot actually lose its saltiness. Jesus might be speaking hypothetically (if salt were to lose), or he might be referring to a combination of minerals that included salt. The salt around the Dead Sea was a mixture of sodium chloride and other minerals. When the sodium chloride was removed, what was left behind was “salt” without saltiness.

14:35 good neither for the soil nor for the manure pile: Salt had various uses in the ancient world, including flavoring (14:34), preserving, and weed-killing. The sludge left after removing the sodium chloride was useless.

 New Living Translation Study Bible (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2008), Lk 14:34–35.

A – A little salt changes the flavor of food, breaks down ice, and preserves meat.  Salt is very versatile and has many uses as long as it keeps its composition including sodium chloride.  If that is removed, it is useless.  As Christians, what makes us different is the spirit of God living in us and operating through us.  If we don’t grow that relationship and use our God given gifts, our “saltiness” becomes stale.  Let’s commit to staying “salty” in our relationship with God.

R – Heavenly Father, you are God of all things.  Empower us to use our God given gifts and identity to share your love with others.  We want to grow our ability to do this with the help of your Holy Spirit. Thank you for blessing us today.

S – And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. 30 And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.” 
Luke 13:29–30 CSB

O – Commentary:
Jesus explained that Gentiles would be added to the kingdom in place of Jewish people (Luke 13:29–30). People coming from the four corners of the world represent various population groups. Those listening to Jesus’ words should not have been surprised by this teaching because the prophets had often said the same thing. However, Jews in Jesus’ day believed that Gentiles were inferior to them. When Jesus had begun His ministry in Nazareth, His teaching of Gentile inclusion had so maddened the crowd that they tried to kill Him (4:13–30). The Jewish people considered themselves to be first in every way, but they would be last, that is, they would be left out of the kingdom. In contrast, some Gentiles, considered last, would be in the kingdom and would really be first in importance (13:30)
 
John A. Martin, “Luke,” (https://ref.ly/logosres/bkc?ref=Bible.Lk13.22-30&off=2029&ctx=ved+in+the+kingdom.+~Jesus+explained+that) in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 241.

A – Jesus restated what was spoken throughout the Old Testament.  The kingdom of God was for all people, not just the Jewish nation. As he moves closer to Jerusalem and his crucifixion, this is an important principle for his disciples to remember as they build the early church.

R – Heavenly Father, you are God of all people.  Thank you for loving all of us so we could have the opportunity to be in a relationship with you.  We want to get to know you better and grow our relationship with you today.

S – Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more. 
Luke 12:48 CSB

O – Jesus uses this theme a couple of times in his ministry.  For believers and unbelievers, we have access to so much information about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  We will be accountable for what we do with it.

A – Earlier in the chapter, it talks about how important we are to God.  When we begin to build that relationship with him, we unlock his character and love in our lives.  We are responsible for what we do with our relationship with God.  Just as in our most important human relationships, we should desire greater intimacy and understanding with Him.

T – Heavenly Father, you are the only true God.  We choose you above all things that want to elevate themselves above you.  We want to know you more each day.  Empower us today to grow deeper and more intimate with you.

S – The Spirit of the Lord God is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners
Isaiah 61:1 CSB

O – Commentary:
Three factors indicate that Me refers to the Messiah: (1) The association of the Holy Spirit with the anointing points to Jesus Christ. After being anointed with oil, Israel’s first two kings, Saul and David, were blessed with the Spirit’s ministry (1 Sam. 10:1, 10; 16:13). Similarly Christ was anointed by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 3:16–17) to be Israel’s King. The Hebrew word for Messiah (māšîaḥ) means “the Anointed One,” and Christ (christos, from chriō, “to anoint”) is the Greek equivalent of māšîaḥ. (2) Part of this passage (Isa. 61:1–2a) was read by Jesus (Luke 4:18–19) in reference to Himself. (3) The mission of this Anointed One was Jesus’ ministry: to preach good news, to heal and free (Isa. 61:1; cf. 42:7), to proclaim … favor and … vengeance (61:2), and to comfort (vv. 2–3). When Jesus read from this passage He stopped in the middle of the sentence, after the word “favor” (Luke 4:18–19). By doing this He was showing that His work would be divided into two advents. In His First Advent He did the things mentioned in Isaiah 61:1–2a; in His Second Advent He will do the things in verses 2b–3. When He returns He will bring judgment on unbelievers 
 John A. Martin, “Isaiah,” (https://ref.ly/logosres/bkc?ref=Bible.Is61.1-3&off=117&ctx=d%2c+and+the+Messiah.+~Three+factors+indica) in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 1116.

A – Isaiah’s words were shared for generations until the arrival of Jesus.  He read them and asserted that he was the promised messiah. This is our mission as well.  Walk with the spirit daily, share the gospel, be a conduit of healing physically, spiritually and emotionally and show the way to freedom in all areas of our lives.  We can do this.

R – Heavenly Father, you are our messiah and savior.  Empower us to walk in the same ministry that Jesus did.  Help us to see the value in others to share the good news with them and help them face life’s challenges.  We have the presence and power of God in us, we can do this.

S – All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

Luke 10:22 ESV

O – Commentary:

Jewish texts did speak of unique mediators of revelation (e.g., Moses), but in this period the role here ascribed to the Son as the sole revealer of the Father and as the content of the Father’s revelation is held in Jewish texts only by Wisdom, personified as a divine power second only to God.

Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, Second Edition (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2014), 207.

A – There is a special relationship between God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit who empowered Jesus as a human.  It gives us a blueprint for us to follow.  Honor God, Be like Jesus and Invite the Holy Spirit to empower us each day.  Simple but similar to the relationship that God and Jesus enjoyed.

R- Heavenly Father, you are God, Son and Holy Spirit.  Thank you for the role each of you play in our lives.  Help us to honor you, be more like Jesus and invite the Holy Spirit into our lives today.

S – An argument started among them about who was the greatest of them. ⁴⁷ But Jesus, knowing their inner thoughts,^, took a little child and had him stand next to him. ⁴⁸ He told them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me. And whoever welcomes me welcomes him who sent me. For whoever is least among you—this one is great.”

Luke 9:46–48 CSB

O – Commentary:

Status was a preeminent concern in ancient society; children had none. But in Jewish custom messengers bore the full authorization of the one they represented (see comment on 9:1–2), so Jesus’ agents did not need worldly status. Representatives of someone who had great authority exercised more authority than others who acted on their own.

 Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, Second Edition (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2014), 204.

A – We all want to be “seen.”  Jesus just told them he as the Messiah was going to be crucified and this is the next conversation.  Jesus flips the status question.  It is a true reflection of the life he led as a God in the form of a man.  He had everything and gave it up to be human.  As a human, he lived and acted without worldly possessions or recognition.  The thing he didn’t give up – he knew who he was, he knew who God is and the relationship between the two. What an example for us.

R – Heavenly Father, you are God and we are your creation.  Thank you for being our God who is unlimited in all things.  Thank you for creating us to be in relationship with you.  Empower us to walk in all the benefits of this relationship without putting ourselves above you or others.

S – He fell down at Jesus’s feet and pleaded with him to come to his house, ⁴² because he had an only daughter about twelve years old, and she was dying. 

While he was going, the crowds were nearly crushing him. ⁴³ A woman suffering from bleeding for twelve years, who had spent all she had on doctors and yet could not be healed by any, ⁴⁴ approached from behind and touched the end of his robe. Instantly her bleeding stopped. 

Luke 8:41–44 CSB

O – Commentary:

The official’s daughter had been a minor until that year and on account of both her age and her gender had far less status than her prominent father (vv. 40–41).

8:43. This woman’s sickness was reckoned as if she had a menstrual period all month long; it made her continually unclean under the *law (Lev 15:19–33)—a social problem on top of the physical one. In a culture in which adult women who were not wealthy virtually needed to marry, she was almost certainly unmarried at this point (if she had ever been married), since it violated the law for a man to sleep with her in this condition. Just as Jewish interpreters linked texts by a common phrase, Luke’s source may use “twelve years” to emphasize the relatedness of these stories (vv. 42–43).

 Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, Second Edition (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2014), 202.

A – Two people that share the common bond of 12 years.  One was a young girl who enjoyed living in a home of an official but socially unimportant due to her age.  Another, who is of age, but an “outcast” because of an ailment that lasted 12 years. Both were made important and brought close because of a touch of Jesus. No matter your story, Jesus wants to bring you close to him and “touch” that area of your life where you see your true importance to God.

R – Heavenly Father, you are Jehovah Rophe, Our Healer.  We invite you to search us and heal those areas of our lives where we feel unimportant or as an outcast.  We know we are valuable to you.  Please bring healing in our lives today.

S – Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; that’s why she loved much. But the one who is forgiven little, loves little.” ⁴⁸ Then he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 

⁴⁹ Those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?” 

⁵⁰ And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.

Luke 7:47–50 CSB

O – Commentary:

But the woman was not forgiven because of her love; rather, she loved because she was forgiven (vv. 47–48). Her faith brought her salvation: Your faith has saved you; go in peace (cf. 8:48). Her faith in turn caused her to respond in love. The other dinner guests wondered who Jesus is since He forgave sins (cf. 5:21). Though Jesus in this interchange with Simon never explicitly stated His claim to be the Messiah, He spoke as He did because He is the Messiah

John A. Martin, “Luke,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 224.

A – The Bible says that God loved us while we were still sinners.  When we see his love for us and through him we can be forgiven of sins, it moves us toward him.  This chapter had many expressions of faith. This is the one of someone worshipping Jesus for who he was.  It is a great reminder for us that our faith can approach God in many ways.

R – Heavenly Father, you are worthy of all praise, honor and glory.  We worship you today – Christmas, the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus as you became the form of a man.  You alone are God and we worship and surrender to you.