Luke 8:1-3
Here was an example of when women were included in the ministry of the Lord Jesus. From the beginning the Lord Jesus included men and women in the work of the gospel. The apostle Paul later expounded on this in his letters and it would benefit churches, men, and women greatly to study what Paul says to men, women, and the role we each take in family, work, and in the church. These women accompanied the Lord Jesus and ministered to him out of their resources. However, all of the twelve apostles of the Lord were men. There were different roles. How difficult it would be for those apostles if the women were not there performing their role. The apostles were not better than these women. It was the women the Lord Jesus first appeared to after his resurrection. The Lord honored women many times in the Bible. There were women mentioned in his genealogy. Here were women, mentioned by name, recorded in the gospel account. There was a woman named Mary who anointed the Lord Jesus for his burial and he said her story would always be told anywhere the gospel was proclaimed. My point is this: those in the world who say that Christianity is against women are wrong. Christianity is the greatest thing that ever happened for women. It is the Lord who showed the world the value and the beauty and the importance of women.
We all have different roles as men and women. We are different. God created us different. There are men, and there are women, and we are separate, different, and important in each of our own roles.
Christ died for our sins. He was buried, and he rose again on the third day. Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.
Luke 8:4-15
It is true that not everyone will benefit from hearing the word of God. The Lord Jesus taught in his parable that people hear the word according to what was already in their heart. In order to hear God's word in such a way that brings fruit our heart must be prepared. We should pray and ask the Lord to give us a heart that can hear his word and can receive and keep the word and that can then produce fruit in our life. The goal of God's word in us is to bear fruit through us to benefit others. God's word is like a seed planted in the ground. The purpose of that seed is to be planted, to die in the earth, and then to resurrect with life in order to bring forth life for others. This is what we see in the life of Jesus. He gave himself upon Calvary so through his death and resurrection we can receive eternal life by faith in him.
Not everyone who heard the Lord speak could understand what he said. Some heard the Lord with joy but lost the word because the enemy came and stole it away. Others heard and received but produced nothing because of hardship and suffering. Others did not benefit because they were distracted by the world system. The cares of life choked the word. Others heard God's word in a good heart and produced fruit. There was a one in four chance of bearing fruit when hearing the word. It took a humble and obedient heart to benefit from hearing the word.
I think one purpose in telling parables was to actually protect people from being accountable for knowing things they would never believe. The more a person understands about the Bible the more accountable they become. I pray that what I learn from God I will obey and put into practice. I pray I can bear the fruit which God looks for in the life he gave me.
Christ died for our sins. He was buried. He rose again on the third day. Everyone who calls upon the name of Jesus will be saved.
Luke 8:16-18
The Lord wants us to share with others what he gave us. We should share our testimony of how the Lord Jesus Christ saved us. Along with that testimony be careful to share the scriptures which show other people how they can be saved. I always share 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 and also Romans 10:9-13 with people. These are basic scriptures which outline the gospel and how to be saved.
The gospel in our hearts is a bright shining light. However, if we never open our mouth and share the word with others then we are hiding the light. At some point we need to be bold and share the Lord Jesus with other people. We need to let other people know we are Christians, we love the Lord, and let other people know how they can be saved. Without the word of God there is no way a person can move from darkness into the light.
I had people when I was a young man who were faithful to share God's word with me. I had my mom, a teacher in high school, and several people I worked with in different jobs who were faithful to the Lord and shared the gospel with me.
I'm thankful for the years I had when I was a young Christian to share my testimony with people. I had the chance to share my testimony with churches, schools, in jails, in prisons, and on the streets. Those were glorious days for me. I let my light shine day after day.
We go through different seasons in life when we are more active letting our light shine. My hope and my prayer is that I may inspire you today to let your light shine for Jesus. Let us make the best use of the opportunity we have to witness, share God's word, and proclaim the good news that Jesus saves!
Luke 8:19-21
This was also recorded in Matthew 12:46-50 and Mark 3:31-35. The fact that this specific incident was repeated three times in the gospels show there was an important truth here. What was important in this? The natural family of the Lord Jesus was contrasted with the spiritual family of those who hear and obey God.
The most painful lesson in my life took place in the context of family. Most of the people in my family do not know the Lord Jesus. Over an extended period of time of many years I shared scripture, the gospel, and my testimony with each one of them. I did this as the occasion arose and also in a systematic fashion.
As I've gotten older I realize the best thing I can do is pray for them. I see our roads are slowly but surely separating from one another. A spiritual reality is taking shape in front of my eyes. I can only explain this by putting it into the form of a metaphor. It is like walking down a road. When you are young you walk on the road with people in your family. However, when you are born into the family of God you start walking a different road than people in your natural family. Someone who is truly born again will have an intense desire to bring his natural family into this spiritual road. I remember this was an intense longing for me when I was young. I spent long periods of prayer when I cried and wept and prayed for my family.
Over decades I've seen the hardness of unbelief confirm them in the concrete of self worship and turning their back on the living God. It truly gives me pain. I cannot bear to continue to keep up some kind of pretend relationship with them. They refuse to relate to you on the basis of truth and think you hate them because they can't understand why you cannot agree to relate to them on the basis of their delusions and deceit.
The Lord Jesus never gave in to this. He refused to relate to his family on the basis of their opinions or thoughts or feelings. His relationship with everyone was based on truth. If anyone rejected the truth he could not reach them. He is the Truth. When Jesus lives in your heart the truth lives in you. You can no longer walk on the same road as those who do not believe in the Bible. It is impossible. It is not because you don't want to or because you hate your family. It is because there is a literal, spiritual wall that is growing thicker and taller and wider and it cannot be crossed.
How can two walk together unless they be agreed?
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