Monthly Archives: January 2026

LUKE’S GOSPEL…A PERVERSE GENERATION – 23

Bible Study, ,

“The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. A man in the crowd called out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him. I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.” “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.” Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the impure spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father. And they were all amazed at the greatness of God…”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭37‬-‭43‬a NIV‬‬

A perverse generation! What did He mean?

“In the Bible, “perverse” means a deliberate, twisted turning away from God’s moral standards, involving crooked speech, corrupt actions, and a hardened heart that rejects what is right, often linked to distorting justice or truth, and seen as contrary to divine wisdom, with Hebrew terms like iqqesh (crooked/twisted) and Greek diastrepho (distort) highlighting this deviation from God’s upright path.”

A perverse generation, in this context, seems to refer, not to that particular generation in general but to that particular group of people who had turned around…that is, away from faith to unbelief…In this circumstance, why was Jesus’ rebuke so meaningful? 

First, to whom did Jesus address this harsh rebuke? To the crowd? No. They were merely onlookers. To the father of the boy? Not likely, since he had brought his son to the disciples in good faith that they could help him. Obviously, He was addressing His disciples because they were the ones who were supposed to be doing the healing. 

Did Jesus really mean that His disciples had turned away from the revelation He had given them of Himself as the Messiah? Were they really perverse in their attitude to His Word and His kingdom? 

Let’s examine the context of Jesus’ rebuke. 

Luke records, in the previous chapters, a plethora of situations in which the disciples had either taken part in Jesus’ miracles or witnessed Jesus’ power. For example, He had sent them out to announce the kingdom with power and authority to demonstrate the nature of the kingdom. They returned with stories of miracles that had accompanied their preaching. 

Jesus had fed five thousand plus people with the lunch of a small child. At Caesarea Philippi, He  had assured them of the power of His yoke that would transform people from idolaters to members of His church…and much more. 

Now, faced with a demon that was particularly stubborn and vicious, as reported in Mark 9:17-27, the disciples were intimidated and powerless. Why had they retreated? 

Jesus chided them for turning around, from faith to unbelief. They had been influenced by the circumstances. They had been facing the wrong way. They had forgotten the witness of the power of Jesus and the power of the kingdom within them. They were deceived and overwhelmed by the demonstration of the demon’s antics and had turned around. 

After the upheaval had quietened down, the squatter demon evicted, and the disciples alone with Jesus, the guilty ones inevitably asked why? Where had they gone wrong?

Jesus’ response might seem surprising to us. Luke didn’t bring closure to this incident, so, we must turn to Mark’s record for completion. 

“After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭9‬:‭28‬-‭29‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Although Jesus’ reply may seem broad and incomplete, what He said was loaded. What did He mean by “prayer”? Were the disciples meant to pray before they dealt with the demon? I think His reply went much deeper than that. 

Prayer is, in essence, the communion with the Father, through Jesus, by the power of the Spirit, that allows us access into the very circle and heart of the Trinity. Prayer is much more than getting God to do things. This idea is distortion of the Father/child relationship Jesus has made possible through His atoning death. 

It is in the intimacy of this relationship that we have fellowship with the triune God. The more we gaze at God’s glory in Jesus, through prayer and contemplation, the more we grow in confidence in the authority and power of the Son. 

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This is the pinnacle of prayer. Armed, then, with this conviction, no demonic resistance or any other adverse circumstances can defy the power of that name. Focusing on circumstances diminished faith. Focusing on Jesus despite circumstances releases invincible power. 

Without the prayer that seeks greater intimacy and greater fellowship that bonds us to Jesus, prayer and faith remain flabby and ineffective. By communion with God in prayer, and contemplation of the glory of Jesus, we grow in the conviction of who He is and commitment to the power of His word to do what He has promised. 

How often Jesus’ accusation can apply to us when we are so intimidated by what is happening that we turn around and look the wrong way. Jesus called this “perverse”. Faith in the authority of the one who has spoken defies all odds and releases heaven’s resources to do what His word  has said. 

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

To be continued…

LUKE’S GOSPEL…THE REAL JESUS – 22

Bible Study, ,

“About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem…While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭28‬-‭31‬, ‭34‬-‭36‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I wonder what impact this unveiling of the real Jesus had on Peter, James, and John. What were the flashbacks that surfaced in their memories in their quiet moments? Flashbacks happen to people who have had sudden, dramatic experiences that stain their memories and intrude uninvited…often really bad things that cause serious emotional distress. 

Unlike traumatic experiences that are unforgettably painful, Jesus’ transfiguration must have been both exciting and puzzling.  What was the three men’s initial reaction. Fear! They were so scared that they couldn’t look at Him! What! Not overwhelmed with His majesty, beauty, grandeur? Not thrilled with His power and authority? Just plain terrified!

Matthew reports that the voice of the Father frightened them. 

“While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.””

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭17‬:‭5‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Mark reported that the vision of Jesus terrified them…Peter blurted out the first thing that came into his head…good old Peter! 

“Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭9‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

It seems that the whole episode was so terrifying that the disciples were completely unnerved. Get this! This was no “near death experience,” where they were in the heavenly realm where there were new experience and understanding of heavenly realities. 

This was heaven breaking into earth…

To be continued…

LUKE’S GOSPEL…THE KINGDOM WITHIN – 21

Bible Study, ,

“And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭22‬-‭25 NIV‬‬

How in the world does this disclosure fit with the words Jesus has just spoken to His disciples? He promised to build a church so strong that nothing in hell could break it! Now He’s talking about dying. The Son of God dying! How crazy is that!

Jesus was speaking words far above the understanding of His twelve followers and, as so often, above the mindset of many, if not most of His followers today. The notion of a kingdom entered only through death makes no sense to sane-thinking people. 

In the natural world, birth spells the beginning of new life and citizenship which cannot be taken away. Even if one relocates to another country, one forever remains an expatriot in a foreign land. Dual citizenship I guaranteed. 

However, God’s kingdom functions on a completely different principle which Jesus’ disciples struggled to understand. Only after Pentecost, when the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the disciples first, and then on all who believe in Jesus, regardless of birth or nationality, brought understanding and full participation in this kingdom, did God’s spiritual realities make sense. 

Jesus had sown the seeds of truth in many parables and illustrations about the nature of this kingdom. The coming of the Holy Spirit lit the fire  of understanding…Jesus’ words came alive in  their spirits…and the disciples went out to announce the arrival of this kingdom to the world. 

Unlike the entrance of the newborn into the land of its birth, the door into God’s kingdom begins with death. Why? There is no access for sinners into the eternal presence of a holy God. Sin is the impenetrable barrier between God and humans. 

However, God accepts a sinless sacrifice to atone for the sin of the world. However, not one human qualified, so He came Himself to pay the price. For the disciples, this truth was unthinkable because they were schooled to believe that the promised Messiah would come as a conquering hero to usher in a kingdom in the pattern of their great ancestor, King David. 

The minds of these men were closed to the thought of their leader dying. To them, sin was not the issue. The Roman oppressors were! It would take the horrific death of their Master and His miraculous return from the tomb finally to convince them that this kingdom was both of another realm and powerfully real. 

However, if the establishment of this supernatural kingdom on earth happened through the death of its king, so does the membership of this kingdom in the hearts of its citizens. No one can gatecrash this kingdom. One must first die to enter. 

Jesus’ words are uncompromising. 

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.”

There is no place for self-will in God’s reign. The old nature must be set aside for a new nature that increasingly reflects the nature of its king. The test is this…in this dual nature at war with each other, which one wins? Jesus clarifies the vital outcome… and three steps to victory. Deny self, die to self, and follow Jesus. Simple…but not easy. 

Paul expands on this unending war in the soul. 

“For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The Holy Spirit, freely given to every believer, is God’s answer to the rampant demands of the flesh. He lives within every true child of God to tame the unruly old nature and to cultivate the fruit of His indwelling presence. 

The issue is, to whom do I give allegiance…to my untamed evil desires or to my Lord who is in me   by His Spirit? My response makes the difference between life and death. 

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭2‬:‭15‬-‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

To be continued…

LUKE’S GOSPEL…THE TURNING POINT – 20

Bible Study, ,

“Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭18‬-‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Matthew’s version of this pivotal incident includes a vital part of this exchange which Luke did not include. 

“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and de. still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭16‬:‭13‬-‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Why are these details so important? 

First, Matthew tells us where it happened. Jesus had purposely taken His disciples to a notoriously pagan and sleazy region in Israel. Caesaria Philippi, a Gentile city, dominated by pagan religion, in northern Israel near the source of the Jordan river. Founded in honour of the Caesar, this city had a temple dedicated to the his worship. Added to that, in the vicinity, at the base of a rocky cliff near a grotto, known as “the gate of hell”, the underworld, from which water flowed to join the snowmelt from Mt Herman to form the source of the Jordan, a pagan temple was built to honour Pan, a fertility god which was half human, half goat. 

Second, Matthew tells us why it happened. Worship of Pan included sexual intercourse with goats! Imagine Jesus and His disciples observing this perversity! What did Jesus have in mind?

Disgusting as it was, there was no better place in all Israel to illustrate what Jesus would reveal to His disciples. After Peter’s confession as spokesman for the disciples, Jesus declared, “Do you see this awful place? This is exactly the kind of place where I will build my church! So powerful is my name, Peter, as you have confessed, and my yoke of mercy and grace, that not even hell itself can withstand the message that can rescue people from this delusion.”  

Yes, Peter, “Upon this rock, where people worship Pan, I will build my church…”  Not on Peter.  He was a mere mortal. On the solid rock of truth that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and His message of salvation, Jesus’ church would stand firm and grow across the globe despite the very power of hell that stood against it. 

How we need this reassurance today! Despite every effort to discredit, to stamp out, to obliterate the church, its people, and its truth and power, the church of the Lord Jesus had not only stood against every hostile power, but it is flourishing and growing against all odds. Even in the darkest of places and the most hostile environments, His church stands firm. 

Jesus’ return, as we consider the signs, seems imminent. The earth itself longs for His coming, yearns for the day of unveiling, of the revelation of the glory of His hidden sons and daughters, and its liberation from bondage. 

“For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭19‬-‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Yes, it’s coming! Of this we came be sure because Jesus always did what He promised. 

To be continued…

LUKE’S GOSPEL…A STRANGE INSTRUCTION – 19

Bible Study, ,

“When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus’ mission about the kingdom was urgent. He needed to announce its arrival quickly, so He sent His disciples ahead of Him to prepare the people for its message. They were to do two things…announce and demonstrate the presence of God’s rule among His people. 

Demonstration involved a great healing campaign, as the disciples went along, as evidence of the nature and power of the kingdom of God. God was not only telling but showing His people that He was right there among them, setting right in part what had gone wrong in the beginning. 

Imagine the disciples’ joy when their touch healed people exactly as Jesus was doing!  This was real! God was with them, breaking Satan’s power and releasing a tsunami wave of miracles through them. 

However as always, not every Jew was impressed by the disciples’ activities, especially when it came to their association with Jesus. At the instigation of His enemies, some people were suspicious. Not everyone welcomed them with open arms. What would be the test? 

Some would, by offering the disciples hospitality and all the perks, show their acceptance of their message. Others, by refusing them hospitality, would call down judgment upon themselves by their refusal to reciprocate. What were the disciples to do?

“Jesus told his disciples to shake the dust off their feet as a symbolic act to signify that a town or household had rejected God’s message, marking them as spiritually unclean and worthy of judgment, like Gentiles, indicating the disciples’ task was done there and they should move on, leaving the responsibility for rejection with the people, a practice rooted in Jewish tradition of avoiding Gentile contamination. It served as a testimony, a warning of divine judgment, and a directive to focus efforts where the message was received, not to waste time on stubborn rejection.” (Source: Google AI). 

By shaking the dust off their feet, the disciples’ would be absolving themselves of all responsibility for the decision of those who rejected them and their message. They would be treating them as pagan Gentiles upon whom God’s judgement would fall for rejecting Him and His grace. 

Jesus’ instruction was in line with His warning to His disciples in His discourse about life in God’s kingdom. 

“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Don’t waste your time on people who show by their words and attitude, that they have no interest in the things of God. They may even do you harm if you continue to interact with them. 

The counsel was the same for errant church members. 

“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭18‬:‭15‬-‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

As harsh as this may sound, Jesus instructed church leaders to treat unrepentant members under their leadership in the same way. Cut off connection with them because they become a danger to unity in the body of Christ. 

In the Old Covenant, the principle was harsh but clear for the simple reason that a bad apple in a box caused the rot to spread. 

“Anyone who attacks their father or mother is to be put to death…“Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭21‬:‭15‬, ‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Likewise, people who were guilty of sexual misconduct were to be executed. For example…

“ ‘If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death.”

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭20‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This way of reacting to resistance to the message may seem to cut across grace but, in actual fact, it is both protection and a statement. Sin spreads quickly in a community of vulnerable people. Therefore, people who can cause dissension must be excluded as quickly as possible. Don’t waste time on them because they have already disqualified themselves from God’s  grace. 

Does this sound harsh? God is not playing games. He takes seriously what people do and say. He gives opportunity to repent, even second chances, but He also responds to rejection by rejecting those who reject Him. 

Jesus gave the same counsel to the seventy two He sent out to the wider community of Jews and Gentiles…

“Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We should heed this wise counsel to protect ourselves, our families, and fellowship from the poison that can quickly spread and cause untold harm in a group. 

To be continued…