On 1-12-14, Luke 6:12, 13, 17-31 or 6:17-31 will be our Adult Sunday School/Uniform Series/International Sunday School Lesson herein is my commentary. This lesson is known by some as Living as God’s People or How to Live as God’s People

Living as God’s People or How to Live as God’s People

Luke 6:12, 13, 17-31 or 6:17-31

International Sunday School Lesson

January 12, 2014

Commentary

By

Jed Greenough

I think there are many times in our life when we want our lives to be different.  I feel confident saying that it happens more often when we are in between our youth and our more mature years and I feel confident that it is part of our instinct for survival.  Survival needn’t be just life and death but an improvement in one’s life as well.

I drew that conclusion in part as we see the large crowds that were drawn to Jesus such as we read of in today’s scripture.  Consider the difficulty of their making it to Him in that day and how difficult it must have been to accomplish that.  Whether it was lack of food, safety issues or health issues these people came from all over and it wasn’t a walk in the park to make it happen but they had needs they thought Christ could help them with.  We know there was sickness, spirits, and the difficulties from your own experiences that could be used to draw people to Him.  Just as you know not much really has changed in that regard to living life and Jesus knew that then.

So when is it that people are most likely to turn to Jesus?  You know it is when they are poor, hungry, sick, in mourning and persecuted.

When are they least likely?  You know it is the complete opposite of all of those. 

So being reminded of this from time to time as Christians is something we need and as non-Christians perhaps a wakeup call.

It is good (and smart) to want our lives to be better but I’m glad that Jesus reminds us when we want His mercies that this is what He wants from us too.  To show mercy for each other which is what we see in the remaining verses for today, let’s conclude by looking at the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant. 

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.  As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

“At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

“But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

For Discussion:

1.      Please read my blog from 10-30-11 for a commentary on a parallel account of most of today’s scripture that being Matthew 5:1-12

2.      Note how Jesus prayed during the night before choosing His apostles

3.      Discuss people being cured of evil spirits such as in verse 18

4.      Discuss the power coming from Jesus

5.      Find and discuss the numbers of disciples who were with Jesus from which the 12 were selected

6.      Discuss the different ways that people can be poor or hunger

7.      Read on and add on through verse 49

Upcoming Lessons

1-19-14       Enlarging Your Circle or Jesus Teaches about Relationships, Luke 14:7-18a, 21-24 or 14:7-18a, 22-24

1-26-14       Showing Compassion for the Poor or Jesus Teaches Compassion for the Poor, Luke 16:19-31

2-2-14         Hear and Do the Word, James 1:19-27

2-9-14         Treat Everyone Equally, James 2:1-13

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved