Luke 16:15

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 16:15

“And He said to them, you are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.” – Luke 16:15  

Today we will be looking at what Jesus deemed priority as apposed to the Pharisees.  It starts by saying the Pharisees were listening to what He was saying. “Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things, and they were scoffing at Him.” Luke 16:14. The Pharisees here were not just listening to what Jesus said but were literally scoffing at it.  Jesus was telling them a parable of the dishonest manager.  The meaning to be derived from this is told by Jesus at the end.  “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. If therefore you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous mammon, who will entrust the true riches to you? And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” Luke 16:10-13.  The basic thought of this parable is that no servant can serve two masters, for we will serve one or the other. We cannot serve both.

The general idea of it is carried forward in what Jesus said after this parable.  The Pharisees were known in that day as ones who wanted the people to think highly of them.  Therefore, they would perform acts in such a way as to impress those watching them.  We see this in our focus verse. “And He said to them, You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.” Luke 16:15.  They did there good deeds to be seen by men. Matthew wrote these words of Jesus in His gospel. “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 6:1. They did their good deeds to be acclaimed by men.  In fact, Jesus goes on to say that these things that they do for the purpose of lifting themselves up is actually detestable in the sight of God. 

It is important that we examine how we do things.  Do we give to God because we love Him or because it looks good when we give it?  Do we give a talk simply because we want people to hear us? Do we do things to show how ‘righteous’ we are?  At the end of our verse, we are told this is not pleasing to God.  “for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.” God wants us to do our good deeds without making a big deal about it. Expanding on Matthew 6:1 we read, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. When therefore you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.” Matthew 6:1-4. We should do good because it honors God, not because it honors ourselves.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Luke 14:33

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 14:33

“So therefore, no one of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.” – Luke 14:33

Today we will be looking at what Jesus said about the cost of being a follower of Him.  First, Luke points out who He is speaking to.  “Now great multitudes were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them,” Luke 14:25.  Jesus is going to share with them three basic conditions regarding discipleship. And these were not addressed to believers only to make them apostles, but also to unbelievers in order for them to understand what it means to be a follower. These three conditions are therefore conditions for salvation, not conditions for Christians to become a spiritual elite or to reach a new level in their Christian lives. 

Now, the first condition is found in the next verse. “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:26. The phrase, ‘comes to me’ means either to ‘seek salvation’, or  to ‘make a decision to follow Him’.  These are different from simply believing in Him but has the idea of also choosing to follow His ways.  He then tells them that if they do not hate their father or mother and mother, wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be a disciple.  He is not calling them to actually hate them, for that would go against what He said about the two great commandments. “And he said to him, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37-39. Everything Jesus taught was about love for all, just as stated here.  We can look at Matthew’s version to get a better understanding of what is meant here. “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.” Matthew 10:37. Theologian Robert Stein puts it this way. “A person who commits himself or herself to Christ will develop a greater love for both neighbor and family, although at times loving and following Christ may be seen as renunciation, rejection, or hate if the family does not share the same commitment to Christ.”   It has nothing to do with them hating their family and friends, but loving Jesus more.  And as stated above, if they do not love Jesus more, they cannot be a disciple for when a difference arises between the two, they may not choose Christ’s way which would then make Him a disciple no more. 

Then He takes it one step further with the second condition. “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:27. He is saying to them if they are not willing to suffer for Christ’s sake, then they cannot be His disciple.  This does not refer to all earthly suffering, but specifically suffering for the cause of Christ.  Suffering for Him must take precedence over everything else.

They are then told to count the cost of discipleship. “For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down, and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and take counsel whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks terms of peace.” Luke 14:28-32. Note the words in verse 28. “For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it?” He is telling them that before they decide to follow Him, count the cost to determine if we are able and willing to follow through.

And condition three is, are we willing to give up everything for Him. “So therefore, no one of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.” Luke 14:33.  Along with what’s above, we must be willing to give up everything.  Nothing and no-one should be deemed more important or desirable then Jesus and a life completely dedicated to Him. 

And we must ask these questions of ourselves and be willing to be honest with our answers.  Are we willing to do what Christ calls us to do even if it goes against family and friends desires?  Who’s commands should come first, Christ’s or others?  And this could lead to separation and rejection of us by them.  Would this be worth it to us?  If we cannot be fully dedicated to Christ, then we need to question whether we can truly be a disciple. And are we willing to give everything up for Him? I am not saying that we then choose not to be a disciple of His, but that we must look at where we are weak and decide if it is worth it, and then follow as you decide.  However, I can assure you that He is worth it, for Jesus loves us and wants us to live eternally with Him in His heavenly kingdom.  Would this be worth it?  It truly is.  So, I want to encourage us all to examine ourselves and make whatever changes are necessary.  As the Apostle Paul said, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?” 2 Corinthians 13:5.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Luke 13:3

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 13:3 

“I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” – Luke 13:3    

Today, we will be looking at the importance of repentance.  Starting in verse 1 we read, “Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.” Luke 13:1. During Jesus’s teaching found in chapter 12, some came to Jesus to tell Him of a horrendous event that happened to some Jews from Galilee.  There is no record of this event in secular history, however there is an incident like it from before Jesus’ ministry. Pilate wanted to build an aqueduct from the Pools of Solomon to the city of Jerusalem. To pay for it, he demanded money from the temple treasury, money that had been dedicated to God – and this outraged the priests and the people. When the Jews sent a delegation to beg for their money back, Pilate sent into the crowd soldiers dressed as common people, and at a certain signal they took out daggers and attacked the people asking for the money. Now, this may not have been the same incident, however it does show how Rome, and particularly Pilate, pictured the Jews and did what they could to force obedience from them.  The phrase, ‘whose blood Pilate mingled with their sacrifices’ speaks of how the blood of those killed mixed with the blood of the sacrifice itself.  

Now, it appears that Jesus read into their story the idea of self-justification, rooted in the common notion back then that disaster falls on them who deserve it.  Basically if a person sins, something bad will happen to them. Jesus turns this around and asks them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered this fate? “ Luke 13:2. Jesus turned the theological issue around. Is this punishment for sin? Do persecution and death prove the victim to be a greater sinner than those who do not suffer? Jesus, one who was looking suffering square in the face as he marched to Jerusalem denied such a theological outrage. He reminded them that everyone has sinned. Paul put it this way, “But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:21-23.

Jesus then answers the question Himself, in our focus verse. “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Luke 13:3. Jesus was countering their belief by saying apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory.

Jesus then asks them a question to enforce His thought.  “Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Luke 13:4-5. Jesus added his own illustration. He takes another recent tragedy down at the corner of the south and east walls of Jerusalem at the water reservoir called Siloam. Eighteen people died in an accident on the tower there. Were these the worst sinners in Jerusalem, punished for their horrible sin? He then repeats our focus verse.  “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Luke 13:5. He in essence told them, you all must repent or perish.  Jesus’ warning that they must repent or perish had an immediate, chilling fulfillment. Within a generation, many citizens of Jerusalem who had not repented and turned to Jesus perished in the destruction of Jerusalem.

We must be careful that we do not fall into this trap ourselves.  It is not our place to look at others and compare their life to ours, looking to place ourselves as more righteous than they are.  We are called to go out and help lead the lost to Christ, and to disciple Christians to live a life that is pleasing to God. It is not to put ourselves above everyone else.  Paul put it this way.  “For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.” Romans 12:3.  No one is saved by their own good works, but by the grace given us by Christ.  We have all sinned, therefore we all need to repent.  For if we do not truly repent, we will perish.  

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Luke 12:51

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 12:51 

“Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division.” – Luke 12:51   

Jesus here in this section is telling the disciples what His purpose was for coming here.  We read the following from Luke. “I have come to cast fire upon the earth.” Luke 12:49a. This verse can be more clearly understood when we look at what Peter wrote. “But the present heavens and earth by His word are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.” 2 Peter 3:7.  There is a time coming when judgement will come; when the current heavens and earth will be destroyed by fire, along with those who are ungodly and refuse to accept the salvation made available by Christ.  However, the godly people have a different fate. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16.  And then in the next verse He says, “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him.” John 3:17.  In these three verses, we see that Jesus came into this world to call out those who accept Christ as savior, and to bring judgement to those who will not.

Then at the end of verse 49 we read, “and how I wish it were already kindled!” Luke 12:49b. The idea here is that Jesus longed for the completion of his mission, which was as yet incomplete. And in the next verse, we see what this act of completion will be. “But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!” Luke 12:50. So, what is this baptism He needs to undergo?  It is not the baptism as we understand it, which was accomplished in chapter 3. “Now it came about when all the people were baptized, that Jesus also was baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, Thou art My beloved Son, in Thee I am well-pleased.” Luke 3:21-22. The baptism alluded to here refers to an answer given to James and John, the sons of Zebedee. “And they said to Him, Grant that we may sit in Your glory, one on Your right, and one on Your left. But Jesus said to them, You do not know what you are asking for. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” Mark 10:37-38. The baptism here forms a parallelism with the ‘cup’ Jesus was to drink and refers to Jesus’ passion and death. According to theologian Robert Stein, this image being found in these two different Gospels indicate it was well-known and that the early church would have understood both Jesus’ baptism and drinking the cup as references to his death.

Then Jesus says why He came. “Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division; for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two, and two against three. They will be divided, father against son, and son against father; mother against daughter, and daughter against mother; mother-in-law against daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” Luke 12:51-53. Now, this can easily be taken out of context.  What Jesus is saying is not that His purpose was to bring division, but that His calling here of preaching the gospel will ultimately bring division because not everyone will accept it.  And I believe because He went to the Jews to declare the truth, this would bring incredible division between those who believe Jesus and those who do not and choose to stay with the Jewish belief system of their day.

And we see a lot of division in our culture today.  This is not what Jesus came to do, but as stated above, it is the result of people who choose not to believe.  Many people will not accept the Christian beliefs of another which will cause a chasm to grow between them. It is important that we do not give up on those who do not believe but continue to be that light which shines out in the world declaring the love of Christ for all. Who knows if our life lived out in their midst will make a difference in their lives.     

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Luke 12:7

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 12:7

“Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are of more value than many sparrows.” –  Luke 12:7 

Many times, in the gospels Jesus is said to tell His people not to fear.  Mark shared these words from Jesus. “But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, said to the synagogue official, do not be afraid any longer, only believe.” Mark 5:36. And from John we read, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” John 14:27. Here in our focus verse, Jesus gives the reason why we have no need to fear. 

First, let us look at verses 1-3. “Under these circumstances, after so many thousands of the multitude had gathered together that they were stepping on one another, He began saying to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed and hidden that will not be known. Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.” Luke 12:1-3. As Jesus continued in the general direction towards Jerusalem, vast multitudes came to hear Him. The crowds were so large that some were injured in that some were trampled by others. Jesus then spoke to His disciples saying, beware of hypocrisy.  Hypocrisy is like leaven in the sense that it only takes a little bit of it to affect a great mass. A little bit of hypocrisy can be like a little bit of strong poison. In light of their tremendous popularity, it was especially important for the disciples to remember this. The temptation to hypocrisy is often strongest to those who enjoy some measure of outward success. He closes this out by saying that nothing is hidden that will not be revealed at some future time, for God knows all things.

He then answers a question they may have had; this may cost us our life. “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.” Luke 12:4. He did not deny this could happen but explained how, for Christians, this was inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.  Our bodies may die, but we will live forever. Therefore, we have no reason to be afraid of persecution because of our faith.  The believer’s real life is an eternal one to be spent in God’s presence, and no outside power can affect this. And He went on to say, “But I will warn you whom to fear; fear the One who after He has killed has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!” Luke 12:5. This verse does not refer to a hopeless terror but to a kind of reverential awe that leads to obedience. He is not saying we are to be afraid of God, but to see God in awe and reverence which is due Him.  Then He gives them an example of what He means.  “Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? And yet not one of them is forgotten before God.” Luke 12:6. These birds were considered good, cheap food that were sought after by the poor, who could not afford anything else.  In God’s providential rule of creation, not even something as inconsequential as the fall of a sparrow occurs apart from his omniscience and will.  

And now we come to our focus verse. “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Luke 12:7. This is written in a legal sense.  Since God values the sparrows to the point that they are never forgotten, then we should not be afraid since we are considered far more valuable than many sparrows and thus will not be forgotten. 

In closing, God knows everything about us; past, present, and future.  And in the above example, He even knows the number of hairs on our heads.  That is particularly amazing with me because I lose hairs on a regular basis.  But this shows the importance He places on us because of His amazing love.  Yes, we may suffer because of our belief in Christ, or even die due to our faith.  But we must always remember what Jesus said as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew. “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:10. So, let us not fear what man can do to us, for in remaining strong in our faith during the most difficult times, we will be blessed by going home to God’s kingdom.  Nothing to be afraid of here.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Luke 9:56

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 9:56 

“For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.  And they went on to another village.” – Luke 9:56  

This is an intriguing story told by Luke for the benefit of Theophilus.  He starts with the following. “And it came about, when the days were approaching for His ascension, that He resolutely set His face to go to Jerusalem; and He sent messengers on ahead of Him. And they went, and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make arrangements for Him.” Luke 9:51-52. This journey will be His final one outside of Jerusalem.  The use of the phrase “when the days were approaching for His ascension” speaks of the completion of His mission approaching.  This also looks back to what is typically called the Transfiguration, where two men were speaking with Jesus about His departure.  “And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah, who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.” Luke 9:30-31. And remember, James and John were there with Jesus at this event. And when the disciples arrived in Samaria, they went out to make arrangements for when Jesus arrives.

However, they would not receive Jesus or make arrangements for Him. “And they did not receive Him, because He was journeying with His face toward Jerusalem.” Luke 9:53.  The main reason was that He was focused on going to Jerusalem.  One of the subjects of dispute between the Jews and Samaritans pertained to the proper situation of the temple. The Jews contended that it should be at Jerusalem; the Samaritans, on Mount Gerizim, and accordingly they had built one there. They had probably heard of the miracles of Jesus, and that he claimed to be the Messiah. Perhaps they had hoped that he would decide that they were right in regard to the building of the temple. Had he decided the question in that way, they probably would gladly have received him as the Messiah; but when they saw that he was going among the Jews, that by going he would decide in their favor, they resolved to have nothing to do with him, and they rejected him.

Now James and John saw what they did and were very upset. “And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” Luke 9:54.  This points back to an account in 2 Kings.  This speaks of King Ahaziah in Israel who was the son of Ahab and Jezebel, who were among the most wicked rulers in Israel.  And because he worshipped Baal, he aroused the anger of God.  At some point during his reign, King Ahaziah of Israel fell out of a window, injuring himself badly. He was confined to bed, and rather than inquire of the Lord, Ahaziah sent messengers to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if he would be healed. The Lord sent His prophet Elijah to confront the messengers and give them God’s message for King Ahaziah: he would never recover from his injuries and would die in his bed.

Now, notice the answer given by Elijah to Ahaziah. “Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him, and behold, he was sitting on the top of the hill. And he said to him, O man of God, the king says, Come down. And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty. Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.” 2 Kings 1:9-10.  This sounds very much like the question asked by James and John in verse 54. Now, Jesus rebuked them. “But He turned and rebuked them, and said, You do not know what kind of spirit you are of;” Luke 9:55.  They had received the Spirit of God, and this Spirit is not one of anger, but of love.  They did not consider that the present is a dispensation of infinite mercy and love; and that the design of God is not to destroy sinners, but to give them space to repent, that he may save them unto eternal life.

In closing, we should imitate, in our spirit, the Son of man who came to save and not destroy.  If he had come for that purpose, he could have destroyed these Samaritans; but he came to save. He is not quick to anger, but patiently bears opposition to himself, and we should act upon opposition as He did. We should temper our zeal, seeking to do good to those who injure us or God. We must push ourselves to be mild, kind, patient, and forgiving. This is the Spirit we have been given, and this is the only way to reach those who question our faith as being unreasonable. For this is what we are sent out to do, not to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Luke 9:50

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 9:50 

“But Jesus said to him, Do not hinder him; for he who is not against you is for you.” – Luke 9:50

Our focus verse, and the one before it is a follow up of the prior three verses where the disciples asked Jesus who among them was the greatest.  “And an argument arose among them as to which of them might be the greatest.” Luke 9:46. And then Jesus adds, “Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; for he who is least among you, this is the one who is great.” Luke 9:48. This last part of verse 48 obviously was not understood by His disciples. What Jesus said in this last verse, John responded to with the following. “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name; and we tried to hinder him because he does not follow along with us.” Luke 9:49.  The depth of John’s, and probably some of the other disciples as well, of his incomprehension  of what Jesus had just told them is unconceivable. 

Think about this.  John had witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus where His glory was manifest to them, and where  a voice from heaven, God the Father, said, “This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!” Luke 9:35b.  Nevertheless, John’s words of concern not only contradict Jesus’ message, but are actually seen as a response to Jesus.  Jesus had basically negated conventional ways by declaring that “for he who is least among you, this is the one who is great.” Luke 9:48. Then, just after this, John contradicts Jesus by declaring “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name; and we tried to hinder him because he does not follow along with us.” Luke 9:49.

What John did here was to place himself and the others as greater than this one who was casting our demons.  The fact that this one was able to cast demons out in Jesus’ name is evidence that God approved of what he was doing.  Remember, it is through the power of God that anyone has the ability to cast out these evil spirits.  It is God working through this man that he succeeded in this work.  We see this in the story of the sons of Sceva, showing it is the power of God and not our own. “And God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out. But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.” And seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. And the evil spirit answered and said to them, “I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.” Acts 19:11-16.  

Now to our focus verse.  God has called all who are Christians to do His work. John and the others wanted to forbid this other person from casting out demons, in Jesus name, because He was not one of them, the twelve. And they believed this even though he had shown himself to be successful in his work for Christ.  Mark shows this by including these words of Jesus. “No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me.” Mark 9:39.  If God worked through him to cast out demons, then he was on their side, and more importantly, on God’s side.  Therefore, Jesus said the following in a mild corrective way to tell them they are not the only ones who will do these things.  “But Jesus said to him, Do not hinder him; for he who is not against you is for you.” Luke 9:50.  It is important that we do not hinder anyone who is doing the work of God simply because we are not in the same group as they are.  Jesus works through all who are followers of Him.  Let us not look down on anyone whom God is working through in this world.  We may not know them, but He does, and that is what matters.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Luke 9:48

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 9:48 

“And said to them, whoever receives this child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; for he who is least among you, this is the one who is great.” – Luke 9:48

This verse is important for believers in Jesus, Christians, to understand and follow.  In Luke we read, “And an argument arose among them as to which of them might be the greatest.” Luke 9:46.  Mark’s account of this goes a bit further. “And they came to Capernaum; and when He was in the house, He began to question them, What were you discussing on the way? But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest.”  Mark 9:33-34.  Now this occurs just after Jesus told them of His death and resurrection.  “And they were all amazed at the greatness of God. But while everyone was marveling at all that He was doing, He said to His disciples, Let these words sink into your ears; for the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. But they did not understand this statement, and it was concealed from them so that they might not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.“

This shows in this period of time such a strife could arise; shows most plainly how little the Savior’s repeated prediction of His suffering had yet taken root in the mind of His disciples. In their thoughts they had already distributed Crowns, while the Master spoke of the cross. Occasion for such a strife they had been able to find a sufficiency of in the days last preceding, even if the germ of rivalry had not been already existent in their hearts.  However, Jesus knew their thoughts. “But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and stood him by His side, and said to them, Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; for he who is least among you, this is the one who is great.” Luke 9:47-48.

In the first century a child was an insignificant and the weakest member of society, and thus exemplified one who is ‘the least’.  And because of this, we can understand Jesus’ answer.  “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3-4.  He did not name a specific person who would be declared the greatest. What He was essentially saying was  what designates greatness in the Kingdom of God is not how the world determines the greatest.  People tend to be concerned with social status, political clout, and pecking order. We tend to rank people according to how things look to us in this world, but Jesus warned that using earthly criteria will never give us an accurate picture of rank in God’s kingdom. Human judgment will give way to God’s someday, as it says  in the scriptures, “But many who are first will be last; and the last, first.” Matthew 19:30.

In closing, rather than work to be the greatest in this world, we should simply trust in Jesus and serve others, which is basically serving Him. In the kingdom of God, positions of power are meant to be positions of service. Rather than lord power over others, we are to focus on serving others. The greatest in the kingdom are those who have the humility of a child and the meekness of Jesus. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5. What is valued in God’s kingdom is loving the way He loves us, selflessly.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Luke 9:24

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 9:24 

“And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” – Luke 9:24  

First, I want to say I had to miss our Verse of the Day for Monday and Tuesday of this week due to some medical issues.  But now things are better, Praise God.

This verse is an important statement from Jesus, for it tells them what is required to be a true disciple of His.  Three conditions of discipleship are laid out. We will be looking at these three conditions listed here. The first involves a need to deny oneself. This is much more radical than simply a denial of certain things. This mandates a rejection of a life based on self-interest and self-fulfillment. Instead a disciple is to be one who seeks to fulfill the will and the teachings of Christ. Another metaphor to express this act of commitment is to hate one’s own life. 

The second condition involves the need to take up one’s cross. Jesus’ own crucifixion reveals more fully to Luke’s readers that this call is for a commitment unto death. There needs to be willingness to suffer martyrdom if need be.  Luke added the need to do this daily “and take up his cross daily”,  whereas Mark emphasized the initial act of denying oneself once and for all. “And He summoned the multitude with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.“ Mark 8:34.  Both are saying the same basic thing, for taking up His cross should be something we do daily, but even more as what Francis Schaeffer would say, “moment by moment.”

The final condition is the need to follow Jesus. In contrast to the other conditions this verb is a present imperative, indicating that following Jesus must be continual.  Following Jesus means striving to be like Him. He always obeyed His Father, so that’s what we should strive to do. To truly follow Christ means to make Him Lord. Every decision and dream is filtered through His Word with the goal of glorifying Him in everything. We are not saved by the things we do for Christ but by what He has done for us. Because of His grace, we want to please Him in everything. All this is accomplished as we allow the Holy Spirit to have complete control of every area of our lives. To follow Christ means we apply the truths we learn from His Word and live as if Jesus walked beside us in person.

Now He goes on to explain the why.  He starts by our lives.  “For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?” Luke 9:24-25.  That is, do we wish to save our life here at the expense of our conscience and ultimately our eternal life with Christ? By casting aside the cross, we will lose our eternal life; the very evil we wish to avoid shall overtake us while losing our soul in the bargain. See then how necessary it is to renounce ourselves, for whatsoever a man loses in this world, for his steady attachment to Christ and his cause, he shall receive infinitely more in our eternal life.

And “For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” Luke 9:25-26. When denying Christ, man does not profit in anything, but actually loses everything. This is essentially a proverb stating that one should live in light of ultimate values. The loss of one’s soul and experiencing God’s judgment is far too great a price to pay for possessing the whole world. To be ashamed of Him is the same as disowning Him.  And when we do this, at His coming, He will disown us in the presence of the Father and the angels. 

And then He closes with this. “But I say to you truthfully, there are some of those standing here who shall not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:27. There is a lot of questions regarding what this means.  However, I see this as referring to His resurrection.  He has been given all authority, meaning that His kingdom is here.  “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20.  Some who were with Him there would be alive at His resurrection, and ultimately His Lordship, but some would not.  I see this as picturing His kingdom as coming within a short period of time, for some would still be alive.  

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Luke 9:1

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 9:1 

“And He called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all the demons, and to heal diseases. ” – Luke 9:1 

These verses of Jesus, from our focus verse through verse 6, recounts a new phase in Jesus’ ministry.  Up to that time, His disciples watched Jesus minister to the people while helping Him where they could.  Now, Jesus is involving them directly by sending them out to do the work they were being called to do. Now He was sending them out to permit them to participate with Him.  He commissioned them to go out and do what He had been doing.

First, He “gave them power and authority over all the demons, and to heal diseases.” Luke 9:1b. Jesus gave them a share of His authority given Him by the Father, as well as the power to heal the sick and cast out demons.  Without receiving this power, the mission would not be fulfillable, but he gives them what is required to do the work He taught them.  This was not given them to build up themselves and their power and abilities, but to bring freedom and healing to those they would minister to.  For their mission was to go out and preach and proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick and deliver those who have demons. The idea with the phrase ‘He Sent’ in verse 2 is clarified by the Greek word apostello, which means to send forth as a messenger.  In essence, He was sending them out to reach out just as He was doing.

Then Jesus lets them know some rules He expects them to follow what He did, which will help them be fruitful in this task.  First, they were told not to take anything for the journey. “And He said to them, take nothing for your journey, neither a staff, nor a bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even have two tunics apiece. “ Luke 9:3. The Twelve were to travel without equipment or extra goods, such as clothing, money, food, etc. This may have been due to the brevity of their mission or to Jesus’ desire to have them avoid the appearance of preaching for profit. This was something no doubt done by many Jewish and cultic leaders. It may also have been in order to require them to trust in God alone to supply their needs. Paul put it like this, “And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19.   

Then in verse 4, Jesus says “And whatever house you enter, stay there, and take your leave from there.” Luke 9:4. Those ministering in Jesus’ name should not use their ministry for personal gain and seek better housing if it becomes available later. The implications of this, while clear and forever applicable, is to not put down those of a lower state or puff up those of a higher state. Matthew puts it like this, “And into whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it; and abide there until you go away.” Matthew 10:11.  John Wesley understood this as they should abide with him: who is disposed to receive the Gospel. Then abide in that house until you leave the town.

And then in the next verse, “And as for those who do not receive you, as you go out from that city, shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” Luke 9:5. Their job as preachers wasn’t primarily to change people’s minds. They were to persuasively present the message, but if their listeners didn’t receive it they could leave and shake the very dust from your feet as they left.  If Jewish people of that time had to go in or through a Gentile city, as they left they often shook the dust off their feet as a gesture saying, We don’t want to take anything from this Gentile city with us. Essentially, Jesus told His disciples to regard a Jewish city that rejected their message as if it were a Gentile city.

Then they left and went out to do the Lord’s work.  “And departing, they began going about among the villages, preaching the gospel, and healing everywhere.” Luke 9:6. These twelve men went out and proclaimed the Kingdom of God, essentially that the Messiah is with them providing salvation for all who accept His words.  Jesus was, in a way,  helping them by allowing them to go out and do the work they would eventually do at the ascension of Jesus after His resurrection.  And through the scriptures, we see how we are to spread the word of the Kingdom of God to the world as well.  Just as the disciples of Jesus prepared the way for the word of God regarding Jesus, we are to do the same.  Both with words and with deeds.  Similarly, while we may get excited about visible miracles and demonstrations of supernatural power, the greatest miracle of all is the fact that unworthy sinners can become righteous children of God. When our focus moves to ourselves and how God is using us, we are headed the wrong direction. It is a good reminder that, since their names are unimportant, ours are as well. It is the name of Jesus Christ alone who deserves all attention and glory.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.