LUKE LESSON 34

     We will begin this lesson in Luke 12:39 "And this know, that if
the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he
would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken
through."  Luke 12:40 "Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man
cometh at an hour when ye think not."

     The last lesson, we were studying about how we should be watching
and working, continually, expecting the Lord to come back. Perhaps, if
some people knew just exactly when the Lord's return will be, they
would do worldly things until just a few days before and then turn to
God at the last moment. The exact day and hour of the Lord's return
for the Christians is not known, even by the angels in heaven. The
Christians will know the coming is near, but not the day and hour.
People throughout the ages have picked out a particular day and
predicted the coming of the Lord. Jesus is coming back for a people
that are without spot or wrinkle, and He is coming like a thief in the
night. The hour we least expect His return is when He will come. I
believe all true believers in Christ feel that His coming is near.
II Timothy 3:1-5 lets us know that the Lord's return is eminent. It
speaks of the last days and then describes our day perfectly.

     Luke 12:41  "Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this
parable unto us, or even to all?"

     Several times Peter had a knowing that Jesus was truly Lord. In
this verse, Peter is calling Jesus, Lord; and he asked Jesus, are you
just our Lord or are you everyone's Lord?  Peter, you remember, had
called Him Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God.

     Luke 12:42 "And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise
steward, whom [his] lord shall make ruler over his household, to give
[them their] portion of meat in due season?" Luke 12:43 "Blessed [is]
that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing."  Luke
12:44 "Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all
that he hath."

     We see in this a teaching which many have taken to mean that you
earn your way to heaven. That is not at all what this is saying. We
are saved by grace and grace alone, less anyone should brag. We see
from this that those who are saved are rewarded, if they have lived
a life pleasing to God. These rewards will vary as to the amount of
sacrifice and service the saved have done.  As we said above, watch
and be ready for the return of the Lord; but be found going about the
Father's business to the end, and great rewards will await you.

     Luke 12:45 "But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord
delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and
maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;"  Luke 12:46 "The
lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for [him],
and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and
will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers."

     No one knows the exact hour our lives will end. Some do not live
beyond infancy, and others live into their 80's and 90's. Truly we do
not know at what moment our life will be over. This is really speaking
of the return of the Lord in the sky. So many people in our day who
seem to be living godly lives a few years ago have wandered away and
are compromising with the world. Many ministers would have us believe
that if we are baptized, we can live any way we want to and we will be
saved. This is not what we read above. Those whose faith weakens and
they stop looking for the Lord's return and start living like the
world, even though they were once Christians, will have their part
with the unbelievers.

     Luke 12:47 "And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and
prepared not [himself], neither did according to his will, shall be
beaten with many [stripes]."

     To know to do good and not do it is a terrible sin. Many people
believe that all there is to Christianity is receiving Jesus as
Saviour. Jesus must be Lord of our lives; and we, like Jesus, must
say, Lord, not my will but thine be done. We must live by His will and
not ours. Christians will be judged even harder than the world,
because they know the will of the Lord. Judgement begins at the house
of God. Great punishment comes to those who knows better and still
sin.

     Luke 12:48 "But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of
stripes, shall be beaten with few [stripes]. For unto whomsoever much
is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have
committed much, of him they will ask the more."

     Just as there are degrees of rewards in heaven, there seems to be
degrees of punishment. If God has revealed great truths to you, you
are responsible to live at what ever level of understanding He has
given you. From this sense, the apostles would have been held more
responsible for their actions, because they were in the very presence
of the Truth (Jesus Christ).

     Luke 12:49 "I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I,
if it be already kindled?"

     The fire that Jesus brought was the fire of the Holy Spirit of
God. Jesus says in the last part of this, I wish this fire of the
Spirit was already kindled in the people.

     Luke 12:50 "But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am
I straitened till it be accomplished!"

     Jesus is speaking prophetically of His baptism of suffering on
the cross. Jesus was fully aware of His trip to the cross.

     Luke 12:51 "Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I
tell you, Nay; but rather division:"  Luke 12:52 "For from henceforth
there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two
against three."
     Those who accept Jesus as their Saviour sometimes are suddenly
allienated from their families. This is what is meant by 3 against 2
in one family. There are only two sides to this war that Jesus is
talking about here: the flesh and the Spirit. Another way to draw the
line between the two sides is God {spirit} and flesh (man). We read,
also, that many times your enemy are those of your own household.
Matthew 10:36 "And a man's foes [shall be] they of his own household."

     Luke 12:53 "The father shall be divided against the son, and the
son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the
daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in
law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law."

     This is a further explanation of verses 51 and 52. In fact, it is
very difficult to minister to your own family. Jesus' half brothers
did not really accept Him until after He was resurrected.

     Luke 12:54  "And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud
rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and
so it is." Luke 12:55 "And when [ye see] the south wind blow, ye say,
There will be heat; and it cometh to pass."

     These people easily pick on the signs of good or bad weather.
They have noticed that when clouds come from the west it usually
rains. They have also noticed that with strong south winds comes a
warming trend.

     Luke 12:56 "[Ye] hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky
and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?"

     The world is truly unaware of how close the time is to the return
of the Lord. We read in I Thessalonians 5:2 "For yourselves know
perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night."
I Thessalonians 5:3 "For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then
sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with
child; and they shall not escape." I Thessalonians 5:4 "But ye,
brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a
thief." I Thessalonians 5:5 "Ye are all the children of light, and the
children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness."  You
can easily see a separation here. The people of the world will have no
idea when Jesus will return for His own. The Christians (children of
the Light) are not in darkness. They will know that the Lord's return
is soon.

     Luke 12:57 "Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is
right?"

     Jesus is telling them, even you can judge right from wrong.

     Luke 12:58 "When thou goest with thine adversary to the
magistrate, [as thou art] in the way, give diligence that thou mayest
be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge
deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison."
Luke 12:59 "I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast
paid the very last mite."

     There are several ways to look at these two verses. In one sense,
Jesus is telling them to accept the Lord now while there is time and
don't wait until He is your Judge. In another sense, these same
disciples Jesus is speaking to here will be actually caught up and
tried before the magistrates of the world. Jesus is warning against
open against open confrontation with them.














































                         Luke 34 Questions

1.  If the goodman of the house knew what hour the thief would come,
    he would have done what?
2.  When is the Son of man coming?
3.  What time is II Timothy 3 describing?
4.  What had Peter recognized about Jesus?
5.  Who will be made ruler over that he hath?
6.  In what way do the heavenly rewards vary?
7.  When the Lord returns, what are we to be doing?
8.  If God's people start complaining about God's delay and start
    eating and drinking and compromising with the world, what can they
    expect.
9.  What two ways could our life on this earth suddenly stop?
10. Who shall be beaten with many stripes?
11. Why is a Christian judged harder than the world?
12. To whom much is given much is ________.
13. How can we assume the apostles would be held more responsible for
    their actions?
14. What is the fire the Lord brings?
15. What was Jesus saying He wished had already started?
16. What baptism was Jesus speaking of in verse 50?
17. Jesus said He came not for peace, but what?
18. Who does Jesus say many times will be against you, if you are a
    Christian?
19. Where is this Scripture found?
20. What specific divisions are in verse 53?
21. When did Jesus' half brothers begin to believe?
22. When you see a cloud in the west, what kind of weather will you
    have?
23. In verse 56, what did Jesus call these people who could predict
    weather but had no idea when He would return?
24. The day of the Lord comes like a _______ in the ________.
25. In I Thessalonians 5:4, what are the Christians called?
26. What two meanings do verse 58 and 59 have?