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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Friday, 1 March 2024:
Luke 8:3 — Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.
Through Joanna, Jesus’ ministry was partly funded by the estate of Herod Antipas, the king of Galilee, executor of John the Baptist and coconspirator against Jesus himself. Little is known about Joanna other than she was the wife of the man who managed Herod’s estate; that she had been healed by Jesus; that her name means “Yahweh has been gracious”; that she accompanied Jesus and the Twelve, and that she was also one of the women who discovered the empty tomb of Jesus on the first Easter morning. Joanna is only mentioned by name twice in the Bible, once here, and once in Luke 24 at the Resurrection.
So, why does the Bible take time the mention Joanna in Luke 8 and to point out that she (along with the other women) provided for the needs of the disciples? I think that this statement would be shocking to a Jew in those days – “How could Jesus surround himself with these unacceptable women, and how could He accept their ‘blood money’ in order to take care of his personal needs and ministry activities?” Remember, this was a time when the Jews would not allow Roman coins with Caesar’s image on them to be brought into the temple as offerings.
- 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 — For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
Joanna, redeemed by God, used her position and resources (which are neither good nor evil) at her disposal to advance the Gospel. Similarly, Paul, exploiting his position as a Roman citizen, traveled to Rome in an Alexandrian ship adorned with a figurehead of two gods, Castor and Pollux. Did that matter to Paul? Of course not! To Paul, who knew and served the One True God, this ship dedicated to idols was nothing more than transportation to fulfill God’s purposes. Likewise, Paul viewed meat sacrificed to idols (imaginary gods) as nothing more than high quality food – what others had intended for this food had no impact on him, unless eating it publicly would cause a problem for someone else.
The lives and experiences of both Joanna and Paul reveal how God uses once unworthy people and unworthy systems to accomplish His redemptive purpose — “What God has made clean, do not call common.” (Acts 10:15) If you are a Christian committed to serving the Lord, there is no ‘secular’ job, assuming your job or activity is a legitimate one, not in itself offensive to God, immoral, unethical, or harmful to others. God has placed you where you are for a reason. Use your position, influence, expertise and resources to advance the Gospel.
Luke 8:8 — He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
Only those who really want to know the truth will learn and accept the truth.
Luke 8:10 — To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that “seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.”
Unbelievers can’t understand God’s word because of their rebellious hearts and lack of Holy Spirit counsel. Some people don’t have eyes to see and ears to hear but rather eyes and ears to filter out what doesn’t support their self-centered ideas and desires. Jesus spoke specifically to those who really wanted to learn and were willing to search for truth in humility. God doesn’t force Himself upon people. However, He is freely available to those who truly want Him, and He promises that if a person will truly seek Him from the heart, He will be found by them.
Luke 8:13 – And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away.
Satan opposes God’s word.
Luke 8:15 – As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.
“At any time, the receptiveness of your heart will determine your response to God’s word (Luke 8:5-18). If your heart is like the trampled ground, hardened by the sin of bitterness and unforgiveness, you will be unable to accept a message from God. Though you hear the words of the message, you will remain unchanged. If your heart is like the shallow soil on top of a rock, you will accept God’s word in your mind, but the truth will not penetrate your heart to make a difference in your actions. A heart like thorny soil is a life that is distracted by the cares of the world; the pursuit of earthly pleasures prevents God’s word from taking hold and producing righteousness. The heart that is like good soil receives a word from God, applies it, and brings forth fruit in due time. This is the heart that Jesus desires in us, for the fruit will be a Christlike life.
Any time you hear a word from God, whether through Bible reading, prayer, or worship, the way you respond will depend on how you have cultivated your heart (Hos. 10:12). How do you develop a heart that is like good soil? Repent of any bitterness, anger, or unforgiveness that is hardening your heart. Meditate on God’s word until it enters deep into your heart and not just your mind. When you read or hear a word from God, apply it to your life and let God bring His word into reality in your life (Gal. 6:9). Protect your lifestyle. See that you don’t devote all of your energy to worldly concerns, rather than to pursuing your relationship with God. The condition of your heart will vary, depending on how you cultivate it. If it was receptive to a word from God yesterday, this does not guarantee it is receptive today. Daily prepare your heart for the word God has for you!” (Henry T. Blackaby)
Luke 8:16 — No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light.
What good is hidden faith? Actually, true faith is impossible to hide; it will naturally be exposed by a bright attitude and outlook as well as behavior which sticks out from the crowd in a shockingly positive way.
Luke 8:17 – For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.
“One of Satan’s subtle deceptions is that you can do things in secret that will never be revealed. This is simply not so. The Bible stresses that everything done in darkness will one day be brought to light. So before you commit yourself to do anything questionable, seriously ask yourself, “Am I willing for those around me to know what I am about to do? Am I willing for God to watch me participate in this activity?”
The knowledge that God sees what we do, the certainty that we are accountable for every word and action, ought to dissuade us from sin (2 Cor. 5:10). But we can become so alienated from God that even this knowledge does not deter us. God promises that He will publicly expose our sin so that we must give an account to others for our actions. Ultimately, everything we do will be exposed on judgment day.
Still, some people believe they can sin against God, their families, their employers, or their friends and never be discovered. God has provided a safeguard against sin: the certainty of disclosure. Scripture commands us to expose the deeds of darkness as we become aware of them (Eph. 5:11). As Christians we are to be the light that dispels darkness in our world. Sin cannot continue in the Christian’s experience, for light cannot dwell with darkness. The only insurance against having your sins exposed is living a blameless life.” (Henry T. Blackaby)
Ultimately, our unseen character will be exposed by our observable behavior. Seeds are planted underground and roots grow underground, but what isn’t seen determines the fruitfulness and vitality of the tree. Good seeds produce good fruits, and bad seeds produce weeds and thorns; and the deeper the roots, the stronger that tree. Lives deeply rooted in Christ produce fruit for others and stand strong through the storms of life.
Luke 8:18 – Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.
Healthy Christians grow in Christlikeness and influence others. How a person hears God’s word is critical. A careless approach to God’s word yields no fruit. If you are not growing you are dying.
Jesus warned that you must “take care how you hear” so you don’t lose what you have heard. In other words, you can hear and even intellectually understand truth but fail to receive it and retain its value in your life. To actually understand truth, gain value from the truth, retain the truth, and grow in the truth, you must apply it in your life and cultivate it into your way of life and your character. You must practice doing what you have heard with consistency until what you do becomes who you are, until you become the embodiment of the word as Jesus was perfectly. If you hear the word by fail to practice the word, you condition yourself to reject it.
Far more people started musical instrument lessons than those who can actually play a musical instrument, and most people who try and fail never go back to master the instrument they envisioned playing. People quit practicing because at first it is very difficult to learn new, unnatural actions with seemingly little to no results; however, those who stick to it will find they get better and better while practice becomes easier and easier, even enjoyable. Don’t just hear God’s word, apply it with patient, persistent, and consistent effort until doing it becomes natural, enjoyable, and beautiful.
- James 1:22 — But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
Luke 8:21 – But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”
The family of God obeys God. God’s family is based on spiritual unity, not blood relation.
Luke 8:25 – “He said to them, “Where is your faith?”
Faith requires that you trust Jesus over your own perceptions, experience, and knowledge. Faith often requires you to do what doesn’t seem to make any sense simply because God commanded you to do it. However, when we step out in faith, we put invisible reality into action which yields observable results that, in turn, build our confidence (faith) in the reliability of that unseen truth. The more we use it, the more we will choose it, but if you don’t use it, you will lose it.
Luke 8:28 — What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.
The demons acknowledged and feared Jesus, but they refused to follow Him. They had the facts but not the faith to follow. God is not interested in mere believers but rather dedicated disciples.
Luke 8:35 – Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.
Salvation brought total change to a tortured man. The change was so amazing, it scared those around him. When God moves powerfully in someone’s life, it might be unacceptable to others because it threatens all that they believed to be true and possible in life.
Luke 8:38-39 – The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.
Salvation is not simply so that we can enjoy Jesus in isolation. We are called to share the Gospel with others. The man freed from Legion probably became the first missionary to Gentiles. Jesus did not want him to just enjoy his relationship with Him but to share it with others. Jesus also didn’t need this man to leave his home town to become a missionary and to reach “all nations,” since the man was most equipped to display the truth of the Gospel to those who knew him and because the man lived in a multicultural community. The same is true for you. You were salted into the world right where God wanted you to be to reveal Him to others.
Luke 8:41 – And there came a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue. And falling at Jesus’ feet, he implored him to come to his house….
Jesus ministered to both demon-possessed Gentiles and leaders among the Jews. Likewise, your mission field is all around you, and you are called to reveal Christ to everyone.
Luke 8:43 – And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone.
Money and experts don’t solve problems, God does. Often, in His grace, God uses money and experts to benefit others, in part, because He wants us to understand we were created to be instruments of His grace, using the gifts He has given us to provide gifts to others; however, when we start to think we are the gift-givers rather than Him, the blessings which come from us may still be a blessing to others but a curse to us.
Luke 8:48-50 – Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.
Faith is required for you to fully realize the blessings of Jesus.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 1 March 2024: Use every opportunity to share the Gospel wherever God has placed you.
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 