Welcome Back! Today, we’ll be looking at the Gospel of Luke to see how Jesus describes our Father.
So let’s dive in.
Luke 15:11-32
Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. The younger son said to him, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. After a few days, the younger son got everything together and journeyed to a distant country, where he squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent all he had, a severe famine swept through that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. He longed to fill his belly with the pods the pigs were eating, but no one would give him a thing. Finally he came to his senses and said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have plenty of food? But here I am, starving to death! I will get up and go back to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’ So he got up and went to his father.
But while he was still in the distance, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. The son declared, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let us feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again! He was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.
Meanwhile the older son was in the field, and as he approached the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked what was going on. ‘Your brother has returned,’ he said, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has him back safe and sound.’ The older son became angry and refused to go in. So his father came out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look, all these years I have served you and never disobeyed a commandment of yours. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours returns from squandering your wealth with prostitutes, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ ‘Son, you are always with me,’ the father said, ‘and all that is mine is yours. But it was fitting to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
My Thoughts
Jesus is telling this story to some judgmental religious people in order to paint a picture of what God is looking for; lost people who will repent. He is chiding them because they are like the older brother who throws a pity party instead of joining in on the real party.
But I think most of the time we hear the story, the focus is on the younger brother slinging slop to the pigs. It’s used as an evangelistic approach to either get the attention of lost people or to motivate the save to share with lost people.
Obviously, both approaches are instructive and valuable but I want to zero in on a third character; the father. I can only imagine what Jesus’ disciples were thinking when they heard this for the first time. “Oh boy, Jesus is givin’ it to ‘em now. Sic those mean ol’ Pharisees, Jesus, sic ‘em!” However, when they got away and started the debrief, I can just hear Jesus saying, “And what about you guys? Where do you fit in the story?”
Here’s how I might answer this question – – – I think we should be acting more like the father (who represents The Father). There are several lessons to be had as disciple makers. The father honored the son’s request by giving his inheritance early (even though he knew the son may not be wise enough to handle it). The father didn’t make him stay at home and monitor his spending habits (it was time for the son to make his own decisions). The father waited for his son to “come to his senses” (instead of rescuing him prematurely). The father was expectant and ran to meet his son when he returned (I can only imagine God, the Omnipotent Eternal One, running to meet me when I repent). And then he throws a lavish party when the son returns.
Let me translate this into disciplemakereeze.
The Father is willing to take risks in giving away responsibility to those who may not be quite ready. Are we? (Luke 9:1–2)
The father doesn’t become a “helicopter parent” to make sure the son does everything right. Are we “helicopter disciple makers?” (John 4:1–2)
The father doesn’t prematurely rescue the son from very poor decisions and lets him go through a process of “self discovery”. Do we allow disciples to experience the consequences of their poor decisions? (Mark 9:18, 9:38–39)
The father is rooting for the son by expectantly waiting on his return. Do we allow for mistakes and wait with a positive expectation that God is working out things in their lives for good? (Philippians 1:6)
The father celebrates the son’s repentance. Do we celebrate when a mentee makes things right or do we play the “I told you so” game? (3 John 1:4)
BTW – The father’s example is great instruction for parenting teenagers as well! 🙂
My Story
I have to bite my tongue…a lot. There are times…a lot of times where young disciples and even disciple makers are saying and doing things where I just need to be silent.
Just the other day one of my friends broke down a “brilliant strategy” for ministry, and I told myself, “Don’t say a word Chuck.” I wouldn’t do things the way he was suggesting but then again how many times am I doing things the “way” Jesus wouldn’t do them. Besides, maybe it is “brilliant” and I’m just an old fuddyduddy!
Now, if the guy was going to blow off a leg or ruin his marriage, you can bet your boots I would say something. But when you look at the story of the prodigal son, it seems like a lot was at stake and the father let him go anyway.
I think as disciple makers we can swing too far to one side of the pendulum or the other. We can over protect or, for education sake, we let the kid run into the street and get hit by a car. Yikes! The key is to balance our advice and realize that we are not the Holy Spirit and sometimes those “bad decisions” are very instructive even though they are painful. Or they just might be good ones we are too proud to admit we didn’t think of first.
Our Action Plan
Now it’s time for application. Here’s some questions and ideas:
When discipling others, do you tend to be over protective or totally hands off?
Next time you meet with a mentee, ask them how they perceive your “guidance.”
Go through the gospels and count the number of mistakes the disciples made under Jesus’ tutelage.
A good disciple maker knows when to “let go” and when to “step in.” But we learn what to do in particular situations and usually it’s by over doing one or another. We have to get our reps in as mentors and it takes time and experience. As we improve our skills, let’s act like the father in Jesus’ story and pray that the Holy Spirit gives us great discernment on how to be a good “spiritual parent.”
Organic Writing – No Artificial Intelligence or Sweeteners Added
Welcome Back! Today, we’ll be looking at how and why Jesus hung with the lost.
So let’s dive in.
Luke 15:1–10
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around to listen to Jesus. So the Pharisees and scribes began to grumble: “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Then Jesus told them this parable: “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the pasture and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders, comes home, and calls together his friends and neighbors to tell them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep!’ In the same way, I tell you that there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous ones who do not need to repent. Or what woman who has ten silver coins and loses one of them does not light a lamp, sweep her house, and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls together her friends and neighbors to say, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”
My Thoughts
The Pharisees and scribes had an accurate assessment of the moral status of the people but a very inaccurate way of addressing it. They condemned the sinner (which only God has the authority to do) and wrote them off.
Jesus comes alongside these outcasts, knowing their spiritual bankruptcy, and does something about it. He moves in close and hangs out with them. He talks to them and dines with them. He is being very intentional about addressing their brokenness. Make no mistake, Jesus has an agenda, both for the sinner and for those who think they are above sinning.
But Jesus did not adopt a very common modern day evangelistic strategy. He didn’t just drink beer with His neighbor for ten years hoping they would ask Him about His religion. No, even though Jesus embraces the sinner He also addressed their sin. And He did it in such a way as to win many of their hearts, and turn them toward God.
Jesus, by His actions and words, addressed two extremes in religious attitude. He confronted those who were lost. He brought the truth and the good news that God hasn’t given up on them. His goal was not just to be seen with people far from God to put a notch in His spiritual performance belt. The victory wasn’t to just hangout with them. His goal was to see them embrace the truth, repent, and surrender to Him as their King.
On the other hand, he was sending a very powerful message to the religious elite. They had completely disengaged from the very people God sent them to help and rendered their priestly functions null and void. A true priest gets their hands dirty in the messes of people’s lives. Jesus’ actions and example were an indictment against these so-called, “shepherds of the flock.”
As disciple makers, we are not only to engage the lost the way Jesus did, we are to be examples for those we are discipling. Jesus made disciples in the harvest. In other words, He was discipling His men, making them fishers of men while fishing for men Himself.
My Story
There have been many times men ask to meet with me for discipleship. My response for the past ten years has been “Sure, join me on Sunday morning and we’ll share the gospel with some folks.” You know, very few actually join me for discipleship. Is my bar too high? I don’t think so because I see the Master Disciple Maker doing the same thing; “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.”
But there are a few who do join me and we begin a relationship that covers everything from spiritual disciplines, to personal purity, to finances, to family dynamics. A lot of guys want the latter before they even think about trying to engage lost and broken people. But that’s where Jesus started and that’s where I start.
Our Action Plan
Now it’s time for application. Here’s some questions and ideas:
Take those you are discipling on a “fishing trip.”
Do those you are mentoring have healthy rhythms of sharing the gospel?
Train some fellow believers in a simple, Biblical, and reproducing gospel tool.
Jesus hung out with lost people. If we are going to be like Jesus, we need to hang out with them as well. No excuses.
Organic Writing – No Artificial Intelligence or Sweeteners Added
The scent of roasted garlic and caramelized onions hung thick in Elena’s third-floor apartment, a warm sanctuary against the concrete chill of the city. Around the reclaimed wood table sat Maya, Chloe, and Sarah—three young professionals navigating the chaotic hum of their digital lives.
At the head of the table sat Elena, a decade older, pouring a second round of Earl Grey tea.
Maya pushed her pasta bowl away, the clinking of her fork breaking the comfortable silence. “I’m sorry,” she said, leaning forward. “But I still can’t stop thinking about this morning.”
Chloe let out a breathless laugh. “You and me both.”
The morning’s prayer walk had started like any other Tuesday, until they encountered a young couple in a convenience store parking lot. The hood of their older sedan was popped open. The boyfriend was gripping his hair in frustration, having just slammed his fist against the steering wheel after yet another failed ignition, while his girlfriend wiped angry tears from her cheeks.
Maya had wanted to cross the street to give them privacy. Elena had walked straight up to the driver’s window.
“Excuse me,” Elena had said, her voice carrying a quiet, unassuming gravity. “I know you’re frustrated. But could I pray and ask God to start your car for you?”
The boyfriend offered a cynical, exhausted shrug. “Sure. Can’t hurt, right?”
Elena hadn’t offered a loud, theatrical prayer. She hadn’t used Christian jargon. She simply placed a hand on the cold metal of the doorframe and spoke to the Father with the casual intimacy of someone talking to a friend in the same room.
“Father, I ask You to start this car for these two people You love so they can get on their way. In Jesus’ name, Amen.” She opened her eyes and nodded at the boy. “Try it now.”
The engine roared to life on the very first turn of the key.
Now, in the safety of the apartment, the lingering adrenaline demanded an explanation.
“I just…” Maya searched for the words. “I’ve spent years debating theology online. If I were in your shoes, I would have offered to pay for a tow truck, or maybe handed them a tract. You just asked for the car to start. And you knew it would. What if it hadn’t started? We would have looked insane.”
Elena set the teapot down, looking deeply at rest. “The fear of looking foolish is the enemy of genuine faith, Maya,” she said softly. “But my confidence wasn’t in my ability to pray the ‘right’ words. It wasn’t my power.”
She reached for her well-worn Bible. “We live in a culture saturated with opinions and rhetoric. Even in the church, we’ve settled for the container instead of the substance. But Paul was very clear: ‘For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power’ (1 Corinthians 4:20).”
Chloe leaned in. “But how do you tap into that? Is it a spiritual gift?”
“It’s not about tapping into a superpower,” Elena explained. “It’s about alignment. Think of Jesus. He only did what He saw the Father doing. He healed the sick and rebuked storms not to show off, but because His internal life was perfectly tuned to the Father’s frequency. Total submission yields ultimate authority.”
Maya felt a prickle of conviction. For so long, her faith had been a mental exercise—treating God like a consultant for her life plans rather than the Sovereign King.
“This morning,” Elena continued, “I didn’t feel a surge of emotional hype. I just felt a quiet nudge from the Holy Spirit. An invitation. I aligned myself with what the Father wanted to do in that parking lot, and His power did the heavy lifting.”
Silence draped over the table, brimming with possibility. Maya didn’t want to just talk about “spiritual things” anymore. She wanted that radical submission. She wanted her life to be an undeniable demonstration of the King’s reign—where the gritty, real power of the Kingdom broke through the noise of the world.
“Teach us,” Maya whispered, the cynical armor she usually wore finally fracturing. “Teach us how to tune into that frequency.”
Elena smiled, a profound warmth radiating from her eyes. “It starts by putting down our own agendas. Let’s ask the King to show us how to listen.”
Introduction
We live in an era overflowing with content. Between podcasts, viral sermons, and endless theological debates on social media, our generation has mastered the art of talking about God. Yet, despite this abundance of Christian information, many believers feel a profound lack of spiritual transformation. We have the vocabulary of faith, but where is the vitality? The Apostle Paul addresses this exact tension in 1 Corinthians 4:20, declaring a paradigm-shifting truth: the Kingdom of God isn’t built on impressive rhetoric or eloquent speeches. It is built on genuine, life-altering power. To truly experience the reign of God, we must move beyond mere intellectual agreement and step into the dynamic reality of the Holy Spirit. This essay explores how aligning with the King transforms our faith from empty words into an undeniable demonstration of His power.
Key Words and Phrases
Consist – Uses the Greek word ἐν – en – (Strong’s G1722), meaning in, by, with, etc. The foundation of their friendship consisted entirely in their shared love for the truth.
Words – Uses the Greek word λόγος – logos – (Strong’s G3056), meaning a word, yet not merely the sound of the voice, but the expression of a thought, conception, or idea; discourse, speech, or reasoning. It is like a container that carries the intent and intelligence of the speaker to the listener, often contrasted with the actual power to fulfill what is spoken. The politician offered many eloquent words, but the citizens were waiting for actual results.
Power – Uses the Greek word δύναμις – dynamis – (Strong’s G1411), meaning strength, power, and ability; inherent power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, power for performing miracles, moral power, and excellence of soul. When the hurricane struck the coast, the undeniable power of the storm completely reshaped the landscape.
Messianic Model – Focus on Jesus’ Example
Jesus didn’t just lecture on the Kingdom of God; He was its living manifestation. While His words built the intellectual framework for the Gospel, He proved that the Kingdom does not consist of speech alone, but of power. This reality was modeled through His perfect submission to the Father, showing those He mentored that true authority and power are derived entirely from divine alignment.
When Jesus walked the earth, His power was not self-sourced; He moved by the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:38). This Messianic model demonstrates that God anointed Him with power to heal all who were oppressed. He often operated in Kingdom power through spoken commands, rebuking nature and raising the dead (Mark 4:39; John 11:43). Jesus further displayed His confidence in the Father’s authority by acknowledging the “legions of angels” readily available from the spiritual realm (Matthew 26:53).
The power of God was on full display in Jesus’ life and ministry; He spoke with absolute authority, and His actions consistently backed up everything He taught.
Key Theological Implications
In 1 Corinthians 4:19-20, Paul confronts a community enamored with rhetoric, challenging arrogant leaders who possessed impressive speech but lacked spiritual substance. He famously concludes that “the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power,” exposing the futility of human eloquence when it is devoid of the Spirit’s backing. Paul is not suggesting that words are the enemy of power, but rather that human words alone—no matter how persuasive—are wildly insufficient to describe or usher in the Kingdom of God.
However, this distinction does not render speech irrelevant; on the contrary, when aligned with God’s Spirit, words become containers of power. God Himself did not fashion the universe with hands, but with a voice, declaring “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3; Hebrews 11:3). Just as the King creates through speech, He has delegated a measure of this creative authority to His image-bearers, giving us words that possess the potential to bring life or death (Proverbs 18:21). This is modeled perfectly by Jesus raising Lazarus with a simple command (John 11:43).
Ultimately, the Kingdom is far more than a theological concept; it is a present reality governed by a living King (Psalm 93:2; Exodus 15:18). While Jesus’ announcement that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17) marked the tangible proximity of God’s reign, this sovereign power has been the sustaining force of the cosmos since the beginning. We see this continuity of power flowing from the Old Testament prophets to the Apostles in the New Testament, originating from the same Spirit who brought order to chaos and who will ultimately judge the living and the dead (John 5:27-29).
Contemporary Spiritual Significance
In an age of digital noise and endless information, the contemporary significance of Kingdom power cannot be overstated. We live in a culture saturated with “words”—opinions, arguments, and intellectualism—yet many remain spiritually hungry because they have only encountered the container and not the substance.
For the believer, this means our primary witness is not found in winning an online debate or mastering Christian jargon, but in the tangible evidence of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives. This power provides the grit for endurance in suffering, the grace for radical forgiveness, and the authority to break modern-day bondages of addiction and anxiety. It challenges the “form of godliness” that completely denies its power (2 Timothy 3:5), calling us back to a life where the supernatural is the standard. When the world sees a community where the sick find healing, the broken find wholeness, and the proud find humility, they are witnessing the intrusion of God’s very real reign into our present moment.
The Transformative Power of Alignment
The transformative power of the Kingdom is unlocked through the hidden work of alignment. Just as a radio must be precisely tuned to a specific frequency to receive a broadcast, the follower of Jesus must align their internal life with the Father’s will to experience the flow of His power.
Transformation begins when we stop treating God as a consultant for our plans and start submitting to Him as the Sovereign of our lives. This alignment shifts our perspective from “What can I do for God?” to “What is God doing that I can join?” It is the difference between struggling to push a heavy stone and standing in the path of a rushing river. When we align our desires, time, and resources with Kingdom priorities (Matthew 6:33), we find that the “heavy lifting” of spiritual life is carried by His Spirit rather than our willpower.
This transformation is not just moral improvement; it is a total reorientation of our being that enables us to carry the weight of His glory without being crushed by it. As we are discipled into this alignment, we become conduits through which the King’s power flows into our families, workplaces, and cities, turning the “words” of our faith into the “work” of His hand.
Conclusion
Ultimately, 1 Corinthians 4:20 is an invitation to strip away the superficial layers of our faith. As a generation saturated with information, we are uniquely positioned to crave something deeper—the authentic, undeniable power of the living God. Jesus modeled this perfectly, showing us that true authority flows not from our own strength or eloquence, but from radical submission to the Father.
If we want to see our families, workplaces, and those we are discipling transformed, we must stop settling for a faith that merely talks. We must actively align our lives with the Spirit’s frequency. When we surrender our agendas and embrace His reign, our lives become the very evidence of the Kingdom—a tangible demonstration where the King’s power does the heavy lifting, and His glory changes the world.
Welcome Back! Today, we’ll be looking at the Gospel of Luke and how Jesus delivered some loving truths that we may feel uncomfortable passing on.
So let’s dive in.
Luke 14:25-35
Large crowds were now traveling with Jesus, and He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple. Which of you, wishing to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost to see if he has the resources to complete it? Otherwise, if he lays the foundation and is unable to finish the work, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This man could not finish what he started to build.’ Or what king on his way to war with another king will not first sit down and consider whether he can engage with ten thousand men the one coming against him with twenty thousand? And if he is unable, he will send a delegation while the other king is still far off, to ask for terms of peace. In the same way, any one of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be My disciple. Salt is good, but if the salt loses its savor, with what will it be seasoned? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile, and it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
My Thoughts
Who does this?! Jesus has accomplished what most ministers only dream of and yet He turns to the masses and potentially chases off most of them. I’ve had people react strongly to this saying. It’s too blunt, unloving, exclusive, and down right mean. And yet the most loving person who ever lived said it (and did it!). In fact, He would do this again and again. So what gives? How does Jesus get away with this and if we were to say or do this, we become the pariah of Christianity?
Maybe it has something to do with attitude? We aren’t as loving as Jesus. Ok, I’ll concede to that half way. But isn’t it just as unloving not to warn people of the cost of discipleship and they get a “fer piece down the road” and the bottom drops out. No, I think if we are called to be like Jesus it means doing the uncomfortable things like telling people that you can’t approach the Christian life like a hobby or a side gig. They have to be all in. These are the kind of hard things that will offend your friends and family. These kinds of sayings will not only facilitate carrying a cross, they will probably hang you on it.
The cost of discipleship (becoming like Jesus) is clearly stated by the Master; It will cost you your life. It will cost you your dearest relationships. Not that you will intentionally alienate those you love, but when it comes to loyalty and obedience, God has first place in the competition. Your family and friends may not like that.
It will cost you your personal preferences. Not that you won’t get to enjoy some things you like doing, eating, seeing, or thinking about. It’s just when they are at odds with what Jesus wants, Jesus gets the easy win. Laying down your life and carrying your cross doesn’t automatically mean drudgery and pain. It just means there is a kingdom priority over a disciple’s desires, preferences, tastes, and yes, even over our own rights.
And here’s the hardest part; as disciple-makers we are not just carrying our own cross, we are calling others to carry theirs. We are passing on the cold hard truths that Jesus told His would be disciples long ago. But what is the cost of us not doing this the way Jesus did? You don’t have to look any further than the local body of “believers.” Are most studying their Rabbi to become like Him with the fervor He deserves? Are most becoming fishers of men like the Master promised to make us? Are most living in the tensions of being sent to a world that hates us and loving them enough to tell them the truth and to repent? It is pretty obvious we are NOT teaching, modeling, and practicing the cost of discipleship enough because the American Church as a whole does not reflect what Jesus is talking about here.
What has your relationship with Jesus cost you recently?
My Story
I’ve recently been shocking my wife Deb. Just last week I challenged a guy I’m mentoring. I said, “I’m going to be frank with you. You’re wasting your time doing that.” Deb was gasping! She said, “You said that? Those exact words?” You see, after being married for 40+ years, she knows me. She knows that when I say “I hammered that guy with the truth!” She knows I’m so pastoral that she translates it to “I put a dab of truth on a Q-Tip and applied it very gently and carefully.”
But you know what? That may be a way to never offend your friends but it’s not always appropriate in every situation. Sometimes the only way to get the truth across is to present it in a way that it seems out of character, harsh, blunt, or even mean to the receiver. How do you think Peter felt when Jesus called him Satan?
And yes, I used those exact words. This doesn’t give me license to be a jerk. But I have been working on delivering the truth in a more “Jesus like” fashion because I want to be more “loving” like Him. I want to “beat around the bush” less and use less “candy on the coating” so people get a clearer “Jesus message.”
Our Action Plan
Now it’s time for application. Here’s some questions and ideas:
Do you have a tendency to be more prophetic or pastoral?
What would it take to be more balanced like Jesus?
Do a Bible study on how Jesus spoke both Grace and Truth.
Being a people pleaser by nature, I don’t like to make waves. But as disciple makers we aren’t called to make everyone like us. We are called to be like Jesus and help others do the same. And at times that means delivering some tough truths in some tough ways.
Organic Writing – No Artificial Intelligence or Sweeteners Added
Welcome Back! Today, I’ll be sharing some news that’s too good not to share.
So let’s dive in.
Acts 12:11-16
When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.” And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. When he knocked at the door of the gate, a servant-girl named Rhoda came to answer. When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her joy she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of the gate. They said to her, “You are out of your mind!” But she kept insisting that it was so. They kept saying, “It is his angel.” But Peter continued knocking; and when they had opened the door, they saw him and were amazed.
My Thoughts and Our Story
For those who follow my ramblings, you can tell this is not my normal MO. But this news is too extraordinary to just “rinse and repeat.”
Many of you know that my wife was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer three months ago. Her lungs were filling with fluid that had to be drained weekly by thoracentesis where they use a needle to insert into the outer lung cavity and then use a catheter to drain the fluid. Sometimes it was up to a liter. Deb was losing weight fast, and would become winded walking halfway across the room. She was eventually hospitalized and had two chest tubes inserted to continually drain the fluids. Finally, after jumping through a lot of medical system hoops, a biopsy was done and it came back positive for metastatic breast cancer.
This wasn’t our first rodeo. She had been through the cancer circus, chemo, radiation, and a few surgeries, twenty-five years ago. Now cancer was back. It was so bad, we actually were “getting our affairs in order.” This was really really bad news.
So we prayed. And we got our friends and family to pray. We had neighbors praying. Even strangers would drop us a note and say they were praying. At that point, what else are you going to do? But how do you respond when the Father answers your prayers?
Last Friday Deb went in for a CT scan. Her oncologist called today (14 Oct 26) and said there is no sign of the cancer. It “appears” to be gone. We were in shock! Like Peter finally realizing he had just made a prison break compliments of an angel, and Rhoda leaving him standing at the locked gate, and then the church telling her she’s crazy, we just sat there dumb founded. Really? Did we just hear what we thought we heard from our doctor?
I’ve seen a few miraculous things in my life but this has to be the most extraordinary and by far, the most meaningful. Please join us as we celebrate our amazing God, whose mercies and lovingkindnesses are indeed new every morning. We give Him all the glory and honor.
Organic Writing – No Artificial Intelligence or Sweeteners Added
Welcome Back! Today, we’ll be looking at the Gospel of Luke to see what Jesus said about excuses.
So let’s dive in.
Luke 14:15-24
When one of those reclining with Him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is everyone who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” But Jesus replied, “A certain man prepared a great banquet and invited many guests. When it was time for the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ But one after another they all began to make excuses. The first one said, ‘I have bought a field, and I need to go see it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out. Please excuse me.’ Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, so I cannot come.’ The servant returned and reported all this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ ‘Sir,’ the servant replied, ‘what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’ So the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. For I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will taste my banquet.’”
My Thoughts
It was a very spiritual statement; “Blessed is everyone who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” One you might suspect to hear around Jesus as people posture themselves as being “righteously in the know.” And yet, Jesus gives a warning to His “spiritual friend” and everyone else at the table. Not so fast. Maybe there’s something a little deeper at play here. Maybe, just maybe, those who think they will get a taste of the sumptuous dinner in heaven actually voided their invitation here on earth.
In the story Jesus states that all invitations have already been sent and now the great banquet is ready. All the guests have to do is let the servants know that they are on their way. But something strange takes place, well, maybe not so strange when one is invited to something they weren’t very interested in anyway. The excuses begin to fly. “I got some land.” “I got some cows.” “I got a wife.” All very important things and seemingly more important than this man’s big dinner.
Jesus intended the dinner guests and, oh by the way, us, to connect the dots. We see that these excuses are ordinary and common ones made every day for things we don’t want to do. We have our priorities. But we’re not talking about any old meal. We’re talking about the “feast in the kingdom of God!” Jesus is painting a picture of the stark difference between wanting to sound “spiritual” and actually “seeking the kingdom first (Matthew 6:33). In reality, those with excuses are posers. Their lifestyle doesn’t align with their platitudes. In plain words, they are hypocrites.
Now, let’s get personal. Have we ever used excuses to justify our priorities over kingdom priorities? I know I have. “I’ll read my Bible after I check my messages, people are important, you know.” “That person doesn’t look like they’d be interested in the gospel anyway.” “I’ll cut my prayers short today. God already knows what I’m gonna pray.” I’ll spare you and I any more illumination than necessary. We may not be making excuses that keep us from the celestial dinner with Jesus but aren’t these kinds of excuses robbing us of time with Him now?
My Story
“No excuse Sergeant!”
That was what we were taught to say from day one when the sergeant confronted us on one of our shortcomings. And why was this such an important lesson to teach soldiers right out of the gate. Well, new soldiers are being chastised for their errors every waking moment. And the most natural thing for a civilian wearing a uniform is to do what they have done all their lives, hide it, deny it, or blame it on someone else. And from personal and cultural experience, I know it’s not just new soldiers who are plagued with the “excuse disease.” It’s part of human DNA. We’ve been using them since the Garden of Eden. “That woman You gave me made me do it!”
But then my sergeant went one step further. After I replied with the canned response “No excuse Sergeant!” We were instructed to self evaluate and express line by line what we actually did and how we were going to correct our actions in the future (Of course this second step happens after giving him twenty push-ups).
Think about it. The Army was teaching us how to repent. Confess our wrong doings and take steps to correct them. Now you’ll probably never hear a sergeant say “You are forgiven.” But when we come clean before our heavenly Father, He will. And isn’t this a skill that desperately needs to be taught to people these days? Like my sergeants in basic training, we too as disciple makers, need to teach people the art of receiving correction, repentance, and coming up with a plan to avoid the pitfall in the future (minus the pushups).
Our Action Plan
Now it’s time for application. Here’s some questions and ideas:
When confronted with some sin or error (real or false), what is our first reaction?
The man who discipled me as a young believer gave me this advice; “Assume a rebuke from someone is at least 1% true. That will give you enough time to think about it before you put up your defenses.”
Do a Bible study with the men and women you are discipling on Receiving or Rejecting Correction.
Repentance is one of the first skills Jesus taught His disciples. To acknowledge the wrong and align future thoughts and actions with God’s design. It was crucial not only to their salvation but for maturity, healthy relationships, and even the ministry. Excuses get in the way of real life now and when we cross over to the next life.
Organic Writing – No Artificial Intelligence or Sweeteners Added
Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. (Mark 15:43)
(he had not consented to their plan and action), a man from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for the kingdom of God; (Luke 23:51)
After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. (John 19:38)
Disciple-Maker’s Short Story
The Kingdom Pivot
The hum of the espresso machine at Third Coast Roasters was usually a comfort to Leo, a white noise that helped him focus. Today, it sounded like a countdown.
Leo sat across from Marcus, his mentor of three years. Marcus was ten years older, a seasoned architect who had navigated the cutthroat world of commercial development without losing his soul—a feat Leo was finding increasingly impossible in his own field of high-stakes tech sales.
“You got the promotion,” Marcus said, lifting his black coffee. It wasn’t a question. “Senior Account Executive. Youngest in the firm’s history.”
Leo forced a smile, tapping his finger against the ceramic rim of his mug. “Yeah. It’s official as of yesterday.”
“But?” Marcus prompted, leaning back. He knew Leo too well. He knew the difference between the exhausted satisfaction of a job well done and the nervous energy of a man looking over his shoulder.
Leo sighed, dropping his hand. “But I feel like a fraud, Marcus. The team took me out for drinks afterward. The conversation shifted to the ‘morality of the algorithm’—the new ad targeting suppression we’re rolling out. It’s… it’s predatory. Everyone knows it. But the VP, Sarah, made a joke about how ‘ethics don’t pay for Teslas.’ Everyone laughed. I laughed.”
Leo looked down at the table. “I laughed, Marcus. I didn’t just stay silent. I participated. I signaled that I was one of them, that the Kingdom of Revenue was the only thing that mattered.”
Marcus didn’t scold him. He just nodded slowly. “You’re feeling the weight of the dual citizenship.”
“I feel like a double agent who’s forgotten which side he’s on,” Leo admitted. “I tell myself, ‘I need this influence. Once I’m a VP, then I can set the culture. Then I can speak up.’ But every rung I climb, the air gets thinner, and the cost of speaking up gets higher.”
Marcus reached into his messenger bag and pulled out his worn Bible, placing it on the table but not opening it yet. “You remind me of someone. A guy who had a seat at the big table. Wealthy. Respected. Probably laughed at a few jokes he shouldn’t have to keep his seat on the Council.”
“Joseph of Arimathea,” Leo said. They had studied him before.
“Joseph,” Marcus agreed. “The ultimate strategic silent partner. Mark says he was ‘waiting for the kingdom of God.’ That’s a strange phrase for a man who seemed to be doing everything possible to succeed in the kingdom of Rome and the religious elite.”
Marcus opened the book to Mark 15. “Here’s the thing, Leo. We often think the opposite of fear is courage. So we try to ‘white-knuckle’ it. We tell ourselves, ‘Next time, I’ll be brave.’ But we fail again. Why?”
Leo shrugged. “Because we’re cowards?”
“Because courage is a byproduct, not the source,” Marcus corrected. “The text says Joseph was ‘waiting for the kingdom of God.’ That was his defining characteristic. For a long time, he thought he could wait for God’s Kingdom while comfortably inhabiting the world’s kingdom. He thought he could have both.”
Marcus leaned in, his voice dropping an octave, cutting through the coffee shop chatter. “The struggle you’re feeling isn’t just psychological, Leo. It’s not just you being ‘chicken.’ It’s a clash of kingdoms. You are trying to protect your standing in the kingdom of Tech Sales while secretly hoping for the Kingdom of God. But you can’t protect both. Eventually, one has to be sacrificed for the other.”
Leo looked out the window at the passing traffic. “So what do I do? Quit? Go work for a non-profit?”
“No,” Marcus said firmly. “Joseph didn’t leave the Council to go live in the desert. He used his position. But he had to make a pivot. He had to stop protecting his reputation and start spending it.”
Marcus tapped the open page. “It says he ‘gathered up courage’ and went to Pilate. That phrase—’gathered up courage’—implies he didn’t have it beforehand. He had to scrape it together. Why? Because the Kingdom he was waiting for suddenly became more real to him than the Council he sat on. He saw the King dead on a cross, and realized, ‘My silence didn’t save Him. My silence just made me safe.'”
Leo felt a sting behind his eyes. “My silence makes me safe,” he whispered. “That’s it. That’s the idol.”
“The question,” Marcus said, closing his Bible, “is not ‘Will I be brave?’ The question is, ‘Which Kingdom is real to me right now?’ If the approval of your VP is the most real thing in your universe, you will always laugh at her jokes. You can’t help it. We always worship the most powerful thing in the room. You have to decide if Jesus is more powerful than Sarah.”
Three days later, the opportunity for the pivot arrived. It wasn’t dramatic. There was no ominous music. It was just a Tuesday lunch meeting in a glass-walled conference room.
The team was discussing the rollout of the new “Apex” targeting system. The client, a massive online gambling platform, was pushing for a feature that would specifically re-target users who had self-identified as “recovering” or had searched for addiction help, framing it as a “relapse prevention” tool that was actually designed to trigger engagement.
It was subtle, dark, and incredibly profitable.
“It’s technically compliant,” the Project Lead, Dave, said, flashing a slide full of legal jargon. “The algorithm just looks for ‘high-intent’ keywords. If they’re looking for help, they’re looking for a solution. We’re just offering them… entertainment.”
A few chuckles around the room. Leo felt that familiar tightening in his chest. The “Secret Agent” instinct kicked in. Stay quiet, it whispered. You’re the new Senior Exec. Don’t rock the boat on your first week. Wait until you have more capital. Just look at your phone.
Leo looked at his phone. He saw a text from Marcus: Waiting for the Kingdom?
Leo looked up. He looked at Dave, a good guy with a mortgage who had convinced himself this was just data. He looked at Sarah, the VP, checking her watch.
He realized, suddenly, that he wasn’t afraid of them. They were just people. They were citizens of a kingdom that was passing away—a kingdom built on quarterly returns and fragile egos.
Leo cleared his throat. “I can’t sign off on this,” he said.
The room went quiet. The air conditioning hummed.
Sarah looked up from her watch, eyebrows raised. “Excuse me, Leo?”
“The ‘Recovering’ tag,” Leo said, his voice shaking slightly before steadying. “We’re framing it as compliance, but we’re building a trap for addicts. It’s predatory. I know we have revenue targets, and I’m all in on hitting them, but I can’t put my name on a tool that exploits vulnerable people to do it.”
Dave laughed nervously. “Leo, come on. It’s just an algorithm. It’s not personal.”
“It is personal,” Leo said. He didn’t quote a Bible verse. He didn’t stand on the table and preach. He just spoke from the reality of the Kingdom he belonged to—a Kingdom that values the broken over the profit margin. “My faith requires me to treat people with dignity, not just as data points. If we build this, we’re hurting people. I can’t be a part of that.”
The silence that followed was heavy. It lasted five seconds, then ten. Leo felt the heat rising in his neck. He imagined his promotion dissolving. He imagined the “social exile”—the missed lunch invites, the awkward pauses when he entered the room.
Then, Sarah sighed. She took off her glasses.
“I actually agree with Leo,” she said, sounding tired.
Heads turned.
“My brother has been in and out of rehab for ten years,” Sarah said, her voice devoid of its usual corporate sheen. “If I found out a company was targeting him like this, I’d burn them to the ground. I didn’t look closely enough at the specs.” She looked at Leo. “Thanks for catching it.”
The meeting shifted instantly. The “Apex” feature was scrapped. The team moved on to the next item.
It wasn’t a movie ending. Nobody applauded. After the meeting, Dave made a passive-aggressive comment about Leo being a “boy scout.” At the happy hour that Friday, Leo wasn’t invited. He sat in his cubicle and heard them laughing down the hall.
He had lost standing in the kingdom of the office. He was now “the religious guy” or “the moral compass” that killed the vibe.
But as he packed his bag, he felt a strange sensation. It wasn’t regret. It was lightness.
“So, you got un-invited to the cool kids’ table,” Marcus said the next week. They were walking through a park in the city center, the autumn leaves crunching under their boots.
“Yeah,” Leo said. “It’s weird. I’m definitely on the outside now. Dave barely makes eye contact. But… I don’t care. I thought I would be devastated, but I just feel…”
“Free?” Marcus suggested.
“Yeah. Free. Like I don’t have to remember which mask to wear anymore.”
“That’s the liberation of the Kingdom,” Marcus said. “When you stop hiding, you stop needing to manage your image. You burned the bridge back to the ‘Secret Agent’ life. Now you just have to be Leo, the follower of Jesus.”
“It did something else, too,” Leo added. “Yesterday, a junior dev, Emily, came by my desk. She closed the door. She asked me, ‘Did you really say that in the meeting about the addiction targeting?’ I told her yes. She started crying. She said she’s been a Christian for five years but has been terrified to let anyone know because she thought she’d get fired. She said she felt like Elijah—like she was the only one.”
Marcus smiled, a wide, genuine grin. “And you showed her she wasn’t alone.”
“I invited her to my small group,” Leo said. “She’s coming tonight.”
Marcus stopped walking and turned to face him. “That is spiritual authority, Leo. You traded social capital for spiritual authority. You lost a little bit of ‘cool’ with Dave, but you gained the ability to lead Emily. That’s the trade Joseph of Arimathea made. He lost his safety with the Council, but he gained the body of Jesus. He got to hold the King.”
Leo nodded, thinking about the trade. “It’s worth it,” he said.
“It is,” Marcus agreed. “But keep your head on a swivel. The test will come again. It always does. You’re not a secret anymore, which means you’re a target. But you’re also a lighthouse. And lighthouses get hit by waves, but they also show people where the rocks are.”
Leo took a deep breath of the crisp air. He felt grounded. The anxiety that had plagued him for months—the low-level hum of fraudulence—was gone. He was no longer waiting for the Kingdom in secret; he was living in it, right there in the middle of the tech district.
“I’m ready,” Leo said. And for the first time in a long time, he meant it.
Introduction
The defining characteristic of Joseph of Arimathea wasn’t his wealth or his seat on the Council, but that he was “waiting for the kingdom of God” (Mark 15:43). This Kingdom expectation is the pivot point of his story and ours. The struggle between secrecy and boldness is not merely a psychological battle between fear and courage; it is a clash of kingdoms. The central question for every disciple is this: Will we protect our standing in the kingdom of this world, or will we risk it all for the Kingdom that is coming? This Kernel explores how a robust vision of the Kingdom of God acts as the primary motivation for breaking silence, transforming secret admirers into public ambassadors.
Key Words and Phrases
Who was waiting for the kingdom of God – Uses the Greek word προσδέχομαι – prosdechomai – (Strong’s G4327), meaning to receive to one’s self, to admit, to give access to one’s self, receive one into intercourse and companionship, to accept (not to reject) a thing offered, or to actively expect the fulfillment of promises. The customer checked their tracking information, eagerly expecting to receive the package by the end of the day.
Being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one – “Secret” uses the Greek word κρύπτω – kryptō – (Strong’s G2928), meaning to hide, conceal, to be hid, or to escape notice. Joseph kept his faith hidden out of a paralyzing fear of the religious elite. The man hid the key under the mat so the visitors could secretly let themselves in.
Messianic Model – Focus on Jesus’ Example
Eagerly Awaited the Kingdom Although Jesus is the King and initiated the kingdom’s beginning, like Joseph, He also eagerly awaited its fulfillment. He spoke of it as being “at hand,” right at the door (Mark 1:15). He instructed His disciples to pray in such a way as to actively expect God’s Kingdom to come (Matthew 6:10). During the Last Supper, He expressed His profound desire to drink the cup again in the Kingdom of His Father (Matthew 26:26-29).
The Strategic Secrecy of Jesus At first glance, it seems contradictory. Jesus is the “Light of the World,” yet the Gospels are filled with Him telling people to stay quiet, slipping away from crowds, and hiding in obscure towns. However, the Scriptures make it clear that this wasn’t cowardice; it was calculation. Jesus employed secrecy as a tool to control the timeline of His death, clarify the nature of His kingdom, and filter the casual crowd from committed followers.
1. Controlling the Timeline Jesus was on a divine schedule. He knew He was going to die, but it had to happen at the Passover to fulfill prophecy. After raising Lazarus, the Sanhedrin finalized their decision to kill Him (John 11:48). Knowing this, Jesus “no longer continued to walk publicly” but went to the wilderness city of Ephraim (John 11:54). He went underground not to escape the cross, but to ensure He arrived at it at the appointed hour.
2. Defining the Mission If Jesus had allowed unchecked hype around His miracles, the crowds would have hijacked His mission to turn the Suffering Servant into a political general. After feeding the 5,000, they intended to “take Him by force to make Him king,” but Jesus immediately withdrew to the mountain alone (John 6:15). Likewise, He frequently commanded demons to be silent (Mark 1:24-25; Mark 3:11-12; Luke 4:41) because He did not want the “Father of Lies” managing His public relations.
3. The Filter Secrecy acted as a sieve. Jesus spoke in parables to the crowds but explained everything in private to those He was discipling (Mark 4:34). This ensured that those willing to ask and follow received the deep mysteries of the Kingdom (Mark 7:17; Mark 9:30-31). He frequently hid to invest in the few, yet He always made time for those whose genuine faith pressed through the secrecy, like the Syrophoenician woman (Mark 7:24; Matthew 15:21-28).
4. The “Messianic Secret” Jesus imposed strict silence orders on the healed (Mark 1:43-44; Mark 7:36) and even His inner circle after Peter’s confession (Mark 8:29-30; Matthew 16:20) and the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:9). This “secret” was temporary—a dam holding back revelation until the Cross and Resurrection broke it open.
In contrast to Jesus’ calculated use of secrecy for the mission, Joseph’s early motivation was explicitly recorded as fear, lacking a noble cause.
Key Theological Implications
Jesus draws a direct line between our willingness to identify with Him now and His willingness to identify with us in eternity.
The Reciprocal Nature of Confession: Jesus sets up a reciprocal relationship: “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him” (Matthew 10:32-33).
Being Ashamed: Jesus speaks specifically to the fear of social ostracization. “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him” (Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26). Notice He includes being ashamed of “My words”—distancing ourselves from His specific, unpopular teachings to save face.
The Audience of Heaven: Fear of man drives denial, so Jesus reminds us of the greater audience: “everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God” (Luke 12:8-9).
Grace and Restoration: It is vital to distinguish between apostasy and a moment of fear. Peter denied Jesus three times (Matthew 26:69-75), yet he wept, repented, and was publicly restored by Jesus (Mark 16:7; John 21:15-17). Joseph of Arimathea lived in hiding (John 19:38), but eventually “gathered up courage” to act boldly (Mark 15:43). The path to restoration is open through repentance; the warning is against a permanent lifestyle of shame and denial.
Contemporary Spiritual Significance
The tension between “Strategic Secrecy” and “Fearful Hiding” is a massive challenge today. We must discern the difference between wisdom and cowardice.
The “Secret Agent” Fallacy: Many believers think staying “undercover” gains them influence. However, prolonged secrecy usually leads to spiritual atrophy. Identifying yourself with Jesus early sets a boundary that protects you from compromising your conscience later.
Fear vs. Strategy: We often label our fear of being canceled or mocked as “wisdom.” Jesus’ secrecy advanced the mission; our secrecy often just protects our comfort. Ask those you are discipling: “Are you silent because the Spirit is checking you, or because your flesh is trembling?”
The “Pilate Moment”: Every secret disciple eventually faces a moment where their allegiance must go public. Joseph missed the opportunity during the trial, but he gathered his courage for the burial. God can use even a late bloom of courage to do a mighty work. Furthermore, secrecy breeds isolation. Your boldness can be the exact catalyst that encourages other “secret disciples” to step into the light.
The Transformative Power of Identifying with Jesus
Boldness is not just a duty; it is a gateway to spiritual vitality.
When you openly identify as a follower of Jesus, you are liberated from the exhaustion of image management. As Paul declared, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation” (Romans 1:16).
There is also a direct link between boldness and the fullness of the Spirit. When the early believers prayed for boldness, they “were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31). Finally, in a generation starved for authenticity, your willingness to be identified with Jesus—even when it costs you—makes your witness incredibly credible and magnetic (Acts 4:13).
Conclusion
Joseph of Arimathea’s journey from the shadows to Pilate’s hall teaches us that the only cure for the fear of man is a greater fear of God—and a greater love for His Kingdom. We do not shed our secrecy simply by trying to be braver; we shed it by realizing that the Kingdom of God is the only reality that will last.
When we identify with Jesus, we are not just admitting a religious preference; we are pledging allegiance to the coming King. In the end, there is no such thing as a “secret” citizen of the Kingdom. We speak up not because we are heroes, but because we have seen the King, and He is worth the loss of this world’s applause.
Welcome Back! Today, we’ll be looking at the Gospel of Luke to see what Jesus taught about honor and humility.
So let’s dive in.
Luke 14:7-11
When Jesus noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, He told them a parable: “When you are invited to a wedding banquet, do not sit in the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited. Then the host who invited both of you will come and tell you, ‘Give this man your seat.’ And in humiliation, you will have to take the last place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the last place, so that your host will come and tell you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in front of everyone at the table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
My Thoughts
Jesus warns people about the folly of pride and arrogance several times throughout the Gospels. In fact, when you survey the entire Bible, you see God elevating the humble and tearing down the proud all the time. It is a consistent scenario from cover to cover.
So, why do the Scriptures pay so much attention to this theme?
Here’s my guess; I’ve heard it said that pride is the root of all sin and if left unchecked, it elevates oneself above people and more dangerously, above God. It is the beginning of rebellion against Him. It says; “I know better. I will choose what I like despite the Creator’s demands. I will be the captain of my own life.”
Pride is like cancer and the Holy Spirit is committed to removing it from our lives. You see the Great Surgeon using His skillful skalpel in men like Moses, David, Joseph, Peter, and Paul. They all had to go into the OR as they went from hero to zero and back to hero again. Other characters, despite the Surgeon’s efforts, never make it out alive.
But it would be a mistake to misunderstand Jesus. He is not against greatness or honor. In fact he explicitly instructs people on how to achieve both. “If you want to be great, serve. If you want to be honored, take the low place. It’s up to others and ultimately the Lord, to elevate us to places of honor and prominence.
Grabbing it for ourselves is a sure fire way to find the bottom.
My Story
I was having a discussion with my mentor. It was something we had been doing for more than twenty years. But this time it was different. I disagreed with him at some point in our dialogue and made sure he knew it. As I got up to get more coffee, I thought to myself, “That was a good comeback. Now the student is teaching the teacher.” Just then I stepped on a wet spot and slammed my knee straight into the floor of the restaurant. It shattered in three pieces and I was on my way to surgery and six months of recovery. Coincidence? Maybe. Was I being arrogant, prideful, and haughty? Without a doubt. Just saying…
Our Action Plan
Now it’s time for application. Here’s some questions and ideas:
Do a Bible study on pride and humility. Here’s some verses to begin with; (Proverbs 11:2, Proverbs 16:5, Proverbs 29:23, Isaiah 2:11, James 4:10, 1 Peter 5:5, Proverbs 18:12, Psalm 10:4, Proverbs 21:4, Jeremiah 9:23, 1 Corinthians 10:12, Galatians 6:3, Philippians 2:3, Proverbs 26:12, Isaiah 13:11, Romans 12:16, 1 John 2:16, Proverbs 15:25, 2 Chronicles 26:16, Proverbs 27:2)
Do a Bible character study and observe how God develops their humility.
Have a discussion with someone you are mentoring about pride. (Be careful not to step on any wet spots)
It is quite clear that God hates pride and is committed to rooting it out of us. As disciple makers we are stewards not only of outward actions but also the heart. Let’s allow the Holy Spirit to carve out this dangerous disease and help others do the same.
Organic Writing – No Artificial Intelligence or Sweeteners Added
Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and were scoffing at Him. 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. The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail. Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery.”
The scent of Isabelle’s rosemary focaccia still hung in the air, a warm contrast to the persistent January drizzle tapping against the windowpanes of their small living room. Ralph sat on the edge of the ottoman, his calloused hands—stained with the faint, indelible grey of electrical conduit grease—resting on his knees.
Around him, twelve college students were crammed onto mismatched chairs and floor cushions. This was the Thursday night rhythm: the hum of the heater, the rustle of thin Bible pages, and the raw energy of young minds trying to bridge the gap between ancient text and modern life.
“Okay,” Ralph said, his voice steady and grounding. “Luke 16:16. Let’s look at it again.”
He read the verse aloud: “The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.”
The silence lasted only a second.
“It’s an invitation to radicalism,” Liam said, leaning forward. He was a junior, prone to wearing hiking boots even in the house, his intensity often outstripping his patience. “Jesus is saying the Kingdom isn’t for the lukewarm. You have to take it by storm. It’s about holy violence—breaking through your old life, your old habits, and seizing the Gospel with everything you’ve got. If you aren’t ‘forcing’ your way in, are you even in?”
Across the circle, Sarah shook her head, her brow furrowed. She was a pre-med student who lived for precision. “I don’t buy that, Liam. It sounds like you’re saying we earn our way in by being ‘intense’ enough. Look at the context. The Pharisees are right there, scoffing at Him. The Greek word here is biazetai. It can be passive. It means the Kingdom is suffering violence. It’s being attacked by people like the Pharisees who try to twist the Law to fit their greed. It’s not about us being violent; it’s about the world being violent toward the Truth.”
“That makes the Gospel sound like a victim,” Liam countered, his voice rising. “The text says everyone is forcing their way in. That’s momentum, Sarah. That’s the crowd pressing in to touch His cloak. It’s a positive hunger!”
“It’s a warning about opposition!” Sarah snapped back. “You can’t just turn the Kingdom into a Spartan race.”
The room’s temperature seemed to rise. The other students shifted uncomfortably, eyes darting between the two.
Ralph watched them. He didn’t jump in immediately. He thought of a junction box he’d wired that morning—a mess of black, white, and red wires. If you forced them together without understanding the circuit, you’d get a spark, maybe a fire. But if you respected the tension, you got light.
“Liam, Sarah,” Ralph said softly. The two stopped, their faces flushed. Ralph offered a small, disarming smile. “You’re both doing exactly what the word biazetai demands. You’re wrestling.”
“But who’s right?” Liam asked, still vibrating with energy.
“Let’s look at the ‘circuit’ together,” Ralph said. He spent the next twenty minutes leading them through the linguistic fork in the road. He explained how the Middle voice suggested a desperate, energetic pressing-in—like a man running into a burning building to save his family. Then he showed them the Passive voice—how the Kingdom was being squeezed and opposed by the religious elite who hated Jesus’ message.
He used the margins of his Bible to show them cross-references, pointing to the Pharisees’ scoffing in verse 14 and the radical call to repentance that followed. By the end, the group sat in a thoughtful, heavy stalemate.
“So… we don’t know?” Sarah asked, her voice smaller now. “We’ve been talking for an hour and we’re still stuck at the same door?”
Ralph stood up and walked to the kitchen, returning with a heavy, old-fashioned iron wrench he’d left on the side table. He set it on the coffee table with a metallic thud.
“My hands are tired today,” Ralph said, looking at his palms. “I spent ten hours pulling wire through tight spaces. It’s hard, frustrating work. But that work is what makes me an electrician. If the wires just fell into place, I wouldn’t need to understand the power behind them.”
He looked around the room, making eye contact with each student.
“You think the goal of this tonight was to pick a ‘winner’ between Interpretation A and Interpretation B. But look at what happened while you were fighting. You looked up the Greek. You checked the context of the Pharisees. You prayed—I heard you whispering under your breath, Sarah. You leaned on each other.”
He leaned forward, his expression turning earnest.
“Every time we hit a passage that stops us in our tracks, it’s an invitation to lose our self-sufficiency. If the Bible was easy, we’d treat God like a vending machine—input question, output answer. But when it’s hard? It forces us to act like Jesus.”
“How so?” Liam asked.
“Jesus didn’t just ‘know’ things because He was God,” Ralph explained. “He lived in total, desperate dependence on the Father. He stayed up all night praying. He saturated Himself in the Word so deeply that when the Devil quoted it, Jesus saw the heart behind the text. He wants us to have that same hunger. This ‘stalemate’ isn’t a failure, guys. It’s the gym. Wrestling with these verses is how we develop the spiritual muscle to actually abide in Him.”
Isabelle walked over and rested a hand on Ralph’s shoulder. Ralph looked up at her, then back at the group.
“The motivation to be like Jesus isn’t about being ‘right,'” Ralph concluded. “It’s about being with Him. He is the Word. When you struggle with the Word, you are holding onto Him. You’re refusing to let go until He blesses you with a bit more of His character—His humility, His patience, His wisdom.”
The tension in the room had evaporated, replaced by a quiet, reverent weight. Liam looked at Sarah and gave a sheepish nod. Sarah smiled back, her fingers tracing the edge of her Bible.
“So,” Ralph said, standing up to clear the empty cider mugs. “It’s 9:30. We didn’t solve the Greek. But I think we’re a little closer to the Teacher. Who wants the last piece of focaccia?”
Introduction
Have you ever come across a verse in the Bible that stopped you in your tracks because it seemed to contradict everything you thought you knew? We often picture the Kingdom of God as a place of perfect peace, gentle shepherds, and quiet waters. Yet, in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus introduces a concept that feels jarringly intense, using language related to force and violence. This confusion isn’t just a translation error; it stems from the complexity of the original Greek language in which the New Testament was written.
At the center of this mystery is a single Greek word found in Luke 16:16—biazetai. This word presents a challenge to scholars and students alike, acting as a fork in the road for interpretation. Does it mean we must fight to enter the Kingdom, or does it mean the Kingdom is under attack? As we dig into the definitions, grammar, and context of this key phrase, we will discover that the difficulty of the text is actually a gift. It invites us to look past the surface and engage in a deeper, more urgent pursuit of God’s truth.
Key Words and Phrases
Everyone is forcing his way into it – Uses the Greek word βιάζω – biazō – (Strong’s G971), meaning to use force, to apply force, or inflict violence on. The fireman busted down the door by force, violently entering the burning house.
The Voice of Biazetai (βιάζεται) – The grammatical form of biazetai is identical for both the Middle and Passive voices in Greek, but the meaning changes significantly depending on which one is intended:
If Passive: It would mean “Everyone is forced into it.” This is linguistically possible but theologically impossible, as it implies forced conversion.
If Middle (Deponent): It means “Everyone forces their way into it.” This suggests a strenuous, energetic, perhaps even violent effort to enter the Kingdom. This implies that entering the Kingdom requires radical, urgent decision-making (repentance) that aggressively breaks through social or religious barriers.
Messianic Model – Focus on Jesus’ Example
Jesus fearlessly penetrated the Pharisees’ “smokescreen” of self-made righteousness, directly confronting their hypocrisy. The exact meaning of His statement regarding the Kingdom—whether it refers to people eagerly pressing into it or to the religious leaders’ violent resistance against it—is heavily debated. Nevertheless, Jesus flawlessly interpreted the Scriptures, motives, and actions of everyone He met. This perfect insight came directly from the Father, who guided His every conduct and speech (John 5:19; John 14:10).
While our alignment with the Father is imperfect compared to Jesus, we are still commanded to abide in Him just as He abided in the Father (John 15:5). By doing so, our ability to assess others’ intentions, understand difficult scriptures, and evaluate conduct will undoubtedly be much closer to the truth than if we simply relied on our own finite understanding (John 14:21; John 16:13).
Key Theological Implications
Luke 16:16 is difficult to interpret specifically because the Greek verb biazetai can be understood in more than one way. The “Violence” of the Kingdom typically causes interpreters to cluster into two broad approaches:
Interpretation A: Positive “Pressing In” (Middle‑like Sense) This approach understands biazetai in a middle sense, focusing on people exerting themselves in relation to the Kingdom. The emphasis is on a strenuous, eager response to the preaching of the Gospel: people are “pressing into it,” responding with immense urgency and seriousness rather than passive indifference. In context, this eager response is beautifully contrasted with the attitude of the religious elite, such as the Pharisees, who are portrayed as resistant, self‑justifying, and derisive rather than receptive to Jesus’ message.
Interpretation B: Negative “Experiencing Violence/Opposition” (Passive‑like Sense) This approach leans into a more passive sense for biazetai, reading it as “is subjected to violence” or “experiences force.” Here the emphasis falls on the Kingdom (or its proclamation and representatives) undergoing opposition, pressure, or “violence” from those who fiercely resist its message. Within Luke 16, this is commonly related to the hostile or scoffing response of those like the Pharisees, who do not truly enter the Kingdom and actively misuse the Law in line with their greed and self‑interest.
In summary, the main theological difference is whether the verse highlights the intense, energetic movement of people into the Kingdom or the intense resistance and pressure directed against it. Both readings try to account for the same difficult verb and the surrounding conflict with the religious leaders.
Contemporary Spiritual Significance
The fact that theologians and language experts disagree on the finer points of Greek translations should not be a cause for alarm, even if we lack their specialized education or intellect. We have the Holy Spirit and those who disciple us to guide us safely through these difficult matters.
Furthermore, since this particular verse does not determine a person’s salvation, it should be considered a secondary doctrine—neither salvific nor suitable as the sole foundation for an entire theology. While it is incredibly wise to consult experts on complex concepts, we must also recognize their human limitations.
We need a healthy balance: seeking answers from the educated, gleaning from those further along in the faith, and engaging in thoughtful prayer. Ultimately, our focus must remain on saturating ourselves in the Scriptures and seeking the Holy Spirit. As we faithfully do this, greater clarity will emerge, and we will increasingly be able to “connect the dots” between different, challenging truths.
The Transformative Power of Wrestling with Interpretation
Wrestling with the interpretation of difficult passages of Scripture is a transformative process that shapes the believer into Christ-likeness, extending far beyond simply finding a “correct” answer. This challenging work immediately leads to prayer, as the limits of human intellect are exposed, cultivating a necessary humility and deep dependence on the Father, thereby mirroring Jesus’ own life of reliance (Luke 5:16).
It compels deeper thinking, forcing the disciple to move past surface-level reading to cross-reference themes and analyze the broader context, which develops crucial wisdom and discernment to rightly handle the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). Furthermore, this interpretive struggle encourages deeper discussion and healthy debate within the community of faith, fostering love, patience, and unity through respectful engagement (Ephesians 4:11-13). The search for clarity necessitates further saturation in the Scriptures, which increases reverence and trains the disciple to live by every word of God (Matthew 4:4). Ultimately, this entire process drives the believer to a profound dependence on the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth (John 16:13), whose guidance not only illuminates doctrine but actively produces spiritual fruit, transforming the disciple into the very character of Christ (Galatians 5:22-25; 1 John 2:6).
Conclusion
Ultimately, the study of biazetai teaches us that the Bible is not merely a textbook to be memorized, but a living word to be rigorously engaged with. Whether Luke 16:16 is calling us to “press in” with urgent desperation or warning us of the “opposition” the Gospel faces, both interpretations point to the exact same reality: the Kingdom of God is not for the passive. It requires an active, vibrant faith that isn’t afraid of obstacles—even obstacles found within the text itself.
When we encounter difficult passages, we have a choice. We can gloss over them, or we can embrace the challenge. As we have seen, the very act of wrestling with Scripture is what matures us. We don’t need to be Greek scholars to understand God’s heart; we simply need to be willing to do the work. By pressing into the Word, even when it is tough, we are doing exactly what the verse implies: we are forcefully, eagerly, and passionately pursuing the Kingdom of God.
Welcome Back! Today, we’ll be looking at the Gospel of Luke to see how our emotions can blind us to compassion, reason, and even the truth.
So let’s dive in.
Luke 14:1–6
One Sabbath, Jesus went to eat in the home of a leading Pharisee, and those in attendance were watching Him closely. Right there before Him was a man with dropsy. So Jesus asked the experts in the law and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” But they remained silent. Then Jesus took hold of the man, healed him, and sent him on his way. And He asked them, “Which of you whose son or ox falls into a pit on the Sabbath day will not immediately pull him out?” And they were unable to answer these questions.
My Thoughts
“They were unable to answer these questions” not because they were ignorant or uneducated. Their silence wasn’t due to some physical impediment. It wasn’t even the blinding flash of the obvious in Jesus’ questions. Their inability to answer such simple questions came from a deep seated set of character flaws. They weren’t even in the same mental space because of their anger, jealousy, contempt, arrogance, fear, shame, obsessions, extreme suspicion, and / or spite. In other words the religious leaders were such a hot mess of negative emotions they couldn’t even see straight. It was like the truth was from another planet. Common sense was completely alien to them. Sound familiar?
This is a tell tale sign of demonic influence straight from the pit. When people’s emotions become a runaway train and the only remedy is to kill the one telling the truth, we should recognize it for what it is. Satan has been using this tactic since Cain killed Abel.
The Apostle James spells this out clearly:
What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. (James 4:1-2)
All we have to do is watch the news or scroll through YouTube for fifteen minutes to see these venomous emotions at work in our culture today (and some offenders are professing Christians). Where the source of these destructive attitudes and behaviors come from the Tempter, the antidote comes from the opposite player, the Holy Spirit.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Galatians 5:22-24)
One who is indwelled by the Spirit and is submitting to His promptings should be exhibiting quite the opposite emotions that blind one to logic, reason, and the truth. This is a key part of character development, casting off the old and donning the new. And so it is a key part of our responsibility to help those we are mentoring to walk in the Spirit and to be transformed into the image of Christ (Romans 8:29).
My Story
I was trying to remember a time where I was so mad, I couldn’t see straight. Immediately an event jumped into my head. I was a young buck sergeant and we were in the middle of a training exercise. We were to conduct a separate reconnaissance mission of two enemy positions and rendezvous at a prescribed time and place afterwards. Needless to say, this is the kind of thing where absolute stealth and secrecy were required. My patrol had finished and was waiting at the rendezvous point when I saw my guys in the other patrol walking across a wide open field in plain sight.
I was livid! These guys knew better as part of an elite reconnaissance unit not to take the “easy way.” They should have remained concealed for the whole mission. I stood on the hood of my jeep and started a tirade that lasted a good half hour and cussing a blue streak the whole time. It was just a training exercise but our actions should reflect those of what we were supposed to do in actual combat. And now comes the confession. I was a professing follower of Jesus at that time and my actions were supposed to match the actual faith I professed.
It’s ok to get angry and correct people who are in error. But to be so spitting mad that you lose all self control and act like a crazy person, that’s a no go. I’m thankful Jesus and my mentor were patient with me and helped me express my emotions in a much healthier way. For years now, I have been letting the fruit of the Spirit soak in and helping other men and women do the same.
Our Action Plan
Now it’s time for application. Here’s some questions and ideas:
Self Check – Are you routinely allowing your emotions to boil over to the point you lose control?
What character traits do you intentionally work on as you are discipling others?
Make a list of the character traits Jesus worked on with His own disciples.
Jesus isn’t just concerned with our actions. He often talks about the heart, the inside. Our thoughts, motives, and attitudes matter. Let’s continue to listen to the Holy Spirit and be radically transformed on the inside as well as the outside.
Organic Writing – No Artificial Intelligence or Sweeteners Added
