Luke’s Gospel: Consequences

As the Bible warns and promises, we reap what we have sown.

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It is not exactly news that actions have consequences.
When we do foolish or sinful things, we are most likely tend to suffer the consequences. When the calamitous events unfold after our folly or indiscretion, we may cry out to God as if it was all His fault. It does no good. As the Bible warns and promises, we reap what we have sown.

Jesus calls out a wicked generation.
Formerly blind people walked unaided in public places, as recently dumb people sang as loudly as they could through their day. People once crippled danced to their music, and cleansed lepers walked freely among the population, all because of Jesus. Amazingly, skeptics still questioned the truth about Jesus.

At least one woman showed some gratitude by yelling a blessing on Jesus’ mother, Mary. It was something, at least, but not at all what Jesus was going for. He wanted people to hear the Word of God and obey it. “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

It was no more, Rabbi-nice-guy. Jesus rebuked the skeptics and critics for their refusal to see the signs in front of them while calling upon Jesus for a sign to prove His Messiahship. He called upon characters from their history to shame them for their unbelief. In the process, He claimed to be One greater than Solomon—wiser than the wisest man, a greater king than the greatest king, and ruler of a greater Kingdom.

Light and Dark
It was a matter of light and darkness. The purpose of light is to push back the darkness. Jesus used simple logic to speak about the consequences of belief. If one believes in light, he or she will have light only if he/she walks in that light. To hear the truth and then to ignore it, is no light at all; the result of such a life is to walk in darkness.

The Darkness of the Pharisees
A hapless Pharisee invited Jesus to dinner. Perhaps he was expecting the gentle Jesus he had heard about, one who minded His manners when sitting at an enemy’s table. Was he surprised! When the Pharisee complained that Jesus had failed to wash His hands before dinner, Jesus explained the facts of life to the man.
• You Pharisees clean only the outside, leaving the inside filthy.
• You are careful to tithe worthless things while leaving the important things undone.
• You parade your false spirituality in the synagogues and in the streets seeking your own glory, not God’s.
• You are like graves, full of death and corruption.
• You lawyers burden the people with burdens you yourselves cannot carry.
• You walk in the wickedness of your forebears who killed the prophets. You share in their bloodguilt.

Point by point, Jesus continued to indict the leaders as their anger against Him mounted. This was the road to Jerusalem, to judgment, to Calvary. His summation was explicit. “…you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.” Indeed, they loved darkness rather than light, regardless of the consequences.

Dark against the Light
There was no turning back. The leaders accepted the challenge of Jesus and cross-examined Him assailing Him with questions and accusations. They made records of His answers hoping to catch Him in some transgression worthy of death. As they brought their darkness to bear on the Light, they had no idea they were playing into His hands.

Scriptures:
Luke: 11:27-54
And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!” But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, “This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation. The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. “No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light. The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.” And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and sat down to eat. When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner. Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also? But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you. “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them.” Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, “Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also.” And He said, “Woe to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs. Therefore the wisdom of God also said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’ that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation. “Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.” And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You are the Light of the World. You are the Light of my life. To see Your Light and walk in it is to fear no consequences. There is such darkness in this world, such deep darkness in the hearts of people. I want to be a Light-bearer! I want to carry Your Light with me today! May the shadows of shame flee before You. May the darkness of deceit retreat before the Light of Your truth. As Isaiah promised, deep darkness will cover the people but the Lord will shine upon His own! As I walk in the Light today, the consequences will be glory and blessing to those in my path! Amen.

Song:
Walking in the Light
Words and Music: Barney E. Warren
1. “He that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness,
But shall have the light, the light of life”;
Walking in His footsteps, pure and spotless,
We are fully saved from sinful strife.

Refrain:
Walking in the light, walking in the light,
Walking in the light, the light of God;
Walking in the light, walking in the light,
Walking in the light, the precious light of God.

2. “He that followeth Me shall have full assurance
That his sins are pardoned, every one”;
He shall have the knowledge of acceptance
In the Father’s well-beloved Son.
Refrain

3. “He that followeth Me shall conquer forever,
For I’ll interpose My grace and pow’r;
From My hand of strength there’s naught can sever,
If you will obey and trust each hour.”
Refrain

4. “He that followeth Me shall have peace and pleasure,
He that will reject My word shall fall;
I will freely give My hidden treasure
Unto those who hear and heed My call.”
Refrain

5. “He that followeth Me shall dwell safe in heaven,
And forever wear a starry crown;
But if you should die in sin’s dominion,
Awful fears of night will press you down.”
Refrain

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About the Author

Full of passion for Jesus Christ, Stephen Phifer is a third-generation minister with more than three decades of experience as a pastoral artist, worship leader, and conductor.