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LUKE - Christ, the Savior of the World
A Bible Study Course on the Gospel of Christ according to Luke

PART 3 - JESUS' MINISTRY IN GALILEE (Luke 4:14 - 9:50)

14. The Mysteries of the Family of God (Luke 8:16-21)


LUKE 8:16-18
16 “No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a container, or puts it under a bed; but puts it on a stand, that those who enter in may see the light. 17 For nothing is hidden, that will not be revealed; nor anything secret, that will not be known and come to light. 18 Be careful therefore how you hear. For whoever has, to him will be given; and whoever doesn’t have, from him will be taken away even that which he thinks he has.”

Christ enlightened the minds of his disciples with his gospel that they might become shining lights in the darkness of the world, by word, deed, and behavior. The followers of Christ have a call that involves not living for themselves, but to be prepared to spread the riches of the knowledge of God, and the power of the Holy Spirit to others.

However, preaching at street corners and public squares is sometimes prevented under certain conditions. Christ points to the picture of the family which meets inside the house around the lamp of the gospel. This signifies that if someone visits you at home, let him observe that the comfort of the gospel is the glory of your home.

Christ called his followers the light of the world, the salt of earth, and the leaven of the dough. It is impossible for you to hide your faith from your neighbors. They feel your love, peace, and joy unless your faith has died and become a mere tradition. Never force anyone in your surroundings to accept your faith, but prepare yourself at all times to answer frankly, with wisdom and humility whoever asks you about your faith, for our religion is not in secret circles, but is opened to every convert.

Everyone is invited to hear the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but not everyone understands them. Christ invites all, but few come. The enlightening of man happens by the direct intervention of God. Yet those whose hearts God opens to the meaning of his words are not the clever and proud, or the learned who hold to traditions, but those who hear with meekness and thirst for righteousness. Christ says frankly, “Take heed how you hear.” He who listens to the word of God thinks about it, moves it into his heart, discusses it with others, becomes enlightened by the power of God. If he prays according to the meanings that are revealed to him, he will receive divine power, and live in fellowship with God, for man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. He who listens to Christ carefully becomes more and more enriched, for, in God’s kingdom, there is a principle of spontaneous growth in love, in the knowledge of God, and in the power of the Spirit. This positive development in the believer depends on hearing the gospel and responding to it.

Unfortunately, there is also the possibility of spontaneous failure when the faculty of perceiving truth becomes weak, and the mention of the gospel means little. He who neglects the word of God forgets his Lord, becomes empty because he lacks the power of God, and loses what he had of divine things. If a proud man listens to the gospel, then mocks at Christ and treats his words with sarcasm, he rejects the gospel deliterately, loses grace and becomes filled with an unclean spirit. Do not forget that the devil has one purpose only: to wipe out the word from you, take away your desire to pray and read, and help you to forget its impressions quickly. Take heed therefore how you hear the words of Jesus, for your salvation depends on hearing the gospel.

Do you hear it, understand it, live it, and tell others about it?


LUKE 8:19-21
19 His mother and brothers came to him, and they could not come near him for the crowd. 20 It was told him by some saying, “Your mother and your brothers stand outside, desiring to see you.” 21 But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are these who hear the word of God, and do it.”

Jesus lived in fellowship with his disciples, leaving his beloved mother and brothers. And when his enemies cast him away as a deceiver, warned people from following him, and officially rejected his message, his family came to him, and insisted that he should stop preaching, or else he and his family would be expelled from the fold. But Christ, with the sword of the Spirit, ignored the temptation from his blood relatives, and called all hearers of the word of the Spirit of God his brothers and his sisters, if they did what they heard from him. With these words, the Savior revealed the mystery of the family of God, for flesh and blood cannot inherit the divine kingdom, but those that are born of the word of their Lord.

Mary heard this decisive word with a wounded heart, but she understood its meaning when she was filled with the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. She probably told Luke personally of this event, and Luke for his part reported it to us in along with other reports which he received from Mary.

PRAYER: Our Lord, we thank you for your holy word, our spiritual nourishment. Teach us to read your word constantly and understand it, so that we may long to hear more, and grow in peace and faith. Release us from the bonds of sin that nothing should separate us from your word, which is the power of our life.

QUESTION 62: How do we become rich towards God?

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