Reflection

Luke 19

Holy moly guacamole! I can’t believe what I witnessed. The man who we have been following and hanging on every word hasn’t just told people they are wrong; he has told them to leave the temple. Specifically, those people who have been selling in the temple courts. He says this is because they have corrupted God’s house of prayer into a den of robbers. Language that seems vaguely familiar to some things the old testament prophets have said (Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11).

It’s clear the leaders who have already been making it known they don’t believe in Jesus as the Messiah have begun to search for a way to get rid of him once and for all. They start by trying to question his authority. This fails because they aren’t bold enough to answer Jesus’ question and are afraid of the people.

Jesus then teaches a parable about a man leaving his vineyard to be maintained by his tenants. However, the tenants decide to take and keep the fruit of the vineyard for themselves, even going so far as to kill the man’s son. Jesus says the end of this story is that the father will come back and kill the tenants, giving the vineyard to others. This really stirs up the religious leaders.

They first attempt to send spies to see if they can catch Jesus saying something wrong, which would allow them to hand him over to the governor. These spies really thought they had him too. They asked about taxes. But Jesus responded by looking at a coin and pointing out that the coin belongs to Caesar, so give it back, and that the person belongs to God, so that should be used for God.

Jesus goes on to teach many things. He teaches about marriage or the lack thereof in Heaven. He teaches about him being God’s son and not David’s. He warns about the teachers who aren’t teaching for the kingdom but for selfish gain. He even sees a widow giving all she has and calls those around him to the same faith. He ends with a large teaching on the destruction of the temple and end times.

This man is truly amazing. What he says can’t be ignored, but in many ways, he is hard to understand. We all feel like we could follow this man anywhere. What could possibly be next?

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Many of us already know what is coming next. We know that Jesus is approaching the cross. The followers have heard him talk about this many times now. Though they don’t know the details of what this death he has been speaking of. I am greatly challenged reading this chapter of Luke’s Gospel. As Luke presents it, Jesus is giving final warnings and teachings to those who are ultra-religious. He is sharing what really matters in God’s kingdom. Instead of hearing what he says and changing their ways, they double down on their plan to get rid of him.

I have grown up in the church. Sometimes, I am ultra-religious. I know the Sunday School answers. I know what Jesus wants, and yet I allow that to be a barrier to others getting to know Christ. Yes, Jesus requires repentance, but I am just as much of a sinner as the person struggling with a sin that I don’t. I should be seeking to be like Christ, extending grace that will lead those whom need him most to repentance.

Devotional Questions

How does your religious practice help you draw near to Christ?

How does your religious practice get in the way of others coming to Christ?

How can religious practice be used for God’s kingdom effectively? Why does it tend to slip to the unhealthy?

Lord, lead me to practice a life that draws more to You and Your kingdom.