What a rich and wonderful week of study this has been! I keep thinking about the song “Falling in Love with Jesus (is the best thing I’ve ever done)” as I review the lessons for this past week.
On Day One, we come across a father who was desperate for his son to be delivered from a violent demon who had tried many times to kill the boy. He hadn’t had much teaching in faith, but he went to Jesus the best way he knew how. Look at his words and see how the tiny little word “if” can pack a whole lot of unbelief…
“…But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Mark 9:22b-23 NIV
The disciples had been unsuccessful in casting out the demon, and Jesus instructed them that it was because of unbelief. All they needed was faith as a grain of a mustard seed, and they could say to the mountain to move, and it would move. He also explained that such a demon could come out only by prayer, and some translations also include fasting.
In my own life, I have had times of shaken confidence when I had put my faith in self or in another person or thing rather than in God’s power. Oh, his power is certainly available, but without faith, we cannot utilize it.
When we entertain unbelief, we are essentially saying that we don’t think God is big enough, powerful enough, or trustworthy enough to handle our situation. We act as if our limited understanding is above His infinite wealth of knowledge. Listen, His ways are higher than ours. He is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent!
This quote from The Bible Knowledge Commentary really hit me this week, “‘O unbelieving generation’ emphasizes the characteristic cause of all spiritual failure – lack of faith in God.” So simple!
Something that the father in this story did that really inspires me is that he asked Jesus to help his unbelief. Let us pursue faith! Build our faith! Declare our faith! Exercise our faith! Then, where there is unbelief, ask Him to help us overcome and to fill us to overflowing with a greater measure of faith.
Day Two was such an impactful day of study as we peered into some ugliness of elitism among the disciples, and then recognized the tendency toward similar attitudes within ourselves at times. Perhaps Peter, James, and John had gotten a bit of a big head after what they had experienced. It is unbelievable that we can have a profound encounter with the glory of God and then become full of ourselves.
First of all, they were the only three who had witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain, along with Moses and Elijah. Can you imagine how glorious that must have been? I would have loved to be in that elite group. I say, “Show me your glory, Jesus!” Then, as they descended down the mountain, they came upon the other disciples trying to cast out a demon, and they had been unsuccessful.
The timing is interesting that this is also when they had engaged in an argument about who was the greatest. May we never begin to exalt self at a time that we experience the glory of God. Jesus explained that we must become like a child, and that the least among them would be considered the greatest in the Kingdom of God. In other words, the path to true greatness is paved with genuine humility.
Jesus was the best example. He denied Himself and left the glory of heaven to become a humble servant. He was obedient to death on the cross and endured suffering and shame because of His love for us. He was then crowned with glory and honor and is seated at the right hand of God. One day, every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, the Father (Philippians 2:5-11). That is the ultimate greatness borne out of the most tremendous humility and suffering imaginable!
One more principle from today that I believe is important is that when the disciples wanted to call fire down on those who had rejected Christ, Jesus had to rebuke them. We learned that God does not delight in the death of the wicked, but He is compassionate, slow to anger, and his loving kindness never ceases. He is patient and longs for everyone to come to Him in repentance so they too can have eternal life. We need to be careful about condemning others, for with the way we judge others, we too will be judged. Ouch!
On Day Three, we observed that Jesus again sent out his disciples, but this time, He sent out 72 by pairs. (Other translations say 70.) I think it is so interesting that He didn’t send them out alone, but He demonstrated the importance of companionship in ministry and in this life. We are not called to do this thing called life by ourselves. “Two are better than one,” and a “chord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.” Relationships are vital to our success in this Christian life!
One truth that brought much comfort and encouragement to me personally is when Jesus taught them not to take rejection personally. When people reject us, they are really rejecting Christ, and the One who sent Him. Christ will absorb our rejection in our place, and we don’t have to bear the brunt of the hurt.
When the disciples returned, they were so excited to tell Jesus that the demons had been subject to them. They were thrilled! However, Jesus gave them a good foundational truth that we too can apply to our lives. It is more important to rejoice in who we are in God than in what we can do for Him. Christ told them to rejoice that their names are written in heaven more than the fact that demons submit to them.
If our joy is based on accomplishments or what we have, then at times we slip or fail, or things fade away, we can also lose our joy and essentially fall apart. Our joy must have a deeper foundation to be secure. When our joy is founded on who we are in Christ, that is something that can never be shaken. We are secure in Christ! He is more than enough!
Our final two days of study have covered two of my very favorite stories in the Gospels.
First, Day 4 included a survey of the Parable of the Good Samaritan. There are so many points beyond the mere lesson of who are neighbor truly is. For example, the lawyer in the story was full of self-righteousness and had asked Jesus the question merely to justify himself. He didn’t expect to get a story that would bring conviction and humility. God expects us to have compassionate hearts, not to merely go through the legalistic motions.
Every single commandment, all of the Law and the Prophets, can be summed up in the two commandments to “Love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength” and to “Love our neighbor as ourselves.” It’s so simple when it is genuine – Love God! Love people!
What especially convicted me is the many times I, myself, have “passed on the other side” as the priest and Levite did. When we ignore people who are needy when we have the ability to help is wrong. I am not saying to enable laziness or bad behavior, but we are to help those in need. Sometimes people just want someone to talk with them and treat them with dignity, but we often turn away from people like this because we don’t want to be inconvenienced. Lord, help us have truly compassionate hearts!
God also revealed the hardness of their hearts by using a Samaritan in the story, the most despised race of people to the Jews. I think it is interesting that quite often the most generous people are the ones who have the least to give. May we never be so bogged down with stuff that our hearts become hardened.
We concluded this week of study with the famous duo, Martha and Mary. We are all quite familiar with the gist of the story, but there were a few principles that gripped my heart this week.
For one, I saw that Martha was actually doing ministry. She worked hard to be the ultimate hostess, and what she was doing was actually a good thing. It was because of her that Jesus was able to come to her home in the first place and minister to others. The problem, however, is that she couldn’t let it rest when it came time to sit and listen to the Teacher. She became distracted by busyness. It is not that busyness is necessarily bad, but often the good things we do can distract us from what is actually best.
Even in ministry, this can be quite true. The very things we do because we love God and are being obedient to His calling on our lives can also be the things that distract us from pursuing intimacy with Him. Isn’t that ironic? Don’t allow service for God to become the distraction from having an intimate, heart-to-heart relationship with Him. Relationship always comes first, and everything else stems from that.
Something that set me free is the concept of keeping the “pre” in preparation. In other words, work hard and strive for excellence. Be organized and plan well. Show hospitality and take care of people. However, when it comes time to listen and to participate, let the tasks go. Enjoy the presence of the Lord with all your heart! He is much more interested in your heart than what you will do for Him.
We will never make the best choices or set the right priorities by accident. We must be intentional. As the old saying goes: “Good, better, best; never let is rest, until your good is better, and your better, best.”
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33 NIV
Week Six Discussion Questions
ICE BREAKER: What is your favorite thing about being a woman?
QUESTION 1: On day one, we realized that there can be a lot of unbelief packed into the tiny word “if.” However, the father confessed his unbelief and asked Jesus to help him. Tell about a time when your faith, or confidence, was shaken and you were unable to do what God had empowered you to do?
QUESTION 2: In Luke 9, two events occurred that may have given the three disciples a big head which led to their argument about who was the greatest. First, they were the only ones who witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus. Then, when they returned, the other disciples had been trying to cast out a demon and were unsuccessful. How would you describe the true road to greatness? What was Jesus’ road to greatness like?
QUESTION 3: The 72 (or 70) returned and rejoiced because the demons were subject to them. However, Jesus told them to rejoice more so because their names were written in heaven. Why would we be very wise to find our joy in who we are because of Him, rather than what we can do because of Him?
QUESTION 4: From the Parable of the Good Samaritan, how would you define neighbor? In modern times, what are some ways we may pass by on the other side just as the priest and the Levite did?
QUESTION 5: Which one does Scripture tell us that Jesus loved, Mary or Martha? Martha was not doing something wrong, but she had become distracted by busyness and missed the opportunity to sit at Jesus’ feet. We can often be distracted by many good things and miss what is best. What tends to distract you from listening to God?
QUESTION 6: What is something you learned this week that you can personally apply to your life?
Homework for the Week
- Please work on the five days of homework in Week 7: “The Infinite Treasure,” pp. 147 – 169.
- (Optional) View Beth Moore’s video. (This is not required because of the cost. The study can be completed without the videos.) Here is a link to the viewer guides with the answers if you are unable to view the videos.
- Attend a small group meeting in our Heart to Heart Facebook group.
- Scripture of the week:
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42 NIV
Have a blessed week!
