True discipleship

 33“So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not [carefully consider the cost and then for My sake] give up all his own possessions. Luke 14:33 Zondervan. The Amplified Study Bible . Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

Jesus made it very clear to the Pharisees as well as his disciples that there was an extreme cost in following him. To be a follower of Jesus demanded that nothing could take priority over him. Everything and every relationship must take a back seat to following Jesus. He demands complete devotion if you truly want to be his disciple. Many things in life can usurp the place that Jesus alone should have in our life. Possessions, positions, relationship, hobbies, sports and the list can go on are all things that compete for our time and devotion. None of these can be considered evil but each of these can take a priority in our life that relegates Jesus to second place. He must be Lord of all or he is not Lord at all. To be a follower of Jesus is to be one who is listening to him and obeying what he calls us to do. If we have ears to hear we must listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit directing us and respond in obedience. Nothing can be more important than hearing and obeying if we truly want to be a disciple of Jesus.

The narrow door

 24“Strive to enter through the narrow door [force aside unbelief and the attractions of sin]; for many, I tell you, will try to enter [by their own works] and will not be able. Luke 13:24 Zondervan. The Amplified Study Bible . Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

One of the greatest lies of Satan is that all roads lead to heaven. Many people think that entering heaven is based on whether they have been a good person in this life. If they have done enough good works, God will be obligated to allow them to enter heaven. This philosophy was rejected by Jesus to the point that he said he did not know these people and they were not given access to heaven. If good works were the litmus test for salvation there would be no need for Jesus to come to earth. Good works can never erase the sins committed. Only the blood of Jesus can atone for the sins of mankind. The door to heaven is narrow and few will enter. This a sobering thought that should cause people to examine their lives to determine if they are truly relying on the way of salvation that Jesus has provided or if they are depending on some other way that they believe will give them access to heaven.

Division

 51“Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division [between believers and unbelievers] Luke 12:51 Zondervan. The Amplified Study Bible . Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

There really are only 2 kinds of people. Those who believe in Jesus and become followers of him and those who do not believe in him. There will always be this division among people which will cause unrest and at times violence. Persecution of believers began with the Roman Empire that mistreated and killed Christians. When Constantine made Christianity the religion of his empire there was a time of peace until the Muslims began to invade other countries and persecute the Christians. The persecution continues today as the Muslims seek to dominate the world and use violence to try to force Christians to recant their believes and accept Islam. There will never be peace on earth until Jesus rules over every person and nation. We as believers look forward to the day of his return to rule for 1000 years and bring peace. He is the Prince of Peace and his kingdom rule will never end.

Greed

 15Then He said to them, “Watch out and guard yourselves against every form of greed; for not even when one has an overflowing abundance does his life consist of nor is it derived from his possessions.” Luke 12:15 Zondervan. The Amplified Study Bible . Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

Greed is desiring more than you need to benefit yourself. Greed comes in many forms such as gaining money in any way that you can. One of the tragic stories of recent times in that of Bernie Maddow. He contrived a plan that deceived many people and made him rich. His greed for more wealth became the driving force of his life. But it all came to an end when his actions of deceit were brought to light, and he was convicted of his crimes and sent to prison. None of his wealth did anything for him as he sat in his prison cell separated from his family and all of his possessions. He managed to deceive many people who also had an issue with greed when they believed that their investments with him could produce results that were too good to believe. Their greed resulted in losing all the money they thought was being invested in companies that did not exist. Jesus warned his disciples as well as the people who were listening to him that they must always guard their hearts against greed. God wants us to trust in him to meet every need we have because he cares for us. He will never fail us when we seek to live by his standards and pursue his kingdom rather than the riches of the world.

Misinterpretation

 52“Woe to you lawyers, because you have taken away the key to knowledge (scriptural truth). You yourselves did not enter, and you held back those who were entering [by your flawed interpretation of God’s word and your man-made tradition].” Luke 11:52 Zondervan. The Amplified Study Bible . Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

Misinterpretation of the Scriptures was common among the scribes and Pharisees. They claimed to be experts in knowing what the Scriptures meant and their interpretation was to be followed by the people. They were full of pride and arrogance and expected special honor from the people. Jesus called them out on their false interpretation and pointed out that they did not follow the interpretation they concocted themselves. They were hypocrites to say the least and Jesus would have none of it. Instead of leading people to know God, they drove them away by their false interpretations and expectations that were beyond human reasoning to follow. They became legalists and had lost the true meaning of the Scriptures. Their relationship with God became mechanical and not personal. They lost touch with God and with the people they were to serve. False interpretation of the Scriptures continues to be a problem in the church today and has led to many heresies that turn people away from the true knowledge of God.

Obedience

 27Now while Jesus was saying these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed (happy, favored by God) is the womb that gave birth to You and the breasts at which You nursed!” 28But He said, “On the contrary, blessed (happy, favored by God) are those who hear the word of God and continually observe it.” Luke 11:27-28 Zondervan. The Amplified Study Bible . Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

Motherhood was an honor every woman desired. To be childless was to be cursed and to have children was to be blessed. Mary certainly had a special honor in giving birth to Jesus and raising him. She was blessed among all women with the privilege of bearing the Son of God. Yet Jesus elevated obedience above the honor of being his mother. This does not put Mary in an inferior place but stresses the importance of following the word of God in obedience on a daily basis. A life of obedience is a life that is honored by the Lord above any status one may receive. This was the challenge Jesus gave to the people to place obedience above any other thing that brought honor to a person. Our obedience to the Lord on a daily basis is his desire for every believer. To claim one is a Christian but fail to obey the commands and teaching of the Lord is hypocritical and damaging to the understanding of what it means to be a Christian. Obedience will always bring a blessing

Self justification

 29But he, wishing to justify and vindicate himself, asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Luke 10:29 Zondervan. The Amplified Study Bible . Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

The problem this man faced is the same problem many people face. They try to justify their actions and lifestyle based on their perception of what is right and wrong and whether they are living in a manner that will be acceptable to the Lord or to other people in authority. People judge their worthiness to be able to enter heaven based on their works or on how they treat people. If I am a good person according to their standards of goodness, then God will accept me into heaven. Good works are not the criteria that God uses to allow access to heaven. We are to live in a manner that pleases him and obeys his commands but that is not the determining factor for our entering heaven. No matter how good we think we are or how many good works we have done, it will never erase the sinful things we have committed. We are imperfect people and the only way for our lives to be justified before God is through the justification we receive through Jesus. His blood shed on the cross made possible our forgiveness and justification before God that allows us access to heaven when we die.