April 14, 2022: Day 80 – Luke 13-18

We find ourselves in the middle of Luke with all of Jesus’ miracles and teachings compiled to give us an insight into what it was really like to be his disciple as he did all of these things.  We find many of his miracles lead to teachings that have to do specifically with the kingdom of God.  Chapter 15 is a key chapter because it contains both the parable of the lost sheep and the parable of the prodigal son.  We know both stories and they both deal with the same topic.  The way in which God searches for us as we go through life and walk away from him.

One of the favorite stories that I like to tell the preschool kids is the one of the 10 lepers who are healed and only one comes back to thank Jesus.  He tells the one to go because his faith made him well.  Surprisingly all of the others who were healed were permanently healed, they didn’t lose their healing because they didn’t come back and thank Jesus.

Chapter 18 contains the parable of the persistent widow which Stacy and I used to preach on when we came back from Russia to do itineration in the various churches.  It also contains Jesus telling the disciples to let the children come unto him, which was what was written on the main orphanage building where we worked in Naples, Italy.  A lot of cross reference going on here.