Friday Devo
Scripture Reading:
Luke 8:8-10
When he had said this, he called out, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled:
‘When they look, they won’t really see.
When they hear, they won’t understand.’
When he had said this, he called out, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled:
‘When they look, they won’t really see.
When they hear, they won’t understand.’
Commentary from the ESV Study Bible:
8:10 To you it has been given to know. For the disciples’ unique access to Jesus’ teachings, cf. 10:21–22; 12:32; 22:29.
The mysteries of how the kingdom of heaven would operate are revealed to the disciples but withheld from the spiritually unresponsive crowd. In particular, these secrets of the kingdom of heaven explained its partial and preliminary manifestations in Jesus’ day as it was breaking into the world in advance of its full and final appearing at the end of the age.
God sovereignly uses the parables to either harden a person’s heart so that he or she will be unable to respond (v. 15), or to elicit the positive response of coming to Jesus, asking for an explanation, and accepting his message (cf. v. 10).
The mysteries of how the kingdom of heaven would operate are revealed to the disciples but withheld from the spiritually unresponsive crowd. In particular, these secrets of the kingdom of heaven explained its partial and preliminary manifestations in Jesus’ day as it was breaking into the world in advance of its full and final appearing at the end of the age.
God sovereignly uses the parables to either harden a person’s heart so that he or she will be unable to respond (v. 15), or to elicit the positive response of coming to Jesus, asking for an explanation, and accepting his message (cf. v. 10).
Study Questions:
- The big idea from Sunday was, "JUSTIFICATION produces SANCTIFICATION." Sanctification is a life-long process in which God molds and shapes us as we look more and more like Jesus. If someone is truly saved, time will tell. There will either be fruit and growth or there won't. And eventually everything will be brought to light when you stand before God. The truth will be made known! We can fool each other, but we can't fool him. He looks past our actions and looks straight to our hearts, and he will reveal the true condition of them. What would God say about the condition of your heart? Does your life display fruit that gives evidence that you belong to him?
- The heart with good soil, the believer, is constantly examining their lives, repenting, and wrestling with the first three types of soil. Satan is always trying to destroy what God is doing in us. So Jesus says to us, "Be careful how you hear!" Given all we've discussed this week, what do you need to do? Which type of soil are you? How do you stay hungry for more of him and spiritual growth? How do you continue to lean into him and stay interested in the right things?
Pray:
- That you would be growing spiritually, day by day.
- That you would keep yourself in fertile soil.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
2. Are there sources outside the Bible that confirm the Biblical account of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead? Many Roman and Jewish historians have confirmed that the apostles died as martyrs for preaching that they saw Jesus risen from the grave. No one dies for something they know to be a lie.
(Luke 1:1-4; Acts 26:26; 1 John 1:1-4, Josephus, Clement, Hegesippus, Tertullian, Origen, Polycarp)
(Luke 1:1-4; Acts 26:26; 1 John 1:1-4, Josephus, Clement, Hegesippus, Tertullian, Origen, Polycarp)
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