Bent Oak Church

Many remember the familiar images of Mary and Mary, Martha busy with her work, and Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus. In this week's sermon, we take a closer look at why Luke has included this little story and how it fits into the questions Jesus was trying to answer. We discover there is more going on in this scene than most remember.

Jesus's story of the Good Samaritan is one of his most familiar teachings in the Bible. It's so familiar that it's easy to miss the true point. We take a closer look at the parable and the conversation that provoked it and discover the wisdom of Jesus's probing questions.

Jesus had been increasingly talking about suffering, but he also turned his disciples to the topic of joy. And Jesus chose to locate the source of true Joy in an unexpected place. Unlike the disciples who took join in their achievements, Jesus suggested that true joy came from the grace of having been included in his kingdom, with our names written in heaven. 

Jesus's disciples continued to struggle to understand Jesus's talk of suffering. Again, they failed to understand the way of his kingdom. They were prepared to call down fire to destroy their enemies. But Jesus turned their attention to the price they would pay to be his true disciples. The hour had come for them all to go to Jerusalem and for Jesus to face the suffering that awaited him. 

We've seen Jesus's disciples struggling to understand Jesus's increasing talk of suffering and rejection. But Jesus realized there was more going on in the logic of their hearts. We take a closer look at the disciple's struggles and how the temptations they faced are ours as well. 

Having come down from the mountain of his transfiguration, Jesus was met by another crowd. This crowd was in chaos. A man came yelling, desperate to have his son delivered, and explaining the disciple's failure to help. Jesus used the moment to again speak of the suffering that awaited him and challenged the crowd for their lack of faith. We look closer at Jesus's hard words and the moment's importance.  

Jesus often withdrew to pray. And it's surprising how often his disciples fell asleep praying with him. When Peter, James, and John woke from their sleep, they discovered Jesus had changed. We take a closer at Jesus's transfiguration and the important place of prayer in the story.

Jesus waited until the crowds were at their peak to begin discussing with his disciples what awaited. The Son of Man would have to suffer, be rejected, and die. It was a message the disciples were not prepared to hear. But Jesus went further. He explained that all his disciples must learn to bear their own crosses and die daily. 

The crowds continued to grow around Jesus. And as they came, Jesus saw their need. The crowd was great and without food. Jesus, by his miraculous work, fed the crowd and continued to demonstrate his compassion for them. 

Jesus's sending out of the twelve disciples marks a transition in his ministry. Having spent most of his time in the towns of Galilee, Jesus would increasingly turn his attention to Judea and the suffering that awaited him. It would be a hard lesson for his disciples to understand.