Stay at His Feet - Luke 10:1-11:36

WEEK SIX – STAY AT HIS FEET
Luke 10:1-11:36

Like the other chapters we have studied in Luke, chapters 10 and 11 are full of great content. We could easily spend a week on several passages in these two chapters. Unfortunately, our study (at least in theory) moves at a brisker pace. Hopefully our people are studying weekly passages at home and taking time to let each one marinate in their minds and hearts. As you should already be aware but will see for sure below, Kay focuses primarily on Mary and Martha for her discussion questions. Her questions have been included in this outline. Also, included are some highlights of the other passages in these two chapters and some ideas on how to discuss their key Truths.

As always, I like to try and put the focal passage in one sentence. This exercise helps me trim the content to the main emphasis of the passage.

Luke 10:1-11:36 in one sentence: As Jesus continues His march to Jerusalem (9:51), He trains His disciples through experience (10:1-16) and education (10:17-20; 11:1-13; 11:14-36), correcting their wrong mindsets when necessary (10:20; 10:41-42; 11:28), issuing warnings of judgment for those who reject Him (10:12, 14), and proclaiming the presence of the Kingdom (10:23-24; 11:31,32) while rejoicing in the Spirit at the plan of His Heavenly Father (10:21-22).

You could take each of the above components of the sentence and ask the following questions to the group:
1. Luke 9:51 – Why is Jesus headed to Jerusalem? (Yes this is from last week, but Luke will make it a point to emphasis Christ’s journey to Jerusalem)

2. Experience (Luke 10:1-16):
a. Why did Jesus give his disciples opportunities like we find in 10:1? (Obviously, he was training them with full knowledge they would one day be His witnesses in His power to the rest of the world – Acts 1:8)
b. Would you have any hesitations to Jesus’ command of “carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road?” Why is Jesus’ training his disciples in this way? (He wants them to trust Him for provision – even as He uses others in the villages)
c. Do we “pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest?” Why or why not?
d. What hesitation would you have being sent as a “lamb in the midst of wolves?” Is it any different in our day?

3. Correcting Wrong Mindsets (10:17-20; 10:41-42; 11:28)
a. The right place to set our joy (10:17-20)
*Having the power to cast out demons was obviously a big thrill for those who Jesus sent out. Jesus has to reorient their understanding of proper joy, to say “the bigger deal” is that your names are written in heaven. Why is this a more important cause for joy?
b. The right thing to do (10:41-42)
* Kay Arthur focuses most of her discussion questions here, but I want to just note that this passage is another sign of Jesus “educating” his disciples on the most important things to think, do, and rejoice in. Note to self: If Jesus is in your house, forget everything else, sit at his feet and listen. Note to self: Jesus is in your house.
c. The right understanding of blessedness (11:28)
* In some ways, Jesus is a bit ruthless (of course in a completely sinless way) in this passage. Some poor woman yells out, “Bless yo momma!” and in front of the entire crowd Jesus corrects her understanding of blessedness to say “those who hear the word of God and keep it” are the truly blessed ones.
* According to Jesus’ definition then, are we blessed ones? Are we those who hear God’s word and keep it?
d. What’s difficult about “correcting” others with regard to right doctrine?

4. Education (11:1-13; 11:14-36)
a. Luke 11:1-13
* When Jesus finishes praying in a certain place, one of His disciples says, “Lord teach us to pray.” How many “teaching” moments do we have because someone we are discipling sees us following Jesus in some way? Are our children asking us to teach them to pray or to teach them to study the Bible or teach them how to be generous givers because of what they see us doing?
*Why should we pray for the Father’s name to be hallowed and His Kingdom to come?
*Are these the first two items on our prayer list?
*In what ways does affluence (having more than $2 per day) work against dependence on the Lord? 11:3
*Do we persevere in prayer? Are we those who keep asking, seeking, and knocking?
*Can we trust God as a Heavenly Father?
*Why is it a big deal that He gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? 11:13
b. Luke 11:14-36
*14-26 – Jesus teaches about the reality of spiritual warfare, but also why it’s obvious He and demons are not on the same team. A team divided would implode on itself. Whoever is not with Jesus is against Him.
*29-32 – Not sure how many understood Jesus’ reference to the sign of Jonah that day in the crowd, but being on this side of the cross and resurrection we can understand it much better.
*33-36 – Where are you looking? Where you set your eyes can determine if your body is full of light or full of darkness. Let us set our eyes on Christ. I love that Matthew puts this passage in between Jesus discussion on storing up treasures in heaven and not worrying about having provision. What we look at most reveals our treasure.

5. Warnings of Judgment (10:12, 14)
a. For those who reject Christ, the punishment will be worse than what was meted out to Sodom, Tyre, and Sidon.
b. Yikes!

6. Proclaiming the presence of the Kingdom (10:23-24; 11:31,32)
a. The Kingdom of God is no longer a distant wish – God is with us!
b. What the disciples were experiencing is what the saints of the Old Testament longed for – the Messiah had come – Luke 10:23-24
c. Jesus presence was far greater than Solomon or Jonah (11:31,32)
d. Jesus was trying to tell them: God is doing something HUGE! Look at this! Don’t miss it! It’s greater than anything previously.
e. Of course, if we had been there we would have gotten it wouldn’t we? (lots of sarcasm here)

7. Rejoicing in the Spirit at the plan of His Heavenly Father (10:21-22)
a. God’s plans are always best.
b. At one point in our passage, Jesus rejoices in the Spirit as He considers the Father’s plan. I love the Trinitarian emphasis in this passage.
c. All things belong to Christ. If we are to know the Father, it’s only because Christ reveals Him to us.
d. Thank you Jesus for revealing the Father
e. Thank you Father for your plan
f. Thank you Spirit for empowering our joy

Key Questions from Kay:
1. In Luke 10:20 – why do you think Jesus tells the disciples to rejoice in the fact their names are written in heaven, rather than rejoicing that the spirits are subject to them?
2. If parables have one main point, what do you think is the main point of Luke 10:25-37?
3. In Luke 10:38-42, what are some things we can learn about Mary? What are some things we can learn about Martha? What lessons can we learn for our own lives?
4. In Luke 11:1-13, what did you learn about prayer from this passage?
5. If a Greek verb, is in a present tense what does this indicate (pg. 42 in the study book)? How then are we to ask, seek, and knock?
6. How does the generation referred to in Luke 11:14-36 compare to our generation?

Discussion Questions from Kay:
1. What did you learn about Mary and Martha from this account?
2. The word distracted means “to draw from around.” What drew Martha away from the Lord?
3. How would you describe Martha from observing this passage?
4. According to this passage, what is the one thing that is really needful? How do you get it? How long can you keep it?
5. Which one of these women do you relate to, and why? (If you have gotten this far in this study, you surely can answer “Mary!” I want you to know you will never be sorry. What you are learning no one will ever be able to take away from you. His Word is different from any other; the words of Jesus are spirit and life [John 6:63]. Press on, valiant one.)
6. How does a disciple relate to the Word of God? What have you seen in Luke that might help you answer this question? Read John 8:31, 32 and discuss it. What do you think it means to abide in His Word?
7. What did you learn about prayer in your study of Luke 11:1-13?
8. What relationship do you think there is between prayer and the Word of God? What biblical support do you have for your answer? Read John 15:7, 16 and discuss it.

Kay’s Thought for the Week is on pg. 44.