Foundations

Jesus told two parables, "The Unjust Steward" and "The Rich Man and Lazarus," which many times are misunderstood. There are at least two applications of these parables. First, while we are in this life, we are only stewards or managers of all that God has given us and we should use them wisely for eternity. Secondly, we should see the people of this world as the lost sheep, coins, or sons, and allow Christ to reach these people through us.

Jesus proclaims His mission in Luke four, proves it in chapter five, and practices His mission in the rest of the book. Jesus continuously taught and trained His disciples, challenging others to become partners with Him in His mission. The first example was his recruiting Simon Peter to follow and become a "fisher of men." Jesus demonstrated His mission in three parables: a shepherd seeks his lost sheep, a woman seeks a lost coin, and a father seeks a lost son.

Luke is the favorite Gospel of many because it emphasizes Jesus' humanity as the God-Man. It shows the Messiah's compassion and how He identified Himself with us. Many of Jesus' best-known parables, like the stories of the Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan, are found only in Luke. Luke tells us more about the birth than any other Gospel writer. And Luke gives us Christ's manifesto - the clear statement of His mission - the key to the ministry of the Messiah.

Jesus gave many prophecies about the future and His return. He said that no one knows the day nor the hour of His second coming, yet we are to watch for the signs of the times and make sure that when He comes, He will find us faithfully serving Him. When Jesus was arrested and crucified, all of His disciples fled, but they came back together after His resurrection. He then commissioned them to go into all the world and make disciples.

Some of the hardest words ever spoken by Jesus are found in Matthew 21 when Jesus informs the religious leaders that because they were not bringing forth the fruit of the kingdom, the kingdom would be taken away from them and given to a people who would be fruitful. Jesus taught His disciples to have a servant heart and to commit to follow Him at all costs. This servant attitude and radical commitment still applies to His followers today.

In the Gospel of Matthew we learn how Jesus taught through parables, teaching, and by example. He taught on the importance of faith and said, "All things are possible to those who believe." Jesus also taught frequently about forgiveness. Since we have been forgiven, we are to forgive constantly. Jesus taught about marriage and divorce, emphasizing that marriage is a sacred covenant, not be dissolved. We need God's help to fulfill our family responsibilities and in raising children.

Jesus asked, "Who do you say that I am?" Peter responded, "You are the Christ!," which means the promised Messiah. Jesus was very clear that the Father had revealed this to Peter. Jesus is building His Church on the miracle that ordinary people, like Peter, can confess something as wonderful as that. In fact, the Church is filled with ordinary people who do extraordinary things because they confess Jesus as Messiah and are empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus often taught in parables - simple stories with deep spiritual truths. Only those who have the Holy Spirit to teach them can understand and apply His parables. Matthew 13 contains several of Jesus' well-known parables, one of which was about a farmer who scattered seed onto different kinds of soil. The seed represented God's Word, and the soils represented those who hear the Word. We should always look for the central truth of each parable.

Jesus' twelve disciples followed Him closely for three years. He trained the disciples, or apostles, to reach the world with the Good News, the message of salvation. The apostles were sent to preach the Gospel: Jesus' sacrificial death for the forgiveness of sins, His resurrection and ascension, and to validate the kingdom of God through signs and wonders. We too must be faithful to reach our world for Christ as we proclaim the Gospel to all.

In Matthew 7 Jesus teaches His disciples not to judge others; to ask, seek, and knock on the doors of God's goodness; and to treat other people according to how they want to be treated. Jesus concludes the Sermon on the Mount by comparing two kinds of disciples: wise or foolish. The wise obey His teaching and are like building a house on solid rock. The one who does not obey is like a fool, building his house on sand.