Jesus does not seek casual followers but those willing to commit fully. The cost may seem great, but the reward—eternal life in His presence—is infinitely greater. Will we truly listen and respond with wholehearted devotion?

As Jesus makes his way to Jerusalem, he takes time to teach the disciples about the kingdom he’s building. He’s answering two questions from chapter 13: What does it look like, and how large will the kingdom get?

No one’s heart ever broke like the heart of Jesus because no one else has ever seen how beautiful the world was before the Fall, understands how terrible it has become and longs for it to be reconciled to the Father like Jesus. In response, he is creating the most wonderful world, the real world. He’s not building an alternate world because his world will one day be the only world that is.

John Philips wrote that Jesus’s enemies snubbed him, sneered at him, slandered him and now they are trying to scare him.

Not everyone believes in Heaven but, among those who do, people will often give various reasons why they think they are going to Heaven. In this text, Jesus talks about, not how easy, but how hard it is to get into Heaven.

Jesus explains that the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed or yeast—it starts small but grows much larger, infiltrates everything, and has a much greater impact than at first appearance.

Good work done God’s way confuses and frustrates unbelievers but blesses God’s people and advances the kingdom.

Jesus wants his hearers then and now to know this: “How” calamities happen is not the primary issue. “Why” calamities happen is not the primary issue. The primary issue for calamities is that they do happen, and how we respond means everything.

The pressure is mounting on the twelve to embrace the implications of being a “wise and faithful manager” of their calling (v 41).

Throughout Luke 12, Jesus warns his followers about living with the right priorities. Jesus has given many reasons to do these things, but in vs. 35-48, he provides the ultimate reason: He, as the Master, is going to return and will reward faithfulness.