Luke 22

Summary: Jesus has, so far, escaped the wrath of Jewish leaders in Jerusalem because He has appeared only in crowds. Yet He came out to His usual secluded prayer space and, betrayed, He was arrested by a mob, publicly beaten, and grilled by the group of Jewish leaders.

Response: Jesus' pull to God (and his desire to do God's will) was so strong, He gave up His one tactical advantage on purpose. He tried to offer grace to His jailers, torturers and interrogators each step of the way, not so He might be saved but so they might turn from what they were doing. I can only hope I see such signs any better, but only with Your help, Lord.

Luke 21

Summary: Jesus continues His time in the temple, this time talking about the many things that will happen in the future.

Response: I'll be honest: I gloss over prediction/prophecy/revelation stuff. It's just, I know it's going to happen at one point, but nobody knows the right time or date. So why bother? I guess that, for some, it's nice to know that everybody will get their just reward at the end, though I'd counter-argue that that's less faith than assurance at that point. And, again, it's not that I'm not looking forward to it all, but we have to live life with love now, not hit pause and wait for the end of the level.

Luke 20

Summary: Jesus, in the main temple of Jerusalem, gets worked over by the religious elite with the most controversial scenarios they can think of. He answers them in public in such a way that they not only can't take him to court, and can't pull the people's support for him, but make themselves look foolish, too.

Response: Sometimes I guess I feel like Christians shouldn't have to endure questions about what-if scenarios and philosophical problems, but Jesus took them head-on.

Luke 19

Summary: Jesus finishes up with one more miracle and parable, each showing God's mercy to those who accept it. Then, Jesus fulfills prophecy by entering Jerusalem, popular by parade and tracking in the temple (for now, anyways).

Response: I know I am often as fickle as the people here. Lord, help me to slow down and seek You, that I might do Your will and further Your kingdom.

Luke 18

Summary: Jesus talks about status, shunning the wealthy and elite in favor of the humble and willing.

Response: There's this idea in Christian circles that God gives you the opportunity to grow when you ask for a certain character trait. Like you want patience and He gives you a situation to have to wait. It helps us to trust that He knows what He's doing, but it's scary. Even so, I hope God gives me opportunities to be humble, even if it means being humbled.

Luke 17

Summary: Jesus, through healings and parables, talks about responding to the promise of heaven.

Response: There's nothing weird like the last chapter; still, Jesus is talking way over everyone's heads, including mine. And we are to keep serving and to acknowledge kindness done to us as well as act kindly to others, even those who aren't kind in the first place. That sounds hard.

Luke 16

Summary: Through several parables, Jesus mainly talks about the permanence of consequences in choosing to serve oneself.

Response: But it's weird! I'm not sure I've ever read the shrewd manager one that started the chapter, and in between rebuking the Pharisees and his last parable, Jesus launches into a maxim about divorce.

Reading about the first one is a bit disappointing. Still, there's a bigger theme in the chapter about who you're going to serve. Go down swinging for your faults or try to make amends? Break a lifelong vow or honor it? Ignore need or act on it before it's too late? Who am I going to serve?