Session 8: Luke Chapters 15-16 On Losing and Living (Part 1)

Session 8: Luke Chapters 15-16 On Losing and Living

This 12-session study looks at the heart of Jesus for all people, as seen in the book of Luke. It is in Luke’s gospel that we see the breadth of Jesus’ ministry to reach all people, to bring all into his arms and show them his heart for them personally. Since Christ and the Father are one (John 10:30), Luke provides the opportunity to see for ourselves how God interacts with his beloved, how he showers his beloved with goodness and mercy all of our days (Ps 23:6). And the good news is that you are his beloved! He delights in you (Zeph 3:17)!

This post is the first part of session eight of the study, with each session opening with warm-up introductory questions, going on to a reading from Luke and questions related to the passage. Then the study goes to the comparative or referenced Old Testament passages found in the assigned reading with accompanying questions. Each study session ends with considerations for personal application. The study is appropriate for individual or small group application. Feel free to share the response to an application question or just comment on the study itself below.

Introduction

How would you describe the difference between goodness and cleverness?

Why do you think the phrase ‘God helps those who help themselves’ is attributed to the Bible? (This is not in the Bible.)

God helps the helpless (Romans 5:6) and rejoices over the repentant (Luke 15:7, 10). He pursues us, his creation, from Genesis to Revelation. God set us upon the earth to be with him and now he pursues us to have us return to that state in Eden, of being in perfect communion with him. This is his joy, or perhaps one of them, and heaven rejoices with him. It is a privilege of man to know that God rejoices in us.

Read Luke Chapters 15 and 16.

Questions

What steps does the shepherd take to retrieve the lost sheep? What steps does the woman take to recover her lost coin?

What adjectives describe the shepherd’s actions and the woman’s search?

What main characteristic(s) of God, represented by the father in The Parable of the Prodigal Son (or the Parable of the Lost Son), is revealed in Luke 15:11-32?

Consider the other figures in the Parable of the Lost Son: older son, younger son, servant. Describe the relationship each has with the father in the beginning and end of the parable.

How do each of these same figures see their value in the father’s eyes?

Luke 16:1-15, Jesus seems to applaud a man who swindles his boss by being clever. What was the man’s objective in the swindle? What characteristic(s) does Jesus actually applaud?

Luke 16:8-9 compare ‘people of this world’ and ‘people of the light’. What are ‘people of this world’ better at than those of the light?

How should ‘people of the light’ behave according to this teaching?

Summarize the reason for the rich man’s request being turned down. What does this tell us about our encouragement for other’s repentance?