Luke 10:13-16 Sitting in Sackcloth
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: August 23, 2018 Luke 10:13-16
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades. “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
(Understanding the Text) This is still part of the instructions to the 72 before they were sent out. It is a continuation of the instructions about what to do if a town rejected Jesus’ emissaries. “But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town” (Luke 10:10-12).
This tells me that Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum had all been locations where Jesus had done lots of great works. I know that Capernaum was Jesus’ adopted home where He lived when He wasn’t on the road. I know that Bethsaida was on the Lake of Galilee near Capernaum. On the map, Chorazin looks like it is in between both Capernaum and Bethsaida a little ways away from the lake. I know of lots of miracles recorded as taking place in Capernaum and Bethsaida, but what happened in Chorazin? Hastings dictionary says “CAPERNAUM.—The headquarters of Christ in His Galilæan ministry, after His rejection at Nazareth (Mat_4:13, Joh_2:12). Here he healed the centurion’s palsied servant (Mat_8:5-13, Luk_7:2-10), provided the half-shekel for the Temple tribute (Mat_17:24), taught in the synagogue (Mar_1:21, Luk_4:31, Joh_6:59), performed many miracles (Mar_1:23 to Mar_2:12, Luk_4:33-41), taught humility to the disciples (Mar_9:33), healed a nobleman’s son by a word from Cana (Joh_4:46). For its unbelief He denounced the city (Mat_11:23, Luk_10:15).” and “BETHSAIDA.—A place on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, whither Christ went after feeding the five thousand (Mar_6:45, cf. Luk_9:10), and where He healed a blind man (Mar_8:22); the home of Philip, Andrew, and Peter (Joh_1:44; Joh_12:21). It was denounced by Christ for unbelief (Mat_11:21, Luk_10:13).” but for Chorazin there is only the mention in the verses for today. The very fact that it is mentioned with the other two cities tells me that Jesus must have been there frequently and that it was the location of miracles.
Many people in these cities had chosen to follow Jesus, but many people had remained aloof from Him or outright worked against Jesus. These are the people who will be judged. To whom great light is given, great light is required. More light had been given to the people of these three cities than to Sodom or Tyre. Sodom is known for its sexually degenerate and debased people, but Tyre is different. Tyre actually helped build the temple by sending cedars. The Hastings dictionary has more information. Later, Tyre became an enemy of Israel and God pronounced judgment on it through Nebuchadnezzar. Tyre was supposed to be given to the tribe of Asher by Joshua, but it may have never become part of Israel. Jezebel was the daughter of the king of Tyre. Hastings says “but finally fell to Babylon, and remained a dependency until the overthrow of the Babylonian Empire. Her humbled state did not change her people’s temper. Their pride (Eze_28:2), their contempt for the rights of man (Amo_1:9), their slave-trading propensities (Joe_3:4-8) are denounced by the Hebrew prophets.” Thus, Tyre while it may have been right at one time, fell into cruelty and mistreatment of people, yet Jesus says that these two cruel cities were not any worse than Capernaum, Chorazin, and Bethsaida because they had not received as much light from God, so were acting partly out of ignorance while the three cities were knowingly rejecting God.
(Understanding the Text / Application) In these verses Jesus gives the principle that we are His representatives and in rejecting us, people are rejecting Him. This goes with what Peter said to Ananias and Sapphira. “But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?” (Act 5:3). He said that they were not lying to a man but to God. This principle is also similar to what Jesus said about helping people. “Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Mat 25:45-46). To reject a representative from Jesus’ message is to reject the message of Jesus. This is not to say that everyone who claims to be from God is truly bearing a message from God, but it is saying that I have to be careful to not reject a message simply because I do not care for the messenger. I need to search the scriptures and my heart to see if I am being convicted by the Holy Spirit that the message is true.
(Revelation of God / Prayer) It is a wonder that Jesus identifies with us so closely. We are so far below Him in every way that there is no comparison. He is the Creator; we are the created. He is pure; our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords; we are residents of the only rebellious world in the universe. Yet, He is not ashamed to call us brothers (Hebrews 2:11). Our God’s love for us is so great that He views any slight towards us as a slight towards Him. I don’t understand it, but I thank You for it. Keep my heart open to Your truth so that I will never reject Your messengers or Your message.