The Strand Study Bible

LUKE LUKE *According to the World Health Organization and Harvard Medical School the United States of America is now listed as “the saddest group of people on earth.” The only thing we have left, less we lose our minds completely, is the mindless entertainment that is poured into the minds of Americans. In other words, if we didn’t have sports, video games, Hollywood movies and reality TV (mindless entertainment), we would have to start thinking again. Plainly stated –depression is here. Question is: How are we, as believers, supposed to deal with it? We know how the world deals with depression –they just prescribe another pill. But how are believers supposed to deal with depression? Depression can be caused by one of four things: 1. personal sin , which makes up 90% of all depression (David – Psa 32:1-4) 2. the personal sin of other people around you , as was the case with Moses ( Num 11 :13- 15 ) and Elijah (I Ki 19:1-4) 3. spiritual attack, as was the case with Job (Job 1-3) 4. a physical disorder Sometimes God allows disorders, be they physical (Jn 9:1-3), clinical or emotional, to be a part of people’s lives. Question is: How do we live with it and still honor God? First of all, determine what is causing your depression. Is it personal sin, the personal sin of others around you, a spiritual attack, or a physical disorder? For example: If you’re depressed due to sin in your life, but you’re attributing it to some other reason, you’ll get no relief. Determine what the real reason behind your depression is, and then and only then can you get the relief you need. Secondly , once you determine what is actually causing your depression, learn to deal with it biblically. For example: – If your depression is the result of your own selfishness and sin , make a bee-line to God and ask for forgiveness. The quickest treatment to sin-related depression is confession (Psa 32:5-6). – If your depression is the result of others around you: 1675 – If your depression is the result of a spiritual attack , go to Scripture (I Jn 4:4) and fight that attack the same way Jesus did (Mt 4:1-11 and Jms 4:7-8). In other words, get back to the Book! Get back in the Book; and get back to obeying the Book, if you want to resist the Devil and stop him from creating depression in your life. – If your depression is the result of a physical disorder , which can lead to emotion and/or clinical disorders, then get to a doctor and get you some lithium. It’s no different than a diabetic needing insulin because the body is not producing it naturally. Determine the why and you can solve the how . 17:9 Parable #29 is aimed at believers who desire to increase their faith . The character flaw – assuming we are doing God a favor by obeying Him . We are not ( I trow not – Mt 25:37-40 and I Cor 9:16-18). Obedience is not for His sake, it’s for ours. Jesus promised us that if we obeyed God in the little things ( when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you ; like attending church, witnessing, being faithful to give and to pray and to read) we can trust Him through the big things (like forgiveness – vs 3-4). NOTE – Whereas our service to God is a temporal service, God’s service to us is an eternal sacrifice. Although God (due to His loving kindness) has no problem rewarding us for obeying Him (Mt 5:12 & 10:41-42 & 16:27, Lk 14:12-14, I Cor 3:8,13-14, II Cor 5:10, II Jn 8 and Rev 11:17-18 & 22:12), still, we owe Him “everything” compared to what He owes us; thus we deserve far less than He gives (I Cor 6:19-20). THE ADAGE IS TRUE: God does not owe us; He owns us 17:10 David Livingston put it best when he said: If a commission by an earthly king is considered an honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice? 4 Truly, we are unprofitable servants! 17:12 a “Leprosy” in the Bible serves as an illustration of sin . Remember Miriam (Num 12:1-10)? Remember Gehazi, Elisha’s servant (II Ki 5:20-27)? Remember Uzziah (II Ki 15:1-5)? All these people were smote with leprosy because of their sin ( Lev 13:2,4 ). Leprosy in the Bible not only serves as an illustration of sin, it typifies uncleanness, which separates the believer from God. The tragedy of leprosy laid not so much in personal sin as in isolation from family and friends. 17:12 b According to Levitical law (Lev 13:45-46) lepers were commanded to stay afar off (II Ki 15:5). In fact, the legal limit would have been one hundred paces from the general populace. 17:14a What Jesus was saying to these ten lepers when He said, “ Go shew yourselves unto the priests ” was, “You’re as good as healed.” Priests did not serve as doctors, or have any role in curing diseases, and the lepers would have known that. The job of the priest was to “diagnose” diseases that made worshipers ceremonially unclean, and to certify his or her recovery from that condition (Lev 14:1-11), not heal them. So when Jesus said, “ Go shew yourselves unto the priests ,” what He was saying was, “If you go, you’re as good as healed.” Why? Because that is why you went to the priest – to show him that you were healed.” 17:14b Obedience ( as they went ) may not always lead to immediate deliverance (Heb 11:36-39), but it’s the first step in the right direction if you long for deliverance. 17:16 Of the ten lepers, the Bible says that one was a Samaritan . Yet they all traveled together, which was odd because ordinarily Jews would have nothing to do with Samaritans (Jn 4:27). Yet the reason they all traveled together and seemingly got along is because they were all hurting and in the same condition (their common disease erased the usual prejudices and animosities). It’s amazing when you hurt who you can put up with. Maybe we should hurt more… “Hurt” can be a good thing ( I Sam 30:13 ). NOTE – I’ve never understood how is it that, all of a sudden, one cleansed sinner is somehow better than another cleansed sinner? Is it no wonder Christianity fails so often to reach a lost and dying world? Jesus reminded believers in John 13:34-35: * remove yourself from them * pray for them (Lk 6:27-28) * forgive them ( Mt 18 :21- 34 )