Luke 22.39-53 - Garden of Gethsemane

In the garden, Jesus' actions instruct us about prayer.  The Christian life is a prayed life.  What is prayer supposed to change? The world? Our problems? Our neighbors? The sick?
The first thing that prayer should change is us.  When Jesus prayed in the garden, he asked that the cup of his suffering would pass from him. Jesus asked first for God's will.
When we approach God in prayer, we should primarily ask "thy will be done."
May we use prayer as an opportunity to get our will in line with God's will.

Luke 9.37-50

This week's passage is found in all of the synoptic gospels.  Read Mark 9.14-37 and Matthew 17.14-18..5.  Compare the three tellings. In each gospel, some element of the story is more important, based on what they include or omit.  John Calvin calls this the "harmony of the gospel."  Like the parts of a song, each gospel varies in pitch, rhythm, and voice, yet they sing the same tune.  For instance, ordinarily, Mark uses the fewest words to tell the story.  Yet, in this case, Mark tells a more elaborate version of the story than Matthew or Luke.

Reading the synoptic gospels together can lead to a deeper understanding of Jesus life and ministry. Try it!