WEEKEND RECHARGE!

September 12, 2026

Monday-September 7-Luke 15:11-32
Tuesday-September 8 Luke 16:1-13
Wednesday-September 9-Luke 16:14-31
Thursday-September 10-Luke 17:1-19
Friday-September 11- Luke 17:20-37

AFTER THE DAILY DEVO SUMMARIES, BE SURE TO CHECK OUT WHY LUKE 17:36 IS MISSING FROM MOST ENGLISH VERSIONS OF THE BIBLE AND WHAT JESUS IS REFERRING TO WHEN HE SAYS “THE LAW, PROPHETS, AND PSALMS.”

DAILY DEVO SUMMARY | September 7–11

LUKE 15:11–32: THE FATHER’S EMBRACE
Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son is ultimately a story about the gracious father whose love welcomes sinners home. The younger son represents our tendency to reject God, pursue independence, and discover that the “far country” cannot give us what our hearts truly need. Yet when the son comes to his senses, turns around, and returns home, the father does not shame or punish him but runs to embrace him, restores him, and celebrates his return. The older brother reminds us that we can be far from God not only through rebellion but also through self-righteousness, resentment, and an unwillingness to rejoice when grace is extended to others. The message of the parable is beautifully simple: no one is too far from God’s grace, no sin is beyond his forgiveness, and when we turn toward him, we discover that our Father is ready to welcome us home. 

LUKE 16:1–13: WHO’S THE BOSS
Jesus uses the surprising story of a dishonest manager to teach his disciples to use temporary earthly resources with eternal purposes in mind. The issue is not how much we have but how faithfully we use what God has entrusted to us, because faithfulness in little reveals the condition of our hearts. Money is a tool to be stewarded, not a master to be served, and our possessions should be invested in things that have eternal significance. John Calvin’s description of the human heart as a “perpetual idol factory” reminds us that even good gifts like money, success, pleasure, and security can become substitutes for God. Ultimately, Jesus forces us to answer a deeply personal question: Who is really our boss - God or money?

LUKE 16:14–31: TOO LATE TO TURN BACK
Jesus confronted the Pharisees for their self-righteousness, reminding them that while people judge by outward appearances, God knows the heart. Their love of money and confidence in their own righteousness blinded them to the kingdom of God that was standing before them in Jesus. Through the story of the rich man and Lazarus, Jesus revealed that earthly wealth and comfort are not evidence of God's favor, nor is poverty evidence of God's rejection. Death brings a great chasm that cannot be crossed, emphasizing that there comes a moment when the opportunity to repent is gone. The invitation of grace is open today, but Jesus warns us not to presume upon tomorrow - God's Word calls us to trust him and respond while the door of salvation remains open.

LUKE 17:1–19: WHAT DOES SPIRITUAL MATURITY LOOK LIKE? 
Luke 17:1–19 gives us a powerful picture of what spiritual maturity looks like in everyday life. Jesus teaches that mature believers have the boldness to confront sin, the willingness to forgive, the faith to trust God, the humility to serve without seeking recognition, and the gratitude to return and give thanks. Spiritual maturity is not measured simply by how much we know about the Bible, but by how faithfully we live out what Jesus has taught us. The story of the ten lepers especially reminds us that while many receive God’s blessings, the mature believer stops, turns back, and recognizes the One who gave the blessing. The question for every disciple is simple and searching: Are these five characteristics - boldness, forgiveness, faith, humility, and gratitude - becoming increasingly evident in my life?

LUKE 17:20–37: THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND THE SECOND COMING
Jesus taught that the kingdom of God is already present because the King himself has come, while also pointing his disciples toward the future when he will return to establish a heavenly eternal kingdom. Jesus explains that his second coming will not be hidden or gradual but will be as unmistakable as lightning filling the sky. He reminds his followers that, like the days of Noah and Lot, people will be absorbed in ordinary life when the Son of Man suddenly appears in judgment. Jesus therefore calls his people to live with eternal priorities, refusing to cling so tightly to this life that they lose sight of the life to come. The coming of the King is certain, judgment is unavoidable, and every person must individually decide how they will respond to Jesus.

THE OLD TESTAMENT “THE LAW, PROPHETS, AND WRITINGS” (LUKE 24:44)
In Luke 24:44, Jesus said, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

When Jesus says, “the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms,” he is referring to the entire Old Testament. The Jews divided the Old Testament into three categories. See the list below. This is the order of the books in the Hebrew Bible. Note that Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles are each listed as one book, not two separate books as in our Bibles. 

LAW–PROPHETS–WRITINGS (LUKE 24:44)

Torah (Law) — Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

Nevi’im (Prophets) — Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Twelve Minor Prophets

Ketuvim (Writings) — Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah, and Chronicles

The sequence began to change with the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible) in the 3rd/2nd century BC. Jerome’s Latin Vulgate (late 4th/early 5th century) kept the order of the Septuagint. The Protestant Reformers kept the same Old Testament sequence but removed the books noted as the Apocrypha. For a discussion of the Apocrypha, see the Appendix in my book Living Grounded: Foundational Truths of the Christian Faith.

WHAT HAPPENED TO LUKE 17:36?? It’s missing from my Bible!!

Robert Utley
Luke 17:36: Verse 36 is not found in the early Greek manuscripts P⁷⁵, א, A, B, L, or W. It comes from Matt. 24:40 and seems to be included in this parallel passage by a later scribe. The UBS⁴ committee rated its omission as “certain.”

Robert James Utley, The Gospel according to Luke, vol. Volume 3A, Study Guide Commentary Series (Marshall, TX: Bible Lessons International, 2004), Lk 17:36.

John Martin
Some manuscripts. add the words of v. 36, “Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.” Most likely the verse was inserted to harmonize this passage with Matt. 24:40.

John A. Martin, “Luke,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 249.