Luke: To the Least, the Last, & the Lost - Luke 6:27-36Jobey McGintyWhen someone wounds us, retaliation feels natural. We want fairness. We want payback. But in Luke 6:27-36, Jesus gives one of His hardest commands: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.” He isn’t ignoring evil or pretending hurt doesn’t matter. He’s exposing how quickly our hearts cling to revenge instead of mercy. By Jesus’ day, “eye for eye, tooth for tooth” had become a personal justification for retaliation. But Jesus corrects that misuse of Scripture and points to something deeper. Sin doesn’t just damage relationships around us. It shapes the posture of our hearts. We often want grace for ourselves while withholding it from others. Jesus offers a better way. Not a weak or passive life, but a transformed one. If forgiving someone feels impossible, or if bitterness has been quietly shaping your life, bring that struggle to Jesus and remember His forgiveness and mercy for you.

Luke: To the Least, the Last, & the Lost - Luke 6:12-26Jobey McGintyMost of us spend our lives trying to avoid suffering. We chase comfort, approval, and control, hoping those things will finally give us peace. But in Luke 6:12-26, Jesus says something surprising: the blessed life is often found in places we would never choose. Poverty, rejection, hunger, and grief become places where God meets people deeply. Suffering has a way of revealing what our hearts trust most. It can harden us, or it can drive us toward Christ. Jesus does not promise an easy life, but He does promise Himself. He is near to the weak, faithful in hardship, and able to form lasting joy even in difficult seasons.

Luke: To the Least, the Last, & the Lost - Luke 6:1-11Tyler WillisIn Luke 6:1–11 the Pharisees judge Jesus by rules, but He points to a deeper truth: the Sabbath was meant as a gift, not a burden. When Jesus says, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath” , He shows rest stems from relationship with Him, not rule-keeping. He chooses mercy and healing over appearances, even when it costs Him. True rest comes when we stop proving ourselves and trust the One who has already done the work.

Luke: To the Least, the Last, & the Lost - Luke 5:33-39Jobey McGintyWhen faith becomes a checklist, guilt grows and joy shrinks. That tension shows up clearly when the Pharisees question why Jesus’ disciples don’t fast like everyone else. The Pharisees took something God gave as a gift and turned it into a rule. Jesus exposes this kind of religion as empty. Legalism looks serious, but it can’t hold the life Christ brings. Jesus offers something better. He doesn’t patch up our old system. He replaces it. His presence is good news, not a burden. Righteousness comes through Him, not our effort.

Luke: To the Least, the Last, & the Lost - Luke 5:27-32Jobey McGintyJesus doesn’t keep His distance from the people the world avoids or calls outsiders. In Luke 5, we see Him walk straight toward a hated tax collector named Levi. Levi hasn't cleaned up his life...he hasn't somehow made himself worthy or earned a place at God's table. And Levi knew he didn’t belong. Everyone else agreed. Tax collectors were seen as traitors and thieves. Yet Jesus stops, looks at him, and says, “Follow me” (Luke 5:27–28). Jesus comes for sinners, not the respectable. When religious leaders complain, Jesus answers clearly: “Those who are well have no need of a physician… I have not come to call the righteous but sinners” (Luke 5:31–32). Grace moves first. Jesus eats with Levi. He calls him before he changes. And that call leads to real repentance and real joy.

Luke: To the Least, the Last, & the LostJobey McGinty - Luke 5.12-26In Luke 5, we see Jesus encounter the ultimate outcasts: a man full of leprosy and a paralyzed man. Rather than becoming contaminated by their uncleanness, Jesus does the unthinkable—He reaches out, touches them, and lets His light and wholeness shatter their darkness. He doesn't just heal their bodies; He claims the authority of God to forgive their sins. Yet, like the crowds and the Pharisees, we often try to reduce Jesus to a one-dimensional figure. We gravitate toward His mercy while ignoring His holiness, or we champion His righteousness while lacking His deep compassion. But Jesus is not a reflection of our preferences. He is completely holy and completely merciful; filled with a righteous wrath toward evil, yet overflowing with grace toward sinners. We are called to be conformed into the image of Christ, not to conform Him into the image of us. Discover what it means to look at the entire counsel of Scripture and worship the whole Christ—our Savior who draws us near in our unworthiness, and our Lord who commands us to go, sin no more, and make disciples.

Deuteronomy 29:29Jobey McGintySometimes it feels like if we just had enough answers, life would finally make sense. If God would just explain Himself, our pain, or our future, then we could trust Him. The gospel gives a better foundation for trust, however. God has not stayed silent. He has spoken clearly where it matters most. “No one has ever seen God; God the only Son, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.” (John 1:18). In Jesus, God reveals His heart, His love, His purpose to save sinners. When life feels confusing, we cling to what is clear: the cross, the empty tomb, and a God whose wisdom is deeper than ours.

Luke: To the Least, the Last, & the Lost - Luke 5:1-11Jobey McGintyJesus meets Peter at work, not after he cleans himself up. When the nets overflow, Peter sees the truth about himself and about Jesus: “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord” (Luke 5:8). But Jesus doesn’t leave. He calls. “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men” (Luke 5:10–11). Grace comes first. Then the call. That’s the gospel.

Luke: To the Least, the Last & the Lost - Luke 4.31-44Jobey McGintyIn Luke 4:31–44, the crowds are stunned because Jesus doesn’t just talk about truth—His word carries authority. Demons obey Him. Sickness leaves. Evil recognizes Him, even when people hesitate. Jesus is the Holy One of God who confronts darkness and wins. He doesn’t negotiate with sin or evil. He defeats it. Not every sickness or challenging situation will be met with a miracle in this life, but He is working all things for your good, and it all points to a certain future free of sin, brokenness and death.

Luke: To the Least, the Last, & the LostTyler WillisIn Luke 4:16–30, we see a hometown crowd shift instantly from amazement to fury. While they were initially captivated by Jesus’ words, their hearts hardened when He refused to fit their expectations. By reading Isaiah 61, Jesus declares Himself the long-awaited Savior who brings freedom to the captive and sight to the blind. However, as John 1:11 reminds us, "He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him." Jesus does not come to affirm our comforts or meet our demands; He comes to offer the grace of true repentance.