This second volume of Hughes’ commentary on Luke starts with chapter 11 and concludes with Christ’s Ascension in chapter 24 of the gospel. Luke the historian--with his painstaking reporting--will make you certain about the truth of not only his Gospel, but the gospel. Luke the theologian--with his careful recounting of Christ's mercy and compassion--will touch you with God's love and grace. And Luke the physician--with his heart for people, especially the less privileged--will help you to love others more deeply. This may well be the only commentary you'll ever need to teach and preach the power, the celebration, the glorious message of Luke's beloved Gospel.
“A surface reading of this parable might indicate that the rich man missed salvation because he was not generous enough with his money. But that is not the case. The true reason for his damnation was his disregard for God’s Word and his rejection of the Lord. He did not believe the Scriptures. And he certainly did not think his disregard would land him in Hell. To think that someone like him, living in such abundance, can miss Heaven! And yet, without Christ, such is the case.” (Page 158)
“This ‘great chasm’ (literally ‘yawning’) is unbridgeable. No surge of human sympathy can reach across it. While in this world, the rich man could have reached out to Lazarus at any time. But once in eternity the gulf was uncrossable.” (Page 159)
“‘Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous’! He lived like a king” (Page 156)
“Do you wonder how older brothers get this way? It is very easy to forget what we were like before we came to the Father! As time passes we begin to imagine we are ‘good people’ because we have avoided sins of passion—and all the while sins of attitude run rampant within us. We do not regard our jealousy, pride, and judgmentalism as sins. We call them faults or shortcomings. So we easily become critical, judgmental, and unloving. Our surface familiarity with holy things has rendered them dull, insipid, and boring.” (Page 145)
“What Jesus was saying paradoxically was that our love for him must be so great and so pervasive that our natural love of self and family pales in comparison. We are to subordinate everything, even our own being, to our love and commitment to Christ. He is to be our first loyalty. All other relationships must take second place.” (Page 125)
[Kent Hughes] never loses sight of the preacher's true task of proclaiming the Gospel...Hughes takes this task utterly seriously, never neglecting the hard exegetical and interpretative work that must underlie all responsible exposition...Yet he also understands that his own life and conviction and passion must ring through his preaching, if his words, as God's words, are to sail like arrows into his hearers' hearts.
—Mark R. Talbot, Modern Reformation
R. Kent Hughes is Senior Pastor Emeritus of College Church in Wheaton, Illinois where he previously served as senior pastor for twenty-seven years. He earned degrees from Whittier College, Talbot School of Theology, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and Biola University.
Hughes is the author of numerous books, among them the best-selling Disciplines of a Godly Man. He is editor and contributor to the Preaching the Word Series, including Mark: Jesus, Servant and Saviorwhich received the Gold Medallion Book Award for best commentary in 1990.
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