Gadfly's Muse

Luke 18: Desperate Prayers...

Image: "Tools of the Trade", 2020, Severna Park, Md

Luke 18:6–8  Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

Luke 18:13–14  And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Luke 18:25–27  For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And those who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?”
27 But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”

Luke 18:39  Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

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There is a "loose" theme that brings some unity to this chapter: Desperate Prayers.  It was the widow's desperate banging on the unjust judge's door that convinced him, though unjust, to help her.  It was the desperate plea for mercy from the tax collector that Jesus said was heard.  Blind Bartimaeus earnestly petitioned Jesus to heal him and, though admonished to be quiet, "cried out all the more," (vs. 39) and Jesus commended his faith.  The "rich young ruler" was not "desperate" in his petition and went away sorrowful.  The parents who brought their infant children to Him were rebuked by the disciples but Jesus, in effect, said that they must be allowed, for "of such is the kingdom of God." (vs. 16)  So the faith of the parents was that they persisted in bringing their children.

The latter two examples, admittedly, do not fit the theme as clearly as the others but I think they are not inconsistent with it either.

The idea of "persistent prayer" reflects a practice that was deeply ingrained in church history though not so often a part of the modern discipleship.  The Puritans, in particular, thought about "struggling" in prayer and likened it to Jacob wrestling with God.  They never once thought that this somehow "changed God's mind" about something but rather viewed it as participating in God's providential rule in creation.  In other words, when God purposes to do something (such as bringing Jacob back to his brother Esau's land), He first works on Jacob to bring him to a sense of "desperate" prayer.  Jacob's life, his family, and all his possessions were on the line.  If God didn't soften Esau's anger then all of God's promises to Jacob and Jacob's covenant status would be forfeit.  Jacob "clung to God" and he "prevailed" (Gen. 32:28).  Thus Jacob was affirmed in his status, his name was changed to "Israel", and, the rest, as they say, is history.

The clear parables above explicitly teach us that this kind of "desperate prayer" is more part of the ordinary Christian experience than otherwise.  Like the desperate widow, there are times when we need to "bang on the doors of heaven."  I have learned that sometimes God requires us to pray for particular things that we know are important in His Kingdom, like "create in me a clean heart" or "teach me to love", until such time as we become desperate for them.  We start out kind of wishing God would do something... He appears to delay or ignore our petitions... and a certain anxiety sets in.  As this situation develops we begin to realize just how important our desire is to us.  It becomes a focus of our lives.  Prayers are more passionate and more frequent... and then... we get what we asked.  It is also my experience that we get far more out of the ordeal than just the end result.  We are changed, we are humbled, and, we become grateful.

So, "desperate prayers" are something that we should not fear nor ignore.  We should guard against a problem like that of the rich young ruler.  He was so comfortable that he didn't really feel desperate, even though he had doubts about inheriting eternal life.  If he had been desperate for assurance then he would not have clung to his worldly goods.  "Desperate prayers" are the domain and the possession of a people who are keenly aware of the frailty of life and their total dependence on God.  They are like little infants who have no strength in themselves but depend wholly and lovingly on God's goodwill.

The joy of such "desperation" is that we know God will never let us down.

 

 

 

 

Luke 17: Step by Step...

Image: "Markers Along the Way", 2020, Severna Park, Md

Luke 17:1 Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!

Luke 17:17–19  So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18 Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”

Luke 17:32–33  Remember Lot’s wife. 33 Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.

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One of the encouragements I glean from the Gospels and Luke's Gospel, in particular, is just how real and down-to-earth is the story.

The disciples had been with Jesus for a good little time at this point.  They had seen much.  They had confessed Him as the Christ.  They had heard His teachings and walked in wonder alongside or behind Him.  They had been sent out to proclaim the Kingdom and given authority and power over demons and diseases.  At this point, you might think they would be brimming over with confidence and insights concerning their Lord.

But what do we hear them saying?  Luke 17:5  And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”

Why would they ask this?  There is no doubt that Jesus' recent teachings were challenging.  "Offenses are on their way!" He solemnly intones, "But, Woe to him through whom they come!"  "Offenses?"  That sounds pretty serious.  And Jesus rounds it out by saying that if a "brother", not an enemy, but a "brother" sins against you - rebuke him and if he repents forgive him... even if it is seven times a day.

It's no wonder the disciples thought: "I need more faith!"

Think of service to Jesus in terms of walking a footpath.  Along the way, there will be markers, put there by the King Himself.  Each of these will represent a stage of spiritual growth and, inevitably, challenges either small or great.  The disciples, even as do we, would have to learn what it means to forgive... really forgive an offense... and not only that, to do it regularly.  This is so much a part of the Christian life that it is amazing how few Christians actually recognize that milestone when they come on it.  Being self-absorbed, thinking only of their injured pride, they pass right on by.  It is a great sadness, I think, to our Lord when this happens.

And, on the other hand, there is the very human desire for "pats on the back."  As we walk along, there is a milestone in the form of a ministry opportunity.   Perhaps, like the Good Samaritan, it is an opportunity to help an unfortunate person.  Perhaps it is some duty in the Church that no-one else wants to do.  Perhaps there is some self-sacrifice required where we may have to give up some resource, or time, or opportunity, in order to do something for the Kingdom.  

As we pass this milestone, the challenge is obvious.  What do we want to get out of it when we do what God has put before us to do?  All too often we feel incomplete if we don't get some feedback.  Perhaps the person we helped proves ungrateful... or the duty we did for the Church is not mentioned when the Pastor expresses thanks for stuff other people did... or our self-sacrifice is not noticed and we grumpily think:  "Well, no one cares what I do!"

Here then is the challenge:  Luke 17:10  So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’ ”  We are servants of the Most-High God and our Lord Jesus Christ.  Our reward is to please Him, period.  What an honor and privilege it is to know that He has enabled us to be faithful, whether in small things or large.  What could we possibly want in this life more than to have some assurance that one day, He will say "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy set before you."  

These kinds of milestones are the warp-and-woof of everyday Christian experience.  If we don't notice them then it's because we have not been sufficiently awakened to them.  We should pray as did the apostles: "increase our faith", only be assured that in doing so, Jesus will make the milestones for service much more clear.  Our faith grows through service... that's what we have to get through our skulls.

Another milestone that we will encounter is the call to gratitude.  Jesus healed ten lepers.  Only one of them returned to give thanks.  Every day we pass a marker that should call our attention to some blessing in our lives.  What do we do?  Do we consider such blessings as only our "due?"  This is turning the parable of the servant/master on its head.  Our lives are full of God's gifts, even when we are facing dire straits.  We are blessed because we have Christ with us, no matter what, and it is often that "dire straits" generate the most reason for thanksgiving and gratitude.

We are all walking the same pathway that the disciples walked.  I find it encouraging that their stories align so well with ours.  It makes all the teachings of Jesus that much more personal.

What milestone did you encounter today?

 

 

Luke 15 & 16: When Something Precious Is Missing...

Image: "Holding On...", 2020, Severna Park, Md

Luke 15:7  I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

Luke 15:17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

Luke 15:31–32  “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 32 It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’ ”

Luke 16:8  So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.

Luke 16:11–12  Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?

Luke 16:31  But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”

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I seem to spend an inordinate amount of time looking for something I have misplaced or lost.  At this moment I am facing the unhappy prospect of having to replace my prescription glasses.  I evidently dropped them somewhere while I was doing various chores and though I have diligently traced and retraced my steps, they are nowhere to be found.  I would certainly rejoice if I was to stumble upon them somewhere.

With that said, perhaps you can see how I can appreciate our Lord's parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin.  It is only a slight stretch, which is why Luke places it here, to see that the parable of the wayward son fits with the others.  In each parable, that which was lost was highly valued and when found ("returned" for the wayward son), there is rejoicing and celebration.

It is no wonder that these parables have been so precious to sinners like you and me for centuries.  The entire point of the story is, for each, that the individual was truly lost.  The lost sheep was in deadly danger and only prompt salvation would serve to keep him from perishing.  The lost coin was useless unless found.  It would never serve its intended purpose until put back in circulation.  The wayward son?  Well, he was truly given over to his sins.  It was only when he awakened to his own utter despair that he began his journey "home."  We should not overlook how it happened.  Jesus said that "he came to himself..." (15:17)  We should liken this to Nebuchadnezzar suddenly awakening from his bout of insanity.  The son's eyes were opened such that he saw himself as he truly was... his sin as it truly was... and the foolishness of leaving his father's house as it truly was.

Repentance is returning to sanity.  As long as sin controls our hearts and minds, we truly are stumbling in the dark, not knowing our right hand from our left.  But when the grace of Jesus Christ appears the darkness is lifted and we see ourselves and our shame in their proper light.  Then and only then can the offer of forgiveness become as precious as it ought to be.

The main point of these parables in chapter 15 however is the One who is looking.  Whether it is the Good Shepherd, or the woman diligently searching the house, or the Father gazing at the distant road so as to be the first to see His lost son returning, it is the Searcher of hearts that is the main point.

Here's what we can hang onto.  Like the leaves in the image, we may show the bruises and discoloration that comes from living in this fallen world.  But though we are hammered and have a reason for shame, yet we must cling to this hope:  We have a Father who is longing to find us and welcome us home.  The Lamb has been slain.  The Sacrifice has been offered.  The "friends" have gathered.  All that remains is for the joyful sound to ring out:  "I have found what was lost!  Come and let us celebrate!"

The parable of the unjust servant in chapter 16 is difficult but teaches one central point:  even fallen sinners in this world prudently take steps to offset the certain accounting they will face in the future.  If we take to heart the teachings in chapter 15 and recognize that we are lost, then we must act upon that realization.  If the unredeemed are concerned for what lies ahead, then how much more should we come to our senses, confess our sins, and undertake to return to our God?  He has told us that He is anxious for us to so do!   We have nothing to lose but our shame and our guilt and we have everything to gain.

The Rich Man stepped over Lazarus every day when he left his comfortable home.  He did not know his own shame.  In Hell, it did him no good to "wish he had done differently."  Now is the hour and the hope of the Gospel is still being rung out over the world.  Our loving Father calls us to repent.  Let us do so with haste.

 

Luke 14: It's Worth the Cost...

Image: "Pondering the Cost", 2020, Scene from UA-93 National Memorial Site

Luke 14:11 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Luke 14:13–14  But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. 14 And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

Luke 14:23–24  Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’ ”

Luke 14:26–27 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

Luke 14:33  So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.

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I have no idea what that couple was thinking or discussing as they gazed at the final impact point of United flight 93.  The memorial is well designed to provoke contemplation and the subject is worthy.  In that last half-hour or so of their lives, men and women decided that they should do what they could to prevent that airplane from slamming into another national treasure... perhaps the White House itself.  The awful certainty that they were certainly going to die whether they did anything or not must have registered.  I can only imagine the cold, dark horror that awareness aroused in their breasts.  So, they chose to make their lives count... by voluntarily giving up their lives now so that others may live.  They did so and they should be honored as true patriots and citizens of this republic for as long as it stands.

Perhaps this couple was pondering that decision... and the cost it required.  I think that in doing so, as it does in mine, it might have brought forth a prayer of thanksgiving because what they did was worth the cost.

As we read chapter 14 we cannot escape the powerful reality that Jesus taught.  The majority of Jesus' teachings here have to do with "counting the cost." (explicitly vs. 28-33)  In fact, Jesus gives this command:  If you desire to be My disciple, you must realize what it may very well entail!  You must "forsake all" that you have, perhaps literally for some, figuratively for all who so choose.  I wonder how many in that "multitude" who heard this teaching were later called to face their own horror.  I wonder if they remembered Jesus' words as a Jewish or Roman mob broke down their doors, intent upon hauling them off to whatever fate awaited them.  Certainly, some wavered, some (even as did Peter) must have denied Jesus before their captors, some must have wilted in panic.  But, some of them did not waver or deny... some of them counted the cost and, praise God, thought it worth it.

Paul recognized the cost and the worthiness of the prize.  In Philippians 3:8-11 he stated it plainly.  "I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.  And be found in Him... that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings,... if by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead."

Let those words sink in.  This chapter could be very depressing if we are not spiritually strong.  As a matter of fact, it should be depressing to those of us who are rooted in this world, tied to it by innumerable ties that we value above all else.  To renounce the world and its allure is not just about giving up the lusts of our flesh... it is to have the mindset of those passengers in UA-93.  "Whatever I have to face, it will be worth it,... Jesus is worth it!"

This is why Stephen, in Acts 9 was empowered to cheerfully face his horrible death by stoning.  He even found compassion in his heart for those who were throwing the rocks. (Acts 7:54-60)  Why?  He knew that the treasure he had found was worth the price.

Here is the challenge:  What is it about being Jesus' disciple that, in effect, makes giving up the world an easy decision?  The answer is more than just the eternal reward that we will receive.  Yes, that is important, but that is kind of selfish in its own way.  I am not condemning this attitude, I am only saying that it doesn't go far enough and, in a sense, can produce a kind of stoic, hang-dog, attitude in us.  What transforms us and enables cheerful sacrifice is the "beauty" of Christ and His Kingdom.  It is the powerful love of God and our fellow Christians that we hold so dear.  If our sacrifice causes that love to increase and God's Kingdom to advance, then that is a beautiful thing.  It IS worth it.

We have to be convinced that our perseverance and faithfulness will be remembered... that it will not be in vain... that the Holy Spirit will touch other people, like those in the image above, and they will contemplate what we have done, the witness we have presented, and they also will be touched and convicted and thankful.

Here is the nub.  The only way we can cheerfully give up anything for Jesus is to understand that whatever we have to "give up" is really "nothing at all."  What no one can ever take from us is the treasure of Christ and His Kingdom.  Compared to that, all else are mere trinkets.

 

 

Luke 13: The Perfect Pilgrim

Image: "Gazing At The Sight", 2020, Sunflower Farm Scene, Lisbon, Md

Luke 13:2–3  And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.

Luke 13:15–16  The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? 16 So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?”

Luke 13:23–24  Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

Luke 13:34  “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!

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That little "bug" (not sure what it is) seemed to be just pondering the view.  From his close-up perspective that brilliant sunflower must have appeared to fill the sky.  As we peer at Jesus as He travels to Jerusalem, we might pause and let His spectacle fill our minds also.  There are a lot of things going on in this chapter and each little segment is important, but, perhaps, the overall impact is even greater.

Jesus, as one famous theologian has postulated, is pictured as the perfect Pilgrim, journeying to Jerusalem to offer up the Passover sacrifice.  If we think of Him as embodying and fulfilling Israel itself, then Jesus is essentially presenting Himself as prophet, priest, and king of Israel.  He has come to complete the work of God in choosing Israel out of all the nations of the earth, as well as performing her role as God's servant.  The weight of all history, to that time, was resting on His shoulders and we can see in His dealings with people in this chapter that he was totally focused on that task.

Note carefully how He was conscious of world events and unhesitating in His reply to them.  Galilee was a hotbed of insurrectionary zeal and Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor, had recently killed some Galileans who must have been accused of treasonous conduct.  He evidently killed them in Jerusalem where they had come to offer sacrifices.  Jesus is aware of this as well as of the tower falling at the pool of Siloam.  When questioned about the Galileans Jesus' answer skillfully avoided putting himself in the middle of that controversy.  He didn't condemn either Pilate or the Galileans.  He simply pointed out that these Galileans, perhaps like the men who would be crucified on either side of Himself, were no worse sinners than others.  He then turned the teaching on its head and essentially said that the fate of the Galileans and the 18 who died at Siloam, was a direct consequence of sin... the same sin that infects us all.  If we do not repent, we will all "likewise" perish.  This is very much in line and continuous with the OT prophets.  Here was the greater Amos heralding imminent judgment.

Jesus heals a woman on the Sabbath.  The blind hypocrites could only think of this wonderful act of mercy in legalistic terms.  "You broke the Sabbath!" they cried, in effect.  Again, Jesus' mastery of the situation shows as He humiliates the hypocrites before the whole multitude.  "You loose your donkey from the stable and water it on the Sabbath!  Isn't it obvious that this woman should be set free from the bondage of her infirmities?"  You can almost hear the air whooshing out of their sails!  Luke simply says "His adversaries were put to shame."  Yea, and Amen!

Jesus spoke a few beloved parables about the Kingdom of God and then He answers another "tough" question.  "Lord, are there few who are saved?"  Jesus takes this question head-on.  Few pastors or theologians today would be so clear and emphatic.  Most of us would "hedge" a bit because the truth can be very unpopular.  Jesus looks them in the eye and says: "Yes... relatively few will enter through the narrow gate which leads to eternal life.  He amplifies the answer by saying the "many... will seek to enter and will not be able!"  This statement ought to stop us in our tracks.  There are "many" who long for eternal life in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, but they will not be "able" or "allowed" to enter.  There are the multitudes in this world who make no bones about their rejection of Jesus as the Christ of God.  Their judgment is just and without question.  On the whole, these folks are easy to recognize.

But what about the specific group Jesus here mentions.  They "seek to enter" but they can't.  Who are these?  I think these are those "nominal" Christians who often play the spiritual games associated with Christianity and content themselves with thinking of this as righteousness.  But, on point, for them, it is just a game.  Their Christian "faith" is invisible outside of the church.  Like the hypocrites who surrounded Jesus, they trust in some externals while missing the point that eternal life is open only through the narrow gate of Jesus Himself.  Eternal life in Jesus' Kingdom is granted to those who, through the Holy Spirit, see Jesus as, metaphorically, the bug in the picture sees the flower.  Jesus fills their entire vision.  He is the first and the last, the beginning and the end.  He is life itself and apart from Him, there is nothing but darkness.  This transformed way of thinking and beholding is obtained by relatively few.

Jesus said they will come from the east, west, north, and south and sit down in the Kingdom of God.  Speaking very pointedly to those who trusted in their special Jewish relation to God, He said that there are many "last" who will be first and the "first" who will be last.  

Truly He is One to fill our entire vision and worthy to be adored.  

 

 

 

Luke 11 & 12: Impossible to Ignore, A Decision Which Cannot Be Put Off

Image: "House on a Hill", 2020, Admissions Office, McDaniel College, Westminster, Md

Luke 11:9–10  “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

Luke 11:13  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

Luke 11:30  For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.

Luke 12:4–5  “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has the power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!

Luke 12:20–21  But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ 21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Luke 12:33–34  Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Luke 12:51  Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division.

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As you drive north on Main Street in the beautiful old town of Westminster, Md, you are confronted with a fork in the road at the top of the hill.  Main Street veers to the right but there's a hard left and then a hard right to continue north on Uniontown Road.  But there at that intersection, staring in your face and impossible to miss, is the McDaniel College Admissions building.  Your car is on a slight incline at the intersection and across from you, the hill continues with a walkway leading your eyes up through the several sets of steps to the quaint old building itself.  It's not really a beautiful building.  Its architecture is from another century and it could have been just an old farm-house in another life.  But its location makes it a commanding presence and impossible to miss.

In these chapters, we see the commanding Presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.  He is figuratively standing on a hill, above all those gathered around him, friends and foes alike.  We hear an adoring woman cry out: "Blessed is the womb and bore you..." and His reply:  "More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it." (11:28)  This is not a casual conversation.  The closest image I can think of is a rock star performing on a stage with thousands of young girls shouting for his attention.  But Jesus is not "performing."  Jesus is not "playing to the crowd."  In these verses, He teaches some pretty tough lessons about the Kingdom of God and the current times.  His words inflamed some with joy, others with anger and hatred.  But like that house on a hill, He could not be ignored and a decision about which way to go had to be made.

On the one hand, He calls His followers' attention to the goodness of their Heavenly Father.  He will not ignore the earnest petitions of those who sincerely cry out to Him.  If an earthly father who cared for his child would certainly not despise his cry for food, how much more will the most blessed, most loving Father, hear us and give us what we desperately need?  Those poor people who gathered around him, many knowing the pangs of hunger all too personally, must have been comforted beyond degree.

But for those well-fed hypocrites, those who never lacked for clothing or food on the table, they heard different types of teachings.  They were told that the Son of Man, obviously Jesus Himself, was a sign like Jonah to the Ninevites.  But, in sharp contrast, unlike the Ninevites, the current generation would not hear and repent and therefore the warning of impending judgment would not sink in.  The Ninevites, hated people that they were, would rise up and judge "this generation!"  I wonder what those scholars told their wives when they sat down for dinner that night?  

He warned those standing around who were relatively rich that they should not put their trust in riches, because God could require their souls from them in an instant, as He did with the man in the parable.  He turned to those oppressed people there, the ones who had faced the sharp words and brutal treatment of the Roman government and perhaps even their own Jewish leaders, the ones who had reason to walk in fear, and He said:  "do not be afraid of those who kill the body... fear Him who, after He has killed, has the power to cast into Hell." (12:4-5)  This was two-edged teaching.  On the one hand, it reminded those who were at risk of being killed, that even in the face of physical death, there was a greater power to be faced.  If their "fear" of earthly powers shaped their lives here and now, how much more should they be concerned about their spiritual lives.  It also spoke immediately and directly to those who might be oppressors and reminded them that there is a very real Hell that they needed to fear.

The most startling words Jesus spoke (12:49ff) were about Himself.  He said He didn't come to give peace on earth... but "division".  He came to bring controversy, not out of evil intent, but rather necessity.  As that house stood at an intersection, forcing everyone to choose to go right or go left, so Jesus stands at the crossroad of every person's life.  Some will go one way and some the other but, necessarily, they will "divide."  

There is much more in these chapters than this brief survey but everything contributes to the same image.  Jesus is there, He cannot be ignored or missed, and His very Presence requires of us a decision:  which way will we go?

Luke 10: Ministry

Image: "Colorful", 2020, Abstract, Sunflower row at Sunflower Farm, Lisbon, Md

Luke 10:1  After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.

Luke 10:20  Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

Luke 10:37  And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Luke 10:41–42  And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

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I imagine those 70 disciples were "psyched up" to use a modern term.  Like a football team getting energized in the locker room prior to the opening kickoff, Jesus inspires His disciples to "get out there and get the job done!"  The big difference, of course, is that football games come and go and none of them make any lasting impact.  These disciples, however, were playing for big stakes... eternal stakes... and the very existence of the villages and homes that they were sent to visit was at risk.

I think we can glean several lessons about ministry from this chapter.

Notice what Jesus says in verse 1: and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go!  These disciples were not sent to their destinations to replace Jesus but to precede Him there.  This is a metaphor I think for all our human ministry.  

We may do a lot of planning about where to plant a church, for example.  But, in this as in all ministry, it is really Jesus, spiritually, directing our steps and He sends us where He, Himself, intends to go.  At one point in his ministry, Paul was getting pretty discouraged I think because God spoke to him and said: "keep on going, don't be afraid, for I have many people in this city!"  (Acts 18:9,10)  This was an important passage to me at one time because it reminded me that it is Jesus who is working and He will have His fruit.  We who seek to serve Him are messengers... we do the leg work... but we going "before the Lord" and He will use our work to reap His harvest. (vs. 2)

Then, also we need to remember that in our ministry we are somewhat transparent: the more so the better actually.  When we are doing God's work then it should be clear to those among whom we work that it is Jesus in us and through us that they are hearing.  Jesus told the disciples: Luke 10:16  He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.”  This is really important.  When we ensure that our ministry is "not about us but about Jesus" then rejection (and it will surely come in some part) should not be taken personally.  For those whose stubborn hearts refuse to bow to their King, the messenger's duty is only to be faithful:  compassionate, yes; flexible according to circumstances and solicitous of their well-being, yes;  but when push comes to shove, it is Jesus they are hearing, not us, and therefore we must not be offended at their offense.

But what about when the harvest is indeed plentiful and the preached word appears to be powerfully at work transforming people's hearts?  Now it is not a problem with taking rejection personally, it is a problem with thinking that it is our brilliance that is shining forth.  Jesus told the disciples that it was a good thing that they could heal the sick and cast out demons, but then, He brought them up short.  "These things are good, but they are not what you should really be excited about... What's important is that your names are written in heaven.  You have been sealed in My book.  This is that which is most important for you."  It is good to delight when ministry is flourishing... it is better, to delight whether it is or is not, in the high privilege of being chosen to serve.

Then there is the story of the Good Samaritan.  I won't go into detail but notice that Jesus ends the parable with the command "Go and do likewise." (vs. 37)  Ministry is about selfless giving of ourselves, our goods, our hospitality, and our compassion.  It is motivated by a love of God first but it must also, and even equally, be motivated by sincere concern for those to whom we have been sent.  Our first job, and often the most difficult, is to sincerely love those folks.  This is not some abstract, generalized "love."  This is the powerful emotion, in the likeness of Christ's own love, that cannot be denied.  People to whom it is directed will recognize it for what it is: real, honest to God, affection.  There is no power on earth, in my mind, that is more powerful for bringing fruit in ministry.

Lastly, we are reminded that we have to keep "first things first."  Martha was serving Jesus and she was "worried and troubled about many things." (vs. 41)  This is an instance of the 3rd seed where the cares and worries of this world can choke out the gospel.  We have to remember, in all our doing, to make sure we also "choose that good part" and ensure we are being refreshed by spending time at Jesus' feet also.  If the fire in our own belly is nothing but embers, our ministry won't carry very much heat.

So, life is ministry and Jesus here provides us some basic encouragements for working in His harvest.

 

 

Luke 7: The Challenge of Discipleship

Image: "The Road Ahead", 2020, Roadside view, Pa220, Central Pa near Port Matilda

Luke 9:4–5  “Whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. 5 And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them.”

Luke 9:23–25  Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. 25 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?

Luke 9:49–50  Now John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us.”  50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side.”

Luke 9:61–62  And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.” 62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

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The disciples were pretty confused at this point.  Jesus was riding a wave of popularity and trampling over all those hypocrites who sought to trip him up and catch Him in error.  They had been given authority to heal the sick, cast out demons, and preach the kingdom of God. (vs. 1)  They had been told, astonishingly, that with any village or home that did not "receive" them, as in the acceptance of their message, not just hospitality, they should "shake off" the dust of their feet as a "testimony against them!"  This was akin to telling them that a fate like Sodom and Gomorrah would fall on those who did not embrace what they, ordinary fishermen, tax collectors, etc., proclaimed.

They saw Jesus feed the 5000, some of them witnessed the transfiguration, and they were told that the world was being divided into two camps:  those who were "on our side" (vs.50) and those who were not.  There was no neutral ground.  This is the language of war... Jesus was obviously well on His way to establishing His Kingdom with Himself on the throne and was demanding the allegiance of all.

But there were some disconcerting things also... Jesus was saying things and doing things that did not seem to fit.  For example, having told them to shake the dust off their feet for those who refused their message, when He led them into Samaria and was rejected, He did not "call down fire on them" (vs. 54) but confusingly said that He did not come to destroy but to save people.  Strange!

And then there were those times when He kept talking about being betrayed into the "hands of men" (vs. 44) and be "killed and raised the third day"! (vs. 22)  This was the language of defeat.  How could He victoriously establish His Kingdom, bring down judgment on His enemies, and yet, die at the hands of those very enemies?  They muttered among themselves... they kept going where He went... and yet, they were not at all sure what lay ahead, for Him or for themselves.

And, to cap it off, He was saying some strange things about what it meant to follow Him.  They heard Him say that it required them to take up their own cross and even to lose their own lives for His sake and the gospel.  They were to understand that they, like Him, would have "nowhere to lay" their heads.  They were to put away all hindrances to their preaching of the Kingdom of God, even to not burying their own family members who died.  The call to follow was so radical that it required an immediate response.  Like the fishermen themselves, when the call went forth, the disciples were not to even go and "bid farewell to their families." (vs. 57-61)  These were challenging instructions, to say the least.

"All" they had to depend on was the truth of Peter's confession:  Jesus was "the Christ of God!"  If that was true, and they had to believe it, then somehow, someway, this was all going to work out.  The Messiah was God's anointed, set apart to bring God's Kingdom to earth and to establish His reign over the whole world.  Such was the challenge of saving faith.

As it was confusing and challenging then, so it is today.  We may know from scripture how it all fits together and in this, we are far beyond where they were, but those challenging tensions remain still.  The call to discipleship is not a tentative request:  it is a command.  It requires a radical decision.  We are either on the Lord's side or we are against Him.  There can be no half-way service.  The call to take up our cross may entail serious difficulty and perhaps death.  It may mean estrangement from some, if not all, of our earthly families.  It requires that we embrace it as a higher priority than all other worldly vocations or avocations.  We have been called to radical faith.  Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ of God, come to build His Kingdom on earth and our lives are to be consumed with this project.  It is the highest "good", not just for the world, but for us.  It is our highest privilege and our most challenging ministry.

But, as the disciples came to understand in due course, it is also the most fruitful and fulfilling calling that any man, woman or child, can undertake.  This is our God and He deserves our all.

 

 

 

Luke 7 & 8: Only Believe!

Image: "The Other Side", 2020, Rocky Gap State Park, Md

Luke 7:9  When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!”

Luke 7:16  Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen up among us”; and, “God has visited His people.”

Luke 7:28  For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist, but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

Luke 7:50  Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

Luke 8:24–25  And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. 25 But He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, “Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!”

Luke 8:48  And He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

Luke 8:53–54  And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, “Little girl, arise.”

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Luke's superb story-telling skill adds subtle dimensions to these stories, already so familiar to us in broad outline.  An example is the raising of Jarius' daughter.  Only Luke records that the father and the mother accompanied the disciples into the room.  I am sure that the "professional mourners" that gathered at a death bed in those days, were also already present there and are included in the "all" who "wept and mourned."  But we who have been present as a beloved family member died, know how it must have affected those parents.  They were distraught and barely in control.  When Jesus said "she is not dead, but sleeping", it must have brought out all manner of horror and even anger.  "How can you say that?  I know that she's dead!  Do you have no feelings for what we are going through?"

This adds a very human touch to the story.  Luke brings us into that room and touches our hearts in so doing.

Now we read that Jesus sent them all outside.  It's possible that this "all" included the parents but it might have been all those "other" mourners.  I think the parents and the disciples stayed because: (1) we have what appears to be an eye-witness account, and (2) "her parents were astonished"  

Here we see the depths of our Savior's compassion for us in our grief.  The answer to death, with its horror and cutting pain, is faith.  "Only believe, and she will be made well" He had said. (8:50)  That is such a difficult thing to really embrace when it applies to us.  A friend or a pastor comes alongside us, puts his arm around our shoulder as we quake with sobs, and says: "Only believe... she is only sleeping..." and we might just run from the room.

But, in a sense, for Christians, it is true.  For born-again Christians, death is sleep.  

Jesus, answering the Sadducees when questioned about the resurrection from the dead, said "Moses... called the Lord 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'.  For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him." (Luke 20:37f)  In this amazing statement, Jesus was saying that then, and now, God is still Abraham's, Isaac's, and Jacob's God.  In other words - they still are in joyous communion with Him even though their earthly bodies have perished centuries before.  Jesus' summation that "He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him" applies directly to those Patriarchs but also to all of who truly have God as their God!

Understood in this way we see what death for a Christian truly is: in it, the body sleeps, but the spirit is ecstatically joined to its life-giving King.  There is a very real sense in which such a soul is "more living" than we are.

Here is the challenge, the obstacle, confronting our faith.  Do we, can we, really believe this?  Can we take it to heart such that the most stupendous horror present in our world, death itself, loses its sting as far as we are concerned?  Is it really possible to have a certain joy underneath our grief when we lose a beloved saint, knowing that our grief is for us not for that friend or family member?

The answer, of course, is "Yes!"  It is not only possible but present before us.  All that we have to do, is "only believe!"

Luke 6: Why, Indeed?

Image: "Brilliance", 2020, Camellia - Sylized, Severna Park, Md

Luke 6:17–19  And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, 18 as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed. 19 And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.

Luke 6:22  Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out  your name as evil, For the Son of Man’s sake.

Luke 6:35–36  But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most-High, For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. 36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

Luke 6:38  Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Luke 6:46  “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?

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In my military days, we had a platitude that said: "What goes around comes around."  On the face of it, it is pretty nonsensical.  It was a statement about a kind of military "karma."  Basically, it meant that if a person "goes around" screwing with people, sooner or later, it was going to come back and bite him in the you-know-what.  

Interestingly, Jesus both here and the Matthew version of this sermon lays down the same general rule.  The overall texture of our lives, seen comprehensively as the years go by, will, by God's Providence, reflect a quality that parallels how we affect other people's lives.  Now, I am not about to say that there is some kind of "prosperity" gospel possible here.  Jesus also taught that God causes the sun to shine and the rain to fall on both the evil and the good.  Our lives in this world are all subject to the rollercoaster of catastrophes and good fortunes that form the context of our individual walks.  The point Jesus is making though is, that the quality of our lives as we progress through those common ups-and-downs, will be tied to how we deal with God and with others in that journey.

Jesus makes it plain:  If you want to have a solid "house" in which to dwell, then build that house on the rock of His Word. (vs. 47ff)  This "house" will be constructed in a radically different manner than those built by our secular companions along the way.  We will take to heart Jesus' proclamation that "with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you." (vs. 38)  Jesus is saying that living in a hyper-critical manner, judging other people to be less worthy than are we, is a sure way to find ourselves judged and condemned.  Forgiving others sets the stage and reflects our appreciation of being forgiven ourselves.  When we give out of a cheerful heart, not grudgingly but "in good measure", we will find that our own welfare will not be lessened but rather, in some way, improved.

Think about this as a broad overview of the life we are supposed to be living.  Do you see that such a generous, uncritical, forgiving spirit would open us up for deep joy and pleasures that we would not know otherwise?

Think about the radical call to "love our enemies, to do good to those who hate" us!  I guarantee that in this fallen world a committed pursuit of this goal will make us liable to those who will "take advantage" of us.  Among those who are destined for the pit, we will be viewed with contempt.  The world values the strong, merciless, ambitious achiever who looks out first and foremost for his own good.  Many who followed Jesus, by His own estimate, did so because the food was good and abundant.  But through faith, we know that every ounce of "love" that we show an enemy, is just a reflection of the love that our Lord showed us when we were yet His enemies.  We know that such love can be a redemptive force, used by the Holy Spirit to humble a proud heart and perhaps, someday, win a disciple.  But the immediate benefit is that we cannot fulfill this command with hate in our hearts.  Who can deny that a person whose life is filled with love, even for his enemies, is better off than a life consumed by hatred, resentment, longing for revenge, etc?

What Jesus is doing here and in Matthew 5-7, is pointing us to a "blessed" life.  That's why He begins with the beatitudes.  When we undertake to conduct our lives in honest pursuit of Jesus' commands when we put ourselves at emotional as well as physical risk, "for the Son of Man's sake" (vs. 22), then we will not only find our peace and happiness in heaven... we will taste it here on earth.

It's a matter of faith.  This is our Lord speaking and He challenges us straightforwardly: "Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and not do the things which I say?"  We should let these words touch our hearts and we should ask ourselves in return: "Why indeed do I not?"  It's a matter of trust.