Gadfly's Muse

Luke 4 & 5: Scriptural Arguments...

Image: "The Foundation of Ministry", 2020, Severna Park, Md

Luke 4:9–12  Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you,’ 11 and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ” 12 And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’ ”

Luke 4:20–21  Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Luke 4:24–27  Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. 25 But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; 26 but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”

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Luke's account of Jesus' early ministry parallels Matthew & Mark in substantial detail and my previous comments on the miracles and the manner in which Jesus establishes His credentials apply.  But there are significant differences in Luke also and some of them, I think, help us understand Luke's theological purposes.

We note one difference right away.  In Luke, the order of temptations in the wilderness differs.  Luke records the last temptation as that of being set on the high point of the temple whereas Matthew has Satan's offer of earthly kingdoms as last.  Mark does not record the actual temptations at all.  Matthew, writing originally for a Hebrew audience, was emphatic about the nature of Jesus' Kingdom in contrast to others.  Luke ends with Satan's seemingly powerful argument built on quotes from Psalm 91.

Notice that Satan did not quote Scripture in the first two temptations.  He appealed to Jesus' human nature, tempting him to use His divine authority to satisfy his hunger or advance a worldly power.  In the last temptation, Satan actually uses the Old Testament Messianic prophesies in a very subtle fashion.  He tempts Jesus to "prove Himself."  Jesus, throughout His ministry, was very concerned to show that in His Person, the Old Testament Messianic prophesies were being fulfilled. (cf. 4:20--21)  Here Satan said, "OK, here are a couple, prove it!"  Jesus had answered Satan's previous temptations by quoting Scripture, now Satan was attempting to turn the Scriptures on Him.

Jesus was not deceived.  Satan's use of Scripture was out of context and was not reflecting the intent of the verses.  God had said that He would preserve the Messiah and keep Him in the outworking of His ministry such that He would gain the ends for which He came.  Jesus very correctly answered Satan that these verses were not some kind of Gideon's fleece and to use them as such would be to "tempt" God.  

What we see in these temptations is how Scripture has been given to us so that we may have a light unto our feet.  Far from being only concerned with esoteric theological formulations that often sound as if they have no earthly, common usefulness, God's word was given so that we may develop an overarching Biblical outlook on our lives and all that we encounter.

Notice, for example, how Jesus responds to the unbelieving crowd in his "hometown" synagogue. (4:20-27)  In a masterful summary, He showed that God's prophetic ministry in the OT was not primarily directed toward healing or relief of human suffering.  Certainly, Elijah and Elisha did many great deeds including such therapeutic demonstrations.  But, in God's economy, as long as sin is in the world then pain and suffering will continue.  The biggest problem facing us fallen sinners is not our physical hunger or pride or even safety.  (the three temptations above)  Rather, our biggest problem is that we are indeed fallen sinners and from that on-going reality all the ills of this world proceed.  

Jesus, in His "sermon", had said that He came to bring hope to the poor, the brokenhearted, the captives, the blind, and the oppressed.  Yes indeed.  But this does not mean that, as Satan had directly tempted Him to do before and was now tempting Him again through this congregation, that He was to heal on-demand as a proof of His Sonship.  His first coming was not unto the end of eliminating suffering... it was to announce that forgiveness of sin and restoration to fellowship with God was now being offered through Him.

Thus, Jesus demonstrates the irrefutable reality that God's previous prophets had a higher purpose than "merely" doing miraculous works.  It was their call to repentance and faith that was the key. 

I think it highly interesting and no coincidence, that in closing out this anecdote, Luke tells us that when the crowd tried to throw Jesus off a cliff, that He simply "passed through the midst of them" (4:30).  Satan had tempted Jesus to fulfill the "protection" clauses in Psalm 91.  Here God showed what He meant He would do by those verses.  God "bore Him up lest He dashed His foot against a stone". (paraphrase 4:11)

What should we take from these thoughts?

It is clear that Jesus took the Scriptures seriously as the very word of God.  His ministry was centered on showing that in Him those Scriptures were not only fulfilled but vindicated.  We must embrace both aspects of this:  (1) to fully appreciate our Lord and understand Him through the lens of Scripture, and (2) embrace fully the Scriptures as the living word of God, given to us to guide us in all our faith and practice.  

In this last purpose, we must seek to frame our lives in Scriptural terms and address its challenges by resorting to Scriptural teachings.  This is the life of a disciple and it is not burdensome but the way we find the highest good.

 

 

 

 

Luke 2 & 3: Son of God, Son of Man

Image: "Heartland", 2017, Lancaster Co., Pa

Luke 2:10–11  Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:30–32  For my eyes have seen Your salvation 31 Which You have prepared before the face of all  peoples, 32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”

Luke 2:49  And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”

Luke 3:16  John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Luke 3:22  And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”

Luke 3:38  the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

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Luke's advent account is beloved for good reason.  The details of the manger scene, ("because there was no room for them in the inn") the glowing angelic host's proclamation that reverberates in Handel's Messiah, and the shepherd's subsequent visit and their excited worship, all stimulate our senses and wonder.  This is "good stuff".  

But we actually have to work against this sentimental appeal as we read these stories in context.  In Luke's Gospel, they flow seamlessly into a larger narrative.  Luke imparts deep theological significance to them.  The angels proclaim a "savior, who is Christ the Lord" was born on "this day."  Simeon's joy is made complete because his eyes beheld the "salvation" of God, One Who was to bring "light to the Gentiles." (Luke's intent to edify Gentiles again in evidence.)  Here was the "glory of Your people Israel."

In the anecdote where Jesus remains behind and talks with the elders in the temple, His enigmatic statement that He "Must be about (His) Father's business" was lost on Mary and Joseph.  It was not lost on Jesus and is not lost on us.  Jesus was already, at that young age, self-aware of His Person and status before God.

John the Baptist is brought on the scene again but now as a full-grown man.  Luke intentionally mentions that while he was in the wilderness the "word of God" came on him.  This is an explicit reference to the prophetic ordination of the OT prophets.  John is cast as the last of the OT prophets and with him the prophetic tradition of looking forward to the Messiah comes to a close.  We will also see, in Luke, that Jesus' story brings a conclusion to the privileged position that the ethnic Jews had in God's covenant.  In Luke's writings (we must keep the Acts in context) the Jewish nation, like John Himself, will have to "decrease" so that He may "increase", which points toward the worldwide Gentile community being brought into the Church of God.  God does in fact raise up "children to Abraham from these stones". (3:8)  John's entire ministry is cast as heralding the day when "all flesh shall see the salvation of God", (3:6) an explicit proclamation of these truths.

John's preaching is mentioned and his call to radical repentance before God is given in very practical terms.  Serving God is not a matter for our private spiritual closets.  It must be undertaken across the entire "warp and woof" of our lives.  Soldiers, tax collectors, and ordinary people are to love God by loving their neighbor.  But this practical ministry is again subordinated to the main theme:  John's proclamation of the One coming behind him who would baptize with the "Holy Spirit and fire."  John joins the angelic hosts as well as Simeon and Anna, making it clear what was happening in this Man Who had come.

Then, in a soaring climax, worthy in itself of its own orchestral symphony finale, God the Father bears witness.  "You are My beloved Son..."  We arrive at this point with Luke's message firmly established in our hearts and our minds.  We, with the shepherds, Simeon and Anna, John, Jesus Himself in His self-awareness, and God, have been told clearly and without ambiguity.  This very real Man is the Son of God.

We might think that Luke's sudden shift to genealogy is somewhat out of place here.  But such is not the case in this beautifully crafted Gospel.  Unlike the heavily Hebrew account in Matthew, Luke ensures that his Gentile readers understand that they are related to Jesus through their common humanity.  Jesus is the son of Adam, just like we are.  He is God, Messiah, the Son of God... but also, and not unimportantly, He is the Son of Man also.

Now, on the brink of Jesus' historic ministry, we have been fully prepared for how to view Him.  In all His wondrous deeds, magnificent teaching, sin-bearing life, atoning death, and victorious resurrection, we are to see the Sovereign God's provision for our salvation... and not just a few of us... but a salvation that will stretch out to the four corners of the earth and give meaning to all subsequent history.

This is our God, attested as such beyond dispute... but He is also the Son of Man, and fully attuned to our lives, needs, and weaknesses.  Luke, the beloved physician, will present Jesus as both God and Man, with no subordination of one to the other.  This is the "heartland" of the Gospel.

This is a God we can love more than we ever might have imagined.

Luke 1: The Beginning of the Beginning

Image: "Holy Rude", 2016, Holy Rude cathedral viewed from Stirling Castle, Scotland, UK, rendered as oil-on-canvas painting

Luke 1:4  that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.

Luke 1:14–16  And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.

Luke 1:32–33  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

Luke 1:49–50 For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name. 50 And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation.

Luke 1:76  “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,

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If we have been paying attention, as we move from one gospel to the next we notice a fairly dramatic shift in style and approach.  This will be even more dramatic when we turn to John's gospel.  Matthew's work was heavily Jewish in character and was intent upon proving to the Jews that Jesus was indeed their long-awaited Messiah.  His account of Jesus' birth focused on Joseph as his "father".  Mark skips the birth stories altogether.  His terse gospel is primarily directed toward preaching and may have reflected Peter's own sermonizing.  We notice the differences in Luke right away.

He seems to be presenting Jesus in such a way as to make Him understandable to Gentiles.  He addresses his gospel to a Theophilus, a Gentile name that means "God-lover."  His intent to "fill in" some gaps is obvious in vs. 4.  He writes to help his reader(s) know more certainly the things of which they have previously been introduced.  Right away, consistent with a more broad-minded view regarding women among the Roman Gentiles, Luke focuses on Mary.  Joseph is pretty much side-lined.  As we shall read later, Luke will tell us that Mary locked away somethings in her heart and meditated on them as she watched her Son journey through His life on earth.  I imagine that Luke spent time with Mary and may have heard the stories we read in these first two chapters from her.

Another Lukan distinctive is the story of John the Baptist.  Chapter 1 includes the details of Mary's conception but it begins with John's parents, his miraculous conception, Mary's visit to John's mother and the baby John's leap in the womb when Mary came through the door.  It is John's birth and Zacharias' song of rejoicing over what God had done that ends the chapter.

Luke thus sets the stage for the gospel of Jesus.  God did not spring Him on the world with no warning.  God carefully provided a prophet, the last of the ancient prophetic line, who would go before Him and "prepare His ways." (1:76)  John's entire ministry, beginning at his birth, was to be understood as directed toward the One Who followed Him.  His preaching was directed toward giving "knowledge of salvation to" God's people.  Thus, the people were to understand that salvation was imminent and that they must repent in order to partake of the salvation which the "tender mercy of our God" has brought on us. (1:78)

This entire literary presentation has points of contact with Gentile religious backgrounds.  It reflects the high quality of prose (Luke is written in much more elegant Greek than Matthew or Mark) that a cultured, middle to upper-class Gentile would appreciate.  It tells of Divine interventions and miraculous visits from Angels who have names and enter into conversations with mortals.  Thus Luke makes contact with his audience and he brings us quickly into a vibrant narrative that has much more of a "story" feel to it than the previous Gospels.  Luke is going to give us a history - a developing account of this man Jesus.  He will supply us with many more details and rather precise historical elements.  When he is finished, we, along with Theophilus, will be much more certain about what we believe and know.

Our Christ was conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary in accordance with prophecy.  He was preceded by a divinely orchestrated, miraculous conception of His forerunner, John the Baptist, in a manner consistent with OT stories such as Sarah and Hannah.  From these things we know that Luke is giving us the "beginning of the beginning."  Jesus' life is a continued narrative... His story still goes on... Luke's second work (the Book of Acts) will be built on and continue His Gospel.  This is the greatest story and ever told - and - it all begins here.

Let us read chapter 1 with humility and wonder.  God has done a wondrous thing.

 

 

 

Mark 15 & 16: Not What They Expected...

Image: "Surprising Life", 2016, Glasgow, Scotland, UK

Mark 15:6–7  Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested. 7 And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion.

Mark 15:21  Then they compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the country and passing by, to bear His cross.

Mark 15:38–39  Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, “Truly this Man was the Son of God!”

Mark 15:43  Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

Mark 16:9  Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.

Mark 16:12  After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country.

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It is, of course, necessary that we focus on Jesus in the accounts of His death and resurrection.  He is the Star, the Hero, the compelling Personality in the story.  But Jesus' great work was not done in isolation.  Mark adds details that heighten the tension and develops excitement.  I think there is something to be gained from noticing some of the additional players.

For example, notice how, for each of them, those days were far different from what they expected.

Barabbas began his day pretty much convinced that was his last.  Like the other two men who were crucified with Jesus, he deserved to die.  He and the other two men were probably in the same rebellion and had committed similar crimes.  Barabbas was a murderer.  On that day he expected a horrible death.  

Imagine what astonishment filled his soul when he heard the hated Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, announce his release.  The Jews had demanded that this man Jesus die instead of him.  Jesus was taking his place on the cross.  I do not know for certain but I imagine the Holy Spirit did a work on him, beginning that very day.  When he went to his bed that night, I wonder what thoughts gripped his mind as he wrapped himself in his robe.  He never expected this.

Simon, the Cyrenian, was just "passing through."  We are told that he was the father of two men, Rufus and Alexander, whom Mark obviously expects his readers to know.  I think Simon also went through a life-changing event that day.  In the same manner that an automobile driver will slow down to look at a traffic accident in the opposite lane, so Simon must have been curious about what was going on in the street.  He pushed his way to the front of the crowd only to be roughly apprehended by the Romans and compelled to carry Jesus' heavy cross.  (this is a vivid indicator of Jesus' weakened condition)  Of course, he would have stayed and watched what happened.  Imagine the soul-wrenching horror that must have gripped him as he saw this "good man", the One so famous for doing good works and teaching such powerful lessons, nailed to the cross he had carried.  I wonder if the Holy Spirit convicted him of the truth that it was he that deserved that cross and not this Holy Jesus.  Like Barabbas, in a sense, Jesus had taken his place.  That night when he went to his bed I bet his mind was filled with the surprising turn of events and what he had seen.

The centurion also.  I won't dwell on him but he started out the day with one more disagreeable task ahead of him.  I can't imagine he enjoyed executing people in this way.  It was his job, he had to do it, but I'm sure he wished he could be out in the fields, or even away on a campaign.  He was a professional soldier doing the job of an executioner.  How his life must have changed after he heard himself crying out: "Truly, this man was the Son of God!"  That night I imagine he knew that this day was different than he expected and that nothing was the same anymore.

Joseph of Arimathea had purchased a tomb, probably for himself.  How surprising it must have been to find himself standing before the powerful and vindictive governor and begging for the body of Jesus.  What solemn grief must have attended his way as he took that body to his tomb and had him laid there?  I can imagine him sadly walking back to his house, head down, wondering what this all meant for him and his family.  It certainly was not what he expected to happen.

Lastly, I can only mention a different kind of surprise that was in store for Mary and the men walking along the road when Jesus appeared to them.  They had awakened in grief and they went to their beds that night so excited and happy that I imagine sleep was difficult for them.  Everything was now different - the world had changed - life was different - history was different.

The point of all this is to remind us that these chapters ought to resonate with us in a similar fashion.  At some level we ought to still feel something akin to surprise... wonder... incredulity... that we have become part of Jesus' story.  Indeed, we were there, spiritually, at both the cross and the resurrection.  These folks who are mentioned by Mark represent all of us, from whatever walk of life, who have providentially been included in the gospel.  Their history is our history and their astonished, life-changing reactions should be ours also.

 

Mark 13 & 14: Seriously! Watch!

Image: "Watch and Pray", 2016, Garden Scene, Bertram, Tx

Mark 13:9–10  “But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them. 10 And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations..."

Mark 13:21–23 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, He is there!’ do not believe it. 22 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23 But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand. ..."

Mark 13:26–27  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of the earth to the farthest part of heaven.

Mark 13:32–34  “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. 34 It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.

Mark 14:23–25 Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 And He said to them, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many. 25 Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

Mark 14:37–38  Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? 38 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

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We have to face the challenge of the gospels squarely:  Either they tell of a divine, but incarnate, Savior and Lord Who did wondrous works and taught wondrous things, or, they are, more or less, fairy tales.  Our faith is built on presupposing the former and entirely discounting the latter.  If we don't have reliable Scriptures then we are left with nothing but subjectivity - each of us believing or not believing whatever we want.  But... the Scriptures are true and accurate and are the basis of our hope.

But, again, we need to face what they teach squarely:  Either we take all their teachings, especially those of Jesus, as authoritative and true, or, again, we are left with nothing but subjectivity - each of us accepting some of the teachings or not, as we want.  

I don't believe any person can confidently be termed a Christian apart from embracing all the teachings of Scripture.  Now that means, when we read Jesus' words, that we cannot pick and choose.  Nor can we arbitrarily assign some teachings greater weight than others.  Jesus was concerned to teach us these things that are recorded for us and therefore they should be important to us.

For today that means that the truths of His death and resurrection which Mark will cover next are to be understood and embraced in the light of His eschatological teachings here in chapter 13 and the underlying themes in 14.   Putting it bluntly, if we look to Jesus' death and resurrection for the hope of eternal life after our mortal death, then we must NOW embrace His command to expect His coming again.  Jesus did not separate the two doctrines and, it can be argued, He actually emphasized the eschatological nature of the Gospel more than the theme of personal salvation.

Jesus was and is "all about" bringing His Kingdom to earth and extending it to every nook and cranny of creation.  He intends, in one gigantic cosmic upheaval, to "gather His elect from the four winds and the four corners of the earth." (13:27)  This will certainly be "personal" for all His elect.  But it will be personal in the same sense as when God brought His people out of Egypt.  Every individual will be part of a larger whole, their identity will not only be in themselves but in their "nation."  This earth-shaking finale will be the closing "act" to history as we know it but it will also be the opening act for a "future history" wherein we, who belong to Christ, will undertake our eternal roles as His servants directly and by sight rather than only by faith.

Now the point is that there is some urgency to this doctrine.  Jesus, in 13:33, commands His followers to "watch and pray" because no one knows the exact moment of His coming.  I think there is a connection here with the Garden of Gethsemane where Peter and others were told to "watch and pray" but slept instead. (14:37)  The command is deceptively difficult.  Weariness (as with Peter) pulls us to slumber.  The passing ages work against our zeal, the years and centuries work complacency in us.  We give token assent to the doctrine of His return but we are more concerned with planning for our earthly future or focusing on immediate concerns.  But the command still echoes down through those same centuries:  "Watch and Pray!"

Now, as much as, if not more than, any other epoch in history, we need to seriously take on this challenge.  We live in days of anxious uncertainty - the darkness around us, like the darkness in Gethsemane is filled with approaching danger.  Jesus said that scary times would precede His return.  We need to pray for strength, courage, and wisdom.  We need to understand what it entails to plead "Maranatha, come quickly."

He said He would return and He doesn't lie or give false hope.  We need to live in the earnest expectation that He's on His way.

Mark 11 & 12: Royal Actions and Royal Decrees

Image: "Fit For A King", 2020, Roadside Overlook, near Renovo, Pa [note: strong winds give the leaves their softened texture]

Mark 11:9–10 Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna! ‘...10 Blessed is the kingdom of our father David That comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

Mark 11:14 ...Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” And His disciples heard it.

Mark 11:16–17 And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. 17 ..., saying to them, “.., ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”

Mark 12:9  “Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers and give the vineyard to others.

Mark 12:17  And Jesus answered and said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 

Mark 12:43–44  So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.”

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Mark continues his terse, systematic, build-up of evidence pressing home the near-irrefutable claim that Jesus of Nazareth was the long-awaited Christ of God.  Though Jesus is still somewhat maintaining the "Messianic Secret" theme in Mark, we don't hear Him now telling people not to spread the word about Him.  It would have been somewhat silly to do so when a "multitude" of rejoicing Jews were singing "Hosannah" and announcing Him as the One who "comes in the name of the LORD!"  Everything about the triumphal entry into Jerusalem was staged as a royal procession.  Jesus is not only allowing but encouraging His people to demonstrate that He was the One Who had a legitimate claim to the throne of David.

Jesus then engages in royal behavior.  His "cleansing" of the temple was both a type of "purification" but it was also an act of royal judgment.  The religious leaders, and by extension all those ordinary Jews who participated in the commerce, had made the House of God into a den of thieves.  This was a desecration, defilement of the Holy, an intrusion of pecuniary greed into the realm of sacred endeavor.  We must see the close relation here between this act and Jesus' condemnation of the fig tree.  Both it and the temple were in full foliage, in other words, they gave the appearance of being maximally fruitful.  Jesus' furious lashing out at the traders and His irritated curse on the fig tree were portents of how He would rule in judgment.  In His reign and in His day, He will not tolerate the appearance of godliness if it is grounded in hypocrisy: Not on His watch and not in His Kingdom!

Notice carefully the parable of the wicked vinedressers.  Jesus' summation of the story is verse 9.  The "owner of the vineyard" will "destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others."  Think of that!  Jesus is telling that generation of Jews that they would be disinherited.  The "vineyard" of God, which in OT revelation was always the nation of Israel, is to be given to others who will bear fruit in it for the "owner."  This was the last generation of Jews who could claim the special, eschatological hope in God.  God would no longer overlook their stubbornness and pride.  When they "killed the Son" they lost their last chance for the restoration of ethnic Israel as the visible Kingdom of God.

Notice the teaching on tithing encapsulated in His teaching about "rendering to Caesar the things that are Caesar's", and His observation about the poor widow.  He royally decrees that paying taxes to Caesar is appropriate for those things over which Caesar has a legitimate claim.  But He draws a line between that which is Caesar's and that which is God's.  Caesar does not have an all-encompassing claim over the lives of God's people.  If Caesar ever violates the line between the things over which he has his delegated authority and those things which God has reserved unto Himself, then Caesar is not to be obeyed.  Here we see Jesus, as King, clearly declaring that His Kingdom is not co-equal with Caesar such that each exists in parity with the other.  Far from it.  Jesus, as the ultimate Royal Sovereign, establishes the bounds of human governmental authority.

Further, with regard to the poor widow, Jesus sovereignly declares that she, rather than the rich hypocrites, knew what it meant to "tithe."  The Kingdom of Christ is a matter of a person's whole substance and life.  This widow, in contrast to the rich young ruler from previous readings, was motivated by the love of God and absolute trust in His providence.  She could give of her very livelihood such that she might not have money to purchase her daily bread.  This act of faith, motivated by love, was the type of "giving" that Jesus royally declares to be the base of His Kingdom.  He does not put a monetary "tax" on His subjects as does Caesar.  He calls on them to love Him and His Kingdom so that their giving is an act of cheerful faith and a willing heart.

In every respect, in these chapters, we see Jesus clearly acting as King.  He is not given over to healings and providing bounteous meals to thousands... that witness has already been made.  Now it is His Person as King that is being demonstrated.  We must take this to heart.

He loves and cares for His people.  He provides for them and tenderly heals their wounds.  But... He is our High King, first, foremost, and always, and we must honor Him as such even as we petition His royal favor for the good things we long for Him to do.

Mark 9 & 10: An Honest Confession of Faith...

Image: "Patterns & Texture", 2020, Severna Park, Md

Mark 9:23–24 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

Mark 9:43  If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched—

Mark 10:21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”

Mark 10:29–31 So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, 30 who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

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In my general remarks on the corresponding passages in Matthew, I hit the high points of what we should glean from them.  In this meditation, I will just focus on this thing we call "faith" in light of what we read in these chapters.

Most of us, whether we are actually church-going Christians or just came of age in our American culture, have some idea about "faith."  The US has been so heavily influenced by the Gospel over the past centuries that it is generally understood that Christian faith means "believing in Jesus."  But, regrettably, that is as far as it goes.  The average American says this in the same way he/she might say "I believe in the _______ political party."  People say "I believe that hard work will always be rewarded!" (which, btw, can lead to significant disillusionment)  The point is that most of us think of "faith" and "believing" as somewhat synonymous and the words are so watered down as to carry little impact.  We need to fix that.

First - as a preliminary point - "faith" is different from "believing" if the latter is only thought of as some kind of intellectual act based on prior agreement or assent.  A person believes as a matter of agreement with whatever proposition is advanced.  "Faith" however is rooted in "trust."  Sometimes, as in the case of a mother whose child is appears to be guilty of some crime, they will discount all evidence and trust that he/she is innocent.  

Next, as we see in these chapters, "faith" actually involves some degree of transforming power.  Jesus tells the man in 9:23, "if you believe, all things are possible to him who believes."  Now here, "faith" and "belief" are properly correlated.  The man trusted that Jesus could cure his son and not only that, trusted that Jesus would cure his son.  Thus we see that "belief/faith" is not a simple agreement with some proposition, it is an orientation toward someone or something.  It is a "whole person" thing.  It requires not only mental assent but a movement of the will and of the corresponding emotions (theologically = "affections.")

We also see that "faith" / "belief in Jesus" is an all-consuming reality in the life of the individual.  The episode with the rich young ruler is very apropos to our culture.  Few of us would ever think of selling all that we have in order to give to some political candidate.  We would say that such an action was fanatical, deranged, lacking common sense.  That is exactly what this young man must have thought about what Jesus commanded him.  Saving faith in Jesus Christ is such that a person is "all-in" (to use poker terms) with Him.  Everything is on the line.  Nothing is held back.  It calls for a total, radical commitment such that a person actually believes that nothing is worth anything apart from Him.

This last point is most necessary because, in the ordinary course of life, faith in Jesus will require sacrifice or the experience of peril.  Jesus makes this plain in his discussion with His disciples after the young man departed.  He states that there is a whole range of possibilities for how such a sacrifice may be undertaken: (10:29) "... left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children of lands..."  The point is clear.  The spiritual warfare that surrounds us will require some definite action on our part.  We will have to stand with Jesus and for Jesus in some way...  if we do not, then we will actually be denying Him.  Faith is a total commitment.

Faith also includes a renunciation of all things which would discredit Jesus and His kingdom.  Jesus says that if our hand, foot or eye, causes us to sin then we should do whatever we have to do to remove those parts of our body.  Now, we all know that it is not our physical parts that push us to sin though we experience the pull of temptation in our parts.  But it is our will that gives in to temptation and that is sin, by definition.  So, faith includes a willingness to do whatever a person can do to guard against bringing shame on their beloved Christ.

From this brief overview, if we are honest, we are probably thinking: "Man, I am sadly lacking in faith if that is what is involved."  That's a very honest statement.  The question is not whether our faith, at any time, is perfect.  The question is: "what are we going to do about it?"

Here again, we are encouraged by these verses.  "Lord, I believe, help my unbelief."  We have to "trust" (there's that faith-word again) that Jesus knows our hearts and will, with us as He did with the man in the story, give us what we want.  Crying out to God to increase our faith is a risky prayer... again, by definition.  But it is what we can and must do... and not once or twice, but as a regular part of our spiritual life.

 

 

Mark 7 & 8: Vain Worship...

Image: "Fantastic", 2020, Sunflower Farm, near Westminster, Md

Mark 7:5–8  Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?”
6 He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 7 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

8 For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men-the washing of pitchers and cups and many other such things you do.”

Mark 7:20–23  And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”

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It all looked a bit out of place somehow.  The old truck had a window-full of flowers pouring out of it, but, after all, it was just an old truck.  The contrasting elements made the image.  It was the dark blue truck and the complementary yellow-gold-green flowers.  It was also old vs new.  It was also the juxtaposition of the flowers and the farm logo.  All of it came together somehow and all that remained was to add a bit of abstraction to move it from ordinary to attention-getting.

Jesus' teaching in the verses above acts (in a far more sublime fashion) similarly.  There is the contrast between the old teaching of the Pharisees and Jesus' far more penetrating revelations.  There is the bursting list of sins that Jesus presents as flowing out of a man's heart.  All these things come together in such a way as to command our attention.  Jesus is speaking directly to us today even as He spoke to those gathered around Him then.

Consider His warning about false teachings.

He says that it is altogether easy for fallen sinners to substitute "doctrines of men" for the "commandments of God."  Over the years the Pharisees, in particular, had been concerned with whipping the Israelite nation into more rigorous godliness.  They had taught that God was still withholding His special blessing from them because He was still angry at their disobedience.  They saw themselves as still being in a kind of exile.  The only way that Israel could be restored to its former glory was if they made themselves worthy of the Royal Messiah's triumphant return to fill David's throne in Jerusalem.  So they sought to put up a hedge around God's law.  They imagined that if they came up with a detailed list of do's and dont's that were certain to prevent someone from breaking one of God's explicit commandments, then certainly the nation would prove itself worthy of their King.  It was a very human and a very wrong way of thinking.

This thought process bred a smug sense of elitism among those who took it upon themselves to build this wall.  They stressed external religious actions and equated this to righteousness before God.  Jesus strips them of this delusion in no uncertain terms.

It is not the religious actions a man takes which works true righteousness, just as it is not the external food he puts in his mouth that constitutes defilement.  Righteousness and defilement are opposite sides of the same coin.  They are the expression of his inner being, his true nature, his relative status as a human being.  The deeper sin is ingrained in a person the less truly human they are.  As a rabid dog is driven to wanton acts by the very pressure of his disease, so the ugliness of depravity in a man flows from the inner fallenness.  An unregenerate sinner can only sin.  Even his most "self-less" acts are smeared with self-interest in some sort.  His passions are not directed toward holiness and motivated by faith.  He is, in many ways, an unthinking creature driven by passion no matter how much he seeks to justify what he does and what he is by appealing to some logic or "explanation."

Such a person may very well honor God with their lips but truly their heart is far from Him.  What a terrifying thing it is to know that our worship is in vain.   Imagine having it revealed that our prayers were abominations... our praise songs nothing but expressions of hypocrisy... our bible studies just exercises in conceit!

Jesus' teaching here should humble us all.  To a greater or lesser extent, each one of us stands as "guilty, guilty, guilty!"  If we have been born again, we can and have truly worshiped our Christ but never perfectly.  The Pharisees, both ancient and modern, are barking up the wrong tree.  

The only way we will be found righteous before an angry God is for our slates to have been wiped clean.  We must not be judged according to the standard of strict conformity to the laws of God.  We must be judged according to another standard.  That standard is faith.  We are righteous only when we are in covenant with Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ of God, such that faith, even as a mustard seed, unites us to Him in His life, death, resurrection, and continued life at the right hand of the Father.  

It is a matter of the heart still.  Faith flows from the heart and permeates all aspects of our being transforming us through the power of the Holy Spirit and conforming us to Christ's image.

This is righteousness before God and it is the prerequisite to true worship in whatever actions we undertake to do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mark 5 & 6: A Very Human Savior... & Lord

Image: "Tower of Voices", 2020, UA 93 Memorial, Shanksville, Pa

Mark 5:34  And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

Mark 5:43 But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.

Mark 6:5–6  Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He marveled because of their unbelief. ...

Mark 6:12–13 (NKJV)  So they went out and preached that people should repent. 13 And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.

Mark 6:31 And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.

Mark 6:34  And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.

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One special aspect of the UA 93 memorial is how it seems so very personal.  Yes, the terror of the Twin Towers must have been horrible as people, still in shock, were frantically trying to find a way to escape the flames.  UA 93 though was confined to relatively few people (33 passengers and crew) plus the hi-jackers.  They knew what was happening.  They knew they were going to die.  Several gut-wrenching phone calls were made by those aboard.  Then they stormed the cockpit and the terrorists knew they would not be able to complete their mission.  They dove the airliner into the ground.

We cannot help but "connect" with those on that airliner.  They were just so human and their story, terrifying as it is, is also about how humans can show forth nobility and selflessness.  Their sacrifice probably saved another thousand people on the ground in DC.

In these two chapters, we see Jesus' noble humanity on full display.  Mark is, of course, adding more evidence to the growing pile pointing toward Jesus' special Divine Rank as the Son of God, but here, in the details, we see a much more human touch.  

Jesus speaks so tenderly to the woman who had "suffered many things from many physicians" (5:25).  He calls her "daughter" - loving her as a soft-hearted father would care for his special little girl, no matter what her age.  He raises Jairus's daughter from the dead by speaking to her with words of endearment: "Talithi, cumi."  Literally, t means "little girl, arise" but again he uses words that convey affection.  Then, as she steps away from her death bed, Jesus amazingly commands those standing there to "give her something to eat!"  How can anyone not love a Savior like that?

When his weary disciples returned from His assignment to go and heal and cast out demons, they were worn out.  As anyone who has engaged in serious ministry will tell you, it is exhausting work: physically, mentally, and spiritually.  Jesus, I'm sure, was delighted with their success but what He tells them right away is to "come aside by yourselves ... and rest awhile."  Similarly, He was "moved with compassion" for the multitude who had come to hear Him even though He Himself was exhausted.  He sent His disciples across the Sea of Galilee ahead of Him so that He could have some time to Himself.  He looked out and saw them struggling against the headwind.  He walks on water and as He got into the boat the wind ceased.  Lastly, we see Him visiting the land of Gennesaret, a Gentile area populated by a very mixed population.  There His fame draws great multitudes of sick people, many of whom had to be carried on stretchers.  We are told that "as many as touched Him were made well."

Do you see how subtlely Mark has done this?  The miracles are still overwhelmingly amazing but we don't see them as some great "magic" trick.  We would be astonished as a miracle like that of Elijah calling down fire from heaven on a pagan sacrifice, but there it is the sheer power of the work that carries the weight.  Here we see that the great works Jesus did were always directed toward very human ends... they were not just therapeutic in some cold clinical sense... they were tender expressions of love.

How this ought to sink deep into our souls!  We have a Christ, an Eternal Creating, Living Being Who fashioned all the stars and sat the earth on its axis, and yet, His glory is such that He cares for His people, for His creation, in such a way that we can understand it... even identify with it at some level.

When we are told that we love because He first loved us - what we have to do is believe it.  We have to see ourselves as among those suffering sinners who made it into His Presence.  Though our weakness may be more spiritual than physical, yet His love for us is the same.  He sees us in terms of our healed state, as having been made whole, as having had our humanity completed through the Holy Spirit.  He loves us as we are but in terms of what we shall be!  This is our Shepherd, our Great Physician, and Our King.  

What else can we do but simply embrace Him as He is and accept the free gift of His love?

 

 

 

Mark 3 & 4: The Kingdom is Like...

Image: "Colors of the Kingdom", 2020, Overlook near Renovo, Pa

Mark 3:5  And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.

Mark 4:26–27  And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, 27 and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.

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Mark continues his "pile-on" tactics, heaping historical anecdotes on top of each other, accumulating irrefutable documentation supporting His main point: Mark 3:11 And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, “You are the Son of God.”

Indeed, if we just open our understanding to these stories, we ought to be floored by the accumulated effect.  Consider briefly the following: Mark 3:14–15  Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, 15 and to have the power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons...   Jesus not only had the authority and power in Himself to heal and cast out demons, but He also had the authority to invest His disciples with this same, though subordinate, capacity.  Note carefully that it was not because these men had any intrinsic qualities or purity that such privilege was given.  One of them was Judas Iscariot!  The others were no paragons of faith at this time and their understanding was still very limited.  But it was not their righteousness or faith that is at the center of this story.  It is Jesus' absolute royal prerogative that is being highlighted.  Mark does not even bother to say anything about how they used this power though Luke does.

Again, when questioned about the source of His power over demons, Jesus proclaims His sovereignty with regard to Satan himself: Mark 3:27  No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.  Can there be any doubt about what He is asserting?  Jesus has authority over the demons because He has tied Satan's hands in the matter.  Satan is helpless against Him.  Satan embodies both the power and scope of evil in the world.  He is the Prince of Darkness, the great deceiver and the father of lies, and yet, at a mere word, he is rendered powerless by the King of Kings, the Royal Son of God.  This is powerful stuff!

And then there is the famous "stilling of the storm!"  Mark 4:41  And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”  The disciples had seen a lot.  They had seen their master silence His enemies, cast out demons, heal the sick, restore a withered hand, cleanse a leper, and give a paralytic new legs.  At this point, they should have been so used to Jesus' ability to handle anything that came up that a mere, terrifying storm, should have done nothing more than raising a mild concern.

Jesus, upon being awakened was a bit irritated.  "How is it that you have no faith?" (4:40)  He asks.  Then he stands up and commands the winds and the waves to "be still!"  This is where the full humanity and full divinity of our Lord really shine through.  As fellow human beings, we are very familiar with His emotions at this point.  "All I want is a little peace and quiet... I need to sleep... shut up!"  There's our finite humanity showing through.  However, none of us would have issued forth that command.  Only the Lord of Heaven and Earth could do that.  It's no wonder that the mortal fear which had driven the disciples to awaken Jesus is now transformed into near terror.  "they feared exceedingly!" (4:41)  It's one thing to face death, up close and personal.  It is another to be brought into the Presence of One who can command the earth and the stars to do His will.  

Mark had done a remarkable job and he is not done yet.  We, his readers, can only shut our mouths and submit.  "What then shall we do?"  At this point, we should take to heart the parables that Mark intersperses in these stories.  We should hear the Word of Kingdom.  We should expect it to grow like a mustard seed and that should fill us with zeal.  We should take to heart the parable of the seeds and understand how it applies to us, both in our mission to spread the seeds, but also in constantly guarding our own souls to ensure that we are like the good soil producing a harvest for the King.  We are to be a lampstand, confidently shining light into the darkness.  We must embrace our Lord's teaching that "whoever does the will of God" is His brother, sister, and mother. (3:35)

How can we just pass over these stories?  Their accumulated weight should bring us to our knees.  Jesus of Nazareth was a Man who lived long ago, but He was more than a Man:  He was the Son of God.  Everything about us should bear witness to this historical truth... every day.