Note: While our study on Luke is interrupted this week for Spring Vacation, I am posting a journal entry looking ahead into chapter 7. Next week we will return with a consideration of the "Triumphal Entry" from chapter 19 which is only appropriate since it will be Palm Sunday.
S = 7:4-6,9 “And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, ‘He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.’ …the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof…When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”
O = What can I observe about this man, the centurion? It says that he valued or esteemed his servant, loved Israel as a nation or people, built the synagogue in Capernaum through his giving, was well respected by Jewish elders, and had friends that could be trusted. He understood authority as one who was also under authority himself. He recognized that Jesus’ speaking with authority (that we saw in Ch. 4) was true authority even over sickness. He, the centurion, was very perceptive. The elders said he was worthy, but he knew that he wasn’t worthy, for he saw his own internal spiritual condition—and in that confession of unworthiness and faith he actually became marvelous to Jesus…as the greatest display of faith that he had seen. Faith in Jesus starts with the claim of my unworthiness. Christ is the worthiness of God on my behalf!
A = Do people look at my life and think I am worthy because of my attitudes and actions? I hope so. But do I know that inside I am actually not worthy of demanding anything from God? I hope so, yet do I know Jesus’ character well enough to ask in faith expecting he is more than capable of meeting any need? I hope so! How can I live into that expectation this week?
P = O Lord Jesus, may I never stoop to believing my own press reports, but rather discern the truth of my own need and the truth of your ability and desire to meet that need. May my faith in you lead me to become more relational, and more connected in community with your people, all the time. Help me to see the value in others more and more and that I would learn to love your people more than myself more consistently. Amen.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Luke 6-E "What Benefit?"
S = 6:32-36 “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you?
For even sinners love those who love them.
And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you?
For even sinners do the same.
And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you?
Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount.
But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return,
and your reward will be great,
and you will be sons of the Most High,
for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.
Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”
O = Jesus was redefining the relational economics for the Kingdom of God. The question echoes in the morning air…If we do what we do for others in order to get something, anything, in return we don’t benefit from the kingdom's economy. We settle for earthly economics…but Jesus charges the hearer to go beyond an unregenerate self-focused motivation and treat others to the love, mercy, and grace of God in Jesus.
A = How much of what I do is motivated by an expectation of receiving it back again, whether love, kindness, profit, or even just a show of gratitude? The test is when I don’t get anything good back…do I get mad, frustrated, bitter, or verbally berating the delinquent? Or do I find my reward, my encouragement, in getting to be like my Heavenly Father showing mercy and kindness to the unappreciative?
P = O Lord, thank you for pouring out your love and mercy into my life when I was ungrateful and evil! Let me be able to do the same for others this week! Not that I am asking to be around people like that, but that I simply want to be a person filled to overflowing with your mercy and kindness…for there is great benefit in that! Amen.
For even sinners love those who love them.
And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you?
For even sinners do the same.
And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you?
Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount.
But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return,
and your reward will be great,
and you will be sons of the Most High,
for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.
Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”
O = Jesus was redefining the relational economics for the Kingdom of God. The question echoes in the morning air…If we do what we do for others in order to get something, anything, in return we don’t benefit from the kingdom's economy. We settle for earthly economics…but Jesus charges the hearer to go beyond an unregenerate self-focused motivation and treat others to the love, mercy, and grace of God in Jesus.
A = How much of what I do is motivated by an expectation of receiving it back again, whether love, kindness, profit, or even just a show of gratitude? The test is when I don’t get anything good back…do I get mad, frustrated, bitter, or verbally berating the delinquent? Or do I find my reward, my encouragement, in getting to be like my Heavenly Father showing mercy and kindness to the unappreciative?
P = O Lord, thank you for pouring out your love and mercy into my life when I was ungrateful and evil! Let me be able to do the same for others this week! Not that I am asking to be around people like that, but that I simply want to be a person filled to overflowing with your mercy and kindness…for there is great benefit in that! Amen.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Luke 6-D “The God who Sees & Hears”
S = 6:27-28, 31 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you…
And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
O = Hagar, in Genesis 16 looked with contempt at Sarai her mistress. In return, Sarai was harsh in dealing with Hagar. Later, having fled to the wilderness, at a well she was met by the Angel of the Lord (We believe this to possibly be the pre-incarnate Jesus) who told her to return and submit to Sarai and trust in the God who sees and hears (Hebrew: El ro’i). Here Jesus meets others that are perhaps not treated well by the world and he instructs them as he instructed Hagar centuries earlier. How do you want others to treat you? That is the way you should treat others! Love your enemies…bless those who curse you…pray for those who abuse you!
A = How can I do any less than that now that I have such a great revelation of who God is? How will I do in the storm that is coming that will beat on the house of my life (v. 48)? I think that depends on how well I hear and do God’s Word…which is to believe/trust Him in all situations. Do I treat others the way I would want to be treated? It seems I often think I do better at this than I really do (if I was to ask those around me). Further, do I try to make my own blessing… “to get mine” as the movie says (Remember the Titans) or do I choose to leave that in the hands of God, and in the process show others the love, mercy, and grace that he has shown me.
P = O Lord God, please fill me and empower me to do what I cannot do in my own strength. Produce the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) in my life to share with others or I will just be someone flailing around with a log in my eye! Without your Spirit working in me, even my attempts to do good will only produce collateral damage. O Jesus, give me clear eyes to believe, to see, and follow you with loving enthusiasm! Amen.
And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
O = Hagar, in Genesis 16 looked with contempt at Sarai her mistress. In return, Sarai was harsh in dealing with Hagar. Later, having fled to the wilderness, at a well she was met by the Angel of the Lord (We believe this to possibly be the pre-incarnate Jesus) who told her to return and submit to Sarai and trust in the God who sees and hears (Hebrew: El ro’i). Here Jesus meets others that are perhaps not treated well by the world and he instructs them as he instructed Hagar centuries earlier. How do you want others to treat you? That is the way you should treat others! Love your enemies…bless those who curse you…pray for those who abuse you!
A = How can I do any less than that now that I have such a great revelation of who God is? How will I do in the storm that is coming that will beat on the house of my life (v. 48)? I think that depends on how well I hear and do God’s Word…which is to believe/trust Him in all situations. Do I treat others the way I would want to be treated? It seems I often think I do better at this than I really do (if I was to ask those around me). Further, do I try to make my own blessing… “to get mine” as the movie says (Remember the Titans) or do I choose to leave that in the hands of God, and in the process show others the love, mercy, and grace that he has shown me.
P = O Lord God, please fill me and empower me to do what I cannot do in my own strength. Produce the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) in my life to share with others or I will just be someone flailing around with a log in my eye! Without your Spirit working in me, even my attempts to do good will only produce collateral damage. O Jesus, give me clear eyes to believe, to see, and follow you with loving enthusiasm! Amen.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Luke 6-C “Not Merely Happy, but Blessed”
S = Luke 6:20-23 “And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said:
‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you and
when they exclude you and
revile you and
spurn your name as evil,
on account of the Son of Man!
Rejoice in that day, and
leap for joy, for behold,
your reward is great in heaven;
for so their fathers did to the prophets.’”
O = Jesus was not saying that people who are in need and economically downtrodden are happy, but that they are “blessed.” He was also saying that there will come a “great reversal” at some point. What point is that? And what does this blessing mean? It is a state of being, in the unobstructed view of God, invested in the grace of God. Those listening that day may have thought they were cursed by God because of their difficult circumstances and their lack of social standing. Jesus challenged them, by faith, to see themselves as God saw them…as blessed citizens of the Kingdom of God! Jesus’ audience needed to open their eyes to see the spiritual reality of their existence, not just the economic and social realities they faced. It helps me to remember that God’s cycle of retribution and reward is not fully contained in this life.
A = Why do I get upset when I suffer injustice? Why do I think I need to take matters of my defense into my own hands? I need to trust more in Jesus’ assessment and promise. I still find more than an economic beatitude here—if I am humbled now then God can exalt me in the future. If I am now arrogant and self-assured then I will be painfully humbled in the future. May I not look down on others this week, but rather look up to Jesus!
P = O Lord Jesus, I choose to wait, to look to you, to humble myself before your infinite wisdom that I might be nothing more and nothing less, nothing sooner, nothing later, than you intend me to be. Like a weaned child I will quiet myself in trust. Amen.
‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you and
when they exclude you and
revile you and
spurn your name as evil,
on account of the Son of Man!
Rejoice in that day, and
leap for joy, for behold,
your reward is great in heaven;
for so their fathers did to the prophets.’”
O = Jesus was not saying that people who are in need and economically downtrodden are happy, but that they are “blessed.” He was also saying that there will come a “great reversal” at some point. What point is that? And what does this blessing mean? It is a state of being, in the unobstructed view of God, invested in the grace of God. Those listening that day may have thought they were cursed by God because of their difficult circumstances and their lack of social standing. Jesus challenged them, by faith, to see themselves as God saw them…as blessed citizens of the Kingdom of God! Jesus’ audience needed to open their eyes to see the spiritual reality of their existence, not just the economic and social realities they faced. It helps me to remember that God’s cycle of retribution and reward is not fully contained in this life.
A = Why do I get upset when I suffer injustice? Why do I think I need to take matters of my defense into my own hands? I need to trust more in Jesus’ assessment and promise. I still find more than an economic beatitude here—if I am humbled now then God can exalt me in the future. If I am now arrogant and self-assured then I will be painfully humbled in the future. May I not look down on others this week, but rather look up to Jesus!
P = O Lord Jesus, I choose to wait, to look to you, to humble myself before your infinite wisdom that I might be nothing more and nothing less, nothing sooner, nothing later, than you intend me to be. Like a weaned child I will quiet myself in trust. Amen.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Poem: A Level Place
Humanity…
None standing above another,
Apostles, disciples, locals, travelers,
Rural, urban, powerful, crushed,
Whether outcasts and demonized, or
Even those comfortable in Temple precincts
Hoping against hope, the crowds sought him.
Imagine…
God coming near, again!
Once long ago at Sinai,
God thundered in fire and smoke
On a mountain.
The people below, drew back terrified,
With hearts unchanged,
Unable to bear such revelation
Until mediated by Moses.
Long ago…
David, though young, offended for God honor,
Saw beyond the natural, and
Advanced the kingdom against the giant of unbelief.
Not surprisingly, Jesus, the Son of David,
Showed everyone who met him
“…there was a God in Israel!”
Here…
In the person of Jesus Christ,
God, the Three-in-One, came down to earth
Speaking to the crowd person to person…
On this day, on a level place,
People, everyone, cowered and cringed no longer
Straining to hear, seeking to touch,
Longing to be healed,
They all were!
All made equal in God's Kingdom…
Jew & Gentile, circumcised and not,
Slave and free, barbarian and super-barbarians,
Even male and female, young and old,
Sick and healthy, sinners and righteous,
Come in child’s faith, together on a level place.
People of God made whole!
Now…
Faith-removed legal guardian’s condemnation,
Compartmentalization,
Made obsolete at the cross.
Former barriers, borders removed
Cords passionately lengthened, stakes strengthened
God’s tent is bigger than expected!
Promise given to Abraham being realized…finally,
Jesus for everyone!
© Greg K. Dueker
(From: Luke 6:17-19; Colossians 3:11; Galatians 3:23-29; Romans 10:12-14; Matthew 23:11-13; Mark 10:14-16; Genesis12:1-3; Isaiah 54:1-3)
None standing above another,
Apostles, disciples, locals, travelers,
Rural, urban, powerful, crushed,
Whether outcasts and demonized, or
Even those comfortable in Temple precincts
Hoping against hope, the crowds sought him.
Imagine…
God coming near, again!
Once long ago at Sinai,
God thundered in fire and smoke
On a mountain.
The people below, drew back terrified,
With hearts unchanged,
Unable to bear such revelation
Until mediated by Moses.
Long ago…
David, though young, offended for God honor,
Saw beyond the natural, and
Advanced the kingdom against the giant of unbelief.
Not surprisingly, Jesus, the Son of David,
Showed everyone who met him
“…there was a God in Israel!”
Here…
In the person of Jesus Christ,
God, the Three-in-One, came down to earth
Speaking to the crowd person to person…
On this day, on a level place,
People, everyone, cowered and cringed no longer
Straining to hear, seeking to touch,
Longing to be healed,
They all were!
All made equal in God's Kingdom…
Jew & Gentile, circumcised and not,
Slave and free, barbarian and super-barbarians,
Even male and female, young and old,
Sick and healthy, sinners and righteous,
Come in child’s faith, together on a level place.
People of God made whole!
Now…
Faith-removed legal guardian’s condemnation,
Compartmentalization,
Made obsolete at the cross.
Former barriers, borders removed
Cords passionately lengthened, stakes strengthened
God’s tent is bigger than expected!
Promise given to Abraham being realized…finally,
Jesus for everyone!
© Greg K. Dueker
(From: Luke 6:17-19; Colossians 3:11; Galatians 3:23-29; Romans 10:12-14; Matthew 23:11-13; Mark 10:14-16; Genesis12:1-3; Isaiah 54:1-3)
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Luke 6-B “Jesus for Everyone”
S = 6:17-19 “And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.”
O = Jesus was approachable by anyone whether Jews or Gentiles, Jerusalem scholars or Judean sinners, Galilean fishermen or tax collectors, the devout and the demon-possessed, the healthy and the sick, the young and the old. Every man and woman could come into Jesus’ presence with an equal sense of being able to hear him and learn God’s plans for them, and an expectation that Jesus would meet their need and heal their disease.
A = Is the church today such a place for all types of people to come and hear, to come and be healed as Jesus touches their lives through his Word, his Spirit, and his people’s love? I hope so. Am I comfortable leading a messy church like that crowd Jesus addressed that day? I hope so. Am I also part of that needy crowd that sought out Jesus for help…even today? I know so! As a pastor once said, “We don’t want to get so healthy that we no longer need the Physician.” Have we gotten strong enough and healed enough that we think we can do life on our own? I hope not.
P = O Lord, you know my heart and my need better than I do! You came down to reach me long ago, and are still here by the Holy Spirit. Please do your work in me and in all those other people out there who might have thought that there was no hope. May we know that we know that we know that you came to earth to Jesus for everyone…including me! Amen.
O = Jesus was approachable by anyone whether Jews or Gentiles, Jerusalem scholars or Judean sinners, Galilean fishermen or tax collectors, the devout and the demon-possessed, the healthy and the sick, the young and the old. Every man and woman could come into Jesus’ presence with an equal sense of being able to hear him and learn God’s plans for them, and an expectation that Jesus would meet their need and heal their disease.
A = Is the church today such a place for all types of people to come and hear, to come and be healed as Jesus touches their lives through his Word, his Spirit, and his people’s love? I hope so. Am I comfortable leading a messy church like that crowd Jesus addressed that day? I hope so. Am I also part of that needy crowd that sought out Jesus for help…even today? I know so! As a pastor once said, “We don’t want to get so healthy that we no longer need the Physician.” Have we gotten strong enough and healed enough that we think we can do life on our own? I hope not.
P = O Lord, you know my heart and my need better than I do! You came down to reach me long ago, and are still here by the Holy Spirit. Please do your work in me and in all those other people out there who might have thought that there was no hope. May we know that we know that we know that you came to earth to Jesus for everyone…including me! Amen.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Luke 5-C "A Hindrance or a Help"
Because Pastor Randy is using today's text to go back and address this miracle of healing, I am also including this SOAP from chapter 5.
S = Luke 5:17-20 “On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal. And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”
O = A question I would have to ask is, “Why were the Pharisees sitting while Jesus was teaching?” Perhaps it was a very informal occasion and all were sitting or perhaps the Pharisees were denying the teaching authority of Jesus. Secondly, why would they not make way for the paralytic? Did they think they were more valuable and deserving than he (since in their view he must be a terrible sinner to be paralyzed), or were they just oblivious to the presence of one so needy? Either way it is shameful. Thankfully his friends made a way to get to Jesus through the flat roof of the house! What a mess and what an effort to do it! Jesus saw their faith and the man was forgiven and healed.
A = Am I like the Pharisees in this story…a conscious hindrance to Jesus’ forgiving and healing work…or am I merely oblivious to the great needs around me? Maybe I would like to think of myself as one of the friends…but to what length and what effort am I willing to go to get my friend to Jesus? Am I easily talked out of my act of compassion or do I press on with what I know God has called me to do for others?
P = O Lord, may I be willing to dig through whatever clay roof is keeping people from being in your loving, forgiving, healing, presence. May I see myself represented in all the characters in this narrative and act accordingly either in repentance like the Pharisees should have, in loving perseverance like the friends did, or in the helpless awe of the paralytic that at your word breaks forth into obedient praise. Amen.
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