Matthew 18:10-14 and Luke 15:1-10

Today as I read these parables of “the lost” I thought of my own brothers and sisters. I have seven still living; all but two of them profess Christ – and exhibit their love for Him in various ways. And of the other two, Dick and Ron, Carol and I have spent many hours talking with Dick. But Ron has always appeared to be a lost soul. Literally, LOST to us – no one had even heard from him since 2018. I have tried regularly to reach him by phone, e-mail, and on Facebook, but no luck. But we had an address for him, so four days ago when we arrived in Florida we knocked on his door – and surprisingly he answered. He had a “John the Baptist” appearance – I won’t go more into that, but ask me for a picture when you see me. He has lived alone since his wife died twenty years ago and his disheveled life reflects the deep loss he feels over her passing. Ron has spent years (most of his adult life) deep into drugs, although his appearance and demeanor is not that of someone who is addicted to drugs or alcohol. In fact, Ron is terribly bright – a Mensa-level IQ – and the conversation we had with him was at a high level. The conversation was also about Jesus and our universal need for Him and His love. My wife – the evangelist! – broached that topic and led the discussion. Ron shared openly of two recent incidences in his life, one on Good Friday with a Good Friday connection and the other the same day or very near to that day. I told Ron that the Holy Spirit was working in his life, seeking him, and he did not disagree. We parted on the best of terms and we have since shared an e-mail connection with each other.

I cannot report a salvation conversion, but I can tell you that there was joy in our “house” over finding one who was lost and joy with my two sisters when we shared that news with them. Carol and I saw today’s parables being played out before our eyes…!!

See also:

• July 23 (2019) / Matthew 18:10-14
• July 24 (2019) / Luke 15:1-10

Luke 14:15-35

It’s interesting to weave today’s two separate sections into one. That is, the first ten verses talk about the great banquet, where those who were initially invited made excuses for not attending and were then excluded from the banquet altogether, while …the poor and crippled and blind and lame… enjoyed the feast. The second eleven verses speak of discipleship and counting the cost of being Jesus’ disciple. So let’s put these two sections together and imagine that the disciples of whom (to whom?) Jesus is speaking are those who are already at the banquet.

That is, the banquet consists of four groups: those who were invited and did not attend (those who reject Jesus); those who were already present at the banquet (committed disciples); the poor…and lame who were brought into the banquet (new converts); and those on the outside whom the master of the house is still seeking to fill his feast (the unchurched). Jesus has something to say to each of these groups. I will ponder this the rest of the day and encourage you to do the same – especially what Jesus is saying to those of us already present at the banquet. Interesting…

See also:

• July 21 (2019) / Luke 14:15-24
• July 22 (2019) / Luke 14:25-35

Luke 14:1-14

I am intrigued by the “parable of the great banquet” at the end of today’s reading. Most of us have friends who are in the same “social standing”. Incomes may differ dramatically, but we find common ground with our race, religion, nationality, etc. Frankly, for many of us, our church is our social group and our church reflects that common ground – race, religion, nationality, etc. We can invite Hispanics and Africans to join us and in doing so we expand that “social space”. The next step then is embracing those in that widening circle.

I think Jesus is telling us to get out of our comfort zones, whatever that means for any of us. When we finally get back to church together and get back to our wonderful “Gathering” times, we need to make it a point to sit with different people each week until we are on a first-name basis with everyone in the church. But now I’m preaching instead of sharing! Have a blessed day, folks!

See also:

• July 19 (2019) / Luke 14:1-6
• July 20 (2019) / Luke 14:7-14

Luke 13:22-35

In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. (vv. 28-29) This is a scary section every time that I read it. But when I read these verses in context, with Jesus constantly dealing with opposition from the Pharisees and scribes, I can see that He is speaking (in context) to these Jewish leaders and that Gentiles will be invited into His kingdom with the unbelieving Jews left behind. And we see ourselves as being among those Gentiles who have been invited in.

We all presume that heaven is our ultimate destination, but sometimes I wonder if we are presuming too much. We have our “salvation verses” and our theologies that tell us that we are on the right track. We’ve accepted Jesus and His forgiveness – He has done it all and we are His beneficiaries. But the verses above and those in Matthew that I note in the link below continue to disturb me, even ever so little: “…I never knew you.”

See also: July 18 (2019) / Luke 13:22-35

Luke 13:1-17

The vinedresser speaking: And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’ (vv. 8-9) I was thinking of this manure (fertilizer) application around the fig tree and thinking of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives, working on our inner selves so that we can be more fruitful. And when I think of manure, I have a vivid picture of Carol’s alpacas and what they do to the soil when they all choose to dump in the same spot. Everything in this dumping area dies and nothing sprouts for months on end. Then when something does grow, it comes up weeds. There are two problems with this alpaca dumping – it’s a large amount of manure in a small area and it’s never worked in properly. We could make better use of alpaca manure if we spread it more thinly and applied it to soil elsewhere that was in need of nourishment. I see the same picture for Jesus’ work in us – His Spirit is readily, abundantly available to us and His grace can easily eliminate evil (weeds = sin) in our lives. And then we need to spread His Spirit onto other soil in need of nourishment – our friends and relatives who need the Lord. It’s His desire and our calling.

See also:

• July 16 (2019) / Luke 13:1-9
• July 17 (2019) / Luke 13:10-17

Luke 12:35-59

A short post today, and nothing heavy… Early this afternoon Carol and I are catching an auto-train, going from Northern Virginia to Florida – a new experience for us!

He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and it happens. (vv. 54-55) Yes, I’m intrigued by geography. Today, because of the verse quoted above I maintain that Jesus is in Jerusalem or Judea, not Galilee or Samaria. All four regions would have recognized the west wind and rain in the forecast with clouds coming off the Mediterranean Sea. However, the scorching south wind would have affected Judea and Jerusalem because of the desert lands to the south, but Galilee and Samaria would have been protected from those winds by the mountains and those longer distances from those desert lands. So, Jerusalem! QED!!

See also:

• July 13 (2019) / Luke 12:35-48
• July 14 (2019) / Luke 12:49-53
• July 15 (2019) / Luke 12:54-59

Luke 12:1-21

In the meantime, when so many thousands of people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, He began to say to His disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. (v. 1) Luke seems to be writing his gospel in chronological fashion. The NASB has “Under these circumstances…” The immediate precedent at the end of chapter 11 has Jesus pronouncing woes upon the Pharisees – this activity seems to have gathered a crowd! I wonder… Could it be that the crowd (…thousands of people…) sensed the Pharisees’ hypocrisy all along and were fully attracted to Jesus’ attacks on them? At the end of the previous chapter we saw the Pharisees looking for a way to trap Jesus in whatever He said. Maybe this surge in crowd support for Jesus could be part of the Pharisees’ hatred of Him! As we’ve said so often, their hatred blinded them to His teaching. So sad…!

At St. Andrew’s we recently finished a Lenten series on the “Three Streams” (Sacrament, Scripture, Spirit). Brian and I shared at that closing session, bringing all three streams together. In my comments I mentioned how much I had learned of the Holy Spirit’s activity when I did a Creative Arts Camp on Jesus’ references to the Holy Spirit in John’s gospel, chapters 14-16. My comments on today’s reading two years ago highlighted those Holy Spirit activities. I encourage you to look at them in that first link below and to imagine how much the Holy Spirit is active in your lives.

See also:

• July 11 (2019) / Luke 12:1-12
• July 12 (2019) / Luke 12:13-21

Luke 11:37-54

Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. (v. 43) I have so often identified with the Pharisees, especially with them being suspicious of Jesus teachings, which were outside the Pharisees’ “mainstream” teachings. I also would have doubted His miracles, where I would have suspected Him of some fraud on His “healings”. But unfortunately I also identify with the Pharisees in their seeking honor unto themselves. Mine was a troubled childhood, especially in our “yours, mine and ours” family. I was ridiculed and diminished at home, so I was guilty of “tooting my own horn” at school and among friends. That pattern, unfortunately, continued into adulthood and remains a problem with me today – constantly appreciating (if not actively seeking) honor from others. So what would it have taken for me to follow Jesus back then? Would His pointing out my sin so clearly have forced me to re-think my own predispositions? Apparently not with these Pharisees, who continued …lying in wait for Him, to catch Him in something He might say. (v. 54) As I’ve said so many times, we are so fortunate to be living on this side of Jesus’ cross and resurrection!!

See also:

• July 9 (2019) / Luke 11:37-44
• July 10 (2019) / Luke 11:45-54

Luke 10:13-42

RTNT 2021. HAPPY EASTER!! Hallelujah, He is Risen!! Blessings from our Risen Lord on you and yours!! GLORY!!

A mix of four topics in today’s reading – woes, the 70 returning, the Good Samaritan, and Martha and Mary – just so we could get to the end of the chapter. Not a good reading plan! But pick what you want to comment on.

I was struck by Jesus’ “woes” on the Jewish cities almost immediately followed by His Good Samaritan parable – the contrast between the Jews’ rejection of Jesus and the Samaritan’s behavior toward his “enemy”. I’m sure that I’m guilty of similar behavior, that I confess Jesus as Lord, but so often I turn a blind eye to the world’s hurt and fail to do the right thing. But there’s also a “non-contrast” in tying these two stories together – the consistency in the Jews’ rejection of Jesus together with their priest’s and Levite’s refusal to help their fellow countryman. In telling the Good Samaritan parable, Jesus was replying to a lawyer’s (scribe’s) question, so clearly His parable was targeted to the Jewish leaders. But we should really take a good look and ask ourselves the scribe’s question, “And who is my neighbor?” I’ve said before that I fear for our country’s wealth and prosperity up against our lack of concern for the world’s problems – our “neighbors”, if you will…

See also:

• July 6 (2019) / Luke 10:13-24
• July 7 (2019) / Luke 10:25-37
• July 8 (2019) / Luke 10:38-42

Luke 9:51-62, 10:1-12

And He sent messengers ahead of Him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for Him. But the people did not receive Him, because His face was set toward Jerusalem. (Luke 9:52-53) I commented on this verse two years ago, but it was about Jesus’ “setting His face” toward Jerusalem – a real turning point in Luke’s gospel. Two other items to note here, both with information from my Study Bibles. The first has to do with the Samaritans rejecting Jesus. One Study Bible suggested that Samaritans could normally tolerate Jews, except when they were headed to Jerusalem to observe a holy feast. That’s when their theologies particularly conflicted, with Samaritans pointing to Mt. Gerizim as the proper place to worship (John 4:20) and Jews pointing to Jerusalem. Second, my other Study Bible noted that a large section in Luke is known as his “travel narrative” (vv. 9:51-18:14) and it is not covered in the other Synoptic gospels. So this section in Luke will occupy most of our readings for the next two weeks. That’s good news for me, since Luke is my favorite gospel!

See also:

• July 3 (2019) / Luke 9:51-62
• July 5 (2019) / Luke 10:1-9