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Category Archives: Luke

Luke 2:1-14

23 Feb
The above image is called “The Glorious Form” and was created by Chris Stoffel Overvoorde. It is from Revealed: A Storybook Bible for Grown-Ups by Ned Bustard.

2 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.

6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in highest heaven,
    and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

Luke 2:1-14

Dear God, this image created by Overvoorde has so much going on. And I don’t understand all of the imagery. I probably should, and I’m embarrassed to say that I don’t get it all, but he certainly put a lot in here. From the outside of the image and going in.

There are 24 people watching. Hold it, wait. I’m remembering something about 24 people in Revelation. I think I prayed about that a few weeks ago. Let me read the description Bustard has for this image. In this case, I think I probably need it to get where the artist wants me to go… Okay, I’m back. Yes, there were 24 elders in Revelation 19, as well as four beasts. So, for Overvoorde, I think all past, present, and future are present to you. You are “I am.” Sow we have the beasts and elders of Revelation. We have doves that I’m going to assume are the Holy Spirit. We have Jesus–you–in-utero. Being nurtured and developed through an umbilical cord. Fully divine (Holy Spirit impregnation). Fully human (grown by a woman’s body).

Bustard quotes Bono of U2 as part of his description. I’ll put the Bono quote here: “The Christmas story has a crazy good plot with an even crazier premise–the idea goes, if there is a force of love and logic behind the universe, then how amazing would it be if that incomprehensible power chose to express itself as a child born in shit and straw poverty?”

Father, this is an amazing story. And it has amazing people. I come to you this morning to lean into just how incomprehensible it is. You are God. You have everything. You love us. You came to us. You keep coming to us. You are the father of the Prodigal Son. You are the Prodigal Father. It is amazing that you care. That you came. That you taught. That you are so loving. And now as I go to teach the Sunday school class this morning on Joseph, create a clean heart in me. And renew my spirit. Fill me with your Spirit. Help me to inspire others to learn more about you. Inspire me to learn more about you. To hunger for you. To need you. I need you, Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit. I need you.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on February 23, 2025 in Luke, Revealed: A Storybook Bible for Grown-Ups

 

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Joseph

20 Feb

Dear God, I am preparing my Sunday school lesson for this week, and I want to spend some time going over the things I’ve learned about Joseph over the last 24 years, since I first wrote God, Family, Job: In that Order?: A Study of Joseph, Jesus’s Earthly Father. Of course, my interest in Joseph started when I was at a retreat, and I started looking for a biblical man I wanted to emulate as a faithful worshipper of you, a husband, and a father. The list was short. Ultimately, I landed on Joseph and the Prodigal Son’s father. Since the Prodigal Son’s father was a representation of you, I ended up with Joseph. And I’ so glad I did. I’m so glad he was there to be Jesus’s earthly father. I’m so glad his example is there for me to follow.

When I think about Joseph off of the top of my head, here are my thoughts on an outline. Please guide me as I think about this, Holy Spirit:

  • His first decision: Divorce her quietly.
    • This decision would cost him and make him vulnerable
    • You needed Joseph to make this decision for your plan to work
  • He believed the dream and acted on it.
    • He married Mary but did not “consummate” the marriage
      • Did doubts ever linger?
  • He had to find a place for them to stay in Bethlehem
    • With family? In a tent outside of town? We don’t know.
    • What were their conversations like during the journey and before the birth?
  • The baby is born.
    • Had to improvise a difficult situation
      • Helping Mary made people unclean
      • Needed a better place but couldn’t find one
      • Doubts? What am I doing here? Was the dream real?
  • The shepherds.
    • Affirmation that this was all real! I cannot underscore this enough. If there were any doubts, the shepherds removed them.
  • The Temple (Simeon and Anna).
    • More affirmations.
    • Simeon’s warning to Mary.
  • The Wise Men
    • They created more problems than they solved.
    • More affirmations some months later.
  • The Dream and Escape to Egypt
    • Believing the dream
    • Survivor’s guilt?
    • Starting a new life? Gifts from the Magi?
    • Living in Egypt
  • Time to go home
    • More dreams.
    • Couldn’t return to Bethlehem because of Herod’s son. Ended up in Nazareth.
  • Lost in the Temple
    • He’s gone!
      • Where could he be?
      • Did Herod’s son, Archelaus, get him?
      • What were the conversations with Mary like for those three days of searching (four days of him being missing)?
    • Found!
      • He’s in the Temple and amazing people
        • Was this a surprise to Joseph and Mary? Had they already been amazed by him? When did Jesus start to display his knowledge and come into his mental maturity?
      • How inadequate did Joseph feel in raising your son?
  • Presumed dead
    • Sad that Joseph wasn’t around to comfort and help Mary during Jesus’s ministry.
      • Brothers and sisters seem to have been a hinderance
      • Would Joseph have been a hinderance too?

Father, there is so much for me to learn from Joseph. The least of which is that he, ultimately, considered his life nothing to him, even before his angel visit. He made a huge sacrifice just in his decision to divorce her quietly. I was just reminded of the scene in the first Captain American: The First Avenger movie when Steve Rogers, before the super serum, throws himself on a grenade to save everyone else, revealing the character the doctor was looking for in the man who would get this great power. That’s Joseph. Before you have him this great responsibility, even then, we are allowed to see his amazing character. Oh, Father, help me to be a man like that.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on February 20, 2025 in Luke, Matthew

 

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Luke 6:20-26

18 Feb

20 Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said,

“God blesses you who are poor,
    for the Kingdom of God is yours.
21 God blesses you who are hungry now,
    for you will be satisfied.
God blesses you who weep now,
    for in due time you will laugh.

22 What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. 23 When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, their ancestors treated the ancient prophets that same way.

24 “What sorrow awaits you who are rich,
    for you have your only happiness now.
25 What sorrow awaits you who are fat and prosperous now,
    for a time of awful hunger awaits you.
What sorrow awaits you who laugh now,
    for your laughing will turn to mourning and sorrow.
26 What sorrow awaits you who are praised by the crowds,
    for their ancestors also praised false prophets.

Luke 6:20-26

Dear God, by almost any measure, I am not to be pitied. I have a relationship with you and a life that makes it fairly easy to carve out discipleship time with you. Just spending time with you and getting to know you. I have a good marriage to a really good woman who is kind and patient with me. I have a job that not only pays our bills, but is good work. Important work for loving others. Speaking of bills, my bills are paid. I have money in the bank. I have friends. I have men and women who are positive influences on me and who speak your wisdom into my life. My children are seemingly healthy and living successful, independent lives in committed relationships with significant others. We are all healthy. Yes, there are things within what I just mentioned that bring me sorrow or concern, but compared with 99% of the world, I am absolutely not to be pitied.

So that makes me wonder about this passage. Should I be concerned? Is it a problem that I’m not poor, hungry, or weeping (although there are times when I do weep)? Can diamonds be made with no pressure? Can strong steel be made with low heat? And when the heat comes, do I delight and rejoice in it? If I take a stand for you among those who mock you (I’m thinking about one friend in particular who is disdainful of Christian faith) and they ridicule me, do I welcome that and delight in it or do I soft pedal my faith around them so as to not inflame their anger towards me?

Father, I am going to spend some time over the next few days with this mini sermon from Jesus. It is largely similar to the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew, but not completely. Help me to glean some nuances from it that I might have missed from Matthew. Perhaps the way Luke put it will shed a new light on something you need me to understand. Speak to me. Inspire me. Love through me.

I give you all of me, in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on February 18, 2025 in Luke

 

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Leviticus 12, Luke 2:21-24

02 Feb

12 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. If a woman becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son, she will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her menstrual period. 3 On the eighth day the boy’s foreskin must be circumcised. 4 After waiting thirty-three days, she will be purified from the bleeding of childbirth. During this time of purification, she must not touch anything that is set apart as holy. And she must not enter the sanctuary until her time of purification is over. 5 If a woman gives birth to a daughter, she will be ceremonially unclean for two weeks, just as she is unclean during her menstrual period. After waiting sixty-six days, she will be purified from the bleeding of childbirth.

6 “When the time of purification is completed for either a son or a daughter, the woman must bring a one-year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or turtledove for a purification offering. She must bring her offerings to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 7 The priest will then present them to the Lord to purify her. Then she will be ceremonially clean again after her bleeding at childbirth. These are the instructions for a woman after the birth of a son or a daughter.

8 “If a woman cannot afford to bring a lamb, she must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons. One will be for the burnt offering and the other for the purification offering. The priest will sacrifice them to purify her, and she will be ceremonially clean.”

Leviticus 12

21 Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived.

22 Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. 23 The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord.” 24 So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord—“either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

Luke 2:21-24

Dear God, I was talking to someone about this story a couple of days ago (it might have been my wife), and they told me that someone else pointed out to them that it should be noted that Mary and Joseph could have taken Jesus anywhere to be presented, but they went to the trouble to take him to the Temple in Jerusalem. They obviously knew this was no ordinary boy. I wonder if this is one of the first times they felt that obligation that the standards on them would be higher with this one.

It also occurs to me that it would be similar vendors from whom Mary and Joseph bought their birds to sacrifice that Jesus would later confront 33 years later. I wonder if the vendors bread the pigeons and turtle doves. What was your plan for this back in Leviticus. Obviously the lambs were bread and some used for sacrificing. What was your thinking there?

I also find the part about being unclean interesting. I still don’t completely understand that. Blood seems to be very important to you. You take it seriously when it comes out of us. You take it seriously when it is sacrificed out of another animal. Able’s blood cried out to you (Genesis 4:10). You turned the Nile into blood (Exodus 7). Touching another person’s blood, even when rendering aid, makes us unclean. I think I’m right on this, but even Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea became unclean and couldn’t celebrate the Passover because they cared for Jesus’s body off of the cross.

So Mary and Joseph did what they were supposed to do. They obeyed this law, but they raised the bar on themselves and did it in the most special place they could. They weren’t just in for a penny. They were in for a pound. And then they get the prophecy from Simeon that tells them exactly how hard this will be. This is the beginning of a long road, but it starts with the first step.

Father, I’ll be honest. My road, at this point, is not that hard, but it does have challenges. And I want to honor you as best as I can. I want to be in for a pound. I want to raise the standard on myself. I want to exceed the minimums and not miss opportunities to serve and worship you. I want to do everything I can to serve those around me. I will be your child, completely. Thank you for being my God.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on February 2, 2025 in Leviticus, Luke

 

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John 4:1-26

28 Jan

4 Jesus knew the Pharisees had heard that he was baptizing and making more disciples than John 2 (though Jesus himself didn’t baptize them—his disciples did). 3 So he left Judea and returned to Galilee.

4 He had to go through Samaria on the way. 5 Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. 7 Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” 8 He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.

9 The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”

10 Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”

11 “But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? 12 And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?”

13 Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. 14 But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

15 “Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.”

16 “Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her.

17 “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied.

Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband— 18 for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!”

19 “Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet. 20 So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?”

21 Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. 23 But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. 24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

25 The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

26 Then Jesus told her, “I am the Messiah!”

John 4:1-26

Dear God, as I sat here this morning and was trying to focus on verses 23 and 24 and decipher what I thought it meant, I had this incredible thought come to me: I am so ignorant. If Jesus were physically here with me in this room, I wouldn’t even try to interpret this passage. I would just worship him. Well, I know the Holy Spirit is in this room with me. There could very well be an angel or two here as well. And demons. There could be demons. In light of yesterday’s scripture and prayer, I don’t know what is going on with the powers and principalities of this world. But I just all of a sudden had this incredible sense of humility before you. Who am I to even try to interpret Jesus’s words as preserved by Luke 2,000 years ago? I just need to worship.

Even as I typed this out, it hit me that maybe that is exactly the point Jesus was making in verses 23 and 24. Maybe that is the kind of worshipper you are looking for. Someone who will embrace the omnipotent, omnipresent God that you are, understand part of your nature is here with me now, and simply worship you with as much honesty, transparency, and humility as I can possibly muster.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, my Triune God, I love you, I worship you, and I thank you. I’m sorry for my selfishness and sin. I’m sorry for my lack of faith. I’m sorry for my fear. I’m sorry for the times you call me to act, and I fail to act. I’m sorry for the times you ask me to love people, and I fail to love them. I’m sorry for the times I feel sorry for myself and fail to see the good you are doing or have done. I bring all of that to you, lay it before you, ask that you continue to cleanse me, and offer this day to you. We have a staff meeting this morning at which we are going to be making some big decisions. Help me to lead in that. Let your Holy Spirit be among us. Guide us. There is pain happening right now among our staff and the clients we serve. There is fear. Don’t let that pain be wasted. Make it count. Make it all count for your good and your glory.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 28, 2025 in Luke

 

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Luke 4:14-30

26 Jan

14 Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region. 15 He taught regularly in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

16 When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. 17 The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written:

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,
    that the blind will see,
that the oppressed will be set free,
19     and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.[f]”

20 He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. 21 Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!”

22 Everyone spoke well of him and was amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips. “How can this be?” they asked. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”

23 Then he said, “You will undoubtedly quote me this proverb: ‘Physician, heal yourself’—meaning, ‘Do miracles here in your hometown like those you did in Capernaum.’ 24 But I tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in his own hometown.

25 “Certainly there were many needy widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the heavens were closed for three and a half years, and a severe famine devastated the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them. He was sent instead to a foreigner—a widow of Zarephath in the land of Sidon. 27 And many in Israel had leprosy in the time of the prophet Elisha, but the only one healed was Naaman, a Syrian.”

28 When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious. 29 Jumping up, they mobbed him and forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended to push him over the cliff, 30 but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way.

Luke 4:14-30

Dear God, I’m not sure where my head is going today. I have a lot of disparate thoughts. I’m thinking about the couple my wife and I are meeting with later and what you might need from us in their lives. I’m thinking about the attacks I feel on both of us right now as we prepare to meet with this couple. I’m thinking about the ministry my wife is doing this morning and how I hope you bless her through this as much as she is blessing others. I am thinking about some concerning news at work that isn’t tragic, but simply attention-getting. Actually there is one other thing at work that is really frustrating me as well. Of course, there is my constant sorrow. And that’s just the stuff that is on my heart at the moment. There are also pains in our country and our world that make me ache and lament. There is extreme brokenness in faith and relationship with you, even among those who say they call on your name.

So, with all of that being said, I come to you this morning asking that you be in each situation as I think about these people 2,000 years ago who sat there one morning and heard “Little Jesus” come back home and read Isaiah to them. They went in with one set of expectations of him. They expected to be proud of him. To feel like they had a part of him, and maybe even feel responsible for having helped Mary and Joseph raise him here and there. But he damaged their self-esteem. He didn’t only make them feel less than they wanted to feel as people from his hometown. He intimated that they weren’t even any better than Gentiles. In fact, in some ways, they were worse! They went from warm fuzzies to rage in almost an instant. What was it in them that got so incensed? Is there any of that attitude in me?

Father, Holy Spirit, Jesus, be with me today. My Triune God, be with me today. Love others through me. Reach them through me. Let that start with my wife. Love her through me. Comfort her. Guide her. Show me how to parent my children. Show me how to love and honor my parents. My siblings. My nieces and nephews. My friends. My coworkers. The people you put in my path. Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Although I’m a Gentile, as a Christian, in a lot of ways I can relate to the arrogance of the people in that room with Jesus that morning. Help me to be humble and kind to those who disagree with me. Help me to be loving. And use me to draw them closer to you, and use them in my life to draw me closer to yourself as well.

I pray to the Father in Jesus and with the Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 26, 2025 in Luke

 

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Luke 19:11-15

23 Jan

11 The crowd was listening to everything Jesus said. And because he was nearing Jerusalem, he told them a story to correct the impression that the Kingdom of God would begin right away. 12 He said, “A nobleman was called away to a distant empire to be crowned king and then return. 13 Before he left, he called together ten of his servants and divided among them ten pounds of silver, saying, ‘Invest this for me while I am gone.’ 14 But his people hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We do not want him to be our king.’

15 “After he was crowned king, he returned and called in the servants to whom he had given the money. He wanted to find out what their profits were. 

Luke 19:11-15

Dear God, I want to spend some time with this parable this morning because I learned something about it yesterday that, if I ever knew it, I had forgotten. Basically, Jesus is comparing himself with Herod for those who are listening. When he said a nobleman went to have himself crowned king and there were people who protested his appointment, he was referencing Herod and how he came to power, but in this case, he was putting himself in the place of Herod and letting them know that 1.) there would be a delay between the present time and what they wanted and 2.) his rule and his edicts would be as final as Herod’s were. To quote the commentary I used this morning: “Jesus is telling a contemporary story in veiled terms. In the parable, the nobleman was given the kingdom and he returned to slay those who didn’t want him in power. A Christians, we believe that Jesus is the King and that in the last days He will return to His Kingdom. Whether you are an atheist, a skeptic, or one who practices any brand of non-Christian religion doesn’t change that reality. Jesus tells us through this parable, “Right now you are free to debate and argue, but when the final curtain is closed, I am Lord!” (Communicator’s Commentary: Luke by Bruce Larson)

I guess this whole thing challenges me because, at some level, I do want to see you as a “pushover God.” I want to put you in my box and have you do what I want you to do and behave how I want you to behave. I don’t want to think of Jesus as exercising authority the way Herod would. I’ve sometimes wondered what it would have been like to be around Jesus a lot like the disciples were. I don’t think I would have liked it. I think I prefer to have the ideas in my head but then make my own rules and live by my own opinions throughout each day. Even though a lot of those rules and opinions are wrong.

Father, I’m not sure exactly what to take from this except to be more in awe of you and more sober about how I interact with you. Even these times of prayer should not be approached lightly. I am address the God of the universe. My God. Can I possibly be as casual as I normally am? I’m sorry for ever treating you as less than you are. You are my God. I am your servant. Thank you for your loving heart towards me.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 23, 2025 in Luke

 

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Luke 3:15-22

12 Jan

Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon, and they were eager to know whether John might be the Messiah. John answered their questions by saying, “I baptize you with water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.” John used many such warnings as he announced the Good News to the people.

John also publicly criticized Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, for marrying Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for many other wrongs he had done. So Herod put John in prison, adding this sin to his many others.

One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”
Luke 3:15-22

Dear God, there is so much here. I think I want to just do a bullet-point list of what I see:

  • “They were eagerly expecting the Messiah to come soon.” Aren’t we all? Isn’t it interesting that we are always looking towards what hasn’t happened yet instead of living our lives in the moment today? What we don’t realize is that we are waiting for the wrong things. In their case, they were waiting for a conquering, killing machine who would eliminate their enemy and restore their power. In our case, we are looking to leave the pains and frustrations of our current situation so we can have it easier. I would posit that we don’t want to be with you. We just want to get out of here and to a place that is easier for us. It isn’t about longing for you. It is about our comfort. I’m sorry for that.
  • The chaff and wheat analogy by John reminds me of the wheat and tares in Matthew 13. Don’t tear up the weeds now. It’s too late (or too early). They’ve been sown. It’s too late to stop them. It’s too early because we will destroy some good wheat accidentally. Since it is different Gospel writers who make this reference and in different ways, it makes me wonder if this was a common analogy/parable that was used in the later church when talking about evangelizing in the world. They were both written decades after Jesus. Was this just a metaphor everyone knew?
  • There’s a bit of editorializing here from Luke when it comes to Herod: “…adding this to his many other sins.” There was a lot of blame towards Herod. He participated in killing Jesus, after all. But he was a corrupt king. Marrying his brother’s wife. Ultimately killing John. Killing Jesus. And the “many other wrong things he had done.” This is just occurring to me, but I think it might be one of the few times we get some “voice” from a Gospel author.
  • I can’t even begin to describe how you must have felt through this. You broke your personal silence after 400+ years and audibly spoke to the crowd. Not to a prophet. Not to Jesus individually. Not through angels. You showed up to the crowd. I don’t have time to look it up now, but it seems like one of the other Gospels records this as the crowd only hearing what sounded like thunder. But I kind of like this image of the crowd hearing you speak. But you had to. You loved him. And maybe he needed your encouragement in that moment.

Father, as I sit here this morning, I just simply love you. I’m not waiting for tomorrow. I love you now. I have some challenges in front of me. Be with me and make my path straight. For your glory, oh, Lord.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 12, 2025 in Luke

 

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Luke 6:20-23

09 Jan

20 Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said,

“God blesses you who are poor,
    for the Kingdom of God is yours.
21 God blesses you who are hungry now,
    for you will be satisfied.
God blesses you who weep now,
    for in due time you will laugh.

22 What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. 23 When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, their ancestors treated the ancient prophets that same way.

Luke 6:20-23

Dear God, I was recently talking with a pastor friend who is leading a Bible study through Luke, and we talked about this other “sermon” in Luke that is similar to Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount in Matthew. This one is shorter, but I suspect, when put side by side, will hit a lot of the same beats. So I thought I would at least start with the beginning of Luke’s version today and see where you take me with it.

In this case, I obviously notice there are fewer beatitudes here, and they are a little more succinct. But the part about being hated and persecuted for following Jesus is there. What a weird thing to emphasize to the crowds. Was it Jesus’s way of making people count the cost in following him? And how were they interpreting it? Did they think people would hate them because they were on the road to revolution? Did they have any idea Jesus would be hated because he was too merciful and loving?

We all live in such a fog day to day. We have no idea what is going on at any given time. It’s amazing that we struggle so hard to figure it out, when, in actuality, I cannot tell you what will happen in this room in the next second. Even as I typed that sentence, the grandfather clock tried to chime to let me know it’s 7:45. I didn’t know that would happen.

Father, I don’t know what suffering for you looks like in this day and age. Especially in my community where faith in you is rewarded. But I know that you lay convictions on my heart, and ask me to stand up or represent you in ways that even some who are faithful might not like. The hard part is that I know sometimes I might be wrong and they might be right. Or it might be okay for us to disagree. The biggest thing, I suppose, is that I need to carry your love into every situation regardless. That is what Jesus did. He challenged. But he also loved. Help me to have the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. All for your kingdom, your power, and your glory, forever!

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 9, 2025 in Luke

 

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Joy to the World by John Piper – Advent Day 13

13 Dec

25 At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him 26 and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, 28 Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,

29 “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace,
    as you have promised.
30 I have seen your salvation,
31     which you have prepared for all people.
32 He is a light to reveal God to the nations,
    and he is the glory of your people Israel!”

33 Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. 35 As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”

Luke 2:25-35

Dear God, this isn’t actually the the verse from Piper’s book for today. He used the same verses as yesterday (Hebrews 8:1-2), so I decided to break from his pattern and spend a little time with Simeon this morning.

If Simeon were here right now my question to him would be, “Simeon, what did you know and when did you know it?” He is the first person to give Mary and Joseph any bad news about this baby. Until now, it’s all been wonderous and awesome, but he is seemingly the only person who can see that this isn’t a Make Israel Great Again situation. This baby won’t be about getting rid of Rome. He will cause many in Israel to fall while others rise (last shall be first?). He will be a sign from God that many will oppose. He will reveal the thoughts and hearts of the people. And Mary’s soul will be pierced.

Interestingly, when Anna comes up while Simeon is talking she gets all excited and starts telling everyone, and the description Luke gives us about the people’s mindset is that were waiting for you to come and rescue Jerusalem. The people were looking for a physical savior. Zechariah and Elizabeth were looking for a physical savior. Mary and Joseph were expecting a physical savior. The shepherds were thinking they wanted a physical savior. But it was Simeon who had a level of relationship with you that went beyond what had been taught about the Messiah coming to return Israel to its physical glory among the nations. You whispered something different into his heart, and he had ears to hear and eyes to see. He probably didn’t completely understand this, but it made enough of an impression upon Mary that she remembered it and held onto it later when things started not going how she expected them to during Jesus’s ministry, death, and resurrection. As her soul was pierced by both Jesus’s death and then his ascension.

Father, give me ears to hear. Give me eyes to see. Help me to look beyond the preconceived notions I have either been taught or developed on my own. Help me to see through the lies and temptations that Satan lays in front of me. Help me to see what you need me to see. I know I cannot see or understand everything you are doing. When I don’t understand, help me to let go and simply trust in you. And I’ll say that I’ve been experiencing some success in certain areas recently, but I know you are the author of that success. Thank you. Really, Father, thank you. And for my sorrows that are always present, I trust you in them.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 13, 2024 in Advent 2024, Luke

 

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