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Luke 8:19-21

23 Sep

19 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they couldn’t get to him because of the crowd. 20 Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, and they want to see you.”

21 Jesus replied, “My mother and my brothers are all those who hear God’s word and obey it.”

Luke 8:19-21

Dear God, family is interesting. My wife and I were just praying together and some of the prayers were for family members. In fact, most of the prayers were for family members. There’s just something about these people who are blood-related to us that makes us care that little bit more.

It’s interesting how Jesus seems to turn that on its head a little. Here, he diminishes that special relationship he has with his relatives, even his mother, by equating them to everyone around him. In Luke 14:26 he says, “26If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple.” In Luke 12:51-53 he says:

51 Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I have come to divide people against each other! 52 From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against—or two in favor and three against.

53 ‘Father will be divided against son
    and son against father;
mother against daughter
    and daughter against mother;
and mother-in-law against daughter-in-law
    and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.’”

I don’t think I’ve ever thought about these passages in relation to each other before, but it’s certainly interesting to see our love and compassion for our relatives and yet how much Jesus is warning us that we might have to let them go because of our love for you.

Father, I have all sorts of relatives rolling through my head right now. They have myriad needs. Some are doing great. Some have physical maladies. Some are struggling emotionally. Some are facing huge mountains. Some love me. Some hate me. Some don’t care about me one way or another. But I love all of them. I care about all of them. Please be there for each of them today. Call each of them closer to you in the midst of their struggles. And be here for me today. Call me closer to you in the midst of my struggles. Help me to be the man you need me to be in every way. And do it all for your glory.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 23, 2025 in Luke

 

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Luke 18:1-15

20 Sep

8 Soon afterward Jesus began a tour of the nearby towns and villages, preaching and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom of God. He took his twelve disciples with him, 2 along with some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. Among them were Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons; 3 Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s business manager; Susanna; and many others who were contributing from their own resources to support Jesus and his disciples.

4 One day Jesus told a story in the form of a parable to a large crowd that had gathered from many towns to hear him: 5 “A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it. 6 Other seed fell among rocks. It began to grow, but the plant soon wilted and died for lack of moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked out the tender plants. 8 Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!” When he had said this, he called out, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled:

‘When they look, they won’t really see.
    When they hear, they won’t understand.’

11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word. 12 The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. 13 The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. 14 The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. 15 And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.

Luke 18:1-15

Dear God, even though I’m trying very hard it is difficult for me to keep these stories within Luke’s narrative. I’m so used to reading them in isolation, and I’m even journaling them in isolation, but they are part of a story arc. They are showing us character development. In this case, we’ve been seeing that in chapter 4, Jesus met Peter in Capernaum, healed his mother-in-law, got on Peter’s boat, impressed him and then called him, James and John. He calls some more disciples like Matthew, but they aren’t part of the 12 yet. He heals some people. He verbally spars with the Pharisees on healing and the Sabbath. He goes up onto the mountain alone to pray through picking the 12 and then comes back and does so. He gives his mini sermon on the mount. We get some healing and resurrection stories, John the Baptist questioning Jesus’s identity, and then the woman who poured the perfume on Jesus at Simon the Pharisee’s house. Luke is building. And now Jesus is out on the road, touring the neighboring towns and villages (presumably near Nain). Luke is careful to tell us who is funding this, and it’s a few women. I’ve never seen The Chosen, but I’ll bet they do a better job of representing these women as part of the entourage than our normal storytelling does.

So now Jesus is walking town-to-town and he drops a great parable on the people (and us). And there is great truth in this parable. I’ve preached a sermon and taught Bible studies using it. But as I sit here this morning, I wonder why Jesus gave us this sermon. Why did Jesus describe four types of people and only one of them would follow him through the narrow gate? Holy Spirit, as I pray this question in real time with no answers of my own, I ask that you would speak to me and reveal to me what it is you want me to understand this morning about Jesus’s message beneath the message.

As I sit here, I wonder if Jesus wasn’t cryptically saying to the masses and explicitly saying to the 12 that a lot of the people simply aren’t going to buy in and there’s not much we can do about it except continue planting seeds to see if they are ready at another time. I know someone who is really searching right now. I tried to meet one-on-one with him last week, but it didn’t work out like I had hoped. We visited, but there were distractions. I tried to plant some seeds, but the soil was hard as the path. But things have changed in the last six days. He has suffered some setbacks, and I’ll see him again later today. It’s time to plant some seeds again. Maybe the plow has broken up the path and exposed some soil underneath. Then again, maybe it hasn’t I don’t know. But my job isn’t to prepare the soil for planting. The more I type here, the more I see that is your job. My job is to just keep spreading seed and praying for the soil in the hearts of others.

Of course, I need to keep my own soil weeded. I talked with a friend yesterday who had a customer come into her office and tell her it was the first time he had been out of his home all week because he was so disturbed about the Charlie Kirk assassination. That alarmed her. Then he said, “This has upset me more than when I lost my mother.” She said she did a double take and asked him to repeat that. While Kirk’s assassination was tragic, this person has allowed the cares of this world to warp his perspective to the point where his mother’s death was less impactful on him. And I’m sure he spent the week watching the news and getting worked up. The weeds grew and he kept watering them. But don’t I do the same thing sometimes? I have to keep my soil weeded and my eyes on you.

Father, 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. Prepare my heart for the encounters I will have today. Teach me what you want me to know. Plant more seeds in my life through others. And use me to plant seeds in the hearts of others. Prepare their hearts to receive them. That’s your job. My job is just to plant the seeds you give me to spread.

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

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 20, 2025 in Luke

 

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Luke 7:36-50

18 Sep

36 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat. 37 When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. 38 Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them.

39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!”

40 Then Jesus answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the Pharisee, “I have something to say to you.”

“Go ahead, Teacher,” Simon replied.

41 Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other. 42 But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?”

43 Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.”

“That’s right,” Jesus said. 44 Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume.

47 “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” 48 Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”

49 The men at the table said among themselves, “Who is this man, that he goes around forgiving sins?”

50 And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Dear God, I want to forget Simon the Pharisee for a moment and just think about this woman. What did she think she was getting out of this interaction with Jesus? Why was she adoring him so much? He is presumably still in Nain and word had spread about him. The first thing he had done was raise the widow’s son from the dead. Then he healed some people and talked about John the Baptist. What was she thinking as she decided to seek him out and pour out these extravagant gestures upon him? Did she feel the shame and separation from you. I’m sure she felt it from society. Simon knew who she was. I’m sure everyone in town knew who she was. I doubt even this interaction with Jesus changed her reputation in town much–until she started to change as a result of her interaction with Jesus.

So then Jesus does what Jesus does. He mercifully responds to her, accepts her repentance, and then forgives her sins, helping her to simply start fresh, at least from a conscience standpoint. She still has consequences of her sin in her community, but she is now at least good with you. I would love to know what the rest of her life was like.

My wife and I were, coincidentally, talking about Psalm 51 this morning. We were talking about how David didn’t hold anything back in his repentance before you when he brought that psalm not only to you but to the people. He made no excuses. He just asked for mercy. Oh, I’ve been so fortunate to experience your mercy, and I’m grateful. I pray that those who have things against me for which I’ve apologized will be able to show me mercy. And I pray that I will show mercy to those who have wronged me, even if they haven’t apologized.

Father, there is simply no life without forgiveness. Forgiveness from you. Forgiveness from me. And forgiveness towards me. There are some wrongs we simply cannot untangle on our own. I pray that you will help me to forgive and extend mercy. I pray that you will help others who resent me to tell me what I did and give me a chance to repent. I pray for a repentance/mercy exchange between us. Maybe one that will cut both ways. Thank you for this story. Thank you for how this woman speaks to me 2,000 years later. She wasn’t thinking about her place in human history that day. She just wanted mercy and a fresh start from the God of the universe, and you granted her that. Thank you.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 18, 2025 in Luke

 

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Luke 7:11-17

16 Sep

11 Soon afterward Jesus went with his disciples to the village of Nain, and a large crowd followed him. 12 A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow’s only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. “Don’t cry!” he said. 14 Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” he said, “I tell you, get up.” 15 Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother.

16 Great fear swept the crowd, and they praised God, saying, “A mighty prophet has risen among us,” and “God has visited his people today.” 17 And the news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding countryside.”

Luke 7:11-17

Dear God, is it terrible that my first thought this morning when I read this familiar story was, “Was that really the best idea, Jesus?” Answer: Of course it was the best idea! It was Jesus! But this certainly raised the bar on who the people thought Jesus was.

It’s interesting to put all of Luke’s book into one character development arc and story that he’s unfolding for us because these things all fit together, but we forget that since we are used to just reading stories in segments and not part of the whole. So in the last two chapters we had Simon’s mother-in-law healed, Jesus calling the 12, and then a mini Sermon on the Mount. Now, we’ve seen the faith of the Centurion from yesterday and today Jesus actually goes next level by raising someone from the dead. And this isn’t like Jairus’s daughter where he did a little misdirection and told everyone she was only asleep. This was like Lazarus, but maybe even more so. And then tomorrow we will get John the Baptist, from prison, asking if Jesus is the Messiah or if there is another one to come. But I’ll get to that tomorrow. There’s probably a lot to say about that.

But back to this miracle resurrection. I wonder how many times he did this that we aren’t aware of. Off of the top of my head, I’m counting three including this instance, Jairus’s daughter, and Lazarus. Now, he didn’t necessarily need to be the Messiah to do this. There was a history of both Elijah and Elisha doing it. But it did mean that he had power from you at a very high level. He was to be respected and adored. In the minds of the people there, maybe not worshipped, but revered as being from you.

Father, as I look for applications for my life today, I first just want to thank you. Thank you for the reality of this story. I do not doubt its veracity. I guess I do wonder what this young man’s life was like after this. What did he do? How long did he live? How did he eventually die? How did his life touch others and ripple through time, even until this day? Maybe that’s the reminder for me. That all of our lives will ripple through time whether we realize it or not. And we can do the best we can and still knock over negative dominoes as well as positive ones. So I’ll just pray that you guide me today. Make my life as positive of an impact on our community as you can. Love through me. Love me through others. And help me to always give you the glory, for you are the giver of all good gifts.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 16, 2025 in Luke

 

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Luke 6:20-26

10 Sep

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, I have probably been too judgmental of The Chosen. One of the things I’ve said about it is that I’ve spent so much time with these stories and I’ve got them so pictured in my head that I don’t want their telling of the stories to taint what I have. But, frankly, that’s a pretty arrogant thing to say. I’ve made all kinds of conjectures about these stories. I’ve tried to read between the lines. I’ve tried to infer tone of voice. Why have I made my interpretation of it so sacred?

I bring this up because someone told me that The Chosen portrays Matthew writing Jesus’s notes down as he prepare the Sermon on the Mount. Help records it as Jesus fleshes it out and develops it into a kind of stump speech that he will give over and over again. Now, I don’t know if any of that is true, but I do like the idea of Jesus honing the message of the Sermon on the Mount down and then giving it over and over again. Today’s passage is an example of Jesus delivering this speech. It’s a little condensed from the Matthew 5-7 version, but the bones are here.

In this case, all of these blessings and warnings of this part of the sermon are all based on circumstances others and life circumstances are foisting upon me. Whether it’s persecution for following Jesus, hunger, or sorrow, there is a blessing to be had at some point. There is hope. Life is not hopeless. Had those people ever heard that before? Had they ever been given a hope of better days (or an eternity) ahead?

And the arrogant who looked down on the poor and reveled in their prosperity, they were warned too. And don’t we still have that sentiment today? Don’t I still get it sometimes? Don’t I judge those who don’t seem to be working hard enough and assume I am better than them? I know some who look at people who are in our country illegally and throw a blanket judgment on them without knowing the particular circumstances that led to their undocumented status. For example, I have a friend from grade school (almost 50 years ago) who was here illegally for a while in high school. She was from England and her father left her, her siblings, and her mother stranded in Texas with no way to get back or means of support. And it took years to get her documentation in order. There are an awful lot of people like that, but we cast judgment on all of them as law breakers who need to “go home” (even though it’s a home they’ve never known).

Father, my point is that I need to continue down this road of receiving your hope in my grief and mourning. Receiving your joy in my sadness. And receiving your mercy in my sin. And then generously giving your mercy to others, sharing my resources with others, and simply letting you live through me. Help me to do that today. Help me to know what it means to forgive those who have hurt and/or betrayed me. Help me to know how to love them–how to love everyone.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 10, 2025 in Luke

 

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Luke 15:25-32

30 Mar

25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, 26 and he asked one of the servants what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’

28 “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, 29 but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. 30 Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’

31 “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. 32 We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”

Luke 15:25-32

Dear God, I just had this thought while reading this passage this morning: I wonder what the angels think of us humans and your fascination with us. I mean, I know the least in heaven is greater than the greatest of us, so I think they are beyond the jealousy expressed by the older son in this story, and they likely share your affection for us since they get sent here to care for us.

I’m asking because it makes me think that perhaps we should adopt their apparent attitude towards us when we think about our fellow humans we think we are better than. The ones we don’t think deserve you. I think they probably see us as your loved, created beings, and we should all see each other that same way.

In Restore: A Guided Lent Journal for Prayer and Meditation, Sister Miriam focuses today on giving to others–alms giving. As she puts it in the last paragraph, “Giving alms frees us from narrow-mindedness, stinginess, and disordered attachment to things. It brings about the realization that we belong to each other. We need it. Oh, how we need it. It can often be penitential because it cuts us at our deepest level of selfishness and self-centeredness. The world is not all about us. The other serves as a constant reminder that we are made for communion and relationship.”

Father, I think they older brother in this story could have used a little more of a giving spirit. My wife and I try to discipline ourselves to give, but that will be wasted if we don’t also allow that giving to touch our hearts with compassion. There are people out there who frustrate me. And I confess that I look down upon them and judge them. I am judgmental and not curious. Help me to be more curious about them and to love them as your children, just as much as the angels love us.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on March 30, 2025 in Luke, Restore: A Guided Lent Journal for Prayer and Meditation

 

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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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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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