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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 6

06 Dec

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.”

15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

Luke 2:8-15

Dear God, I just read Piper’s commentary on verses 12-14, the ones on which he focused today’s entry and which I highlighted above. He leaned into the “peace” the angel promised. He noted the angel did not offer peace to the whole world. It was peace for those with whom God is pleased. Of course, I talk about peace a lot in reference to the fruits of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22. Of the nine fruits Paul lists there, I feel like peace is the one I cannot fake or will myself to. Peace only comes from you.

For me, when I read this story, I wonder why these guys? Why go to them at all? They weren’t told to do anything. They weren’t told to go check Jesus out. They were just told about him. Were they the only ones the angel(s) appeared to that night? Are they just the only ones who went and told Mary and Joseph about it so it go recorded later by Luke. If they had just gone back to sleep, we’d never have known about this angel visit.

I like the idea that these guys were part of a bigger plan on your part. They were no threat to anyone, including Mary and Joseph, so they wouldn’t try to take the baby away from them like other more prominent people might have tried to do. And they were a source of encouragement to Mary and Joseph as they sat there in the place where Jesus was born, trying to make sense of their lives. They didn’t know it, and they probably never knew it, but you used them to bless Mary and Joseph that night because, in my opinion, they needed a little encouragement and a little blessing.

Father, use me today. Love others through me today. Help me to understand exactly what you have for me to do in the lives of everyone I encounter, including the donors I write letters to. I will be spending time with family later. Help me to be exactly what you need them to have from me. Love them well through me. Be glorified through me. Make me a servant to them.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 6, 2024 in Advent 2024, Luke

 

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Luke 9:1-10

26 Sep

9 One day Jesus called together his twelve disciples and gave them power and authority to cast out all demons and to heal all diseases. 2 Then he sent them out to tell everyone about the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 “Take nothing for your journey,” he instructed them. “Don’t take a walking stick, a traveler’s bag, food, money, or even a change of clothes. 4 Wherever you go, stay in the same house until you leave town. 5 And if a town refuses to welcome you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate.”

6 So they began their circuit of the villages, preaching the Good News and healing the sick.

7 When Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, heard about everything Jesus was doing, he was puzzled. Some were saying that John the Baptist had been raised from the dead. 8 Others thought Jesus was Elijah or one of the other prophets risen from the dead.

9 “I beheaded John,” Herod said, “so who is this man about whom I hear such stories?” And he kept trying to see him.

10 When the apostles returned, they told Jesus everything they had done. Then he slipped quietly away with them toward the town of Bethsaida.

Dear God, I want to focus on verses 7-9 this morning, but I wanted them in their context. Luke tells us this story of the disciples going out and doing great things, but he also gives us a little bit of insight into what’s happening with Herod. Luke told us about Joanna, the wife of Herod’s business manager Chuza being one of Jesus’s supporters. Was that his source. It’s certainly plausible that she was. I’m sure Herod was learning things about Jesus from Chuza, and Jesus and the disciples were learning things about Herod from Joanna.

I would love to be able to get inside of Herod’s head and see what he is thinking. I think there was actually something about John the Baptist that touched him. He didn’t want to kill him. And now there was this Jesus guy. I don’t think he saw Jesus as a revolutionary threat, which is ironic because that is what the Jewish people wanted him to be. Yeah. I don’t know. I could be completely wrong here, but I almost get the sense that this generation of Herod was a little Jesus-curious. Would Jesus be someone who could bring him a peace he was striving for but couldn’t attain?

I wonder what kept Herod from actually seeing Jesus at this point. Surely he could have just summoned him through Joanna and he would have come. Did he have too much pride to let others know he had this curiosity? Was he afraid Herodias would have Jesus arrested? Was he afraid Jesus would confront him like John did?

It’s important to note how Luke eventually represented Herod’s and Jesus’s interaction when they finally did meet during the Passion:

8 Herod was delighted at the opportunity to see Jesus, because he had heard about him and had been hoping for a long time to see him perform a miracle. 9 He asked Jesus question after question, but Jesus refused to answer. 10 Meanwhile, the leading priests and the teachers of religious law stood there shouting their accusations. 11 Then Herod and his soldiers began mocking and ridiculing Jesus. Finally, they put a royal robe on him and sent him back to Pilate.

Luke 23:8-11

He was excited to meet Jesus, but then when Jesus let him down and didn’t answer any of his questions, he mocked him and condemned him to what he thought was death.

Father, Herod was just a man. He was sinful. He had needs. He had an ego. He was everything I am. And I have a choice to make. Will I be prideful, or will I die to myself, take up my cross, and follow you? Herod had more to lose that I do, so the choice should be easier for me. And I do. I come before you to lay down my life, take up my cross and follow you. Here I am to worship. Here I am to bow down. Here I am to say that you are my God.

I pray to you in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 26, 2024 in Luke

 

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Emails to God – One thing I lack… (Luke 18:18-23)

17 Aug

18 A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’”

21 “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said.

22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

23 When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy.

Dear God, there is a fatigue in self-sufficiency. It can be hard to always do things yourself—to insist on being able to say that you are the one who deserves credit for everything you have accomplished. That’s what this rich young ruler was saying: “I have done it. I have done it all. From honoring the commandments to making money, I have done it within my power and succeeded.”

I am reading a book right now where the “hero” (protagonist is probably a better word because I don’t know that he is that heroic) has accomplished a lot on his own. He started out poor, became a star running back in college, and then a successful lawyer. But the writer is doing a good job of setting up the idea that, even though the man sees his life as safe and impenetrable, it is actually very fragile and only a couple of things have to go wrong for it to all fall apart.

Father, help me to surrender my resources, talent, sinfulness, and everything in between to you. Help me to embrace and absorb you a little more each day. Help me to never cease taking you into my being and surrendering all of me to you. I metaphorically turn my fists downward, open them up and drop everything to which I hold so tight, and then turn my open palms up to you, asking that you will them simply with your presence. And then help me to influence my children to do the same.

 
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Posted by on August 17, 2012 in My Utmost for His Highest Scripture of the Day

 

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Emails to God – “You may now dismiss your servant in peace.” (Luke 2:28-32)

26 Dec

Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel

Dear God, I am going to break with the normal routine of going through Matthew and use http://www.biblegateway.com for the verse of the day. I wonder what it would be like to perceivably reach the end of my life and be ready to go. Since I have had this job I have gotten more used to the idea of my own death because I see so many memorial donations come through for loved ones who have died. I can see that it truly happens to everyone—none of us are going to get out of life alive.

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon with my wife’s 97-(soon to be 98-)year-old grandmother. It was a nice visit with her, and I think she is doing remarkably well. It was our last conversation right before we left that struck me. I think she is feeling her time ending. She told me that my wife and I need to be thinking about what we will want to say at her memorial service. She talked for a few minutes about the end and how her doctor told her he was trying to get her to 100, and she said that she didn’t really want that. I think she is about to the point where she is physically done. She is emotionally spend after having lost her daughter (my wife’s mother). She is even getting mentally spent.

Father, my prayer for her is that she will get to Simeon’s point of peace. That is the only thing that was missing from our conversation yesterday. She is tired, and she is girding herself for death, but she is not yet at peace with the idea. Help her, regardless of how many days, months, or even years she has left, to be at peace. Administer your peace through her remaining daughter. Administer your peace through her sons-in-law. Administer peace through her grandchildren, great grandchildren, and friends. Administer your peace through your spirit as she sits alone and ponders all that you are, all that you have been, and all that you will be to her.

 

 
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Posted by on December 26, 2011 in Luke

 

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