The Temptation of Jesus

In Luke 4:1-13, we have the section titled “The Temptation of Jesus by Satan”. This is a familiar passage that most Bible teachers (myself included!) have used to illustrate the importance of memorizing Scripture. Jesus is able to accurately quote Scriptures to successfully fight off Satan and his temptations. Interestingly, all three of the passages Jesus quotes are from the book of Deuteronomy.

I am sure Jesus could have zapped Satan with His finger, but that wouldn’t be an example that we could follow. Instead, Jesus uses the sword of the Spirit, the word of God, to do His fighting! (Ephesians 6:17). This is the Christian’s defensive weapon; we are to wield the word of God in such a way as to fight off Satan and keep ourselves from temptation and sin.

However, in Luke 4:9-12, Satan speaks to Jesus, quoting Psalm 91:11-12. Here we find that Satan has accurately quoted this Psalm, he doesn’t take it out of context, and he doesn’t try to make it say something it doesn’t mean. In Luke, Satan says these verses talk about the angels caring for Jesus and, if you turn to the Psalm and read it, you’ll find it talks about the angels caring for Jesus. In other words, Satan has picked up the sword of the Spirit and is using it as a weapon to tempt Jesus to sin!

Here is an important teaching to be on guard against people using Scripture. Even if they are accurately quoting the Bible, we still need to be fully engaged mentally and think through the message they are giving us. Bathe everything you intake with prayer! Sometimes it is easy to be gullible and think, “Hey, if that’s what the Bible says…” But here we’re shown to always be cautious. You’ve got to really know the Bible; a casual acquaintance is not going to cut it!

Be Hospitable to One Another Without Complaint

In I Peter 4:9 we find these words: “Be hospitable to one another without complaint.” I must admit this morning I was looking for an easy “one another” when I chose this one. But I have once again been reminded that the Bible contains infinite wisdom from an infinite God and so “easy” just isn’t going to happen…instead, what you get is wow, wonderful, and amazing!

I began with using Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, looking at the Greek word translated in this verse as hospitable. It is a compound word like cup-cake and head-rest. The two words making up the word for hospitable are philos meaning beloved, dear, friendly, and xenos meaning alien, stranger, not of one’s family. Therefore, biblical hospitality means to treat aliens and strangers as if they were our dear, beloved friends.

Next, I looked for other verses using the same word, and found Hebrews 13:2 by simply using my Bible’s cross-reference column. This verse says, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.” Just such a thing is actually recorded as happening twice in the book of Genesis. Abraham is hospitable to three strangers who pass by his tent. One of these men is the Lord Himself who makes the promise of Isaac’s birth (Genesis 18:1-33). The other two men turn out to be angels who then go on to the city of Sodom to rescue Lot and his family prior to the city’s destruction (Genesis 18:22; 19:1-29).

Turning to the story in Genesis 18:4-8, we find Abraham making lavish preparations to entertain his three guests. He begins by offering to wash their feet and bring them a piece of bread. But ends up instructing Sarah to “quickly” prepare 33-quarts of flour for bread cakes and gives a choice calf to a servant to cook. I suppose some of this exuberance might be just cultural, but I think this example is here for us to follow in the sense that what we give to our guests should be of the best we have to offer. Abraham did not choose the lame calf; this would be like picking out all my expired food cans for giving to the homeless shelter.

So, looking back at our key verse, we see that when Peter instructs his readers to “be hospitable to one another”, he isn’t really talking about sharing lemonade on the porch with your best friend. As Abraham’s example shows, the kind of “giving” required here is sacrificial. A gift which costs you nothing is no gift at all. Also remember the xenos part of hospitality means we do this for aliens and strangers, not our best friends. Yes, it is quite OK to kill and eat the choice calf with friends and family, it’s just that to do so isn’t part of biblical hospitality.

Now let’s consider the requirement Peter has added to the end of this “one another”. He expects that we would carry out this extreme sort of entertainment for complete strangers “without complaint”. Turning back to my Strong’s I found the Greek word translated here as complaint can also be translated as grumbling, muttering, and murmuring. But Peter isn’t talking about simply putting on a smile while you serve your guests. This idea of “not complaining” is really quite serious in the eyes of the Lord. In I Corinthians 10:10, we find that the Israelites grumbled in the desert after the exodus and God judged them. I recommend you read the actual account of these events in Numbers 16:41-50. Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary says, “Such grumbling is sin, for it does not accept what comes from the hand of our good God.”

To better understand the true meaning of “complaint”, I used Zodhiates’ Complete Word Study Dictionary, looking at the antonyms (opposites) provided. 1) eulogeo, this is where we get our word for eulogy and it means to speak well of or to bless and to praise. 2) eucharisteo, this where we get the word Eucharist, it means to give thanks and the gospels use this word to record that Jesus “gave thanks” during the Last Supper for the bread and the wine. In case you may think eucharisteo might mean just a polite thank you, let me show you to Luke 17:16. Here we find the story of a leprous Samaritan who was cleansed by Jesus. The man then “fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks [eucharisteo] to Him.”

Armed with this information, let’s look back at our key verse once again, “Be hospitable to one another without complaint.” Peter is telling us to be sacrificially gracious to our unknown (alien) guests while blessing and praising them as if we were giving a eulogy or like they had just cured our leprosy! Yes, this is way more than a polite smile with a cup of tea between good friends.

As a final thought, several words in this study have reminded me of the Choice Son who was slain for me when I was lost in my sin and still alienated from God and outside His family. The Perfect Example of biblical hospitality was given us in the life and death of Jesus Christ, Who was without possessions and home, yet gave His all, His life, for a world full of strangers, and without complaint. You see, there it is: wow, wonderful, and amazing!

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Encourage One Another

My first thoughts concerning encouragement are along the lines of saying kind words to other people. Proverbs 16:24 reads, “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” But as I began to study this command, I quickly found that biblical encouragement is much more then trying to “turn that frown upside-down”!

Hebrews 10: 23-25 is the main passage teaching this one another. Verse 25 says we are to encourage one another by “not forsaking our assembling together”. As I carefully consider this statement, I see how encouragement can have many facets. Our regular church attendance encourages our own faith to grow. Our example also encourages others to be regular in their attendance, and it encourages the leadership to see regular attendance among the people. This is a win-win-win situation.

But Hebrews 10:24 takes encouragement to an even higher plane. Here the writer tells us we are to “stimulate one another to love and good deeds”. This is going way beyond showing up on Sunday morning and complimenting someone’s new dress. We are to be seeking more faithful, Christ-like service because of the interaction we had with that person.

In Acts 11:23, we read that Barnabus encouraged the believers in Antioch “to remain true to the Lord.” This is certainly more than a pat on the back, “atta boy”, feel-good moment. We find later in Acts 11: 25-26, that Barnabus brought Paul to Antioch where they both worked for a year to teach and disciple these believers. These men invested their lives to ensure that others were steadfast in their faith.

So now I think I’ve got a better understanding of biblical encouragement. However, I’m left wondering what I can do to actually encourage love, good deeds, and remaining true to the Lord? I think the first step is to be an example, exhibiting these qualities in my own life. And yes, “atta boys” are in order when you see these character traits in the lives of others.

But when I think over this list, I realize that these qualities are imparted by the Holy Spirit. His indwelling of the believer brings about love, good deeds and steadfastness. This implies that biblical encouragement also involves intercession. We are to pray for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to live Spirit-led lives. In Luke 11:13 Jesus is teaching on prayer and says that our heavenly Father is eager to give the good gift of the Holy Spirit “to those who ask”.

To summarize, biblical encouragement is much more than kind words and compliments. We are to desire the super-natural qualities of “agape” love, good deeds and steadfastness in our own lives as well as each other. Like Barnabus and Paul, we should labor so others will have intimacy with God’s word; for it is there that we come to know true “agape” love. Without such knowledge, there are no “good deeds” and our faith will soon fail.

Furthermore, Hebrews 10:25 adds a sense of urgency about our mission; this encouragement needs to be done “all the more as you see the day drawing near.” There is a pressing deadline beyond which our encouragement will stop, either by death or the Lord’s soon return.

Hebrews 3:13  “But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “today”, so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

Discussion Questions:

What other practical ways can we encourage love, good deeds, and steadfastness? In what ways have you personally been encouraged in these areas?

The Feasts of the Lord

Happy Spring! Our Bereans’ class has finished Luke and is about half way through the book of Acts. It’s been a windy March outside and I can feel a whirlwind in my mind too as I’ve been racing to keep up with all the key events going on in these chapters. Luke, of course, ends with the crucifixion and resurrection events and then Acts picks up with Pentecost and the early beginnings of the Church. These familiar Bible stories are each linked to a Jewish spring festival. Leviticus 23:4 tells us that these festivals are more properly called, “The Feasts of the Lord”, in other words, they belong to Him. These are not holidays like Mother’s Day here in the United States which was begun by a presidential proclamation. The Lord God Himself established these Holy Days. There are seven feasts in total and they depict the entire redemptive work done by the Messiah. Four of the seven feasts are observed in the spring and their meaning was fulfilled in the chapters we studied this past month. The other three feasts are observed in the fall.

The first “Feast of the Lord” is Passover. Jesus IS the Passover Lamb, His perfect sacrifice on the cross makes possible our redemption from Satan’s bondage. If you haven’t read this in a while, I suggest you curl up with your Bible some evening soon to enjoy the first 14 chapters of the book of Exodus. Yes, the story is familiar, but it is so much better than anything you’ll find on your television!

 The very next day after Passover, begins the week long “Feast of Unleavened Bread”. In Bible times, Jewish people commonly referred to the entire holiday season by this name (Mark 4:12). Today however, they usually lump all these holidays together in the word “Passover”. In orthodox Jewish homes, the tradition is still carried out where they search the house for all leavened bread – even the crumbs - and ceremoniously remove it. Leaven is a symbol for sin and, like yeast, it takes only a tiny bit to ferment or rot an entire batch of dough. The day after the Lord’s crucifixion, His body was in the tomb. Yet it did not, and could not, decay   because there was no sin (leaven) to be found in Him.

The third day is called “The Feast of Firstfruits”. It is in the spring that the first green blades of barley appear. The first sheaf is cut and presented to the Lord. If it is accepted, it is His promise, His earnest pledge, that there will be a full harvest. The resurrection of the Lord on the third day is evidence of God’s acceptance of Jesus’ perfect sacrifice. How dear it is to know we are part of the harvest to come, pledged nearly 2000 years ago when God the Father accepted Jesus as the Firstfruit.

Then there is a fourth spring festival, “The Feast of Weeks”. We commonly call this “Pentecost” meaning “fiftieth day” because it is observed on the day after seven weeks beginning with the “Festival of Firstfruits”. 7 x 7 is 49, then the next day is Pentecost, or 50 days after our Easter Sunday.

Most everyone recognizes this day as when the Holy Spirit fell from heaven and the New Testament Church began to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ around the world. But there’s more to it than that! “Pentecost” marks the beginning of the Jewish harvest season. Did you catch that? The celebration of Pentecost is the birth of the Church and the beginning of the harvest; but not just any harvest, this is the Lord’s harvest of souls!

Now let’s look closer at the promise of the Holy Spirit: “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8). Notice that Jesus tells the disciples that the gospel message is to spread in three stages throughout the world. This is a key verse in the book of Acts and actually forms an outline of how the message was indeed carried to the world. In Chapter 2, the message is preached in Jerusalem, in Chapter 8, it spreads to Samaria, finally in Chapter 10, the message breaks out into the entire world with the household of Cornelius being the first Gentile converts.

If we study carefully the instructions given for the harvest as begun on the Day of Pentecost in the Old Testament, we learn that the gospel’s spread was long ago foretold. Leviticus 23:22, “When you reap the harvest of your land, moreover, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field nor gather the gleaning of your harvest; you are to leave them for the needy and the alien. I am the Lord your God.” Note that there are three parts to this harvest: the main harvest, the far corners, and the gleanings. And there are three groups of people who will enjoy these harvest sections – the land owners, the poor, and the aliens or strangers. Each of these corresponds to one of the groups of people in Acts 1:8. The Jewish people are the land owners, the Samaritans are the poor, and the Gentiles are the aliens and strangers.

The next Feast of the Lord on the Jewish calendar is celebrated in the fall at the end of the harvest, known as the Feast of Trumpets. This Holy Day will be fulfilled when Christ returns at the sound of the trumpet on the Day of the Lord.

As for today, Jesus tells us, “lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest” (John 4:35). Let this spring mark a time of harvest in the lives of people you know, begin now to pray for those you will invite to church this Easter – April 8th. For today is the day of salvation! (Hebrews 3:13).

God's Glory

So this week we are finishing up the gospel of Luke in our Bereans’ Sunday school class. I was reading along and soon found that I needed help putting all the bits of information about the Passion Week into chronological order. I turned to John MacArthur’s Whole Bible Commentary – he is a master at sorting out such details. If you have access to this excellent resource, you’ll find several charts for the events of the Passion Week beginning on page 1321 with cross references to all four of the gospels.

On Sunday, we have the Triumphal entry into Jerusalem. This is the scene where people praised Jesus because they thought He would overthrow the Roman government for them. The Pharisees tell Jesus to silence them. This is when Jesus says, “If these become silent, the stones will cry out!” and then foretells the coming destruction of the temple (Luke 19:37-44).

Then, Monday through Thursday, Jesus is in the temple preaching and teaching. Each day the religious elite rejected Him and most all of the religious masses misunderstood Him. Each evening He departed the temple, traveled eastward out of the city and went up on the Mount of Olives to pray and to rest before doing it all again the next day. Interesting side note: on the night of His betrayal, Judas was able to pre-arrange for the Roman guards to arrest Him because this “was His custom” during the week He was in Jerusalem.

Fast forward about 35 years, and the prophecy by Jesus was fulfilled. In AD 70, on April 9th, Titus laid siege to Jerusalem, cutting off all supplies and trapping thousands of people who had been in Jerusalem for the Passover. Over the course of the summer, the Romans systematically and brutally slaughtered tens of thousands. The barricades held until early September when the few remaining captives were then led off to become victims of the Roman gladiator games. The city was set ablaze and the ruins of the temple sifted like flour in an effort to find the gold that had once decorated its furnishings and buildings.

Why did God allow such a thing to happen? Jesus says in Luke 19:44, that it was the people’s failure to “recognize the time of your visitation”. Messiah had come to the Jews, and they had, for the most part, utterly failed to acknowledge Him. God’s judgment fell on the people of that generation for not recognizing Jesus as the Messiah. In essence, they denied the glory of Jesus Christ and robbed Him of the praise that was properly due Him.

Compare this with what was said in Luke 7:16, in this part of the gospel Jesus has just raised a widow’s son from the dead. The people who witnessed this miracle exclaim, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” This is the same sort of teaching in many false religions; they fail to recognize Jesus, the Christ, as Lord and God - part of the Holy Trinity; instead they call Him merely a prophet or a great teacher. Others, of course, claim He did not even exist. However, judgment will one day fall on all the people of the world that have failed to give praise and deny the true glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I don’t think it was a coincidence that the Jerusalem siege began during the Passover celebration. The Jewish people should have been commemorating the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for their sins, yet they were still eating lamb and thinking about their nation’s escape from Egypt. I find myself shuddering at the thought when I read about the magnitude of the brutality, yet I know in the final days, it will be much worse for those caught in their unbelief.

Now let’s leave the New Testament and head back to the Old Testament prophet, Ezekiel. The book of Ezekiel is very interesting, it tells of the coming destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586 BC. Notice that this is not the same destruction as Jesus foretold would happen by the Romans in AD 70.

The prophet Ezekiel repeatedly warns Israel that the Lord will bring judgment if they do not stop their idolatrous ways. Because the people do not repent, Ezekiel has visions which show the glory of God leaving the temple, heading eastward, and going up to the mountain outside the city (Ezekiel 11:23). Sound familiar? This is the same path Jesus would have taken each day during the Passion Week as He left the temple and went to the Mount of Olives for prayer and rest. By the way, Paul wrote in II Corinthians 4:6, that the glory of God was in the face of Jesus Christ.

Judgment and wrath are harsh words; however, God is just. He not only wants our praise, but deserves it. “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.” (Revelation 4:11).

Luke the Historian

A long time family friend has directed me to an online resource of evidence for the truthfulness of the gospel writing being verified from external as well as internal resources.

The URL -  http://themoorings.org/apologetics/Gospels/relia3.html

I am just beginning my personal "dig" around this site but I wanted to post this here for everyone to enjoy. This is, in part, what I have found:

"As we said earlier, the Gospel of Luke was originally combined with Acts in a single work. The author, Luke the physician, was a careful and conscientious historian. The accuracy of Acts led one eminent archaeologist at the turn of the century—Sir William Ramsay—to become a believer in Christ. Through his extensive excavations in Asia Minor, Ramsay himself made many discoveries showing the historical reliability of Acts. Ramsay concluded,

Luke is a historian of the first rank; not merely are his statements of fact trustworthy; he is possessed of the true historic sense; he fixes his mind on the idea and plan that rules in the evolution of history; and proportions the scale of his treatment to the importance of each incident (6).

One of many striking confirmations of Luke's accuracy is his use of titles. The many titles that he brings into his narrative would, if he were careless or uninformed, most certainly give rise to errors. He notes that when pagan opponents of Christianity rioted in Ephesus, there was more than one proconsul of Asia (Acts 19:38). Sergius Paullus appears in Luke's history as "proconsul of Cyprus" (Acts 13:7) and Gallio as "proconsul of Achaia" (Acts 18:12), although the province was ordinarily known as Greece. The local authorities in Ephesus are "Asiarchs" (Acts 19:31). The magistrates of Philippi are "praetors" and their assistants "lictors" (Acts 16:20, 35), but the magistrates of Thessalonica are "politarchs" (Acts 17:6). The chief official of Malta is protos—first man of the island (Acts 28:7). Herod Antipas, known to his subjects as a king, is designated a "tetrarch" (Luke 3:1). And Lysanias is called "tetrarch of Abilene" (Luke 3:1). All these names and titles have been verified as correct, in some instances by archaeological discoveries within the last century (7). Luke's accuracy is all the more remarkable when we consider the difficulty of his task. Roman political titles were in a constant state of flux. Moreover, a writer in antiquity could not check his facts by going to a local library." (emphasis added)

P.S. I have looked more at this site and think this might be one of the better links, it is lesson 5 on the truthfulness of the gospels:  http://themoorings.org/apologetics/Gospels/relia5.html

The Four Gospels

Good morning, yesterday I heard someone say, “The Gospels who describe the life of Christ were all written 60 to 150 years after the fact. Not one of them (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) ever knew Jesus personally.” So today I am here to hopefully clarify some misinformation.

First, I must address the statement, “after the fact”. I am not sure which “fact” is meant here. But I’m offering this information because I think it may be helpful. The way we number our years can be confusing. The term BC refers to “before Christ” and so a lot of folks think that AD refers to “after death”. If that were true, the 33 years in between would have no designation! But the term AD is actually from the Latin “Anno Domini” and can be translated as “in the year of the Lord”. So the year of Jesus’ birth is AD 1, there is no year 0.

Now let’s talk about the gospels. I am surprised to learn that someone thinks that the gospel writers did NOT know Jesus. But until a couple years ago, I thought all four of the gospel writers DID know Jesus. Surprise – we are both wrong! The truth is that two did know Jesus and two didn’t.

Matthew – he is sometimes referred to as Levi, he was a tax collector and 3 of the gospels tell of Jesus personally asking him to “follow Me” and he became one of the 12 Apostles. The gospel according to Matthew was written in about AD 60 – or about 25-30 years after the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Mark – also known as John Mark in the book of Acts. Why? Because there were a lot of “johns” running around! My daughter had the same problem in Jr. High and went by her middle name for 2 years. Mark, as far as we know, did NOT know Jesus personally. So how does he come to write this story of Jesus’ life? Well, he was a traveling companion of the Apostle Peter (one of the 12 who DID know Jesus). He went with Peter as he preached about Jesus and wrote down what Peter said. Basically, you can think of Mark as Peter’s biographer / secretary. Justin Martyr (in AD 150) even referred to Mark’s gospel as “the memoirs of Peter”. The gospel according to Mark was written in about AD 50 – about 15-20 years after the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Luke – also never met Jesus. He became a Christian listening to the Apostle Paul preach about Jesus and decided to become his traveling companion. Paul, as you might know, made 3 very extensive and lengthy missionary trips. These are detailed in the book of Acts. As Paul and Luke traveled, Luke interviewed eye-witnesses who did know Jesus; Luke tells us that in the opening verses of his gospel. Think of Luke as the imbedded investigative reporter of our day. The gospel according to Luke was written about the same time as Matthew’s, around AD 60.

John – this is one interesting fellow! He definitely knew Jesus – and he was nicknamed “Son of Thunder” by the Lord. He and his brother James were both personally called by Jesus to be Apostles. These are the sons of Zebedee who left their fishing boats when Jesus said, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19). He and James were young men, teenagers really, when the call came to them. They had heard the teaching of John the Baptist and were baptized followers of him. So when they had the chance to follow the Messiah – whose coming John the Baptist had preached about – well they both jumped at the opportunity. Now John’s gospel is very different from the other three. John knew of the other gospels and had even read them. He felt there were too many things left out of the life of Jesus so he wrote this fourth gospel around AD 80-90, making him about 60-70 years old! What’s so interesting about his gospel is that almost 80% of the material is completely different from the other 3 gospels.

So that is who these 4 gospel writers are. Should we toss them all out because this writer said this event happened before that one? Not in my mind; these 4 writers all had different reasons for writing their gospel. Matthew puts all the teaching of Jesus together right up front, then goes on about the miracles and travels later. Mark, the shortest gospel, sprints from event to event so quick that you get whiplash from just reading it! He doesn’t stop to give us any commentary – just the facts. Luke says his purpose was to give a detailed accounting from all the eye-witnesses he interviewed, and that is pretty much what he did. And with John, again, his stated purpose was to fill in gaps from the other 3 gospels and that is what he did.

The four gospels combine to create a powerful narration of the Lord Jesus’ time on earth. Christianity is based on the idea that these four books are Truth.

The Christian and Taxes

Let’s turn our attention to Luke 20:19-25. This section in my Bible is titled “Tribute to Caesar” – it is the passage where the Pharisees are once again trying to trick Jesus into saying something that will get Him tossed in prison or killed.

In this case, they pose the question about paying taxes to Caesar, is it lawful for the Jews to do this? In this instance, the tax is a “poll tax” and every person living in the Roman Empire was required to pay it. But that was the sticking point for these Pharisees; they didn’t want to give money to the Romans because they weren’t Romans! Also, it probably had a lot to do with their love for money, as has been pointed out many times before in Luke’s gospel. But here they are, hoping Jesus will agree with them – then they could go running to the nearest Roman soldier and have Him put in jail. Or, better yet, maybe He would say that the Jews do have to pay this Roman tax and then the people will turn against Him. They really felt they had set the perfect trap!

All my life I have heard this story, and it has always been taught to me as a message that good Christians will do both: pay their taxes AND give money to their local churches. Render to Caesar what is his, and give to God what is His. This passage has always been presented to me as a teaching on the proper use of our wealth and possessions.

Now let’s take a closer look at Jesus’ response; “Show Me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” In my NASB Bible there is a little number next to the word “likeness” and looking in the margin, I see the word “image”.

Let’s connect the dots. In Genesis 1:27, we are told, “God created man in His own image”. When Jesus tells the Pharisees to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, He is saying the ownership is based on whose image is on the thing in question. Likewise, when Jesus says, give God what is God’s; He isn’t really talking about money at all. He wants these people to give themselves, their lives, and their every waking moment to the Lord God, whose image He stamped on each and every person when He created them!

I think the true sense of this passage is not about the stewardship of our money, but about the stewardship of our lives. The very image of God, stamped on you by God Himself, means He has ownership over you — and Jesus is saying, give to God what is His!

Luke's Centurion

In Luke chapter 6 we find Jesus teaching about what a true disciple of His would look like: poor in spirit, humble and repentant, obeying the golden rule, loving his enemies, being generous, etc. Then in chapter 7, messengers arrive from a Centurion who is a living example of this very same kind of person.

The Centurion’s love for others is clearly shown. Notice the care and concern he has for a slave. (In this culture, slaves would be disposable property!) And see how this particular Centurion is so well respected that the Jewish elders even say “he is worthy”. The full impact of those words might be easily overlooked, so let me repeat: the Jewish elders are calling a non-Jewish person “WORTHY”! He must have done some remarkable things for them to have this attitude. Yet the humility of the Centurion is evidenced by his own response later in the story, “I am NOT worthy”.

We also see his generosity, having been responsible for building the Jewish synagogue. Some commentators feel that this man may have converted to Judaism and so he had the synagogue built so he could listen to teaching each Sabbath. The exact motive is not given here in Scripture, but his generosity shines through.

Again, this Gentile man has proved to be the example for the lesson taught by Jesus in the previous chapter – THIS is what a true disciple of His is like. And this was completely turned around for the Jews; Centurions were Roman soldiers, the enforcement agency for the tax collectors! Being outsiders, they were generally despised. But Jesus, on the other hand, gives the man praise for having such exemplary faith.

Things haven’t changed much in our day. A lot of folks still think that powerful religious leaders are obviously blessed by God, or that those with great wealth are blessed. We are just as blind sometimes to what a true disciple looks like, and we often fail to BE one because of our blindness. Here are those qualities again: poor in spirit, humble and repentant, obeying the golden rule, loving our enemies, and being generous.

On Being Content

Luke 4:40 “While the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and laying His hands on each one of them, He was healing them.” The first time I read this verse, I paid attention to the healing that was going on; you probably did too just now. But I want to take a look at the opening words – “while the sun was setting”.

Chapter 4 of Luke’s gospel has been telling about a busy day in the earthly ministry of Jesus. Our Lord had been teaching at the synagogue in the morning and was confronted there by a demon-possessed man. He casts out the demon and is invited to Peter’s house to heal his very ill mother-in-law. And now the sun is setting. No doubt the news had traveled quickly that day throughout the area that Jesus had taught “with authority” and also demonstrated authority over demons and disease.

No doubt as well that people were anxious to bring their sick or lame loved ones to Jesus for healing. But here we read a curious thing – the people did not start arriving till sundown . . . . The time here is an important part of the story, but Luke seems to miss telling his Greek readers why this matters and I’m guessing it is because they wouldn’t understand why it was such a big deal. And I’m not sure I really “get it” either, but here’s my best shot:

The sun was setting meant the Sabbath was ending!  Sabbath laws forbid traveling or carrying things. These people had in their midst a healer, THE Healer, and they couldn’t overcome their legalism and traditions to take their loved ones to Him for healing. This is so very sad! I’m not familiar with any orthodox Jewish families and so it is very difficult for me to imagine this mind set. But how do you wait all day to take your loved one (who may be literally dying!) to see the One who can bring healing? But that’s just what they did. “While the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick . . . brought them to Him.”

I’m so much a loss for words here. I really am just not sure why this story grips me so – but it does. My eyes begin to swell with tears at the thought of people waiting all afternoon, anxiously watching the sun creep along its path in the sky – and then finally heading out to seek the Healer! Really? Tears? Yes, I know it sounds so pathetic and I can’t explain it. But the sadness doesn’t end here . . . .

Luke 5:39 “And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, ‘The old is good enough.’” These have got to be some of the saddest words ever spoken! How often has the gospel been preached to someone who already has “religion” and they reply “no thank you, my old religion is good enough!”? And here these Jewish folks have the Living Gospel right in their midst and they would rather follow their traditions and thousands of rules than turn their lives and their sick loved ones over to Him who can truly heal. They are comfortable and content with the faith of their parents and can’t bring themselves to part ways with family tradition.

It was for this reason that Peter INSISTS that the Jewish converts on the day of Pentecost are baptized – he knows their hearts’ desire to just patch on this new found religion to their old ways. But he won’t let them, and so the call to repent is followed with “and be baptized” into Christ! (Acts 2:38). Make a clean break from the religion of your families and publicly show everyone in Jerusalem that you are now IN CHRIST.  Some of those 3,000 baptized that day may have been left with nowhere to go, literally they had just turned their backs on their families and they were no longer welcome at home!

I am sure that some of the sharing of possessions that we see in the opening chapters of Acts came from heart-felt joy and love, but I'm equally sure that some of that was brought about by necessity. Many of those who chose to be "baptized into Jesus Christ" would have nowhere to go. Unless their entire family was baptized with them, they would be un-welcomed in their homes that evening. Furthermore, many would soon become unemployed if their Jewish employers learned of their baptism into Christ. Sharing was a very needful thing for these folks.

Interesting, I heard tell that the crowds estimated on that day in Jerusalem were over one million – that means less than one-third of one percent actually decided to become baptized into Christ. God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He did not change the path to eternal life on that Day of Pentecost. Jesus tells us that the way is NARROW and FEW are those who find it. The way did not become "wide" for that day and then somehow become "narrow" again later.

Lesson: Be careful what you are content with! Luke 5:39 “And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, ‘The old is good enough.’” Sad words indeed.

Saved for What?

Luke 1:74-75 “To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.” –from the prophecy of the Priest Zacharias.

I love these two verses because they make it perfectly clear what we are saved FROM and what we are saved FOR. We are saved FROM our enemies and we are saved FOR serving Him. And WHEN do we serve Him? ALL OUR DAYS! This is not saying an hour on Sunday morning is acceptable. Far from it! The strong implication here is that we are to do this EVERY day and ALL day long!

Luke 3:9 “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (From the preaching of John the Baptist). This verse is really very similar to what Zacharias (John’s father) had said 30 years earlier – the purpose in our being redeemed is to serve Him all the days of our lives: “bear good fruit!”

And this teaching also reminded me of what the Lord told Moses to say to Pharaoh – “Let My People go, that they may serve Me!” (Exodus 8:1). We tend to forget about the “serve Me” part and just focus on the new found freedom we have – yippee, no more being a slave in Egypt. But wait, we’re still to be slaves, bondservants who serve the Lord God our Maker. The Apostle Paul teaches that very lesson quite plainly in Colossians 3:24 -- “It is the Lord Christ who you serve.”

However, telling people that they are saved to serve may not appeal to them. So do we risk them not accepting salvation because they are lazy? Well, I don’t think that this is even an issue. If the Lord has called them, they will get saved! And secondly, we don’t need to tell someone who is truly saved that they need to serve the Lord. They will do just exactly that out of love and thankfulness for all the Lord has done for them. Right?

Luke 7:47  “For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” – Parable of Two Debtors as taught by Jesus.

Moses, Manna, and Me

It always surprises me when one of the great leaders in the Bible seems to lack faith. I understand they are human; they have failures just like I do. But I constantly find myself expecting more from them than I do myself. In Numbers 11, we find Moses having a bad day. The people were grumbling at him (and at God) because they were tired of eating manna.

Then Moses grumbled at God too. It is one thing to prayerfully let the Lord know what is bothering you, it is quite another to say, “So if You are going to deal thus with me, please kill me at once…!“ (Numbers 11:15). When I first read this, I was actually shocked at how calmly the Lord replied to Moses.

Next the Lord promises Moses that the people shall have meat to eat. But Moses (same guy who brought the plagues to Egypt and then parted the Red Sea on God’s behalf!) couldn’t understand where God would get enough meat to actually make that happen. “Should all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to be sufficient for them?” (Numbers 11:22). It is as if Moses is saying, “Hey, there aren’t enough fish in the oceans!”

But I love God’s reply in verse 23, “Is the Lord’s power limited?” And then, of course, the rest of the chapter is the story of how He did just exactly as He said He would and the people all ate meat!

But here’s an application question from this Old Testament story: What is it that you think God can’t do for you? In Luke 8:22-25, we find the disciples being overcome with fear as their boat was taking on water and being tossed about in the fierce storm. Is there a “storm” in your life right now that just seems too big and too fierce for the Lord Jesus to bring under control?

"Mind the Gap!"

It has been nearly thirteen years since my husband and I traveled to England to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. We had a blast back-packing around from city to city and riding on Britain’s fabulous system of railways. One of the things we found so memorable was the recording that played over the public address systems in all the subways and train stations: “Mind the Gap!” These three words played repeatedly whenever a train’s door opened and continued until it was shut again—warning passengers, in a distinctly British female voice, that the gap between the platform and the train car posed a danger. The same three words graced the walls of both the trains and the stations in the boldest of red, white, and blue. So you could imagine how I jumped at the opportunity to purchase and take home a key ring with this symbol as a token of our trip.

It has been years since that vacation. I still have the key ring, but my husband has now passed away and that phrase has a new meaning for me. In the hours immediately following my husband’s death, I sat stunned and unbelieving what had just happened. I was crying out to the Lord, feeling so lost and not having a clue what tomorrow would bring. Then I looked down at my lap and noticed the keys I still clutched in my hand. “Mind the Gap!” The phrase was almost audible—but not in the familiar British female voice that had echoed in my mind since our trip. On this day, it seemed like the Lord Himself was speaking to me and saying, “Mind the Gap!”

The shock of being so suddenly widowed awoke me from a deep, comfortable sleep. Over the next couple years, I gained a more biblical perspective on my life and re-ordered my priorities. It was like how the Prodigal Son is described in Luke 15:17; he “came to his senses” when he decided to return home. That’s the sort of thing that had happened to me; I had finally “came to my senses” and realized God expected me to use this time He’s given me to be a good steward for Him and I needed to quit wasting my days dwelling on the past. I needed to press forward and “Mind the Gap!” Eventually, the Lord gently let me see that being widowed wasn’t meant to be a divine punishment from Him. Instead, He had given me the opportunity to see beyond my pain, replacing it with a new desire to serve Him.

Recently, Ephesians 5:15-16 has become very special to me. “Therefore, be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.” I like this passage because it reminds me of a dear family friend who just never got tired of doing the Lord’s work. As a young man, he served as an overseas missionary, but he retired from that to become a church pastor, then he retired from that to establish a non-profit camp for people with special needs. He was a living example of what Paul meant by “run to win” and “finish well”. And he had faithfully demonstrated to me what it is to “Mind the Gap!”

But just last week, the Lord helped me to put a new spin on Ephesians 5:15-16. I have an NASB reference Bible that is over-flowing with margin notes. For verse 16, “making the most of your time”, it gives an alternate reading: “redeeming the time”. In case you’ve missed this, let me point out that these Bible translators and editors just equated “redemption” with “making the most of something”! I’m overwhelmed at the thought of how wasteful my life was when I was unredeemed and therefore, serving Satan. But, Praise God, because I am now “in Christ”, He helps me make the most of my time!

I’ve also realized that everyone has a personal gap of their own that needs to be tended. Every believer has a past that can’t be changed and a future they hope for and long for. But beginning today, and until that heavenly future comes, we all have a gap. For some it will prove to be a long road; for others of us, the end may be just around that next bend. But the Lord expects us all to “Mind the Gap!” Take heed to do today what you can to help usher in His Kingdom and His Righteousness.

Turning now to Luke 2:36-38, we read about Anna, a prophetess. Here was a widow of many years who undoubtedly had known heartaches and sorrows. Yet Luke tells us, she served the Lord faithfully, every day in the temple with prayers and fastings—and she proclaimed Jesus to be the long-awaited Messiah. Anna knew her priorities, she was minding her gap, and doing it very well! Likewise, we need to snap up every opportunity to serve Christ and tell others about Him.

But let’s get practical here for a moment—what does one do to “Mind the Gap!”? Well, for instance, I try to balance time spent in the Bible, prayer, witnessing, and fellowship and daily try to do each one. I know that when I do that, my life will become more spiritually balanced and focused on eternity. This, to me, is what it means to “Mind the Gap!”

Redeem your days by making the most of the time God has allotted to you. Rescue each and every day from Satan’s jaws. “Mind the Gap!”

Galatians 5:13 “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”

Here are some Journaling Suggestions for you to try:

Tell about someone whose example of “time stewardship” has inspired you.

Recall a day when you were particularly successful at redeeming your time for the Lord.

Zacharias and the Blessing - Luke 1

I’ve had the privilege this last week to read through several times the familiar stories found in Luke’s first chapter. I’ve known for quite a while that there is blessing to be gained by doing this – simply re-reading the same passage for many days. Eventually, you begin to notice things that are just simply missed with a casual once through pass of Scripture. I’m convinced this is a key to unlocking some of the mystery of the Bible and I’m personally choosing to use this method for Bible study throughout 2012.

On my first pass through the reading, I usually mark anything that jumps out at me as either a word or phrase I’m unfamiliar with or something I just want to investigate a little further. Then I start digging around in my various Bible resources to see what I can find out. Much to my surprise I found an answer last week to a question I wasn’t even asking. The Priest Zacharias was performing his service in the holy of holies when the angel appeared and told him he and Elizabeth would soon be having a child, John the Baptist.

Luke 1:21 reads, “The people were waiting for Zacharias”. So here’s the question, “Why, what were they waiting for?” And the answer I came across in 3 different resources all said this – they were waiting for him to say the familiar blessing found in Numbers 6:22-27. And what a blessing it is! I’m sure this is familiar to you:

“The Lord bless you, and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance on you, and give you peace.”

However, because Zacharias doubted the words of the angel, the Lord caused him to be mute and the people waited in vain on that day, they did not receive the blessing they hoped for.

We’re not told exactly what Zacharias doubted. God’s words? The angel is really from God? God’s power to cause his aged and barren wife to conceive? Or was it a combination or all of these that Zacharias was doubting? Even though we aren’t sure what was the cause, we can still learn from his momentary lack of faith.

When we doubt God’s Word, the reality of God’s presence, God’s ability or willingness to act on our behalf, the result is that we, like Zacharias, will be mute. Doubts, of any kind, leave us with our lips sealed, shut tight – unwilling and unable to properly witness to anyone around us. And the result is that we have failed to bring the Lord’s Blessing to others. We no longer tell of God’s wonderful and merciful dealings with us – because we doubt they really happened because of God!

But notice in Luke 1:64, Zacharias was ready to be obedient as evidenced by his choice of name for his son. And now, his once mute mouth, brought forth PRAISES! I think any time we have doubts, if we will just begin to praise the Lord, the doubts will disappear. It is as if the doubts are brought to our minds by Satan’s minions – and they won’t stick around if you’re verbally, out loud, praying, witnessing to others, or singing God’s praises. It would be like in the movies when they splash holy water on a vampire! Praise vanquishes Doubt!

Then something wonderful happens in verse 67, Zacharias is now filled with the Holy Spirit and is used by the Lord to utter prophecy. This is a great lesson for us. Zacharias first praised God, THEN he was filled with the Holy Spirit, and THEN the Lord used him, gave him a job to do – a ministry that only he was able and suited to carry out.

Oh, if we would only learn to do this simple thing – vanquish all our doubts with praise! Then we too can be entrusted to do great things for the Lord, helping to establish His Kingdom. When we praise the Lord, we become useful to our God; it shows our humility and a proper attitude. Praise Him!

Romans 15:13 – “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Journal Prompts:

How have the words of others served as a blessing in your life?

Recall a time when you conquered your fear to speak with someone about the Lord.

Herod, King of Judea -- Luke 1:5

As you begin to read Luke’s gospel, you can easily fail to notice the words that innocently begin the fifth verse: “In the days of Herod, king of Judea . . .” How many times have I heard the familiar Christmas story? The wise men are told by King Herod to report back to him so he can have this new Baby King killed. But somehow, over the years I never realized just who or what Herod was the king of! Here is another instance where crawling through the Bible, bit by bit, has its advantages.

Judea . . .? “Land of the Jews” – most of the exiles returning from Babylon captivity were from the tribe of Judah, therefore, their homeland became known as Judea. The area included both Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

Herod . . .? Some references I have say Herod was a descendant of Esau, Jacob’s older twin brother. Since it is Jacob’s 12 sons who become the Nation of Israel, this means Herod is a non-Jew. And thus, an outsider is ruling over the Jews. Other sources say he is a “half-Jew”. Either way, his actions while ruler speak loudly that he gave little regard to God’s Law. He had 10 wives, he was directly involved in or ordered the murder of several individuals, and he demanded a loyalty oath from his subjects. His own political career was Herod’s primary concern. Even while rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem; he was really seeking political favors and power by placing an eagle over the entrance – the symbol of the Roman Empire.

Note -- there are at least 8 different Herod’s in the New Testament. This one, in Luke’s first chapter, is called “Herod the Great” and is the same one in Matthew 2:1-17 who had the baby boys in Bethlehem killed. Different Herod’s had John the Baptist be-headed, put Jesus and then Paul on trial, killed James, and imprisoned Peter. Maybe that’s not important here, but I didn’t realize they weren’t the same person. Anyway, the Herod who ordered the killing of the baby boys was gravely ill at the time and actually died just a short time later. This was his way of ensuring the throne would pass to one of his heirs and not the baby Jesus.

So why the history lesson, why does any of this matter today? Well, I think we should realize that this man was not king of some distant land that the wise men happened to be traveling through, but he was king of the Nation of Israel. Herod was not following the ways of Israel’s faith and he blatantly ruled over God’s people without any thoughts of God! Herod’s many murderous rampages were all political power plays. He would do anything to keep his throne and he refused to quietly step aside so some Jewish baby could take his throne.

Why didn’t the Jewish people object? According to Baker’s Bible Encyclopedia, some did object, particularly when it came to the loyalty oath. But for the most part, Herod’s rule was peaceful because he passed laws cutting taxes. Were the Jews really pacified by tax cuts? Could Herod disregard God’s Law because of tax cuts? I’ve always wondered why they let their baby boys be killed. Why wasn’t this the start of some massive political upheaval or an all out bloody war? I mean really, they were OK with this murderer being their king because of tax cuts . . . ?

In America today, there is a host of political and corporate office holders who have no regard for God or His Law. Most of the people running this nation, both politically and economically, are the very people warned about in Psalm 1. The wicked, the sinners, and the scoffers we are meant to avoid are, in fact, our overseers. We are a nation unequally yoked! As a result we are bound up with them and making sinful compromises on a daily basis. Many of our heads of state are in open rebellion against our God and His ways. And just like Herod, their singular objective is to stay in control, at all costs. But it seems, most of the time, we do little or nothing to interrupt their sinful plans.

However, we have more to fear than just political or corporate leaders. Today there is a dark ruler of this world who will also hold nothing back if it means staying in control. And just like Herod, Satan refuses to quietly step aside when Christians threaten his authority. Anyone walking strong in their faith, following the Lord Jesus, has a target on their forehead. We are ridiculed and maligned, called misinformed and hate-mongers. And our children are being taught to despise the “intolerance” of our Christian faith that boldly claims to be the ONLY way, the ONLY truth, and the ONLY path to eternal life. The people in Judea handed over their baby boys to Herod’s men, and in many ways we are doing the same with our young people today. We allow Satan to take control of their lives when we refuse to take a stand for biblical truths and our Christian values.

Yes, we have sunk low; we are living in dark, perilous times. But all is not lost, keep the faith. Pray for our nation, our leaders, and our youth. Pray that the Church's apathy will be turned into boldness. Jesus will soon return and the current “Herods” of this world will be forever unseated and eternally judged by the Righteous King. In the meantime, this darkness is necessary so we will learn to CRAVE the Light more.

John 15:19 “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.”

Journal Suggestions:

What compromises have you made with your faith as a result of yoking yourself to an unbelieving friend or employer?

Recall a time when taking a stand brought you ridicule or worse.

One is Enough, Luke 1:1-4

A couple weeks ago I had a visit from a dear friend I haven’t seen in over 15 years. The time passed way too quickly and I was sad to see her go. One of the many things we talked about while she was here was her church back home. Her pastor has gone through the Bible, teaching bit by bit, from Genesis to Revelation. It took 13 years to complete. I think I would have greatly enjoyed being a part of that. . . .

The wisdom of knowing the entire Bible isn’t a new idea for me, I’ve used tools like “Daily Walk” many times to help me get from Genesis to Revelation in one year. But some people have nicknamed this method the Daily Dash because of the quick pace. And I can understand their criticism. So my friend got me thinking about trying a slower pace – just to delight over each chapter, pondering over each teaching and becoming more Christ-like as I move along.

As a result of her visit, I started a personal study of the Bible with Luke’s Gospel. I hope to do Acts next. After that, I’ll just have to wait and see where the Lord leads.

I know I’ve read Luke’s Gospel several times as part of my Daily Walk’s; and yet I can’t really say I ever noticed any of the things I’m learning this time around. My methodical studying, rather than a dashing read, is really a blessing!

It is no coincidence that this study through Luke is also the beginning of my blog. I’ve been wrestling with this blog idea for so long now and Luke has helped encourage me to finally start down the path. As I read the opening verses of his gospel, I found that he wrote this as a personal letter to a friend named Theophilus (meaning “lover of God”).

But it wasn’t just some random compilation of memories. Tradition has it that Luke researched his topic for two years before writing the gospel letter we have today (Life Application Bible). Luke carefully wrote and organized his thoughts, being faithful to an audience of just one. Nearly two-thousand years later, his efforts are still being used by God to bless others. He had no idea, I’m sure, that we would be preaching and teaching from his letter all these generations later.

John Calvin has criticized those who thought Theophilus was a general greeting to all the “lovers of God” in the region at the time. It seems some scholars felt God wouldn’t send such an important message to just one person. Calvin points out that Paul’s letters to Timothy are to “just” one person and no one seems to have a problem there. Anyway, his argument got me to thinking about the parables of the Lost Coin and the Lost Sheep and that when it comes to God, there isn’t any distance too far to travel that one soul might be saved. So I find myself agreeing with Calvin, I think this gospel was indeed sent to just one person. And, praise the Lord, Luke’s “private letter” has forever changed the world.

This week as I checked on my blog space for comments or followers, I was tempted to be discouraged. But Luke’s Gospel stands as an example of “the power of one”. The size and scope of my readership is not what is important. My sprawling notes will become neatly typed, edited, and ordered. And in doing this work, I will remember these lessons all the more – they will become more a part of my soul – not just a passing thought with little or no influence on my daily living.

Like Luke, I have no idea who will ever read what I write. Maybe no one, but if the thought of that imagined reader keeps me faithful to study, learn, and write, then it is already being useful and a blessing to me – also a Theophilus – lover of God. And just like Luke, one is enough to make it all worthwhile.

I Peter 2:2a “Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word.”

Journal Suggestions:

Recall a time when “crawling” over a passage of Scripture has brought you new blessings.

Who or what has God used in your life to illustrate how important just one coin, one sheep, one soul is to Him?

Describe an unexpected change in your life as a result of an unassuming comment.