Year 7, Day 243: Acts 10

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Something amazing is at work in God’s Word as we pass through Acts.  Remember, this book started with the world immediately after Jesus Christ died.  Acts begins with the world in a different place; it is a world in the truth of the crucifixion.

The disciples are empowered.  The wisdom of the religious leaders is being overcome.  The wisdom of the world is being denounced.  God’s Spirit is being passed out among human beings and the world is being transformed one unique person at a time.

We’re at the place in Acts where we see this loudly and clearly.  In the last few chapters we’ve seen more and more people participating in the work of God.  The Apostles aren’t the only ones rising up to be filled with God’s Spirit.  We’ve seen Peter and John and Philip, of course.  But we’ve also seen Stephen rise up.  We’ve seen God get the attention of a Pharisee named Saul.  We’ve seen Barnabas rise up.  We’ve had followers of Christ in a whole city work to save the life of a man they once feared.

In this chapter, we see God’s Spirit at work within a Roman centurion and his whole household.  This Roman centurion is a member of the Italian Cohort.  Yet, he is a god-fearer.  That means he has belief, faith, religious piety … all the love and fear of God that he can possibly have without officially being a Jew.  He’s praying and God comes to him.  He tells him about Peter.  This Roman centurion listens and obeys.  He seeks out Peter.  He wants to know.

We also see Peter listening.  He receives a vision.  It is a message telling Peter that He’s about to do something new.  God is showing Peter that He can make the whole world clean.  Ritual purity isn’t just for the Jews, it’s for the world.  Relationship with God isn’t just for the Jews, it’s for the whole world.  Dwelling with God and having His Spirit within us is for anyone who wants relationship with Him.

Cornelius receives God’s Spirit.  His whole household receives God’s Spirit.  These unbaptized non-Jewish god-fearing Romans participate in relationship with God. That’s the nature of what God has done through the cross.  That’s the nature of what God is doing in Acts.  He’s bringing about a new reality through Jesus.  This chapter is all about how God desires to be open to all people who desire to be in relationship with Him.

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Year 7, Day 242: Acts 9

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Acts 9 is a really neat chapter.  Normally, I get to Acts 9 and talk all about the conversation of Saul.  Don’t get me wrong.  Paul is an incredibly important person when we talk about the development of early Christianity.  It’s okay to focus on Paul at this point in the story.  Today, though, I am led to a different topic.

What I really like about Acts 9 today is the plethora of witnesses in the chapter. Let’s return to the conversion of Paul.  Paul hears a voice and experiences the presence of God.  Who is it that comes to his aid?  There is a disciple called Ananias that comes to his aid.  What is the witness of Ananias?  Obedience.  Notice that Ananias doesn’t particularly want this assignment.  He doesn’t want to go to Paul.  He’s afraid of what Paul will do to him because of what Paul has done to all of the other Christians with whom he’s come into contact.  Yet, Ananias still goes.  He still obeys.  In spite of his own better judgment, he’s pretty clear on what God wants him to do.  He does it.

Saul gets to Damascus.  While there, his life is in danger. The Jews in Damascus want to do away with him.  We aren’t told why, but it probably has something to do with the fat that they now saw him as a traitor and a betrayer of God.  Who comes to his aid?  We have an unknown group of disciples who risk their lives to get Paul out of Damascus.

Next, we hear about Saul in Jerusalem.  At first, the disciples want nothing to do with him because they fear him.  Who comes to his rescue?  Barnabas.  Barnabas comes, listens, mentors, and vouches for Paul.  We know that Barnabas will continue to mentor Paul, too.  Because Barnabas is willing to be obedient, the church has peace and can grow.

Then we get to Peter.  Peter finds a man paralyzed for 8 years and heals him.  He finds a dead woman and tells her to get up and be healed.  In both cases, Peter is the hand of God.  God’s will is done.  God gets the glory.

What can we get from this chapter?  God’s Spirit is spread among a great variety of people.  Many people are involved in accomplishing what God is doing in their lives.  Many people are given gifts and asked to employ them so that God’s will is done.  We can’t be in isolation. Nobody can be the be-all-and-end-all of God’s work.  We have a part to play; it is God’s story being told and God’s will being done.

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Year 7, Day 241: Acts 8

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Acts 8 is a great chapter for analytics.  We start low in the chapter with the story of Saul.  Saul is breathing threats against the church.  He is persecuting the followers of Christ.  He is preparing to get permission to go around all of the surrounding area, look for Christians, and drag them back to Jerusalem to be put on trial for their convictions.  It seems like such a dark story.

On the other hand, it is exactly this story that causes the spread of Christianity.  Christians start fleeing Jerusalem by the droves.  Because of the persecution, Christianity takes off like wildfire in the neighboring areas.  Granted, Saul isn’t being obedient to God; don’t hear me praising Saul or trying to justify his actions.  But God can use the persecution to bring about His will.  God uses Saul as an antagonist to spread the Gospel, it’s only fitting that in a few chapters He’ll be using the same man to spread the Gospel through his witness, too.

Then we move on to the story of Simon the sorcerer.  Here is a man who clearly responds to the faith.  He’s been known to have some minor powers in the past.  But when he sees Christians coming into town and performing incredible acts of faith, he jumps on the bandwagon.  But there’s a problem with how he jumps on the bandwagon.  He sees people receiving the Holy Spirit for free, yet he wants to pay for it.  We don’t know why.  We simply aren’t told.  It could be that Simon thinks if he buys it he’ll get more power.  It could be that if he offers to pay for it he’ll create a debt that he can cash in on later.  Maybe he thinks that buying his way in will allow him to rise to the top more quickly.  We don’t really know.  To be fair, though, Simon is doing this because God has caught his attention.

Peter rebukes Simon.  He tells Simon that he needs to repent.  I love this part of the story.  For Peter, the relationship is marred but it isn’t over.  There is always room for repentance until we die.  It shouldn’t surprise us that the disciple who is given a second chance after denying Christ three times before the crucifixion is the same disciple who here gives Simon a second chance.

We aren’t told that Simon repented, but he does at least ask Peter to pray for him.  The story isn’t exactly a happy one, but there are some really neat dynamics at work.

Then we turn to Philip and the eunuch.  I love this story.  Here is a eunuch, who because of his nature as a eunuch has been kept out of the inner portions of the temple.  He’s returning home from Jerusalem.  Philip goes out to this eunuch at the leading of the Holy Spirit.  The eunuch is willing to listen.  The eunuch is willing to ask questions.  The eunuch is willing to wonder at what God is doing in the world.  Philip follows the leading of the Holy Spirit and opens up scripture in his presence.  The eunuch receives.

This is such a contrasting story to the opening ones.  Philip doesn’t reject the eunuch because of his nature, he embraces him because of his curiosity.  The eunuch doesn’t try to buy his way into relationship with God, he humbly accepts the free gift that is offered to him.  When challenged, the eunuch submits and finds himself changed.  There ismuch inspiration in both Philip and the eunuch.

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Year 7, Day 240: Acts 7

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Stephen steps up to speak.  We know the end of the story.  He is stoned.  His life is snuffed out for telling the truth.  The overarching hard lesson of this chapter is that sometimes the world doesn’t like our message so much that they’d rather get rid of us.  When we stand up on the side of truth, we often stand alone.

There is a subtler point throughout this passage that is distinctly related to the overarching point.  Why does the world dislike absolute truth? Absolute truth exposes us for the people that we actually are.

God chose Abraham from among the nations.  After a few generations, we arrive at Joseph.  God clearly chose Joseph, too.  Joseph would save his people.  Joseph’s brothers don’t appreciate God’s preference of Joseph and the sell him to Egypt. Naturally, that’s one move that God can use.  God uses Joseph’s rejection to bring about the salvation of not just God’s people but many of the civilizations around Egypt.  God works through human rebellion.

Then we hear about Moses’ rebellion in killing an Egyptian.  He ends up spending forty years in the wilderness, growing and maturing.  God brings him back to Egypt to lead His people out of Egypt.  Don’t forget that the Exodus only happened the way that it did because Pharaoh rebelled against God.

That leads us to Solomon, who builds a temple for God when God is absolutely content living in a tent among His creation.  That temple allows for a concrete place for human rebellion to continue to grow, even becoming focused on opposing the prophets of God.  We know in reading the accounts of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel just how corrupt the temple area and the religious became before conquest of Babylon.  Yet, God used that very exile to humble His people and bring them back to Him and away from their rebellion.

This leads Stephen to speak about how the religious leaders rebelled against Christ.  Once more God is able to use their rebellion to bring about salvation to the world for the forgiveness of sins.  These religious leaders kill Christ – and they are about to kill Stephen, too.  But God can use the action to further His will and the spread of His kingdom.  That’s what the rest of Acts is all about.

Humans rebel against truth.  We wish to do what makes sense to us and what keeps us happy.  We don’t care to submit to a higher authority, especially when that authority holds us accountable and asks us to leave the path of self-promotion for a high road.  But that doesn’t mean God can’t use us.  That doesn’t mean God can’t work through our rebellion.  All of the incredible things that God has done in this world have been a response in one way or another to our human rebellion and its effects upon us. 

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Year 7, Day 239: Acts 6

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I’ve always found Acts 6 to be an interesting chapter.  On one hand, we have what most people lift up as a great delegation of duties.  The apostles are being worn out because they have to care for people.  Therefore, they say to the crowd, “Listen, we need to appoint people to do these other more menial tasks so that we can focus on the better jobs like preaching and teaching and prayer.”  The people assent to this, probably just happy to have someone to focus on their needs.

Don’t get me wrong.  I think delegation is good.  I have even been in the camp of lifting up the decision in Acts 6 as a great model of leadership.  But I’m beginning to waffle on that decision as I mature and think about the story.  Remember, the apostles appoint Stephen and the other to focus on service so that they can focus on preaching and teaching.

Think about what comes immediately after we hear that Stephen is appointed to be one of the people who are supposed to be focusing on the needs of the people.  Stephen finds himself facing opposition.  But Stephen’s service is not what is being opposed.  It is Stephen’s teaching that is being opposed!  Stephen was doing great works among the people!

It’s almost like God send us a message that the apostles – most religious leaders – don’t want to hear.  When religious leaders think themselves above certain tasks in the church, God’s going to move along and use someone else.  Literally the story after the apostles make this decision we hear a story about how one of the “other” people are following God and living in His will.  We have a story about how Stephen is capable of doing both the menial tasks and the so-called higher tasks of preaching and teaching.

Honestly, I think Acts 6 and 7 has a distinct counter-cultural subplot against the desires of most religious leaders – a subplot often overlooked, hopefully not intentionally.  God doesn’t want His leaders rising above certain tasks.  He doesn’t want His religious leaders delegating away tasks based on their type.  Yes, religious leaders need to delegate; we cannot do it all and will burn ourselves out if we try.  But we aren’t to delegate away all of the lesser tasks and keep all of the glorious ones for ourselves.  We are to do what called has called us to do and then delegate to others what God has called them to do.

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Year 7, Day 238: Acts 5

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Today we have two interesting contrasting stories.  We begin with the interesting story of Ananias and Sapphira.  Here is a couple who sell some land and give some of the money to the Lord.  There’s nothing wrong with this.  Nowhere does God have the expectation that we give everything.  The problem is that they lie about it.  They lie to make it seem like they are giving everything.  That’s what God has an issue wish.  They lie in order to make their love for God seem better than it really is.  The punishment is that they die.  Their life ends because of the lie.

In an interesting twist, we hear about a story from the disciples.  They are healing and teaching and preaching.  They are arrested, but God frees them.  They go back to teaching and preaching as soon as God frees them.  They are arrested once more.  Here’s where the twist comes into play.  Peter steps up and tells the truth.  In his boldness, God spares the lives of the disciples.  Gamaliel steps up and speaks wisdom from God.  Because of their willing ness to tell the truth, Peter and John find themselves able to continue living.

I think that this is a neat part of the story.  When we try to save our life through our own inventive creativity, we end up spending what life we have left.  When we are willing to spend our life by standing upon God’s truth, we find that He has the ability to deliver us from death.

Don’t get me wrong.  It won’t be easy to stand upon the truth.  Peter and John may have saved their life, but notice that they are still beaten before they are released.  They are nearly killed for their desire to stand upon the truth.  They get a good scare and the world does inflict its price upon them.  But their life is spared because they have put their faith in the Lord.

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Year 7, Day 237: Acts 4

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In Acts 4 we get to see the downside of being a part of God’s hand at work.  The religious leaders arrest Peter and John.  They don’t like it that someone else is displaying power.  They really don’t like the fact that they had just killed Jesus and yet people are still doing works in His name.  Quite often when we are doing the work of the Lord we will be ridiculed, scorned, and rejected by the world and its people.  That’s reality.

Check out Peter in this story.  Facing arrest, Peter speaks boldly. He doesn’t try to save face.  If he is going to go down, he speaks boldly. Jesus announces Jesus’ name as the source of the power.  Remember, these are the people who just convicted Jesus to be crucified.  Peter goes into hostile territory and proclaims his faith with expert skill and a distinct lack of fear.

The result of this is that the religious leaders are amazed.  They can’t believe that Peter and John – these uneducated fisherman with no religious training – are capable of impressing them.  The religious leaders also have a bit of fear of the people in them because Jesus did so many miracles and Peter and John are now claiming His name as power.  Peer and John are released.  They are threatened, but they are released unharmed.

There is another result of Peter’s boldness.  Their fellow believers are emboldened.  They even ask God for even more boldness.  When we step out in God, we make it easier for others to step out, too.  We also make it easier to step out ourselves.

Finally, we see that the disciples continue to live in peace and community with the other believers.  How can this possible continue?  It continues because the people are focused upon God.  The people are not focused on themselves and their own greatness.  They are focused on God’s greatness and His amazing power.  When we are truly focused on God, we can live at peace with one another.

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Year 7, Day 236: Acts 3

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Once more we see a great number of the themes that we spotted yesterday.  God’s hand is at work.  Peter gets an opportunity to do ministry.  As Peter does ministry, community develops.  As Peter does ministry, he gets an opportunity to teach and preach.

To take part of this story much more deeply, take a look at this interaction between the lame beggar and Peter and John.  I want to give the lame guy some credit.  He asks for alms.  Do you understand how hard it is to acknowledge one’s own deficiencies and inability to support oneself?  Here is a guy who is willing to go up to strangers and ask for a handout.  That takes guts.  It takes guts to face the countless rejection and still ask.  It takes guts to view the mirror of oneself and see the imperfection and inability.

Peter doesn’t give him a handout.  Peter looks to the man and gives him what he can.  I personally would consider Peter’s gift the better gift.  Peter introduces the man to the power of God in the person of Jesus Christ.  This lame man stands up and walks.

Here’s the neat thing.  The man clings to Peter.  Peter takes the man and literally brings him into the temple with them.  Peter literally brings the man into the presence of God.  God’s work through Peter results in the lame man being led into relationship with Him.  Community happens between Peter and the lame man because it centers on relationship with God at the core.

There’s one more thing about this opening story that is worth noting.  Do you hear that the people were filled with wonder about this?  God’s handiwork is visible to the people around us.  Sometimes it is visible to many people.  Sometimes it is visible just to a few close people.  But it is visible.  God’s work in me can inspire others.  God’s work in others should inspire me.  I should be looking for God’s hand at work and then I should be willing to be filled with wonder.  The things that God can do should be awe-inspiring.  It shouldn’t matter whether I am an infant in my spirituality or an old veteran of the faith.  God’s hand should inspire wonder and awe within.

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Year 7, Day 235: Acts 2

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Acts 2 contains several famous passages.  Top of that list is the coming of the Holy Spirit.  The disciples receive the Spirit of God as Jesus promised. They speak in tongues.  Once more, we can catch the theme that God does not abandon His people.  He comes through on His promises.

The speaking in tongues moves us quickly to a second famous story.  We hear that there are people in Jerusalem from all over the world.  They hear the disciples speaking in their own native tongues.  Naturally, this is a bit of a miracle because we know the disciples and we know that they weren’t highly enough educated to speak foreign languages.  Furthermore, they certainly can’t speak those languages at the same time!  This teaches us something powerful.  When God acts as He promises, we can expect results.  God’s hand brings about events that propel His kingdom forward.

The next famous story that we get to hear is Peter’s response to the public outcry.  Peter begins to teach and preach.  Notice that Peter does give an easy message.  He calls the people out.  He leads them into an understanding of sin and then grace.  The people respond.  What can we learn here?  We can absolutely learn that when God’s hand moves we can expect to have an opportunity for further ministry.  We should be prepared to speak.  We should be prepared to speak truth in love.

Naturally, this leads us to the community of believers.  They share what they have in common.  We can learn something here, too.  When God’s hand moves and we speak in truth, we can live in truth as well.  We can live in community because we all understand our shortcomings, why we need grace, and where God can work in and through us all.

In Acts 2, we get a great perspective on ministry.  There is much to learn here.  There is much to experience with respect to what God’s work looks like in a post-resurrection era.

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Year 7, Day 234: Acts 1

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The story continues.  The book of Acts is the natural continuation of the book of Luke.  In Luke, Luke relays the story of Jesus to his sponsor, Theophilus.  In Acts, Luke relays the story of the disciples and those who became the leaders of the early Christian movement.

I think that it is important to note the first few stories of Acts.  Even after the resurrection, the disciples are following orders.  Jesus tells them to stay put until they have received the Holy Spirit.  The disciples follow, obey, and receive the Holy Spirit.  Then, they continue to follow and obey until the ascension.  They see Jesus go up into heaven.  Their obedience continues to pay off.

Life is hard.  Life is difficult.  Following Jesus is no easy task.  Knowing what God desires us to do, much less doing it, is downright difficult.  The disciples struggled to follow Jesus and understand His teachings prior to His death, and Jesus stayed with them through their successes and failures.  As we start Acts, we see that they are finally making progress.  They have grown, developed, and matured.  They are capable of obeying now.  Of course, they aren’t perfect.  But they are growing and maturing.

For me, it is easy to think that is about perfection.  It’s easy to get down on myself for my inability to obey.  The story of Acts helps with that propensity.  In Acts we will watch fledgling followers of Christ grow, mature, develop, make mistakes, but continue to follow God.  God’s will continues to be done in spite of the failings of His followers.  God’s followers continue to obey and pursue Him in spite of their own circumstances and failings.  The best way to defeat the feelings of sadness that comes when we make mistakes is to remember that the journey towards God is often more important than any of the individual mistakes along the way.

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Year 7, Day 233: Luke 24

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We are not abandoned.  I think that is a great subpoint to Luke 24.  Of course, the great overarching point is that Jesus has conquered death and we too can follow in His path to eternal life with the Father.  In that great theme, we can see that we are not abandoned.

The women run to the tomb.  They are going to continue the work of caring for the dead body.  As we know, Jesus is not there.  No doubt they are confused and worried.  But they are not abandoned.  An angel is there to help them understand.  Angels are there to guide them towards the truth.  The women come seeking, and they find direction.

We also hear the witness of the men on the road to Emmaus.  The men are clearly sad.  They don’t understand what has happened.  They’ve clearly heard the witness of the women at the tomb.  They’ve even experienced Peter’s account.  Yet they are still struggling to understand.

Again, they are not alone.  Jesus comes to them.  He abides with them.  He walks with them and explains life to them.  He guides them and directs them into truth.  In their darkest hour, Jesus is with them still.

Of course, we have the familiar story of the disciples in the upper room.  They are still doubting, even after hearing the witness of the women and Peter.  These are the people that Jesus taught for several years.  Yet, even in the midst of their doubt Jesus does not abandon them.  He doesn’t hold it against them.  As with all the other groups, He does chastise them and remind them that they were taught what to expect.  But He doesn’t abandon them.  He continues to be with them, teaching them and guiding them.

I love this part of the story.  God’s will is accomplished.  Death is defeated.  Even when His human disciples are struggling, Jesus comes and helps them out. What a great example of a mature person in the faith!

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Year 7, Day 232: Luke 23

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Yesterday, Jesus taught His disciples about being great in the eyes of God.  What does it mean to be great?  Jesus is clear.  He came to serve.  He came to be in the lives of others.  He didn’t come to bend people to His will; He came to work in the lives of others.

That is the story of the crucifixion.  Jesus goes before Pilate and Herod.  He could have called upon the power of divine and freed Himself.  He could have called the power of nature and destroyed those around Him.  What do the stories say that He did?  He stood there, honestly answering their questions, and allowing them to play their part in God’s overarching plan.

Where I see Jesus’ servant nature most clearly, though, is upon the cross.  Before He dies, He cries out.  He gives us the famous words of the servant.  “Into your hands I commend my spirit.”  This is the rallying cry of the one who is not in a position of power.  Jesus knows that what remains is in the hands of God.  The Father will sort out the pieces from here.

Jesus succumbs to death.  He gives up His spirit.  He releases His hold on life and allows the Father to do His work.  His blood has been shed; His life was cast aside by human beings.  God accepts the sacrifice.  The curtain is torn.  The sky darkens.  It is over.

Before I end, there is one more detail that is worth bringing out.  Notice who it is that understands the role of Christ.  The centurion sees.  The centurion declares that Jesus truly was the Son of God.  The centurion is by definition a servant of Rome.  Here is a man who knows what it means to give up his ultimate freedom in service to the will of another greater power.  The centurion looks upon Jesus and recognizes a kindred spirit.

Sometimes the only way we can understand and value the servant nature of the people around us is to be a servant ourselves.

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Year 7, Day 231: Luke 22

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As Jesus approaches the cross, the conflict between the divine will and the human will intensifies.  Human beings want their own way.  The more stress and pressure we are under, the more we are likely to try and get our way through direct or even aggressive means.  Yet, God is all-powerful.  His way will happen if He desires it to happen.

We see this conflict all over the Gospels as Jesus’ death draws near.  We begin this chapter with words of the plot to kill Jesus.  The religious leaders are feeling the conflict of having Jesus around.  They realize they need to get rid of him, and soon.  They begin to plot and scheme and overtly accomplish His death.  Their human will is clashing with God’s will.

Take the stories about Peter and His denial.  Jesus tells Peter that he will deny Him.  Peter denies that!  Peter’s human will rises up against God’s will in a massive conflict against Him.

Look at Judas.  Here is one of Jesus’ own disciples.  For whatever reason – I’d like to attribute it to a horribly misguided attempt to force Jesus into overthrowing the religious leaders – Judas agrees to identify Jesus publicly when they come to arrest Jesus.  Judas rises up to assert his human will and have his way.

Here’s the thing.  In all of these stories, what the people fail to see is that God’s will shall ultimately be done.  God’s will is the most powerful force there is.  It is immutable when he wants it to be.

When the religious leaders desire to get rid of Jesus, God is working to bring a path to Him through forgiveness and atonement.  When Peter denies Jesus three times he realizes that no matter much he would speak his love, the reality is that God knows Peter better than Peter knows himself.  When Judas comes out to identify Jesus, Jesus already knew that it would happen and God’s will is being done.

We can writhe against God’s will.  We can force our will to dominate our life.  We can make our existence the sheer and utter pursuit of our own desires.  When we do that, though, we stop following God.  In those moments – like the religious leaders, Peter, and Judas – we stop being a part of God’s plan and find ourselves at odds with God and His people.  Fortunately, like Peter, we can find forgiveness should we realize our place and repent.

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Year 7, Day 230: Luke 21

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As I look at Luke 21, I am drawn to the theme of relying upon God.  Certainly, this is a theme that runs throughout the entire length of the Bible.  It is absolutely a theme that runs through the life of Jesus.

We see this first and foremost in the teaching of the woman who gives at the temple.  What is it about this woman that is praised?  The woman is praised because she gave out of her poverty, not out of her abundance.  Her is a woman who gives knowing that she is giving out of her ability to live.  She’s giving away money that she really needs for food, clothing, and other necessity.  She’s giving away because she knows that God can provide for her.  Her is a woman who is living a life that relies upon God.

Another place that we see this in in Jesus’ warnings about the future.  He tells the disciples that there will be wars and rumors of wars.  There will be earthquakes and other natural disasters.  There will be persecution.  We are not to be led astray.  We are not to listen to the panic of the people as they fret about what is going on.  We are to rely upon God.

Furthermore, I am challenged by Jesus when He says that we aren’t to meditate upon what we are going to say.  For an introvert who thinks deeply about everything that they do, this is an incredible challenge.  I like to think and plan and rehearse.  I like to organize and order and process.  But I need to realize that when I do these things, I am also susceptible to thinking and planning God right out of my life.  There has to be an openness to the moment and the movement of the Spirit.  There has to be a time when I step back and am led not by my planning and organization but by the hand of God.  It’s not a bad idea to plan and think and process; it’s a bad idea when our plans ignore God and His voice.

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Year 7, Day 229: Luke 20

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Luke 20 is all about the issue of certainty for me.  I’m not talking about certainty of salvation.  I’m talking about public certainty.  I’m talking about our witness to others.  I’m talking about how people look and see faith within our lives.

This whole chapter involves various groups coming to challenge the authority of Christ.  The first group to come forward challenges Jesus about His authority.  These are the temple leaders.  They are used to authority and being in the public eye.  Notice, however, that Jesus doesn’t even answer their question!  Instead, Jesus flips the table upon them and forces them to make a choice between divine authority and the public eye.  These leaders prove indecisive.  They have no public witness.  They aren’t willing to humble themselves by acknowledging spiritual truth; they aren’t willing to admit what they genuinely believe for fear of the crowd. They have no witness at all, and Jesus doesn’t acknowledge their question.

We should stand firm with what we believe in.  If we don’t, we have no witness.  If we don’t, we can’t ever find and fix our mistakes.

Next, we see the religious leaders ask Jesus about taxes.  They are once more trying to trap Jesus between religion and government.  Once more, they aren’t taking a stand.  Jesus doesn’t take one, either.  Jesus turns to them and basically says to honor God in God’s things and to honor government in the area that government governs.  He doesn’t force the division of God and government.  His witness is that God and government can govern their own areas of life.  Certainly, the areas of God are more significant.  Yet, this doesn’t mean that government should be cast away, either.  Jesus’ witness is not embracing one and casting out the other.  Jesus’ witness is to embrace each in their own arena.

Finally, we get the witness of the Sadducees.  I will say this about the Sadducees.  At least they are up front about their witness.  People knew that they didn’t believe in the resurrection.  When they ask this question, the trap is obvious.

The great part of Jesus’ response is that He actually honors the Sadducees in His response.  He doesn’t agree with them, but He at least gives them an opportunity to learn.  Jesus takes the opportunity to give a witness about the resurrection and its eternal perspective.  We don’t know what the Sadducees did with that and if any of them heard Jesus.  But Jesus gives them an opportunity because they at least owned their perspective.

As I said, we need to have a public witness.  The only time we ever hear other positions is when we are willing to lay our own witness out there.  The only time we can inspire others is when we lay ourselves out there.  When we hedge our bets and stay non-committal,  we only invite other people to do the same with us as we see here with Jesus.

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Year 7, Day 228: Luke 19

Theological Commentary: Click Here

In Luke 19 we begin the end of the story.  We have arrived at the Triumphal entry.  That means over the next few days we’ll finish Jesus’ teaching and end up at the crucifixion.  Then we’ll move on through the resurrection and, because we are in Luke, we’ll hear a few stories of Jesus and His disciples after the resurrection.  That’s the context of the end.  That’s what we look forward to as we read these stories today.

In this light, look at the story of Zacchaeus.  What do we see Zacchaeus doing in this story?  We see him going out and doing what it takes to get the attention of Jesus.  For this reason, Zacchaeus is one of my favorite minor characters in the Gospels.  It isn’t so much that Zacchaeus goes out and gets what he wants.  It is that Zacchaeus wants to get to Jesus.  How do we know this difference?  Zacchaeus finds himself changed by Jesus.  If Zacchaeus was out to get what he wanted, he wouldn’t be changed.  But Zacchaeus is out to get Jesus, and he finds himself changed.  I’m left asking myself these same questions.  Am I pursuing Jesus so that I can be changed or am I pursuing Jesus so that I can get what I want?

This ties in nicely with the story of the ruler who goes on a journey and leaves wealth in the hands of his servants.  Jesus wants us to be proactive.  He wants us to look out into the world and see opportunity to win territory for Him.  He doesn’t want us to sit back.  He doesn’t want us to do nothing and return His power unused and ignored.  He wants us to go out, do His work, and come back changed from it.

I think we can see the inverse of this concept in the portion of the chapter that speaks about Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem.  Look at what Jesus says about Jerusalem.  He wishes that they would be able to see what is being done among them.  He wishes that they would be able to take notice and embrace God’s work around them.  But they can’t.  God’s work is hidden from them.  They are about to be torn down because they are ignoring God.  They aren’t interested in going out and getting the focus of God.  They are interested in getting their own way.  This causes them to be blind.

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Year 7, Day 227: Luke 18

Theological Commentary: Click Here

When I read Luke 18, I am left with the question, “How bad do I want it?”  Luke 18 is all about what I am willing to part with in order to follow Christ.  Are there limits to what I’m willing to sacrifice?

The last passage is very inspiring along these ways.  A blind beggar outside of Jericho hears Jesus approach.  This blind beggar does anything to get Jesus’ attention.  He goes so far as to be ridiculed by the people around him.  But He’s got a plan.  He wants Jesus’ attention.  He knows that Jesus has the power to heal him.  He’s willing to risk the ridicule of the people around him for just the opportunity to have a few moments with Jesus.  He recovers his sight; he glorifies God.

Naturally, we have the story of the rich man who refuses to give up his wealth to follow Jesus.  The point here is the same as with the beggar except that it is a negative example.  Are we willing to risk our wealth for the opportunity to be discipled by Christ?  Are we willing to potentially give up our livelihood for the sake of obedience?  For me, I find it easier to think about being ridiculed by others than to think about having less means to support myself and my family.  That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t give up my livelihood; it just means that it is a harder choice.  Then again, when it’s been asked of me in the past, I’ve had the courage to do it more than once.  It wasn’t easy any of the times.

Then there’s the story of the Pharisee who goes to pray.  He thinks himself better than the tax collector.  He finds himself the goat of the story, too.  I can’t help but wonder if I am willing to give up my ego for God.  Am I willing to see my faults and flaws?  Am I even willing to allow others to see my faults and flaws?  Am I willing to see myself as less than perfect and give God the opportunity to work in me and through me?

This is why I love the fact that Jesus’ third prediction of his death is a part of this chapter.  It’s a great reminder as I consider what I would be willing to give up.  Jesus was willing to give up his life.  Jesus knew what was coming and he embraced it.  He was willing to give up everything.  He followed God into death.  He also followed the Father into life.  That’s really the point, isn’t it?

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Year 7, Day 226: Luke 17

Theological Commentary: Click Here

I love the humbleness of Luke 17.  We get it in so many shapes and forms here.  We get the obvious and the hidden.

Let’s start with the obvious humbleness.  Jesus compares His followers to slaves.  When a slave does his job, should he expect to be praised?  No!  He’s just doing his job.  We shouldn’t expect atrophy for just doing our job.  Humbleness within us should be able to accept that if we are just doing our job then that is all we’ve done.  That doesn’t mean that people around us – or even God – won’t appreciate a job well done.  But that does mean that we’ve just done what was expected of us.  True humbleness allows us to realize that we’ve just done our job.  It allows us to remain humble.

We also get humbleness in the opening passage regarding forgiveness.  Some people can forgive.  But only the truly humble person can forgive repeated offenses without being bothered by the reoccurring offense!  Don’t get me wrong.  I don’t think Jesus is saying we shouldn’t be wary.  Elsewhere, Jesus tells us to be shrewd and to figure people out.  But here Jesus tells us that we need to genuinely forgive genuine repentance, even repeated offense.  It’s how we help people get past their darkest tendencies.

We get another perspective on humbleness with the ten lepers.  In fact, we see how being humble amplifies gratitude.  It’s the flipside of the story about forgiveness.  Instead of humbleness leading to our ability to forgive, humbleness leads us into a proper response when being blessed with grace.  Most of the healed lepers immediately go back to their life, grateful to be free of the leprosy and ostracization that comes with it.   One, however, a Samaritan, has what it takes.  He comes back and thanks Jesus.  He is humble enough to be gracious before going back to his life.

Finally, we get to the last story.  In this story, we find a truly hidden perspective on humbleness.  Jesus warns us that we won’t see the days of the Lord coming.  They will take us by surprise.  Like the lightning, we might know it’s coming but we can never predict exactly where the strike will happen.  Where does humbleness come into this?  Humbleness comes in through our response to the unknown.  The ones who will be praised on the day of the Lord are those who are found doing the right thing and living in obedience to God.  In other words, the ones who humble themselves to God’s will and follow God instead of following their own desires.

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Year 7, Day 225: Luke 16

Theological Commentary: Click Here

When I read Luke 16, I always feel like it is easy to get a muddled message.  On one hand, Jesus seems to be talking about how we need to treat people with grace and build relationship. Then Jesus talks about how the Law is the Law and the Law is not made devoid of meaning.  Then we end with the story of the rich man and Lazarus and feel ourselves pulled back to the side of grace.  If we’re not careful, the message gets confused.  I’ll try not to do that here.  If we study this chapter clearly, though, I think there is a solid message that comes out.  I’ll endeavor to do that.

Let’s start with Jesus’ teaching on the Law.  Jesus says that it is impossible for a single part of the Law to fall away.  In other words, no amount of grace changes the Law.  Just because a person receives grace doesn’t mean that they didn’t violate the Law.  They are still guilty.  What’s changed is that the person is not having to pay the full consequence of violating the law.  That’s what we often forget when we are talking about Law and grace.  The Law is and always will be the Law.  God’s ways are immutable.  Wrong is, and always will be, wrong.

That being said, we are all guilty.  To borrow the end of a parable we read a few days back, those who are forgiven much will love much in return.  Since none of us can fulfill the Law, we all lean upon grace.  The more we come into an understanding of just how much we lean upon grace, the more that we love God in return and have an appreciation for His compassion.

This brings us to the relationships and the life that we live in the world.  Since we are the incredible recipients of an undeserved grace, it is good for us to pass that grace on to others.  In doing so, we receive their love in the same manner as God receives our love by depositing His grace upon us.  This is the point of the dishonest manager.  When we bestow an unexpected grace upon those around us, we place them in a position off appreciating our place in their life.  It’s how God deals with us; it how we are to deal with others.

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Year 7, Day 224: Luke 15

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Luke 15 is a great chapter when it comes to looking at our relationship in the kingdom.  It’s also an incredible chapter to read for a person who has recently begun a relationship with God or who is considering a relationship with God. This chapter is full of grace.

The reason that this chapter is so full of grace is because it begins with a legalistic question.  The best way to diffuse a question that is too focused upon the Law is to bring more grace into the conversation.  The Pharisees grumble because Jesus is hanging out with the wrong crowd.  To answer them, Jesus talks about why He is choosing to do so.

Jesus gives us the stories about the lost sheep and the lost coin.  I’ll add another few perspectives.  Every day as a teacher I see kids come in with a notebook full of paper.  But when a child has lost their homework, they are only focused on that one piece of paper that has what I want to see on it.  As a homeowner, I have plenty of bills to pay.  But on the day when I have a deadline, I really only want the bill that is due on that day.  Or, let’s take a positive spin.  There are days when I am hungry for a chocolate milkshake.  There’s plenty of chocolate foods out there, but when I want a chocolate milkshake none of those other chocolate foods are likely to satisfy.

The point from Jesus isn’t that there is anything wrong with the other sheep or the coins that the woman might have.  In my examples, there’s nothing wrong with any of the paper that a student has, any of my other bills, or any other food made out of chocolate.  However, they aren’t satisfying the immediate perspective.  When a sheep is lost, the shepherd is focused on the sheep.  When a coin is lost, the person is focused on that coin.  Hen homework is lost, the student wants that page for credit.  When a bill needs paid, I need the bill for my specific account numbers.  When I walk a chocolate drink, I’m looking for a specific experience.  In all of these cases, there’s nothing wrong with any of the other options.  These aren’t stories about the problems with all of the other options.  These are problems about the focus of the central figure.

That’s why we turn to the story of the Prodigal Son.  Of course, we see the grace of the father in redeeming the younger son in spite of his rebellion.  That’s the overarching point of the whole chapter.  The father just wants his son back.  The father just wants that relationship restored.  That’s where the perspective is.

Yet at the end of the chapter, we do address the older son.  The older son is hurt.  He’s been with the father all the time.  Yet he sees the father fawning over the younger son and it hurts.  That’s why the father has to come to the older son and explain this lesson.  It isn’t like there is anything wrong with the older son.  The older son has had the father’s love every day.  It’s been a consistent, steady, and reliable love.  But for this moment, the surge of the father’s excitement is focused towards the younger son.  But that doesn’t change the steady ever-present love that the father has for the older son.

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Year 7, Day 223: Luke 14

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Luke 14 is truly all about following Jesus.  I’m sorry if that sentence sounded like something Captain Obvious might have said.  Perhaps I should say that this chapter is truly about the cost of discipleship.

Naturally, we have a section in this chapter entitled the cost of discipleship.  What this section is all about is making sure that we understand what discipleship will cost.  Jesus tells us that before we set out on the journey we need to stop and ask if we have what it takes to stick with it and finish the task.  It’s just as bad to start following Jesus and then turn away as it is to never start at all.

However, there is more cost than just our inner drive.  Look at what Jesus talks about in terms of our own opinion of ourselves.  Jesus tells us in public that we should sit at the lower places.  In other words, we are to have humble opinions of ourselves.  That doesn’t mean that we can’t have a healthy self-image, it just means that we need to be willing to the think of others and ourselves.  Besides, when we are humble we will either be affirmed in our current place or even elevated.  If we aren’t willing to follow Jesus in humility, we have every chance at finding ourselves lessened in the eyes of others.

There is also the teaching about whom to invite.  As a follower of Jesus, we need to look within people rather at their exterior.  Do you see that when the master of the feast is ready to feast he cares more about inviting people who want to be there – regardless of their station in life – than he cares about inviting people of high status?  That’s part of the cost of discipleship.  We must be willing to go where God wants, do what He wants, and minister with whom He wants.  It isn’t about trying to be with the elite or the put together.  It is about walking through the doors that God has opened so we can be with the people who are desiring to be with God, too.

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Year 7, Day 222: Luke 13

Theological Commentary: Click Here

It’s easy to see why Jesus is crucified when you read chapters like Luke 13.  I don’t mean that sentence flippantly.  I am very serious about it.  It is chapters like Luke 13 and the teachings contained within that led to the crucifixion of Jesus.  This is important to understand, because if we desire to embrace the teachings of Jesus and then embody them, we need to understand that it may not do any wonders for our popularity, either.

For example, look at what Jesus teaches in the opening section.  There are some people who hear about bad things happening to Galileans and feel justified.  They think that since the Galileans had issues in their moral, ethical, and spiritual codes that they deserved what they got.  Jesus confronts that opinion.  He tells us that we are no better.  He tells us that unless we humble ourselves to the point of genuine repentance, we will perish in a similar manner.  Do most people want to hear that they shouldn’t be smug when their enemies come across hard times?  Do most people want to be told that they are no better than the people upon whom they look down?  No!  Teaching things like this is likely to get us scorned and outcast.

Take the healing of the woman who had a disabling condition for 18 years.  Jesus heals, but it is on the Sabbath.  We know that makes enemies among the religious leaders, who will do anything to stick up for the sanctity of the Sabbath.  But look at Jesus’ response.  Not only does Jesus lower the sanctity of the Sabbath to a position lower than showing mercy upon others, but He turns on the religious leaders and calls them hypocrites!  People in power don’t like being called hypocrites.  People in power don’t also care to have the status quo messed with.  Jesus is doing both of these things here.  Jesus is challenging what true power is as well as challenging the best way to apply true power.  To quote another cliché, Jesus is upsetting the apple cart in more than one way here.

Take the story about the narrow door.  Jesus tells the people that many people will be locked out beyond the narrow door and not allowed into the presence of the Father.  He goes even further than that.  Jesus says that being in proximity to God is irrelevant!  Eating and drinking in the presence of Christ and listening to His teachings isn’t enough!  To be in the presence of God we must actively seek Him out.  We cannot be content being near Christ when He comes to us, we must seek Him out and follow His ways.  Once more Jesus is attacking the status quo.  Remember that the Hebrew people were a people based on lineage – that is, their proximity to Abraham.  Jesus is telling these people who believe themselves to be special because they could tract themselves back to Abraham that their proximity to God through Abraham isn’t enough.  It isn’t good enough to be in the presence of greatness.  We must strive to pursue the greatness ourselves and imitate what we find.

In the end, these passages are difficult passages.  They challenge us to the core of our being.  They force us to analyze what it is for which we stand.  Again, it is no surprise to me that when Jesus taught these things that He was crucified.  It’s a shame; but it isn’t a surprise.

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