The Son who Refused the Father's Mercy and Grace

I was prompted again to post about this subject while reading a Facebook post by Carrie Hattaway. She correctly points out that the parable about the prodigal is more about the elder son than the younger. Jesus was answering the question posed by the Pharisees why he spent so much time with who were were considered undesirables in that culture. The ones the Pharisees viewed as "sinners."

Both sons think relationship with the father is based on what they DESERVE.

One believes his failures have disqualified him.

The other believes his obedience has entitled him.

And the father refuses both versions of the relationship.

The younger son comes home trying to negotiate himself down from son to servant.

The father basically interrupts the whole transaction: robe, ring, sandals, feast.

Then the older son stands outside essentially presenting his résumé: I obeyed. I worked. I stayed. I did everything right.

And the father goes outside to him too.

That may be one of the most beautiful details in the entire story.

The father goes out for both sons.

He runs toward the rebellious son coming up the road.

And he leaves the celebration to plead with the religious son standing outside.

One son is lost in rebellion.

The other is lost in performance.

And the Father goes after them BOTH.

Which means maybe the great revelation of Luke 15 isn’t simply:

“Look how bad the prodigal was.”

Maybe it’s:

“Look what kind of Father they had.”

Carrie points out that at the end of the story the angry son is left outside. We don't know if he ever decided to join the party or not.

I think one of the biggest, if not the actual biggest, problem with Christianity today is angry sons standing outside the party. They refuse to accept the grace and mercy God shows for "outsiders." Their Christianity is based on performance instead of realizing what a gracious and merciful Father they have, and realizing they need that grace and mercy, too.

Even those who talk about accepting God's mercy can get caught up in performance-based Christianity. "I came to Jesus, and am grateful He saved me. But look how much I am doing for Him now! I deserve to be saved. Those who live lifestyles that I think are wrong don't deserve to be saved. It's unfair that they claim to know Jesus, too."

How sad to live that way, with a judgmental spirit, which Jesus and and His Apostles warned us about.

This same spirit is found in the book of Jonah. Jonah refused to go to Nineveh to warn the people there because he was afraid the people would repent! (See chapter 4.) He is angry when they do! 

Are we looking for God to be merciful to people who we see as our enemies, or are we angry when we see them enjoying their lives because God hasn't judged and destroyed them as we think He should?

When a Samaritan village rejected the message, James and John ask Jesus if they should send fire from Heaven like Elijah did. Jesus has to rebuke them.

It is no secret that I have affirmed the LGBTQI community. I sincerely believe there is nothing inherently wrong with their lifestyle. Sometimes, as when the Pharisees railed against Jesus and his Disciples for "breaking the Sabbath," those we proclaim as sinners are actually innocent. (See my last blog post.) 

Sometimes those we think are wasting their lives on prodigal living have actually been closer to the Father than we are.

Stop being the angry son standing outside and come join the party, and experience God's grace.

 When Jesus Taught a Form of Situation Ethics: Matthew 12

I am currently reading the classic 1966 work Situation Ethics: The New Morality by Joseph Fletcher. For most of my young adult years and following, I was taught to steer clear of the philosophy espoused by Fletcher. While the author does seem to have some problematic ideas, I was surprised to learn that his basic ideas have Christian roots. 

I fact, I would argue, Jesus Himself taught a form of situation ethics in Matthew 12. The following is an attempt to show how the passage about "doing good on the Sabbath" is indeed situational. 

At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. 2 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath." Verses 1-2 NIV

It must be pointed out at the first that the Pharisees were not accusing Jesus and His disciples of doing something inherently unlawful. Gleaning was perfectly legal, as it was the provision in the Law for the poor. You could say it was a poor tax. [For those who correctly use the Bible looking for principles that apply to today, how about applying that to your politics?]

The Pharisees complaint was that they were working on the Sabbath. There is actually no commandment in the Old Testament prohibiting gleaning on the Sabbath. That was a rule they had added to the Law. It was their interpretation of a particular command: not to work on the Sabbath. Legalists want to have everything delineated, so they make as many rules as they can think of to cover every possible scenario. 

As we will see, Jesus will say that even the commandments of scripture are not hard and fast. What is most important is the needs of people.

He answered, "Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests." Verses 3-4 NIV

Some would argue that what David did was wrong, even though there was a good outcome. But that is not how Jesus argues. He is not saying the He and His disciples are wrong, but they were hungry, so they should just be forgiven. He is saying that sometimes laws themselves do not apply to certain situations if the need of people is more important than the reason the law was given. Jesus is teaching a form of situation ethics!

Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? Verse 5 NIV

Laws are not meant to cover each and every situation. Some commandments supersede others. 

"I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." Verses 6-8 NIV

Some other translations translate the word "something" as "someone" or "Someone." The Greek is unclear. Considering verse 8's "Lord of the Sabbath," it is understandable that translators would assume Jesus was talking about Himself. But He could be referring to a greater principle than service to the Temple. Jesus certainly has the right to say what is right or wrong to do on the Sabbath. But certainly Jesus based His decisions of right and wrong upon principle. And, given what He taught in the rest of the Gospels, certainly that principle was Love--what meets the needs of people. 

Notice Jesus says that He and His disciples should not just be forgiven, but that they have nothing to be forgiven for; they are innocent. The mercy Jesus is talking about is not just forgiving those who are wrong. It is recognizing that sometimes Love does not condemn because it recognizes the people who the supposed spiritual leaders think are sinners, are actually innocent! 

Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus. Verses 9-14 NIV

God values people. Too often we value things over people. We value protecting property over protecting people; it doesn't matter who gets hurt in the crossfire. 

It's easier to just say, "The Bible says," then to actually treat people the way God does. To bless those who curse us as He does, giving rain and sun to both just and unjust. Our perceived ideas of another's sin is no excuse to treat them with harm, or to prevent others from helping them. 

God wants us to act mercifully instead of going around like the Pharisees did trying to find lawbreakers. He wants us to bless those we see as unjust, and often realize those we think of as sinners are really innocent. 

Forging a Sacred Weapon: The 1946 Bible Translation Behind Anti-Gay Theology

This book has been a very long time coming. A decade ago, Kathy Baldock never dreamed she would become involved in the battle over Gay Theology. It sort of fell into her lap. Some will, I am sure, claim it was placed there by Satan. I am convinced that God, rather than the Devil, is behind the details. 

Whatever you may think of Baldock and her conclusions, it is obvious that details are important to her. Her new book is not some slipshod, hastily put together treatise. She has done her homework, and honest scholars will wrestle with what she has revealed for years to come.

The book revolves around the original Revised Standard Version's translation of 1 Corimthians 6:9-10, first published in 1946. This was the first translation in any language to use the word "homosexual"--a term coined in 1869 by Karl Maria Kertbeny. In 1971, the RSV corrected the wording to "sexual perverts," reflecting the original Greek better. However, Baldock contends that the damage was already done, as the word "homosexual" or "homosexuality" was incorporated into various versions following, including the very popular paraphrase, The Living Epistles, which continued the use in The Living Bible. 

Ironically, the concept of homosexuality even made its way into the German Bible (Hoffnung für Alle) financed by the publishers of the NIV. This ignored the tradition of following the translation by Martin Luther, which used the word Knabenschänder, which means "a male adult who sexually assaults boys." This is far from the mutual consent we see in loving same sex relationships today.

Baldock also traces the history of sex, and how roles were viewed since Old Testament times until the present. This history is vitally helpful in helping us understand the horrific sexual scenes which are often depicted in the Bible, as well as archaic ideas which evolved through the years. Thoroughly researched, with an extensive Bibliography and Indices, this book is invaluable for anyone wanting to do a serious study of the relationship of homosexulity and the Church. 

Forging a Sacred Weapon is now available for purchase on Amazon, or directly from the author through CanyonWalkerConnections.

 

The Rainbow Revival: Toward Inclusion and Affirmation

Early this month, I had the privilege of attending the 2025 Reconcile and Reform Conference in Atlanta. This was sponsored by The Reformation Project, founded by Matthew Vines. I became acquainted with Vines' God and the Gay Christian back when I was leading the coverage of the Hobbit movies for HollywoodJesus.com. Unfortunately, much of that content is gone, but with a lot of patience, you can find a few things on The Wayback Machine from Internet Archives. I was able to find a copy of my review of Vines' book there!

If you read my review from 2014, it was obvious I was impressed, but not yet fully convinced. It would take awhile before I became fully affirming. That is basically the same journey that Pastor Jim, who spoke at the Conference traveled. James A, Conrad, Jr. spoke at the Conference. I understand he has been a recurring speaker at the conferences. His experience with coming to terms with the issue, and leading his church to become LGBTQ+ affirming, is written up in his book, The Rainbow Revival: a pastor and church on the journey towards inclusion. (Please don't confuse this with the group The Rainbow Revival. They have definitely gone in another direction; they are very non-affirming, believing God does NOT want anyone to be gay or transgender.) 

As you read Pastor Jim's book, it quickly becomes apparent that he has a true pastor's heart. He cares about people. You will also find he is not an accomplished writer. But don't be put off by his lack of proper punctuation and sentence structure. Open yourself to his heart. After all, isn't loving God and people what we are to be about as Christians? 

This is not to say that Conrad is some sentimental milquetoast. He is not a snowflake. It is obvious he has studied the arguments for LGBTQ+ inclusion. He didn't come to his conclusions lightly. But if you are looking for a book to convince your mind, this probably isn't going to do it. There are other more scholarly books which were written for that. 

Pastor Jim never wanted to deal with this issue. It fell into his lap. He had mentally dealt with the issue somewhat over the years, but it really hit home when a family with a very conservative background asked if they would be accepted at Towne View Baptist. 

No one had ever asked me that question before. Maybe no one ever felt they needed to ask the question. Maybe some had asked and I didn't have ears to hear. (p.36)

The couple had both been raised in fundamental, independent Baptist churches in Indiana, and adopted three children. They had been living in Nebraska, and now were moving to Georgia. They wanted to raise the kids in a church environment as close to what they were used to, but the couple was two men. Would the church accept them?

The story continues about how Pastor Jim led the church through the process of accepting them as members. The church ended up losing a third of its membership, and was kicked out of the Southern Baptist Convention. They made the national news. But they also saw God at work.

When I told a friend about our "rainbow revival" in the summer of 2019 he said, "Jim, if this happens, don't be surprised if you experience a revival of love and spirit and generosity in your church." 

Our church has been renewed by newcomers from the LGBTQ+ community, families and allies of the community and families where parents want to raise their children in this environment. One mother excitedly shared, "I can talk about my whole family here, even my gay son." They have taught us much about grace. I feel like we must be doing something right when someone says, "I am fully free to be me here and to fully and authentically worship God."

There have been many in conservative circles who have been praying for revival. Maybe this is God's answer. Maybe this is the reformation the church needed all along. Don't close your eyes to what God is doing like the religious leaders in Jesus' day did. You may be missing the miracle by assuming God doesn't work that way.  

  

Who Is Jesus part 15: Resurrection Sunday

 

Luke 24

Due to the haste in which Jesus had to be buried, there was apparently only time to wrap the body (verse 12), but not enough time to round up the spices and perfumes needed to complete the job. The women from Galilee gather these before the sunset Friday night, but are unable to apply them due to the Sabbath. As soon as the Sabbath is over, early Sunday morning, they return to the tomb, but do not find the body. What has happened?

As they are wondering what was going on, they are surprised by two angels. Luke begins with angel visits, and now the last chapter begins with an angelic appearance. They declare that Jesus is still alive, and seem surprised that they hadn't realized what would happen. When the angels mention about the third day, they remembered what Jesus said about rising again. 

Not only had the women and the disciples not understood what Jesus had said about rising from the dead, but the Eleven (the Twelve Disciples minus Judas) had obviously not learned what Jesus had been trying to teach them about women. Throughout the history of humans, women have been looked down upon as inferior and unreliable. They were obviously hysterical. (If that misogynistic term had existed in the first century, they probably would have used it.) 

Peter, however, wants to see for himself. He runs to the tomb, sees the linen cloths laid out with no body, and walks away, wondering. At least part of what the women said was true, but Peter does not believe the part about the angels. It was just some kind of vision (See verse 23). Jesus couldn't possibly be alive. 

At the risk of sounding sacrilegious, I am thinking Heaven must have been watching this whole scene with a chuckle. I can hear it in the voices of the angels as they question the women why they are looking in a tomb for someone they should have know was alive. I hear it in Jesus' voice as the disciples on the Emmaus road are told how foolish they were for not believing the Prophets. He explains how the scriptures were pointing to Jesus and what He would do. Why are they so slow to believe? Doesn't it make sense that if Jesus was the Messiah that He would have to be alive? 

The two finally recognize who they had been walking with when Jesus breaks bread after they stop at their destination. Apparently Jesus had a very unique way of breaking bread, and this was probably still Passover week, so it would have been unleavened bread He broke. Perhaps these two were part of the group Jesus had just celebrated the beginning of Passover with. As soon as they recognize Jesus, He disappears. They look at each other and express how their "hearts burned" in Jesus presence. Have you ever felt anything like that? I have had times when I felt that God was doing special, and only realized later, as all the details came together, what He was trying to tell me. Yes, I am slow to believe like the two were.

The pair make their way back to Jerusalem, and talking with the Eleven and the other disciples, they found out that Peter had also seen Him. Yes, Jesus was indeed alive. And just to put the Capstone on it, Jesus appears in the midst of them. He offers them a greeting of peace, but they are frightened, thinking He is a ghost. No, this is not just a spirit they are seeing, but an actual resurrected body. He demonstrates this by showing His wounds and by eating a piece of fish. 

When we talk about Jesus being alive today, it does not just mean His spirit has gone back to Heaven. He has an actual body, and the hope of the resurrection is that we will have bodies like His someday. Our hope is more than going to Heaven when we die and floating around on a cloud in some sort of ethereal existence. It's being physically raised from the dead to live a real, physical life on the New Earth as Heaven and Earth are forever joined. 

Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God. (52-53 NIV) May we know that same joy as we praise our God this Easter Day.

Who Is Jesus part 14: The Rest of the Disciples

 

Luke 23:50-56

There is a scene in The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, as Jack sails into the entrance of Port Royal, where he passes three hanging skeletons, meant as a warning to pirates. When the Romans crucified someone, it was a common practice to leave the dead bodies on the cross to be scavenged by birds and wild animals. This was a warning to anyone who dared defy the Empire.

Sometimes, however, if there was someone bold enough, and well-connected and/or wealthy, that they could plead to take the body to be entombed. Enter Joseph of Arimathea. He happened to be a member of the Sanhedrin who had been against their decision to have Jesus killed. He risks his reputation and position to take the body and have it buried in a tomb. Since it was late in the afternoon on Friday, and the Sabbath began at sundown, there was no time to embalm the body. The women from Galilee saw this, and quickly made preparations of the spices and perfumes they would need, but they would have to wait until the Sabbath was over to do the work.

Even though Jesus had repeated confrontations with the Jewish leaders over the Sabbath, He had never been against the Sabbath--only their interpretation of it. The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. What a blessing for them that they were able to rest after such a dreadful ordeal. 

The Rest of the Disciples by Mark Allen Sommer

 

Joy will come in the morning,

But not today,

After we have wept all the day

Before. The women

Got the spices and graveclothes ready

Before the sun set, but the

Rest of us just wandered or hid.

 

Joy will come in the morning,

But today we just mourn and

Rest. God must have known

We would need this day when

He worked it all out with Moses.

Weeping followed by rest

Is what was needed.

 

Fall down on us mountains

He had said we would say

Someday when things are much worse.

But we wish for the mountains today.

For how could it *be* any worse?

 

Joy comes in the morning,

But not today. 

This is the day for mourning.   

Who Is Jesus? part 13: Good Friday, The Rejection of the Messiah

 

Luke 22:66- 23:49

Jesus before the Sanhedrin (22:66- 71)

The Sanhedrin (a council of elders made up of chief priests and teachers of the Jewish Law) is called together for the purpose of accusing Jesus of breaking the Torah so He can be put to death. They have to tread lightly because Rome refused to give them the authority to carry out a death sentence. According to Luke, the Sanhedrin was trying to get Jesus to admit He was the Messiah. Note that three different terms are used to refer to the Messiah: Christ (often translated "Messiah") is the Greek word for the Messiah, the Anointed One. The Son of Man was a term long used by Jewish scholars to refer to the Messiah. The Son of God was also a term used for the Messiah. It had not taken on the usage of meaning the Second Person of the Trinity like we use it today. All three terms simply, in this context, are referring to the Messiah that the Jews were expecting to come.

Jesus refuses to tell the Sanhedrin that He is the Messiah. He does say that the Messiah would now rule with God in Heaven. Jesus had provided plenty of evidence that He was the One who was to come, but they refused to believe it. He wasn't the Messiah they were expecting. Jesus was The Messiah, but He wasn't their Messiah; they were accusing Him of being a fraud. Even though Jesus does not claim to be the Messiah before them, they twist His words and say He has just admitted it. 

Jesus before Pilate and Herod (23:1-25)

Jesus wasn't the Messiah they were expecting. Ironically, if He were, if the intention was to take over the authority from them by force, they would have cause to condemn Him. That's why phase two of their plan actually doesn't work. 

The Sanhedrin not only accused Jesus of claiming to be the Messiah (a king), but they add another claim they knew to be false: that Jesus opposed paying taxes to Caesar. They couldn't trap Him on the tax issue earlier in the week, but they falsely accuse Him of that anyway. They charge Him with crimes He would have been guilty of if He was actually the Messiah they had expected. 

When Pilate asks Jesus if He is the King of the Jews, Jesus gives basically the same reply He gave The Sanhedrin when they asked if He was the Messiah: "That's what you said." In other words, "that's the accusation." Pilate at least has the integrity to admit Jesus is not making a confession. Jesus knows He isn't about leading an insurrection; He's not wanting to take over Judea by force, so He does not admit to what they're actually asking. 

Herod [Antipas] wants to have some fun with all this. He is called in when Pilate discovers Jesus was from Galilee. Herod has been wanting to see Jesus for some time now, not because He wanted to hear His teachings, but to see His miracles. The Sanhedrin keep making accusations, but none of them stick. Still, Herod and the soldiers dress Him like a king and mock Him, sending Him back to Pilate. Pilate apparently likes the joke, because he and Herod become friends after being long-time enemies. 

Pilate declares that he and Herod have not found anything to justify Jesus being killed, but he says he will punish Him and release Him. But the crowd demands that Jesus be crucified. And Pilate bows to them. The people want the real insurrectionist to be released, not the One who tried to teach them another way. This is a scene which has been reproduced over and over throughout history. The people choose the violent warmongers over the loving peacemakers, to their own detriment. A few decades later, Jerusalem will be sacked and destroyed. The people will reap what they have sown. 

Jesus before the people (23:26- 49)  

As Jesus makes His way down the streets to the crucifixion, He talks about the destruction to come. Women were weeping and mourning, but Jesus tells them someday things will be much worse. This is actually a time of a "green tree." Compared to what is coming later, these are actually good times. If people do things like what they are seeing in the good times, how horrific it will be when the times of the "dry tree" come. "Don't weep for Me. Weep for yourselves and your children." A warning we should always heed when we reject the way of peace and love for the way of violence and hate. 

But there is hope, even during this horrific scene. For those who are killing Jesus using one of the most barbaric and cruel methods of torture devised, He offers forgiveness. Most of the crowd is standing around laughing and jeering, but those who knew Him stood at a distance watching. In the end, He is not completely abandoned by His disciples. One of the criminals crucified with Him insults Him, but the other realizes Jesus had done nothing wrong. In an amazing display of faith, this criminal asks Jesus to remember Him when He come into His kingdom. Here is someone who from all appearances is defeated and has lost the day, but this man understands He will be victorious. Don't discount those who we see as being justly punished. Some of them can surprise us with faith beyond what we ever thought possible. His faith is rewarded. 

Then there is that enemy Roman soldier, the centurion. Even our worst enemies are not beyond hope. He comes to the realization that although this Man was dead, He not defeated. What he had witnessed convinced him. He had probably seen uprisings in his day led by would-be Messiahs. This One was different. He spoke words of forgiveness to those abusing and torturing Him. Some might call that crazy. Some might call that weak. This hardened soldier knew and truth, and called him righteous.  

  

Who Is Jesus: Part 12: Maundy Thursday, The New Mandate

 

Luke 22: 7-65

The word "maundy" comes form the Latin mandatum, from which we get the English word "mandate." It refers to Jesus' new command to "love one another, as I have loved you." (John 13:34) Although Luke does not specifically use those words, the command to love one another is the underlying theme of what Jesus was teaching the disciples. Unfortunately, the passage about Thursday night of Holy Week is mostly about those who in some way or other failed to love. 

The disciples are told to prepare things for the Passover meal (22:7-13). The Passover commemorates Israel being freed from bondage in Egypt. His followers were sure that Jesus was going to free them from Roman bondage, but He has something else in mind. He wanted to free them from the bondage to the world's way of doing things.

Judas chooses betrayal over love (14-23; 47-48)

The body and the blood are being offered up for all at the table, but there is one there who will betray Him. Jesus lovingly is giving Judas a chance to reconsider what he is doing, warning him of the consequences. I have often wondered if Judas was trying to force Jesus' hand so He would destroy His attackers and bring in the Kingdom. Maybe he was tired of Jesus' soft approach. Sure, talking tough to the Pharisees was good, but how about some action? Of course, all of this is highly speculative, but I think there are a lot of Christians who can't wait for Jesus to come and throw some lightning bolts into His (meaning "our") enemies. How exactly the opposite of what Jesus was about (Luke 9:54-55 NKJV), and how unloving of us to even think that way. 

The disciples choose false benevolence over loving servanthood (24-30)

The disciples had completely the wrong idea about what the kingdom is supposed to look like. They each wanted greatness, but Jesus told them that leadership in the Kingdom looked like servanthood. The leaders of the gentiles longed to be called Benefactors (verse 25). They seek to maintain control by making it look like they are doing things to help the people, when what they are really after is power, glory, and control. In America, it is easy to get caught in the trap thinking one certain politician or Party is going to solve all our problems, when what most of them are really after is power and accolades. 

Back in 2015, when I was writing for Screenfish during the runup to The Force Awakens, I wrote a series of articles about the previous Star Wars movies. This was during the middle of Obama's last term, way before anyone had an inkling Trump would be the center of politics in America for years to come. In my review of A New Hope, I wrote this:

Vader's response to criticism of his "religion" is to squelch the argument. When you have an "all-powerful Force," which Obi-Wan Kenobi says not only controls you, but "obeys your commands," that is definitely an option. A very dangerous option.

As Jesus was traveling to Jerusalem with his disciples, the Samaritans refused to provide a place for them to stay. James and John ask, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did (Luke 9:54 NKJV)? Their new-found authority as the Apostles of Christ had gone to their heads, and was becoming dangerous. Jesus had to rebuke them: You do not know what manner of spirit you are of (9:55).

Our religion becomes dangerous when we use it to control and destroy. The purpose of our authority in Christ is not so we can force others to our point of view, but to be able to serve others. Jesus put it this way (Luke 22: 25-27 NIV):

“The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.”

As we will learn in The Revenge of the Sith, Darth Vader thinks of himself as a ‘benefactor’. His dream of spreading peace and stability through the Empire is what motivates him--and what excuses his use of power to control and destroy.

Obi-Wan takes an opposite tack. He gives up his life in order to become, as he tells Vader, "more powerful than you could possibly imagine." But the old Jedi was not talking about a power to control and dominate, but to help. His death would not only lead to the escape of his friends, but would allow him to help Luke become the Jedi he was meant to be. The parallel with what Jesus Christ did is striking (John 16:7 NKJV):

“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.”

The disciples were grieved when Jesus told them He was going away. But it was for their benefit, because Jesus would send them the Holy Spirit. God was about to do something new. Luke was grieved, shocked, and confused when Obi-Wan was struck down. But now Obi-Wan's spirit would be able to help Luke in a way the old man couldn't have.

Most of us will probably not need to give up our physical lives for the cause of Christ. But Jesus did talk about "taking up our cross" and following Him. Yes, many disciples were martyred, but there is another meaning Jesus had in mind with His words. It involves giving up what we want for the benefit of others.

While the concept can sometimes be abused, "dying to self" is an integral part of what it means to be a Christ follower. It's not about becoming a doormat, but it is about serving others instead of lording over them--using force to get them to come to our side.

What we need is not a religion that gives us power to direct the world as we see fit, but an attitude of allowing God to use us to help others.

Jesus does tell His disciples that they were the ones who had stuck by His side, and they would be rewarded. There was love there, even if their ideas were still a bit mixed up. I'm glad to hear that; it gives me hope. God is still working one me. He's still working on us.

Peter will fail the test of unwavering love (31-46; 49-51; 54-62)

Simon Peter is not the only one who will be tried. Look how the NIV translates verse 31: "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat." (Emphasis added.) The trial which would separate the good from the bad was going to be the experience of all the disciples. They would all fail in various ways, but Jesus tells Peter when he turns back, he is the one the group will turn to for strength. Again, Jesus gives hope in the midst of coming failure. 

The disciples fail Jesus by not staying awake with Him. Jesus continues to show unwavering love for the disciples. He will go through with what needs to be done, even though He has to be comforted by an angel instead of those who should have been watching with Him. 

They also fail the test of following Him when He is arrested. While someone asks if they should use the swords, before Jesus answers, another takes a swipe and cuts off an ear. Now's the time for lightning bolts, right Jesus? Following the lead of his impetuous Hobbits, Gandalf holds up his staff and... Sorry, it doesn't end that way. That's not how the Kingdom is to come. Jesus reaches out and restores the ear. He practices what he has been preaching. He was serious.  

Okay. Why did Jesus have them take the swords in the first place if He didn't intend for them to use them? Didn't He just tell them to sell their clothing to buy swords if they didn't have any? Was Jesus using hyperbole to emphasize the peril that was coming? Frankly, I don't know, and I have yet to see an answer that satisfies me. And that's okay. It's enough to know that even in this situation Jesus is living out what He preached, and we should, too.

After this, Jesus is taken into custody. As He predicted, Peter denies Him three times. But he is still capable of weeping over his lack of courage. His story isn't over. Ours isn't either. 

The Temple guard followed the way of the gentiles, not the way of love (63-65)

The Jews who made up the Temple Guard did not treat prisoners any differently than the gentiles did. Jesus is mocked, beaten, and insulted. You can tell so much about a society by how those who police it treat prisoners. I better stop there, or I'll be up all night. I'll let you draw your own conclusions as to how that applies today.

Who Is Jesus part 11: Spy Wednesday, The Betrayal

 

Yesterday we saw that the Jewish leadership sent spies to try to trap Jesus in His words. "Spy Wednesday," as it is called, is about the turncoat Judas who agrees to be a spy for the chief priests in order to betray Jesus (Luke 22:1-6). Luke is very sketchy about Judas, so we don't get many details about what might have motivated him to betray Jesus. Verse 5 does tell us there was money involved. We learn later in the chapter that Judas leads a group of the temple guard to Jesus. Judas was aware that Jesus and the disciples were spending the evenings on the Mount of Olives (21:37), so he knew where He would be. 

Somehow Judas had come to the conclusion that he was on the wrong team. Luke says that "Satan entered him." Satan is the Hebrew word for "adversary" or "accuser." In chapter 4, Luke uses the Greek term "devil" (Slanderer), which basically means the same thing. In the temptations, the devil tried to trip up Jesus as His adversary by suggesting He leave the way of love and mercy, and choose the way of power. Now he betrays Him to the "powers that be" so He can be falsely accused and slandered. 

Have we taken Satan's side? Do we choose the way of power and accusation instead of mercy and love? Are we on team Love, or team Power? 

Who Is Jesus part 10: Holy Tuesday, Teaching in the Temple

Luke 19:47-21:38

"Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him. Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words." Luke 19:47-48

The leaders of Israel had a problem. Their anger at the message of Jesus was so extreme that they wanted to kill Him. But His popularity with the people was at a high point. If they tried to arrest Jesus in public, there would be a huge ruckus, and they would be in danger of upsetting their tenuous relationship with the Romans. They had to be sneaky about this. They needed to trip up Jesus with His words so they had an excuse to arrest Him. 

The leadership question Jesus' authority, but were in danger of losing their own authority 20:1-19

The leaders first try a direct confrontation. Who gave Him the authority to do what He has been doing? He wasn't a chief priest. He wasn't an official teacher of the law or even an elder. What gave Him the right to teach the people and proclaim to them a message of good news? 

The answer should have been obvious to them. There was authority in His message, and the good news He was preaching was confirmed by the healings and changed lives. But Jesus turns the question back on them: Was John's baptism--His message of a transformed heart and forgiveness--of God, or did it originate from human origins? This is a question they were afraid to answer. They were afraid of the reaction of the people. The people recognized John the Baptist as a prophet. But they couldn't acknowledge that because it would show their hypocrisy for not believing him. They don't care about the truth; they only care about holding on to power. How like politicians today.

Since Jesus knew the leaders didn't really care about the truth behind Jesus' authority, He refuses to give them a direct answer. He does go on to give them a parable which is a warning to them. The vineyard owner sends three servants, each in turn, to the tenants of the vineyard, but they are beaten and sent away empty-handed. Perhaps the servants represent Moses, the Prophets, and John the Baptist. The message of God came through each of them, and was refused. Israel also had a history of mistreating the prophets sent to them. The son is obviously Jesus. The leaders are shocked that Jesus knows they are plotting to kill Him, and cry out against the punishment of being removed as tenants and being replaced by others. 

They have been warned, but they still think they can get away with killing Jesus. Instead of changing their hearts and their ways, and following Jesus, they insist on the way of empire and power.

Spies try to trap Him so they could have Him arrested by the Roman authorities 20:20-26

The spies try to butter up Jesus by flattering Him to try to make Him think they were sincere. They are thinking if they can get Him to answer honestly about taxes, they could accuse Him of defying Rome. They misunderstood what Jesus was trying to do. They thought Jesus was going to try to take on the Romans by force, so they were amazed at His answer. The coin used for taxes had Caesar's inscription, so it was technically his. He let you use it, so it's only right that you give him back what he requires. As Paul reminds us in Romans 13, it is proper to pay taxes to Rome because the government provided protection and services for those being taxed. 

While we legitimately owe taxes and obedience to the government, we also should be giving to God that which has His image. We are made in the image of God, and it is only right that we give back to Him ourselves. What does He want? He wants us to take up our cross and follow Him (Luke 9:23).  He wants us to follow the way of mercy and love, even for those who hate us and mistreat us. 

C S Lewis famously wrote, "If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don't recommend Christianity." Christ does not save us to make us comfortable. Carrying a cross is not comfortable. But being rid of our guilt and condemnation, and being loved and forgiven, is worth it. Beware a Christianity that takes comfort in its lifestyle while condemning and guilt tripping those that it doesn't think measure up. That's what the Pharisees did.

A trick question by the Sadducees turns into a lesson on the resurrection 20:27-21:4

The concept of resurrection is not a major theme of the Old Testament by any stretch. It is a concept which developed over time, and came to be widely held by the Jewish community during the intertestamental period. The sect of the Sadducees, among some others, did not believe in the resurrection. I can just hear the discussion among that sect over how easy it would be to get Jesus on this one. This passage has been highly debated over the years, and much of that discussion, including some personal thoughts of my own, would best be saved for elsewhere. What I do want to focus on is verse 38 (NIV): "He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all are alive."

There is more to us than just this life. Without the hope of the resurrection, death would indeed have a sting (1 Corinthians 15:55). Loved ones who have passed away would be lost to us forever. How this is all going to work, and what the resurrected life will be like, we have few details given to us. But the indications of scripture are that we will have real, physical bodies that will be able to interact with each other. Somehow what we did in this life transfers over to our resurrected life. Jesus indicates that there will be some who are counted worthy to live the resurrected life in the age to come (verse35). So what we do here counts.

Somehow those who did not live worthy, like the leaders who like to show off and receive accolades from people, and take advantage of widows, will be punished (49-47). What exactly this punishment is, Jesus does not say. But there will be many who where first in this life who will be last in the age to come (Luke 13:30). And the giving heart of a poor widow will be rewarded more for her generosity than the rich who kept plenty back for themselves (21:1-4).

The coming destruction of Jerusalem: You will be put to death, but you will live 21:5-38

This is one of the easiest passages to interpret, yet one of the most controversial. It is easy because it very much fits what happened to Jerusalem in 70 AD. The beautiful architecture, which the rich and the widows gave their treasure to maintain, will be destroyed. Most of the passage fits that historical event, but especially the scene of the Son of Man coming in a cloud (verse 27) is seen by many interpreters of scripture of a future event probably associated with the resurrection that begins the age to come. Some see this as a more metaphorical scene that refers to things that already occurred in the first century. Whatever the meaning, The hope within it seems to come from the intriguing verses in the middle of the passage (12-19 NIV):

But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. And so you will bear testimony to me. But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. Everyone will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish. Stand firm, and you will win life.

These verses are telling what will happen to the disciples before Jerusalem is destroyed. The disciples were persecuted, and even some became martyrs, but ultimately it will be like nothing had ever happened to their bodies. They would be resurrected. Life will win. 

Who Is Jesus Part 9: Holy Monday, Time to Turn the Tables

 

Luke 19:44-46

The scene of Jesus turning over the tables of the moneychangers seems rather incongruous if you have been paying attention. Jesus has just come into Jerusalem on a donkey colt, demonstrating His humility. His ministry was characterized by love and mercy. There was never a hint of violence. So, what's the big deal now? 

Jesus has always reserved His harshest words for those leaders in Israel who unfairly treated the poor and marginalized. The merchants were taking advantage of the fact many had traveled for for the Passover feast, and it wouldn't be convenient to bring a sacrifice with them. They were robbing the people with overpriced animals to make a profit. The phrase "den of robbers" comes from Jeremiah 7:11. The passage talks about oppressing the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow. The people thought because they worshipped in the Lord's temple that they were fine even though they were oppressing people, and committing adultery, perjury, and idolatry (7:5-9). 

How much we have become like those who were warned by Jeremiah. We oppress the poor and marginalized, cheat and tell lies, and worship people and things instead of Jesus. When His people act this way, it is time to turn the tables. 

Sometimes things need to be shaken up a bit. Have we lost the ability to realize when God is the One doing the shaking? 

Who Is Jesus? Part 8: Palm Sunday, Not the Triumph They Expected

 

An unexpected task and an expected animal Luke 19:28-34

Of all the things Jesus ever asked his disciples to do, this had to be one of the hardest. He tells them to go to a certain place and take a donkey--a colt of a donkey, actually--one that was tied up, so it obviously belonged to someone. "Just untie it and bring it to me." It would be like stealing a motorcycle would be today. 

But there is no hint of argument, even as Jesus hints that someone might object. "Just tell them I need it," He says. The disciples had at least learned enough about Jesus that this task was not too much of a stretch for them to obey. They trusted Him. Perhaps they also realized the important symbolism of what Jesus was about to do. Perhaps they remembered that passage from Zechariah that spoke of a righteous, victorious king coming to Jerusalem on a donkey's colt (Zechariah 9:9). It would have been more fun to see Him race in on a big white warhorse, but God does things differently sometimes, they have learned. They didn't need horses and chariots when they had Jesus. 

An expectant crowd and a fear-filled opposition Luke 19:35-40

I have heard interpretations of Palm Sunday where the crowd that praises Jesus is the same crowd that calls for His crucifixion later in the week. I do not think that was the case at all. Luke identifies the people loudly praising Jesus as "the whole crowd of disciples." While the disciples will abandon Him when He is arrested, it is hard to believe they are the same ones the Pharisees later stir up at His trial. Most of the disciples were hiding somewhere hoping they wouldn't be arrested as part of an insurrection. 

Right now, the crowd of disciples understood the symbolism before them, and quote Psalm 188. Their King was here, and they were excited to see Him openly make this display. The Pharisees, however tell Jesus that He should tell the disciples to be quiet. A crowd proclaiming a new king would certainly have implications that could rile up the Romans against them, and they certainly didn't want that. 

Jesus foresees an unexpected result 19:41-44

The crowd is excited, but Jesus foresees a result they are not expecting. The disciples are still expecting Him to rid their land of the Romans and reestablish the ancient kingdom of Israel. Jesus has come to establish a kingdom, but it is to be a heavenly kingdom of the heart based on love, not an earthly kingdom brought in by vengeance and war. While His disciples celebrate, Jesus weeps. Jerusalem, for the most part, will reject His way of peace and love, which will lead to their destruction in 70 AD. There will be victory, but not a victory His disciples are expecting. 

Who Is Jesus? part 7: Jesus has a Job to Complete

 

My intention when I started this series on Luke was to finish on Easter. In order for this to happen, I am going to have to just hit some highlights of the next section. Someday I hope to come back and edit these posts into a more complete and better edited form. 

This blog post will cover parts of Luke 9:51 through 19:27

Luke 9:51 is a transitional verse. Jesus had been concentrating His ministry in Galilee, but now it was time to head for Jerusalem. Almost half of Luke is about what happens during the journey there. Early in Luke, Jesus had one forerunner, John the Baptist, who prepared the way for His ministry. Now Jesus will have over seventy disciples preparing the way to Jerusalem. 

Following Jesus means understanding what the mission involves 9:51-10:24

Jesus has a mission to complete. Note how Luke phrases this in verse 51. The completion isn't when He's crucified. It's not when He's raised form the dead. It's when He's raised up (by implication, to heaven, as many translations put it). His job is only finished when He returns to the divine realm. His reign is not as an earthly king; His reign is to be from Heaven. (John 18:36) 

His disciples still have it wrong. They thought it would be appropriate to call down fire and destroy the people of the Samaritan village. Jesus rebukes them. In the majority text, He goes on to tell them their spirit is wrong; He did not come to destroy people's lives, but to save them. The completion of His mission (the ascension) will be the final stamp of approval that this is God's plan, and that Jesus completed the plan.

Jesus invites people to participate with Him and the plan. But those who follow Him must give Him their allegiance above all else, including comfort and family. (57-62) Jesus gains enough of a following that He is able to enlist seventy-two others to go before Him and spread the good news of the kingdom. Satan is losing His power as the demons are cast out. But Jesus tells them not to rejoice because of this authority they were given. He tells them to rejoice that their names were written in Heaven. (10:20) They are now part of the kingdom of God--the kingdom of Heaven Jesus is now establishing. 

Following Jesus means understanding a new way of loving 10:25-37

The purpose of Jesus' parable was not that, as Anakin Skywalker put it in Stars Wars I: The Phantom Menace, "The biggest problem in the universe is that nobody helps each other." People do help each other. I see it every day on the internet. I see it in the grocery store and along the road. I actively look for it. For the most part, people are kind, especially when things are going well in their lives. The way the "expert in the law" questions Jesus, I am sure he had specific instances in mind when he was loving toward a neighbor. He thought for sure he would be able to get the upper hand and show everyone how knowledgeable and righteous he was. 

But Jesus showed there was a deeper meaning in the command to "love your neighbor" than the "expert" had thought of. He turns the command on its head by asking "who was a neighbor" to the one in need. It wasn't one of the respected leaders who fit the bill; it was a despised heretical foreigner. It's not enough to be neighborly to those of one's own ken. 

Following Jesus means putting first things first 10:38-41

For most of us, doing what Mary did is much harder that what Martha was doing. It is much easier to spend time fretting about things and trying to make sure all the "preparations" are taken care of than it is to just sit still and listen. One of the reasons for this is because people don't understand why you are "wasting time" on things that aren't "important." But Jesus understood that taking time to listen to Him is the most important thing of all. 

Following Jesus means not putting unfair burdens on others 11:37-52

Jesus was not afraid to insult those who were abusing their privilege. The most loving thing He could do for them was to point out their hypocrisy. Note how when the "experts of the law" complained that His insults applied to them, Jesus just adds some more specific things they needed to be warned about.

We need to be careful about just checking off the less important commands while neglecting the most important: the mercy and love of God. We need to stop adding requirements that are not actually God's requirements. Instead, we should do everything we can to relieve people of the unfair burdens they carry. 

Following Jesus means storing treasure in the right place 12:13-34

Jesus told a parable (Luke 12: 15-21) about a rich man whose crops are so abundant that he has huge barns built to store them. But the barns are not the problem; his attitude about his wealth (the grain) is. Having abundance is not in itself wrong; it’s what we do with our abundance that makes the difference.

The rich farmer decides to quit working and live off what he has accumulated. He has enough for “many years.” Instead of investing that grain into the ground where it would provide an income for his workers, and support the poor from its gleanings, the farmer became a miser. His thoughts are all about what his riches can do for himself instead of what it could do for others. Greed takes root when we depend upon ourselves instead of God.

That's the point of next section (12:22-34). Jesus tells His disciples that constantly worrying about what you have, and running after after material things, is how the pagan world works. The Father knows we need these things, and if we seek His kingdom first, those things will be ours, too. In one of His letters, C S Lewis put it like this:

Put first things first and we get second things thrown in: put second things first & we lose both first and second things. We never get, say, even the sensual pleasure of food at its best when we are being greedy.

Those who follow Jesus understand their value Luke 15: 1-32

In chapter 15, Jesus tells the parables about the sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. These are in response to the Pharisee's attitude about those they considered "sinners." Those who the Pharisees thought were not worth spending time with were valuable to Jesus. It was worth spending effort find the lost sheep and coins. 

The third parable is more about the older son than about the prodigal. The one son takes his inheritance and spends it on wild living. When he realizes how much better even the servants have it at home, he returns, and the father throw a party for him. But that is not the end of the story.

Rather than rejoicing that his brother has returned, the older brother is angry. He has been the "faithful" son all this time, and his rogue brother gets a party after abandoning him to do all the work? That's how the Pharisees thought when they saw Jesus paying attention to those sinners when they are the ones who had worked so hard to obey God. And Jesus lets them get away with not holding to the traditions we worked so hard to follow. 

It is much harder for God to reach an older son with this frame of mind than it is to reach a prodigal.