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. 

  

Who Is Jesus? part 6: Jesus is a Trustworthy Lord

This blog post will cover Luke 7:1 through 9:50.

Jesus is bringing something new; it's not a patch job; it's not something new hidden inside an old wineskin. It's not a façade of saying the right words to Him, but trusting what He says and doing what He says. Calling Him Lord, and acting like He is Lord are not the same thing. In this next section, Luke contrasts those who actually trusted Jesus and those who just wanted to butter Him up to gain their own advantage. 

Those who trust Jesus understand His authority 7:1-17

The centurion was not consumed by his own power. He cared about his slave who was ill. Even though the people thought the centurion deserved this favor for the slave because he built a synagogue for them, the centurion does not see himself as worthy for Jesus to come into his house, or even come to see Him. He understood enough about Jesus that he trusted that He could just speak and his slave would be healed. 

Jesus marveled at his faith. True faith in the Bible is more than just "believing" something like we use that word today. True faith is trusting. Jesus said the centurion had a type of faith that He had not encountered in all of Israel. He recognized and trusted His authority.   

In the next scene, Jesus exerts His authority over death. Unlike earlier in Luke, Jesus has become more open about his healing ministry, and wants people to know who He is. He is giving people a choice whether to put their trust in Him or not. The divide between those who believe in Him and those who are just playing games will get wider and wider.

Those who trust Jesus are the "children of wisdom" 7:18-35   

Circumstances in life can shake our faith. John the Baptist was most likely in prison at this point, so it is only natural he would have doubts. "If Jesus is the Messiah, why am I still here?" Jesus points to the evidence: the miracles, and the Gospel being proclaimed to the poor. Jesus is using His authority to proclaim mercy and forgiveness to those who need it most, and is backing His claims with miraculous healings. "Don't stop trusting me now." (vs.23) 

Jesus turns to the crowd and tells then in effect that John the Baptist was the greatest prophet ever. But there is something better coming in the kingdom. Those who had believed John were now beginning to follow Jesus; those who didn't believe John were now beginning to reject Jesus. The divide will keep growing. Jesus compares those who rejected both John the Baptist and Jesus as children playing a game (vs32 NIV):

We played the pipe for you,

     and you did not dance;

we sang a dirge,

    and you did not cry.

As we saw back in chapter 5, there are appropriate times for feasting and appropriate times of fasting. Wisdom is the ability to know what is appropriate for each situation as it comes along. The "children of Wisdom" understood why it was appropriate for John the Baptist to fast, and for Jesus to eat and drink. We need to recognize what type of music God is playing. 

Those who trust Jesus are grateful for forgiveness 7:36-50   

The "Pharisees and experts in the law" (vs. 30NIV) were tone deaf to what God was doing. They certainly could not understand the forgiveness and mercy being offered to the so-called "sinners." It is not stated why the Pharisee invited Jesus to dinner. Whether it was because he just wanted to keep an eye on Him, or he was just trying to take advantage of Jesus' popularity, it is obvious the Pharisee did not trust Him or even bestow customary honors on Him that were fitting for guests of His caliber: no water to wash His feet, not customary kiss to greet Him, no oil for His head. 

The Pharisee didn't trust Jesus because He couldn't possibly be a prophet and allow that "sinful" woman to touch Him. Those who trust their own righteousness have a tendency to be judgmental. Jesus, on the other hand, freely forgave, and those forgiven responded with a gratefulness the self-righteous could never understand. 

Those who trust Jesus are given more light 8:1-21

So, is Jesus playing games with people by teaching in parables? Is He purposefully keeping people in the dark? He tells His disciples that they are allowed to know the "secrets of the kingdom," but others are spoken to in parables so (vs 10 NIV)

though seeing, they may not see; 

though hearing, they may not understand.

First of all note that the disciples were also taught with parables. In this particular case they are given more information, but that is because they asked. Secondly, the reason people did not understand is not because there was something underhanded going on to keep them from the truth. The problem was not with the seed (the word), but with the ground. The farmer provided perfectly good seed, but not all the ground was prepared to receive it. 

Note also that Jesus is quoting from Isaiah 6. The following verse reads as follows in the Septuagint:  

This people’s heart has become calloused;
     they hardly hear with their ears,
     and they have closed their eyes

Again, the problem is not with what Isaiah was preaching, but with those who heard. God is not hiding the light inside a jar or under a bed. Unfortunately, sometimes those who claim Jesus to be their Lord obscure the light by presenting a distorted message or by not showing God's mercy and love by their lives. But whatever light we have been given we are responsible for. If we live up to the light we have, God will give us more. If we do not accept the light we are given, we will lose the light we think we have.

Those who hear Jesus and do what He says are given more truth, and a new relationship with Him. (19-21)

Trusting Jesus is the antidote to fear 8:22-56 

Sometimes we get in frightening situations when we don't listen to Jesus. But sometimes those situations come because we do exactly what He tells us to do. It was Jesus' idea to cross the lake that day. Whether the knowledge of the storm coming was given to Him beforehand we do not know. Whether the experienced fishermen had seen any signs of a storm brewing is not stated either. We do know from earlier passages that Jesus did have a history of following the Holy Spirit's leading, so the storm was not a sign from God they were doing something wrong.

It is amazing to me how often people who claim to know the scriptures point to calamities which happen and say that what happened was the wrath of God. AIDS was said to be God's wrath on the "sexually immoral." More recently, the fires in California were proclaimed as God's anger toward the supposed profane lifestyles of those in Hollywood and the liberal parts of the state. Those who were thought as unworthy in Israel because of their circumstances were looked down upon. Certainly there must have been some kind of despicable sin in their lives. 

But that is exactly the opposite of what Jesus taught. Luke reminds us over and over that calamities come so that God can show his mercy and love. He cares about what we are going through, even when it looks like He is asleep in the back of the boat. Jesus had dozed off, apparently so tired the storm didn't wake Him. But He is always more than capable of saving us through the circumstances of life, or providing peace when things continue to be dreadful. 

This time Jesus' calms the storm, even though the disciples are still filled with "fear and amazement" (vs. 25 NIV). He saves their lives, but their view of Him has been shaken. They had seen Him heal people and even raise people from the dead, but His mastery over Nature itself is unexpected. They are still learning who He is. 

The demons in the next passage know who Jesus is; at least they knew His rightful title was "Son of the Most High God." Their reaction to Him being there was similar to the reaction of the disciples after the storm: fear. They were afraid Jesus would torture them and send them to "the Abyss." It would take a study way beyond the scope of this blog to try to identify what "the Abyss" is, but suffice to say it is somewhere the demons do not want to go, and is somehow associated with torture. 

However, Jesus shows them mercy, and grants them their preference of going into the pigs. Stop. Read that sentence again. Jesus shows demons mercy. In a time when so many are so willing to not show mercy to human beings created in God's image, people need to read this passage over and over. Justice and restoration does not require torture, even of demons. And human beings, even one inconvenient man who frightened people because of his lot in life, are more important than pigs, even if they are part of someone's livelihood. The people of that region should have rejoiced that the demon-possessed man was now in his right mind, instead the reacted in (Here is that word again.) fear. 

Those who have yet to understand Jesus as they should react in fear. 

In the last portion of this chapter, people react in fear, even though Jesus intervenes in their lives. The woman with the bleeding problem is afraid of asking Jesus directly for healing. So she apparently just sneaks up to Him and touches His cloak. When she realizes she is going to be found out, she comes to Him trembling. Whatever her reason for wanting to be incognito, Jesus recognizes her faith, and tells her to go in peace. The more we know about Jesus, the more peace He gives us.

Jesus tells Jairus not to fear; his daughter would be healed, even though it looks like everything is lost. I love how practical Jesus is after He raises her back to life. He has just performed an astounding miracle, and he tells them to give her something to eat. We might not be able to perform a miracle like God can, but there is always something practical for us to do. 

Trusting Jesus leads to further responsibility 9:1-50 

True faith in scripture includes trust. If we trust Jesus, we will do what He says. When we do what He says, He gives us more light to respond to--more about Him that we are to trust--more truth that we are to act out on. Doing what He says leads us to understand more and more how trustworthy He is, which helps us to do what He says. When we continue to trust Him more, He gives us more responsibility. 

Learning by doing is not comfortable, because we often fail when we are trying to do something new. If we never get out of our comfort zone, we will never learn how to do anything. As the disciples start to go out on their own without Jesus beside them, they accomplish some amazing things, but they also fail at times.

The disciples are sent out to do the same things Jesus was doing--healing people and preaching about the kingdom of God. They had learned enough from Jesus to pass along the good news, and Jesus gave them the power to heal people. They are making such an impression that Herod is getting curious about Jesus. This will become important later.

Note that the disciples were not just going full steam all the time. They would report back to Jesus, and He would take them aside to hear what they had done and have a time to relax by themselves until the people found out where they were. Never forget to consistently take time to reflect and refresh yourself, no matter how urgent things seem to be.

In the next scene, the disciples are told to do the impossible. There is no hint of backtalk about how crazy an idea that was. They had come to trust Jesus enough to know He could do amazing things. They probably don't understand what was going to happen, but they know the best course of action was to be straight with Him and tell it like it is. Well, we have five loaves of bread and two fish. that's the good news. The bad news is we estimate there are about five thousand people. Do you have some way we could buy enough food for that kind of crowd?

Jesus has another idea. Rather then stretch thin the resources of those who have been providing for them (vss 2-3), this was a time for a miracle they apparently haven't seen before. Talk about stretching food on a budget! And they end up with much more food than they started with. 

If Peter hadn't been convinced before, he was now. Herod and others were confused about who Jesus  was, thinking He might be a resurrected prophet. But Peter knew; He was the Messiah. 

Peter had come to understand that Jesus was the Messiah, but Jesus tells the disciples not to tell anyone that. If this fact about Jesus was so important, why didn't He want them to tell everyone? Is Jesus trying to hide that light under a jar? No. It's because they weren't ready to accept the next truth about Him, even though He is going to tell them that truth right now. 

The disciples were still hung up on the theology of the day about what the Messiah would come to do. They believed the Messiah would come and defeat Rome by force. This is not how the kingdom is coming. Jesus didn't come to bring in the kingdom by force, but by love. But the world was still so unready for God's way of this happening, something dramatic was going to take place. In an ultimate display of His love for humanity, Jesus is going to allow Himself to be killed. His disciples are so sold on the false impression Israel had for the Messiah, they will not understand. Over and over Jesus will tell them what will happen, but they just don't get it. He doesn't want them to tell everyone He is the Messiah and then give them the wrong answer about what was coming!

The same false notion about the Messiah is prevalent today. Many who claim to follow Jesus believe He is going to return to this world to massacre most of it so justice can be done. I do not believe this is what the Bible teaches about God's justice. The Lion of Judah in Revelation never appears as a lion. Never. He appears as a slain lamb (chapter 5). He does not wield a sword in His hand; the sword imagery is coming out of His mouth. He defeats the enemy by what He says. (chapter 19) What are the words of Jesus but love and mercy? That is how Jesus defeats the beastly kingdom--this world's system, filled with war and hate, and replaces it with the kingdom of God, full of mercy and love. The iron "scepter" of Revelation 19:15 is actually the shepherd's rod, and the phrase is properly translated in many translations as "shepherd them with a rod of iron" rather than "rule them with an iron scepter." The rod refers to the same shepherd's rod David wrote about in Psalm 23. It is the system of the world that is being destroyed and devoured, not the people. Jesus is shepherding people back to Himself.

We are to follow Jesus' self-sacrificial example. We are to be willing to suffer persecution, even martyrdom, to show the world the love and mercy of God. 

When does the kingdom come? Look very closely at verse 27. Go ahead, read it. Read it again. How many people standing there have died. Jesus isn't playing some sematic game with us, or trying to trick us. He is telling them some of them would see the kingdom come. The only explanation is that the kingdom must have come in the first century AD. When? I think the passage tells us.  

Eight days later, Jesus goes up the mountain with Peter, John, and James. They see Jesus transfigured. Is this the coming of the kingdom of God? If Jesus was telling the truth, it has to be at least a partial fulfillment of what the coming of the kingdom is. Moses and Elijah are there, most certainly representing the Torah and the Prophets. They are talking about what Jesus was going to do in Jerusalem, but the subject is still so far beyond the three that they get drowsy. When they do wake back up, they see the vision, and Peter talks about building shelters for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah.

What Peter missed while he was drowsing off was that Jesus is going to accomplish something new. The Law and the Prophets were meant to lead to Jesus. The voice from Heaven leaves no doubt: "This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to Him." The importance of the Law and the Prophets are fading. Jesus is about to completely fulfill them. His words are now what is important--His message of mercy and love. Again, the disciples are told not to tell about this. They don't have a good enough grasp of it to share it with others.

The disciples are being given more responsibility, but there is a limitation to what they could do because they were stuck on the fact Jesus was going to bring in the kingdom in a different way than they thought. They had power over some demons, but now there is one they couldn't handle that Jesus had to cast out Himself. His words of frustration were because He knew the disciples were at a point where their faith was not able to grow much. He again tells them about His death, but they still can grasp what He is saying. 

The disciples are so stuck by not being able to take this next step of faith that they began arguing about who would be the greatest in the kingdom. They were still of the mindset that Jesus would do things the way the world does it. Those who want to get ahead must jockey for position. But that's not how God's kingdom works. The kingdom is not about gaining power so people will treat you with favoritism; it is about lifting up a child and others who seem unimportant. Not vying for position, but making room for the underprivileged to succeed. 

The disciples also were also becoming jealous of others who were able to do things they were failing at. That's what happens when you reject Jesus' way of love and mercy. You begin to make everything a competition about who is the best and who doesn't belong. Mercy and compassion can easily give way to competition and exclusivity. 

Who Is Jesus? part 5: The Called and the Blessed

 

Who is this Jesus? We have seen He was regarded as the son of Joseph, but God the Father keeps telling us He is His Son. He didn't come to be just a carpenter, but to do the works of His Father. The works involved performing miracles. However, the purpose of the miracles was not to make Himself popular, but to demonstrate the mercy and love of God, showing the time of Redemption--The Jubilee--has come, when all debts are forgiven. The healings demonstrated that God has forgiven their sins. 

Now Jesus is going to show more about Himself by choosing Disciples, and talking about a new way of doing things. We have already seen a glimpse of this in how women are portrayed in the Gospel. He is already stirring things up by telling the people in His hometown that they were like their ancestors who rejected Elijah and Elisha's message from God. He is also beginning to assert His authority over the Jewish leaders. He refuses to make a hostile takeover by force. His method is love and forgiveness, offering the common people compassion and mercy. He is by no means a milquetoast, a whimp, or a delicate snowflake. He was more than willing to speak up to the leadership of the day who were addicted to religious and political power, and harshly treated people. 

What will this new way look like? What is this Kingdom of God He has been preaching about? Luke 5:27 through 6: 49 tells us more.

The Kingdom is not for the "Righteous" 5:27-32

We have already seen Jesus call four fishermen to be His Disciples. This just was not how Rabbis did it. You didn't call someone who worked a stinky job like that, who was obviously not a scholar. Simon even admits he is a "sinful man." exactly what Jesus is looking for. What is He doing?

Now Jesus approaches someone from the most despised business of all. Tax collectors were considered traitors. No one likes taxes, but when you are required to pay them to enemy invaders, that's even worse. Add to that that the tax collectors were known for their unfairness, extracting more revenue from the people than required in order to line their own pockets. You really want this guy, Jesus?

The Pharisees were quick to question Jesus hanging out with "tax collectors and sinners." Jesus reply was that He didn't come to heal healthy people or call for the righteous to repent. There is an undertone to what Jesus was saying that the Pharisees may or may not have missed. He was basically saying, "Why would I hang out with you? You think you're healthy and righteous already." This would not be the last time Jesus called out the Pharisees for their arrogance, and the insults will get much more explicate. 

The Kingdom is not a patch job 5:32-39

Within Christian circles, I often see one set of believers criticizing another for differences in how they practice various rituals. This season of the year, many observe Lent by fasting on certain days, or giving up doing or eating certain things. I definitely don't see anything wrong with that, even though I come from a non-liturgical background. The important part, I think, is doing it with the proper attitude toward God, and toward those who don't follow the same "rules" as you do. 

“One of the marks of a certain type of bad man is that he cannot give up a thing himself without wanting every one else to give it up. That is not the Christian way. An individual Christian may see fit to give up all sorts of things for special reasons--marriage, or meat, or beer, or the cinema; but the moment he starts saying the things are bad in themselves, or looking down his nose at other people who do use them, he has taken the wrong turning.”

― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

We have a tendency to look at fellow Christians and judge people for not being as outwardly devote as we are. I gave up "such and such" for God; they should have to, too. It is the same kind of jealousy the elder brother had for the prodigal. (Luke 15) "I did all this extra work while my brother was off enjoying himself, and what did I get for it?" There is also a nostalgic element involved, or "We never did it that way before," or "I like the old wine better (even though I haven't even tasted the new wine)."

Each situation calls for something different. It was not appropriate for the Disciples to fast at that time; they would fast when He was gone. But also notice that Jesus is hinting beyond the question of fasting. He is saying that something new is coming which will not just be a patch over the old, but a whole new garment. The Gospel of the Kingdom is not just some patches to cover a few holes that have become evident with the old garment; that would not work, and would ruin the new. The new garment fulfills the requirements of the old worn out garment, and replaces it. (See Romans 8:4.)   

The Kingdom establishes a new relationship with work 6:1-11

The next scene reminds me of some Hobbits traipsing through Farmer Maggot's fields and stealing some of his crops. But that is not what is happening here. Whoever was in charge of that field was apparently following the law that made provision for the poor.

“When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest.  Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God. (Lev 19:9-10).”

 

There was nothing unlawful about gleaning from the fields, and Jesus and His Disciples were happy to take advantage of this. There are many different ways that a government can provide food for the poor. In the United States, the Agriculture Department administers the SNAP and other programs. My wife and family and I benefitted from these programs when our children were very young. We also took advantage of private food banks from time to time. 

Jesus was not breaking any laws by gleaning, but the Pharisees still tried to put a stop to what they were doing. The Pharisee had a long list of what was considered work you could not do on the Sabbath, and gleaning was on the list. Talk about your red tape to try to get a bit of legitimate help!

But Jesus answers them that there was a higher authority than their traditions, and He was it. He is the Lord of the Sabbath, and He decides what work can be done on that day. The Sabbath was made for the benefit of people (Mark 2:27). It wasn't made so the leadership could come up with a set of rules to make it harder for people to live. Jesus also gives an interesting history lesson which affects the applicability of laws. Old Testament laws were not meant to be a list of do's and don'ts that applied to every situation. The law stated that only the priests were allowed to eat the consecrated bread. Yet, David and his companions ate it. Exceptions to the rules--the law--could be made under certain circumstances. What's more important? The law that requires that only priests could eat the bread, or the needs of those who are famished? The law of love always trumps any other law. Always.

Which leads us to the next scene. Here are those pesky Pharisees again. They are just waiting to have a chance to find Jesus doing something wrong. They bring along their mental list of Sabbath no-no's, including the one about healing on the Sabbath. Jesus knows their intentions, and asks, "which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” (verse 9) I am imagining Him staring down each and every one of the Pharisees and daring them to answer. But they knew Jesus had the upper hand. They knew He was right, but they still were angry when the man's hand was restored. Their power was more important than the welfare of the man with the shriveled hand. 

The Kingdom includes diversity 6:12-16

Talk about inclusion and diversity! Jesus pulls together an amusing assortment of protégés to teach. These are to be the Apostles--the ones He's going to give authority to? Who are these guys?

• Four fishermen: Simon Peter, Andrew, James, John
• Two more Hicks from Galilee: Philip and Bartholomew 
• A tax collector: Matthew (apparently the one also called Levi)
• Three we know very little about: Thomas, James the son of Alpheaus, Judas (called Thaddeus elsewhere) son (or brother) of James
• A Zealot, from a sect which sought to overthrow Rome: The other Simon
• The traitor: Judas Iscariot

This is not a list any Rabbi except Jesus would have chosen. At least Judas was good with money... oh, wait. Okay, Simon the Zealot might be good in a fight... oh, wait. Okay there's Matthew: he ought to be accepted readily into the group... oh, wait. Seriously, I wonder how many squabbles Jesus had to settle along the way.  But this is the group He chose. 

The Kingdom has a new standard 6:17-49

The scene here is often referred to as The Sermon on the Plain to differentiate it from The Sermon on the Mount in Matthew. A large crowd of people gathered, and they were apparently not all Jews. The text specifically mentions people from Tyre and Sidon. This reminds me of the passages in Deuteronomy 27 and Joshua 8 which describes the reaffirmation of the Sinai Covenant after the people enter the land. Joshua 8:33 specifically mentions that there were foreigners living among the Israelites who were present. 

In Joshua 8, the whole nation was gathered in the valley of Shechem where the tabernacle was being set up until it would get a more permanent home in Jerusalem. Four of the tribes stood before Mount Gerizim representing the blessings of the covenant; the other four stood before Mount Ebal representing the curses in the covenant. Joshua says all the law of Moses was read to the people at that time.

Jesus was inaugurating at new covenant. It is much shorter, and the blessings and curses (woes) are not based on following the minutia of the Mosaic Law, but on the law of love. Jesus offers mercy and justice to those who the system had said were the ones on the outside. Their lot in life (according to the system) showed they must not be worthy of God's blessing. On the other hand, He pronounces woes on those who thought they had God's blessing now because of their positive circumstances, but would eventually find themselves of the other side.

The poetry uses repetition and symmetry, but loses some of its symmetry at the end. If we put the repeated ideas together, it helps us understand what Jesus is getting at. (From the NIV)

Blessed are you who are poor,                        But woe to you who are rich,
    for yours is the kingdom of God.       for you have already received your comfort.

Blessed are you who hunger now,             Woe to you who are well fed now,                for you will be satisfied.                                for you will go hungry.

Blessed are you who weep now,                Woe to you who laugh now,
    for you will laugh.                                        for you will mourn and weep.

Blessed are you when people hate you,    Woe to you when everyone speaks
    when they exclude you and insult you        well of you
    and reject your name as evil,                        
        because of the Son of Man.

Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, 

because great is your reward in heaven. 

For that is how their ancestors                    for that is how their ancestors

treated the prophets.                                    treated the false prophets.

Israel had a history of treating false prophets well, because they told them what they wanted to hear. They also had a history of persecuting the true prophets, because they didn't like what they had to say. The people of The Kingdom know how to wait. They know their reward is in heaven. That doesn't mean that their reward is all in the future. Those in God's Kingdom are able to rejoice even while they are being hated, excluded, insulted, and called evil if it's because of Jesus. We should not rejoice, thinking we are being persecuted for the sake of Jesus, if we are just being obnoxious, uncaring, selfish, or butting in to people's business. (See 1 Peter 4:15. That's a whole sermon in itself!) 

If we are being persecuted because of Jesus, it will be because we are are following His way of love. This goes way beyond just loving people who are nice to us. We are to do good things to people who hate us. There are those who interpret the response to the slap on the cheek and the extra mile as ways of shaming those who take advantage of us. It is sometimes interpreted as a call for "audacious civil disobedience." However these ideas are meant, the whole tenor of Jesus argument is an attitude of love. Treat other as we would like them to treat us. I can see how it could be argued that we would want to be treated that way if we were so out of line like the perpetrators in Jesus' examples. But we need to be careful not to indulge in a smug attitude that says, "Well, I showed them, didn't I?" 

A corollary to loving our enemies is not judging. This is perhaps the hardest teaching of Jesus to follow. It is so easy to criticize others while letting ourselves slide. Being non-judgmental does not mean that we close our eyes to evil. Jesus didn't come to condemn, but He sure was upfront about calling out evil. There is a difference. Jesus treated people with compassion and understanding. He didn't put up with sin, but He recognized that what the leadership was calling sin was not always really sin. And He freely offered forgiveness.

Jesus was the only One who did not have His vision impaired with objects in His eyes. We need to remember we are not Him, which calls for us to examine our own imperfections and motives before attacking others. (I know that pokes me in the eye.) I am not calling for us to constantly browbeat ourselves. Finding fault with ourselves to the point we become nonfunctional is not what Jesus intended, and ignores His grace and mercy. 

Being nonjudgmental does not men we should not be discerning. Eating from the wrong tree can kill us. Fortunately there are signs which indicate what type of tree we are looking at. I am not a mushroom hunter, but those who are had better know the difference between species. "The mouth speaks what the heart is full of." If you have a discerning heart, you can know the basic character of a person by how they talk. Are they speaking words of compassion and encouragement, or are they spewing hate and judgment? 

Finally, those in the Kingdom are not those who just call Jesus Lord, but those who do what He says. Putting His words into action is like building a house on a firm foundation. Those who hear but don't put His words into practice are like a house built on sand. If the foundation isn't love, the house will collapse in hard times. If you are building your life on love, it with weather the storm.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who Is Jesus? part 4: Forgiveness over Fame, Mercy over Might

 

Please read Luke 4:1 through 5:26. Or you can just read the shorter passages before each section.

It's not about self-serving power 4:1-13

The first thing I notice about this passage is that Jesus is filled with the Holy Spirit, and led by by Him into the wilderness. Everything Jesus did was apparently under the direction of the other two Members of the Godhead. In chapter five of John's Gospel, Jesus asserted that everything He did was under the direction of the Father. He is God, but, as Paul tells us, He did not insist on using the power of God for Himself (Philippians 2:6-7). 

• He refused to use His powers for His own needs. Although he would provide bread on at least two occasions for the crowds, He refused to use His power to feed Himself. 
• He refused to make a deal with the devil in order to control the world. God's method for bringing us back into His kingdom is not by force or coercion. He wants to restore the cosmos to Himself through mercy and love. Since He is the Root of Jesse and the Lion of Judah, He has the right to rule. However, instead of taking the world by force like a lion, He conquers it by demonstrating His love for us as the slain Lamb (Revelation 5). 
• He refused to use His power as a way to impress people. Later in this blog post, we will see that the use of His power was not a way to gain a following, but a way to show God's forgiveness.

It's not about overcoming hometown prejudices 4:14-30

After the temptations, Jesus begins to travel around to the villages in the area. Again, Luke says the the Holy Spirit is involved. What He is doing involved the "power" of the Spirit. It would be easy to assume the "power" Luke is referring to has to do with the ability to do miracles, but that does not seem to be what is being emphasized. Luke would again reference the "power" of the Spirit when he quotes Jesus' words to His disciples after the resurrection: "... you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8) 

While the beginnings of Jesus' ministry did include miracles, the emphasis was always on His teaching. "I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent." (4:43) 

Jesus now returns to His hometown and gets up to speak in the synagogue. His scripture choice is Isaiah 61:1-2, and Luke gives us the passage from the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the day. 

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
     to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (18-19 NIV)

But Jesus cut off the passage in mid sentence and rolls up the scroll. The next phrase is very significant: "...and the day of vengeance..."  The common belief of the Jews at this time was that the Messiah was going to bring vengeance upon the enemies of Israel. But Jesus had a different message. 

"The year of the Lord's favor" is a reference to the Old Testament Jubilee. It was a time when all debts were forgiven and land returned to the original owner. Again there is a reference to the Holy Spirit. Luke does not want us to miss it. The good news of the kingdom was about hope for the poor, the prisoner, the disabled, and the oppressed. In the first century, there was no hope for those Jesus would describe as "the least of these" in Luke 10. Those who were the unfortunate of society were looked down upon by a religious system that viewed them as less than worthy. Their circumstances were seen as evidence they were sinners, unworthy of being helped. But Jesus came to proclaim that they were forgiven; God is declaring that their debt is paid. 

At this point, the crowd is all for Jesus' message. They are "amazed at the gracious words." (vs. 22) But Jesus knew what they were saying amongst themselves. They were ready for the Messiah to bring in a time of Jubilee. But certainly the rumors going around that He could be the Messiah couldn't be true. We watched this kid grow up. He's just a carpenter's son.  

Despite the positive things the people of His hometown were saying, Jesus is about to incense the crowd... and I don't mean He was about to release a pleasant sent. He knows what they are looking for. They want to see the show. They had heard rumors about what He had done in Capernaum. They don't want to hear His message. They want to be entertained. If they can see a couple miracles, maybe then they could believe He has the power to get rid of the nasty foreigners around them. 

I have often wondered why Jesus quotes the proverb, "Physician, heal yourself!" The best answer I've seen on that is that even those who were starting to believe thought Jesus had a image problem. He needed to do something drastic to heal His reputation in that town. Show us something spectacular, and we'll get behind you. But Jesus had already rejected that route. His power was not for demonstrating how fabulous He was; it was for showing the people that God was offering them forgiveness. 

To emphasize His point, Jesus uses two examples from the Old Testament. One from the ministry of Elijah, and one from the ministry of of Elisha. These were the two prophets in the Old Testament most famous for doing miracles. The two examples of miracles performed were done for people outside Israel. The people of Nazareth got the point, and they were so angry they tried to throw Jesus off a cliff. But it wasn't His time; He just walked right through the crowd and went on His way. They did get their miracle, but in their anger, they missed it. Maybe even a few of them were thinking if they threw Him off the cliff and He just floated to the ground, they would have the spectacular feat they were looking for. But He would have none of it.

It's about demonstrating mercy and forgiveness 4:31-5:26

After Jesus leaves Nazareth, there is a dramatic change. The next few passages are filled with miracles. In between two accounts about people being released from demons, Simon's mother-in-law is healed from a fever. In chapter five, there is the miracle of the catch of fish, and other healings. But notice that the emphasis is still on teaching. The people keep begging Him to stay, but He insists on going on and spreading the good news of the kingdom to other towns. 

Note also that the healings and other miracles were not about spreading His reputation around. In chapter 4, Jesus commands the demons not to make Him known. The miracle of the catch of fish was not about showing off; it was about making it possible for four fishermen to be shown mercy and forgiveness. They are invited to follow Him, which means that they are being invited to be His disciples, a privilege usually reserved for scholars. Fishing was not a very profitable business under the Roman empire. The boats were probably rented, and the fish were taxed. The government usually took the best fish for themselves. The miraculous catch undoubtedly made it possible for them to pay off their debts, enabling them to leave. 

After the fish incident, Jesus heals a man with leprosy, but tells him not to spread the news. He is only to go to the priests as the Old Testament law prescribed. He didn't want the crowds to know; He did want the Jewish leaders to know. I'm sure it wasn't often that someone was cleansed from leprosy. It was important the leadership knew what was happening.

It was also important that the leadership knew why this was happening. The healing of the paralytic was a demonstration that God was offering forgiveness to the people. He was doing it through His Son. The healings were a demonstration to the leadership that God was forgiving those who they considered outcast. The ones who they thought must be horrible sinners because of the afflictions they had. They should have known better.