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Friday Mar 04, 2022
Friday Mar 04, 2022
AIN’T NO ROCK
There aren’t too many times that Jesus allows this to happen, so maybe it’s good to pause and recognize just what he is saying. We are nearing the end of his time on earth, the beginning of his final week, the time of “the passion of Christ.” He must fulfill many Scriptures regarding his suffering, humiliation and death. But first, there is an important event that will fulfill a different set of prophecies; He must be honored, praised, riding into Jerusalem, humble, and riding on a donkey.
Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion. Sing aloud, Daughter Jerusalem. Look, your king will come to you. He is righteous and victorious. He is humble and riding on an ass, on a colt, the offspring of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9)
He doesn’t need to script this for people, you know. He simply stops holding them back, and lets them do what comes naturally. And a whole multitude begins to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice. They do it because of all the mighty works that they had seen him quietly doing for the last three years. The mighty hero has now arrived in the heart of it all, here in Jerusalem, and just in time for the Passover celebration. The multitudes are already gathering for the feast, and hearing that Jesus of Nazareth is coming today kicks off a spontaneous parade of jubilance and expectant praise. The cheer soon arises, heralding Him as “the King who comes in the name of the Lord!”
The King has come! How did they come to start calling Him “the King?” Had Jesus been using the title of “king” for Himself before this point? Did they know He was born in Bethlehem? That He was of the line of David? Had they been reading Zechariah? Or was it that obvious? This was the rightful king of the Jews, after all, this gentle man riding into town.
And I imagine who is in that crowd: people from all over Israel have gathered here. But especially there are the ones who had heard, who had been following, who had been healed. And I picture Jesus nodding to each as He rode down the hillside and through the gate into the city. He sees the ten healed lepers, the one whom he healed in the Jerusalem synagogue, the paralytic from right over there at the pool of Bethsaida, the blind man whom he sent to the pool of Siloam, the woman who had been caught in adultery, the young man whom he had brought back from the dead, Jairus and his daughter. And there is Legion, with dozens of eager friends and relatives from the Decapolis region. And the children–oh, the children! He quietly mouths the name of each person, now so vehement in their thanks and praise, and He rides, humbly on the back of the foal of a donkey.
As it turns out, for all their praises of Jesus as King, they only know a part of it. He is the King of kings, he is. This man is also the long-awaited Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the living God. The Word of God, the deliverer of Israel, the Lion of Judah, the Lamb of God, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Prophet, the eternal high priest, and the Lord of lords.
And soon this man will be the atoning sacrifice for the sins of all.
Of course, some of the Pharisees are offended by this display of honor for one whom they regard as a mere human. It would be blasphemy to say “glory in the highest” before any man. But, of course, Jesus is not just any man!
Luke 19:36-40 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
And so, Jesus allows the accolades to come streaming down, like anointing oil on his head, running down his beard and onto his robe. These words are what he will hear in eternity, but it will be a long week before he gets to hear words of worship and adoration again. He knows the truth, that if he were to shut this jubilant party down, the very rocks themselves would cry out.
He knows it because they already are silently giving their never-ending worship even now. The heavens are telling the glory of God. The mountains and hills bow down in worship. The earth is the Lord’s, and all the fullness thereof. The trees of the field clap their hands. The wind stirs, and the whirlwind carries the praise aloft. Mightier than the thunder of the mighty waters, mightier than the crashing of the seas the Lord on high is mighty. The stars declare his faithfulness through all generations.
Day after day they pour forth speech. Night after night they display their knowledge. There is no speech or no language where their voice is not heard.
So, if creation sings Your praises, so will I. If creation still obeys you, so will I. If everything exists to lift you high, so will I. If the wind goes where you send it so will I. If the rocks cry out in silence so will I. If the sum of all our praises still falls shy, then we’ll sing again a hundred billion times.
Ain’t no rock gonna cry in my place. Amen.
Friday Mar 04, 2022
Friday Mar 04, 2022
FALLING UPON OR FALLEN UPON
Jesus is telling a variation of a story that we have heard him say before in the gospels. But this version is especially dark. A vineyard (the kingdom) is leased out to tenants (the religious elite), and the owner (God) expects to receive a share of the fruit (faithful followers) at harvest time (the coming of the kingdom). But the tenants (the religious elite) are really messed up in their thinking, and they reject his requests and violate the ones he sends (prophets). At last, the owner of the vineyard (God) decides to send his own son (Jesus), thinking that the best representative of his interests would be treated with due respect. But the tenants (the religious elite) are completely backwards in their logic, and their hearts are somehow set against the owner (God) to the point that they want to kill his son (Jesus) and thus somehow they think they will inherit the vineyard (faithful followers) for themselves.
What is the outcome of this story, in earthly terms? Even the Pharisees knew what Jesus was going to say.
Luke 20:16-18 “He (God) will come and destroy those tenants (the religious elite) and give the vineyard (church) to others (Gentiles).” When they (the religious elite) heard this, they said, “Surely not!” (God would never abandon Israel in favor of Gentiles) But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written: “‘The stone (Jesus) that the builders (the religious elite) rejected has become the cornerstone’?
Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” This is the twofold warning that I’d like us to reflect on today: Falling on, or being fallen upon.
It’s not the first time that Jesus gave some harsh depictions of the relationship between God and these men who think they know Him. Here in Luke 20, Jesus says, “He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.”
In the last chapter, Jesus had said, “But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’” Luke 19:27
In Matthew, we find this ending: “the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 24:50-51 Another reference to eternal torment, compared to eternal life.
Of course, Jesus is not just making up such hard sayings out of his imagination. There are many in the Bible, both Old Testament and New. But this one is worth focusing on, before we move on: “Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”
It seems there is no way out of this. Either I fall on the stone, or the stone falls on me. And when that happens, I will either be broken to pieces, or it will crush me. Doesn’t sound like either option is very pleasant. It doesn’t end well for me, does it? Is there a third option, I wonder?
Jesus is saying that He is the chief cornerstone. The builders had rejected Him, saying that He was not square enough. The cornerstone is the one that needs to have perfect right angles, and be perfectly level. If you don’t find a good stone to start with, your building will be out of alignment. So the builders found a stone that they thought was imperfect. They threw it away, on the cross. They stumbled upon the stone, and they will soon be crushed under it.
The confusing passage is about the scribes and the Pharisees in first-century Israel, to be sure. But there is a sense in which it had very much to do with you and me today, as well. We really have just two choices in life: we can repent, or we can be condemned. We can fall upon the Rock and be broken and die to ourselves, or we will have the weight of his judgment fall upon us and crush us in the final judgment.
But the Good News is that the judge of our souls is also the savior of our souls! He has become the chief cornerstone! It turns out, that rejected stone was perfect! And now, we are Christ’s building, all of us stones built into a holy temple to the Lord. Praise God!
But if we miss the cornerstone, then we have no foundation that is worth building upon. We stumble, as did the Pharisees, and we fall on it and are broken to pieces. The other option is that the stone falls on us. In which case, the truths that Jesus taught, the perfection that He demonstrated, and the sacrifice that he made all come down upon us, and our unworthy sinfulness is smashed under the weight.
The time has come to build! You just have to decide on your cornerstone in order to begin. It’s the most important decision of your life. And after.
I think I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold. I’d rather have that perfect cornerstone than to have anything this world affords today.
Saturday Mar 05, 2022
Saturday Mar 05, 2022
THREE BLIND MICE AS A WORSHIP SONG
(SARCASM WARNING! A few years ago in class, I was talking about melodic formulas, the most common of which is scale degrees 3-2-1. I said that, in effect, most worship songs boil down to "Three Blind Mice." That launched into a spontaneous exploration of the traits of contemporary worship songs, if the song were a worship song.)
Three blind mice
Three blind mice
See how they run
See how they run
Oh, how they run
Run into Your arms
I'm talkin' 'bout three blind mice
Sing with me about three blind mice
They could not see how they run (they're kinda clumsy)
See how they run (but it's really funny)
Oh, how they run run into Your arms
Running on the waves
into your embrace
finding all your grace
and look into your face
but they cannot see a thing
'cause they're three blind mice
yeah they're three blind mice
(pray for the mice!)
Saturday Mar 05, 2022
Saturday Mar 05, 2022
KEEP ALERT
“Teacher,” they asked, “when will all this happen? That’s one of our first thoughts, isn’t it? Will this happen within my lifetime? Will I be ready when it does? As it turns out, being ready for it is the whole point. It’s like the end for each of us. We know that death is coming. But we think if we just knew WHEN, then we could somehow be more ready. It’s just not how the universe works. All we can do is to be ready NOW for what might not happen for a long time. What sign will show us that these things are about to take place?” How do we know this is really, really the end?
He replied, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, because if there is money to be made or power to be grabbed, people will do it. It’s easy to claim that God spoke to you, if it can make you feel powerful, for many will come in my name, even though it seems hard to believe, people use the name of Jesus to gather followers for themselves! claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ which means the anointed one. God has spoken to me, and I can pretend to do miracles and have words of knowledge that seem impressive. There are too many examples for me to even have to explain this. and saying, ‘The time has come!’ We all want to know that it’s happening right before our eyes, and we have become a very impatient people with a clear desire to have end-of-the-world panic all around us, But don’t believe them. Always ask yourself, “What’s in it for them? Follow the money, and you’ll see who truly believes and who is pursuing their own selfish agenda. And when you hear of wars and insurrections, don’t panic. Be concerned for those who are victims, and for the aggressors, but know that it’s not about you. There is a very big picture of history that unfolds, showing what mankind does when they make their own decisions. Yes, these things must take place first, but the end won’t follow immediately.” People have been predicting the end of the world since Jesus ascended. Even these signs Jesus provides are no predictors of the final chapter. In my lifetime, the last 50 years have been filled with end times predictions, seeing the prophecies of Ezekiel 38-39 as being fulfilled, when Gog from the north in Russia and Magog from the south in Iran come to invade Israel, a people living peacefully in cities without walls. Then he added, “Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. Russia will invade the Ukraine, and there will be increasing divisions within our own country, leading toward another civil war. Currently, there are wars or minor conflicts in around 40 countries today, most of them in the middle east, many of them ultimately focused on and surrounding the modern nation of Israel. There will be great earthquakes, and there will be famines and plagues in many lands, let’s just go ahead and call it global climate change, and recognize that we have had a lot of changes in the patterns of weather on the planet, including 6 earthquakes in the last 18 years of 8.1-9.1 in magnitude, all in the Pacific. Famines are increasing on earth, due to climate change, ongoing wars, and the pandemic. At least 155 million people in 55 countries faced acute hunger in 2020 — 20 million more than 2019 famines, and now they say there has been a Six-fold increase in people suffering famine-like conditions since pandemic began. And I think it is fair to call COVID-19 a plague. and there will be terrifying things and great miraculous signs from heaven. Terrifying? That’s why they call them terrorists! Miraculous? I suppose surface to air missiles would be miraculous signs to the ancient witness of them.
. . . For there will be disaster in the land and great anger against this people. Can you say Holocaust? Diaspora? The Pale of Settlement? There always have been enemies of the Jews, and today is no exception. The current modern state of Israel, with the angry eyes of the whole world focused on it. They will be killed by the sword or sent away as captives to all the nations of the world. This began in A.D. 70 and continued in the ensuing centuries. By far, there is no nation on earth that has been so singled out to be scattered and driven away as the nation of Israel over the years. And yet, they have still been identifiable for all these centuries. And Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the period of the Gentiles comes to an end. Perhaps you remember my telling you that the Romans in the year 70 defiled and destroyed the temple, but they also drove out Jews from being allowed to live in Jerusalem. They renamed the city Capitolina to have a secular name, and they named the land Palestine, which was a derogatory term, meaning “Land of the Philistines,” the known enemies of Israel. During the Persian period, the total Jewish population in all of Palestine was less than that of New Richmond. About 1500 Jews in what we know as Israel. In the 1870s, the total population of the city of Jerusalem was around 17,000 people. Jerusalem had the population of Loveland Ohio. And yet, in 1948 the state of Israel was re-established and Jews from all over the world returned. And today the Jewish population of Israel is almost 7 million and the city of Jerusalem has almost a million citizens. Has the period of the Gentiles come to an end?
“And there will be strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars. Would you consider large meteors coming near, satellites in space or data stored in the cloud to be strange signs? And here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides. The sea is rising, almost 4 inches in 30 years, and predicted to continue rising as the polar ice caps melt. Tsunamis have increased, as well as major hurricanes and monsoons. People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken. You can hardly turn on the news without hearing how terrified people are at what they see coming upon the earth. Of course, they believe that it is due to carbon emissions! As if our greatest sin is to emit carbon dioxide. But there is coming a judgment from God for reasons far more morally evil than unknowingly leaving a carbon footprint! Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory. And at last there is the return of the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory. I don’t know what image comes to your mind with this. Is he riding on a cloud like a surf board? Is he circling the earth so that all can see him? Are cameras focused on a UFO—a little man-sized anomaly that they eventually see is Jesus, complete with white robe, descending from the sky? I don’t know. But I trust that everyone will see it, and all will see that he has power and great glory. So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!” Notice what is near? Your salvation! These days, we talk about the future with an invented end of the world. The most popular now is a Zombie Apocalypse. I am embarrassed even to say it. There is no biblical or scientific prediction of such a thing. It is completely made up. Others see nuclear explosions covering the earth and wiping out life as we know it. We predict pollution destroying the planet, or carbon emissions bringing about global disasters, or incurable disease spreading like a plague. Any number of scenes that we have painted. But make special note of this: when these things begin to happen, you can stand and look up, for your salvation is near! Not your doom or mankind’s extinction! Your salvation!
“Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware, like a trap. This is why we are talking about this chapter today. It is not to predict politics or weather. It is not to prove that the Bible is true. It is not to tell you to build a bomb shelter. No. It is to help us all to be aware, and not to become complacent, with the worries or pleasures of this life taking over our lives. Listen: video gaming and self-entertainment are far greater dangers to our planet than greenhouse gas emissions or even world war! The danger Jesus warned against is to let your heart be dulled by self-indulgence or the worries of this life. We become unaware. Like a trap.
For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. This is more than even world war 3 or a nuclear disaster. There is no one escaping the appearing of Jesus. Keep alert at all times. Not to scare yourself or others with dire predictions. Keep attuned to the Spirit of God. Memorize Scripture. Read it every day. Discipline yourself to pray. The one who guards at night is vigilant to particular movements and sounds. You let some go and focus on the important ones. Your job is not to think world politics but to watch for immediate dangers. This is us. Jesus gives us the big picture, but then tells us to be alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.” This is the end of his talk on the subject. Let us pray that we will be strong enough to escape the coming horrors and be firm in our faith so that we can stand before the Son of Man, rather than falling before him being judged for what we did while we had the chance on earth.
Saturday Mar 05, 2022
Saturday Mar 05, 2022
LO! HE COMES WITH CLOUDS DESCENDING (WESLEY 1758)
1 Lo! He comes with clouds descending,
once for ev'ry sinner slain;
thousand, thousand saints attending
swell the triumph of his train:
Alleluia, alleluia!
Christ reveals his endless reign.
WHEN HE COMETH (1856)
When He cometh, when He cometh
To make up His jewels,
All His jewels, precious jewels,
His loved and His own:
Refrain:
Like the stars of the morning,
His bright crown adorning,
They shall shine in their beauty,
Bright gems for His crown.
BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC 1862
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword:
His truth is marching on.
Refrain:
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.
HALLELUJAH WHAT A SAVIOR! 1875
When He comes our glorious King
All His ransomed home to bring
Then anew this song we’ll sing:
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
WILL JESUS FIND US WATCHING 1876
When Jesus comes to reward His servants,
Whether it be noon or night,
Faithful to Him will He find us watching,
With our lamps all trimmed and bright?
Refrain:
O can we say we are ready, brother?
Ready for the soul’s bright home?
Say, will He find you and me still watching,
Waiting, watching when the Lord shall come?
THERE’S A GREAT DAY COMING 1886
1 There's a great day coming,
A great day coming,
There's a great day coming by and by,
When the saints and the sinners shall
be parted right and left,
Are you ready for that day to come?
Refrain:
Are you ready? Are you ready?
Are you ready for the judgment day?
Are you ready? Are you ready?
for the judgment day?
IS IT THE CROWNING DAY 1910
Jesus may come today,
Glad day! Glad day!
And I would see my Friend;
Dangers and troubles would end
If Jesus should come today.
Refrain:
Glad day! Glad day!
Is it the crowning day?
I'll live for today, nor anxious be,
Jesus my Lord I soon shall see;
Glad day! Glad day!
Is it the crowning day?
ONE DAY 1910
5 One day the trumpet will sound for His coming,
One day the skies with His glory will shine;
Wonderful day, my beloved ones bringing;
Glorious Savior, this Jesus is mine! [Refrain]
Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;
Buried, He carried my sins far away;
Rising, He justified freely, forever;
One day He’s coming: O glorious day!
WHAT IF IT WERE TODAY 1912
1 Jesus is coming to earth again--
What if it were today?
Coming in power and love to reign--
What if it were today?
Coming to claim His chosen Bride,
All the redeemed and purified,
Over this whole earth scattered wide--
What if it were today?
Chorus:
Glory, glory!
Joy to my heart 'twill bring;
Glory, glory!
When we shall crown Him King.
Glory, glory!
Haste to prepare the way;
Glory, glory!
Jesus will come someday.
JESUS IS COMING SOON 1942
Troublesome times are here
Filling men's hearts with fear
Freedom we all hold dear
Now is at stake
Humbling your heart to God
Saves from the chast'ning rod
Seek the way pilgrims trod
Christians awake
Jesus is coming soon
Morning or night or noon
Many will meet their doom
Trumpets will sound
All of the dead shall rise
Righteous meet in the skies
Going where no one dies
Heavenward bound
WHAT A DAY THAT WILL BE (1955)
What a day that will be
When my Jesus I shall see
And I look upon his face
The one who saved me by his grace
When he takes me by the hand
And leads me through the Promised Land
What a day, glorious day that will be
COMING AGAIN 1957
Marvelous message we bring
Glorious carols we sing
Wonderful words of the King:
Jesus is coming again!
Coming again, coming again
May be morning may be noon
May be evening and may be soon
Coming again coming again
Oh what a wonderful day it will be
Jesus is coming again!
YOUR REDEMPTION DRAWETH NIGH 1970
Years of time have come and gone
Since I first heard it told
How Jesus would come again some day
If back then it seemed so real
Then I can't help but feel
How much closer His coming is today
Signs of the times are ev'rywhere
And there's a brand new feeling
In the air
Keep your eyes upon the eastern sky
Lift up your head
Redemption draweth nigh
THE KING IS COMING 1970
I can hear the chariots rumble
I can see the marching throng
The flurry of God's trumpets
Spells the end of sin and wrong
Regal robes are now unfolding
Heaven's grandstands all in place
Heaven's choir is now assembled
Start to sing Amazing Grace
O the King is coming
The King is coming
I just heard the trumpets sounding
And now His face I see
O the King is coming
The King is coming
Praise God He's coming for me
IT WON’T BE LONG 1972
It won't be long
Then we'll be leaving here
It won't be long
We'll be goin' home
Count the years as months
And count the months as weeks
And count the weeks as days
Any day now we'll be goin' home
SOON AND VERY SOON 1976
Soon and very soon we are going to see the King
Soon and very soon we are going to see the King
Soon and very soon we are going to see the King
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! We’re going to see the King
WE SHALL BEHOLD HIM 1980
The sky shall unfold preparing His entrance
The stars shall applaud Him with thunders of praise
The sweet light in His eyes shall enhance those awaiting
And we shall behold Him then face to face
And we shall behold Him
We shall behold him face to face i all of His glory
O we shall behold Him
We shall behold Him face to face our Savior and Lord
COME QUICKLY JESUS 1985
Come quickly Jesus take Your bride away
Come quickly Jesus oh and may this be the day
That you come through the clouds
You come shining
Victorious in power
Jesus how we long to see You face to face
To be one with You and to thank You for your grace
We’ll wear robes of white and day and night we’ll sing your praise
But Lord sometimes it gets hard down here
With all our pain and all our fears
But there’ll be no more death or tears
When those things have passed away
DAYS OF ELIJAH 1996
These are the days of Elijah
Declaring the Word of the Lord
And these are the days
Of Your servant Moses
Righteousness being restored
And though these are days
Of great trials
Of famine and darkness and sword
Still we are the voice
In the desert crying
Prepare ye the way of the Lord
Behold He comes
Riding on the clouds
Shining like the sun
At the trumpet call
So lift your voice
It's the year of Jubilee
And out of Zion's hill
Salvation comes
THE LION AND THE LAMB 2015
He's coming on the clouds
Kings and kingdoms will bow down
And every chain will break
As broken hearts declare His praise
For who can stop the Lord Almighty
Our God is the Lion
The Lion of Judah
He's roaring with power
And fighting our battles
And every knee will bow before Him
Our God is the Lamb
The Lamb that was slain
For the sins of the world
His blood breaks the chains
And every knee will bow before the Lion and the Lamb
Every knee will bow before Him
Monday Mar 07, 2022
Monday Mar 07, 2022
THE BELOVED PHYSICIAN
There are a couple of extra things we know about Luke the gospel writer that we have not yet explored. One is that he was “the beloved physician,” according to Paul in Colossians 4:14. There are small details that Luke includes here and there in his account of Jesus that give hints of a physician’s perspective.
Most people, especially in antiquity, become physicians because their thinking leans strongly toward two things: compassion and cure. Luke shows in subtle ways that he cared about people, their suffering, their feelings and their health. He also uses terms that are specific to medical people in those days. For example, today, most of us might say someone “has a fever,” while an insider to medical terms might say something about “pyrexia” or a “transient elevation in body temperature.” So we find Luke using those kinds of terms here and there in his writing. Let’s take a look at some of them.
22:45 “. . . the disciples . . . sleeping for sorrow . . ..” Luke compassionately addresses some of the reason as to WHY the disciples were sleeping. He sympathetically notes that sorrow can contribute to sleepiness.
22:51 “Jesus . . . touched his ear and healed him.” Peter cut off a man’s ear, but Jesus touched that ear and healed him. That’s a detail that the physician notes.
13:11-13 “. . . there was a woman who had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God.”
Luke notes that she had an infirmity (astheneias) and includes the patient’s history of having it for "eighteen years." He diagnoses her condition of a curvature of the spine (sugkuptousa), adding that she was not able fully straighten herself. Jesus tells her “you are freed” (apolelusai), using the ancient Greek medical term for relaxing tendons and membranes and for taking off bandages.
10:33-34 “But a Samaritan . . . had compassion . . . bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine . . . and took care of him.” Luke uses a first aid term for binding up wounds, including the medicinal use of oil and wine.
4:38 “Simon’s mother-in-law was ill with a high fever . . ..” While Matthew and Mark both also refer to her fever, Luke uses a term that was used by medical professionals (sunechomene pureto megalo).
5:12 “While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy.” The other gospel writers say that the man had leprosy, but Luke gives the detail that he is “full” of leprosy. It’s an advanced stage of leprosy, as a doctor would note.
5:18 “. . . a man who was paralyzed . . ..” The other writers call him a paralytic, but Luke rightly diagnoses that he was a man who had a condition, not that he was the condition that he had.
8:27 “a man . . . who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs.” Luke includes the detail that a man who is not in his right mind will not be doing self-care, such as wearing clothes and living in a house.
8:43-44 “a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. . . . immediately her discharge of blood ceased.” Luke makes note that physicians had been unable to heal her. And when she was healed, he uses the precise medical term used for the stoppage of bodily discharges.
6:6 “a man was there whose right hand was withered.” Luke notices that it was specifically the man’s right hand.
24:22 “Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked . . . and explained the Scriptures to us?” Another little detail that seems like a psychological nuance of what they said that they felt.
So, that is our friend, Luke, the beloved physician.
A side note: Luke gave up the comfortable life of a physician to travel with Paul and research the workings of the Spirit and preach and pray for healings.Yet, in spite of being so familiar with so many miraculous healings, Luke continued to be known as a physician. Science and faith were not at odds for him. In other words, the solution for everyone is not just “read your Bible and pray and all will be well.” Sometimes you need to go to a doctor, or see a therapist, or in some other way find practical help. Mary and Martha are both important to the team. And those who work for the cure are as vital as those who pray for the miracle.
But I guess it’s not a surprise that he would become a follower of the Great Physician.
May God bless those practical heroes of our generation, the modern-day Lukes, the “beloved physicians.”
Tuesday Mar 08, 2022
Tuesday Mar 08, 2022
A LIGHT FOR THE GENTILES
Yesterday, we talked about evidence in support of Luke being “the beloved physician,” as Paul calls him in Colossians 4:14. Today, let’s pursue the other possible detail about Luke, that he may have been a Gentile. Cornelius, in Acts 10, was known as a “God-fearer,” which would have been a Gentile who respected Jewish practice of faith, but who had not been born a Jew, and who had not been circumcised.
The theory that Luke was a Gentile comes from the same passage in which Paul calls him the beloved physician. Here’s how it gets pieced together:
Colossians 4:10-14 “Aristarchus . . . and Mark . . . and . . . Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God . . . Epaphras, who is one of you . . . Luke the beloved physician greets you, . . ..”
Is there any evidence in Luke’s gospel that would show that he comes from a Gentile perspective? He uses a high and cultured form of Greek, which probably indicates that at the very least he was a Hellenized Jew. More on that later.
Either way, what is clear about Luke is that he is writing for a Gentile audience, and not to those who are insiders to Jewish culture and ways.
Remember when I said that Luke might be considered to be the Gospel of Paul, in the same way that Mark is the Gospel of Peter? Paul was called to reach the Gentiles, and Peter was called to preach to the Jews. Paul was more educated, his logic and grammar more sophisticated than that of a fisherman from Galilee.
Luke might give a small clue that he is writing to a Gentile. He addresses his reader as “most excellent Theophilus.” “Theophilus” means “lover of God,” and “most excellent” was a title for an honored person in government or other secular arenas.
Luke includes the detail that Zechariah’s turn to serve in the temple was “according to the custom of the priesthood.” There was a way to determine who served and when, and a Jewish reader would have already known that.
Luke also lets Theophilus know that Nazareth was a city of Galilee. And he includes the detail from Simeon’s canticle, that Jesus will be a light for revelation to the Gentiles, as well as glory to his people Israel.
In chapter 7, we find the Gentile Roman centurion asking for healing for his servant. Others had tried to present him to Jesus as being “worthy” because he built their synagogue, but the centurion himself sent messengers as Jesus came near, saying that he was not worthy of Jesus coming into his house. That man rightly understood spiritual authority. But he also understood the relationship of Jews to Gentiles, and he did not try to force Jesus to enter a Gentile’s home.
You might say that the “freedom bus” of salvation is Jewish, “for salvation is of the Jews.” Gentiles were permitted to freely get on board, which is a tremendous privilege. And over the years, so many Gentiles have boarded that they far outnumber the Jewish riders. But we who are Gentiles must remember that it is not “our” bus.
At the same time, Luke also gives a much stronger emphasis on the failures of the Jewish people, and the coming destruction of the Jewish nation, which gives way until the season of the Gentiles is over.
In chapter 4, Jesus was rejected in Nazareth, just after they had been saying about him that “he does everything well.” Why did they suddenly turn on Him and nearly throw him off a cliff? Because he quoted three times when God chose to bless Gentiles, and it seemed blasphemous and heretical to the faithful in the synagogue crowd.
In chapter 6, Luke records multiple times when Jesus talks about loving neighbors and enemies, and about forgiving and being forgivable. In chapter 10, he told stories about Samaritans and other “sinners” who showed their hearts to be responsive to the message of Jesus. He was and is the Jewish Messiah, but he had come for the sins of the whole world, not just of the Jews.
Jesus was the king of the Jews, as Luke notes several times in chapter 23 alone. But Jesus was also the savior of the entire world.
Tuesday Mar 08, 2022
Tuesday Mar 08, 2022
DO NOT PASS ME BY
Luke 24:28 “So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, . . . “
Did this little detail strike you as odd, considering that Jesus was a model of ethical behavior and straight talk. He said what he meant, and he meant what he said. So, why would he “pretend” to be moving on, when He actually had nowhere to go? I know we all do such things to be polite, to not impose, to give someone an easy out from offering us hospitality. But when I read Jesus doing such a thing, it suddenly seems, I don’t know, but like He is being dishonest or something.
There was another time when Jesus did something similar. It was when he was walking on water in the late night during a storm. Mark tells us:
Mark 6:48 “And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them . . . “
Mark says He meant to pass by them, but he doesn’t give a hint as to why He would do so.
There are plenty of other times when Jesus “was passing by” or “passed through their towns” on preaching tours. Did Jesus know that there were two blind men outside of Jericho as he was “passing by” the town? Do you think He knew they were there, but He was letting them initiate? Maybe He went there just to see them and bring them healing.
But even so, it is the pretending that seems out of character for the Lord. What’s up?
Do you see what I just did? I just asked a question, for which I might have already had an answer. But I want you to go ahead and join me in exploring the logic by asking an open-ended question, rather than lecturing you on what I might already know. Remember how we noted Jesus opening with questions so often? I think that’s a way of involving someone else in the answer, so that it becomes theirs, rather than mine. I have long said that when you discover the answer for yourself, it becomes yours for life. “Those who teach learn best,” as the saying goes.
In this way, Jesus is involving these two disciples in the hospitality of inviting Him to stay for a meal. As I say, when I do this sort of thing, I know that I’m wanting the other person to not feel pressured into helping me. Inside, he is rolling his eyes, feeling obligated to do what’s “right.” But when there is not pressure from me, he genuinely makes an offer, because it is his own generous offer, and not a reluctant agreement out of obligation.
Maybe Jesus already knew the answer when he asked those blind men, “What do you want me to do?” And maybe He specifically joined those men on the road to strengthen their faith, to have their hearts burn about the truths from Scripture that He shared with them, without being distracted by the miracle that they were in the presence of a celebrity.
Might Jesus pretend to pass by us in order to give us the chance to put a voice to what we want in life? He doesn’t walk up and say, “I am going to heal you now.” He stays attentive and waits, like the father of the prodigal son, for me to come to my senses. As I’ve heard it said, the Holy Spirit is a gentleman. He only enters upon invitation.
Remember the unjust judge who granted the widow’s request, even though he neither feared God nor liked people. And Jesus said that His Father was far more ready to answer us if we persist. But He waits for us to persist. Because we need to receive his answer as our deep cries out to His deep, and we become fully engaged in the process.
Fanny Crosby was a famous woman of more than a century ago. While she was helping in an evangelistic meeting in a prison, many people had responded to the altar call and were inquiring of the Lord to receive salvation. She heard one man in particular begging the Lord not to pass him by. She was touched by the man’s quest, and she wrote the words to this song:
Pass me not, O gentle Savior. Hear my humble cry. While on others Thou art calling, do not pass me by. Let me at a throne of mercy Find a sweet relief; Kneeling there in deep contrition, Help my unbelief. Trusting only in Thy merit, Would I seek Thy face; Heal my wounded, broken spirit, Save me by Thy grace. Thou the Spring of all my comfort, More than life to me, Whom have I on earth beside Thee? Whom in heav'n but Thee? Savior, Savior, hear my humble cry: While on others Thou art calling, do not pass me by
May you know the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ in your life this day. Amen.
Wednesday Mar 09, 2022
Wednesday Mar 09, 2022
BEFORE THE BEGINNING
“I tell you the truth: Before Abraham was, I am.”
~John 8:58
WHERE DO I BEGIN telling about Jesus? I suppose it’s
best to begin where any good story begins: Before
the beginning.
After all, who else could rightly say, “Before I
was, I AM.” So, you’ve got to know that the man is
older than dirt. Seriously. Old-er. You might say that
when God spoke all those worlds into being, what He
said was,“Jesus.” Or, more accurately, He was talking
to Himself, saying, “Do You like this universe I’m
making? It’s all for You.”
Now, I don’t know much about how God
works, but this much I can tell: wherever Jesus went,
He spoke truth. Whenever Jesus spoke, folks lit up.
Whoever Jesus touched, was made alive. He’s like
having a Coleman lantern in your tent on a foggy
night, lighting up the whole place.
Jesus grew up as a good Jewish boy. (The rest
of us weren’t what you’d really call, well,“good.”)
He’d spent most of His life in Gal’lee County. Most
everybody living around here is Jewish, and we all
look and talk and believe the Bible like Jesus does.
But some of those Bible believers were the very ones
who ended up hating Him the most.
Jesus was the gentlest man I ever knew, and
yet He had a way of getting under some folks’ skin
right quick. He could make enemies out of religious
folk faster than anyone I ever met.
But then there were those who followed.
Crowds of thousands of people who found a
whole new life waiting. It’s as if God had become
flesh and dwelt among us. As if He had torn open the
curtain in the Temple, done away once and for all
with animal sacrifices, and had come to live right here
with us. As if we had seen the Shining One and lived
to gaze upon the image that would slay any mere
mortal. As if we had been welcomed into the inner
council of the Holy One Himself.
I mean, we Jews had grown up praying the
same way every day. We’d stand and face south
toward the Temple in the Holy City, and we would
say, Baruch a ta, Adonai. Blessed art Thou, Lord. We
used titles like King of the Universe, Maker of All, Almighty One, The Holy One. We called Him King.
We called Him Lord. We revered His name, to be
sure.
But when Jesus prayed, He called Him
“Father.” His Abba. His Papa. His Daddy. And not just
His. OUR Father.
A name like that makes it seem like we are
much more than just rebels whom God barely
tolerates. More, even, than those who have been
welcomed to be His people, and to have Him as our
God. If we call the God of the Universe our Daddy, it
implies that we are His very children, and that we are
invited to eat, drink and sleep in the Father’s house,
and to inherit all that He owns—which is everything,
in case you’re wondering. I’m telling you, that is as
profound as it gets right there, boys and girls.
Where was I? Oh, yeah. I was telling you about
how we are truly Jewish. But this here’s what you
might call genteel country living. Others would say
it’s rough country living. But we ain’t Gentile, just to
make that clear.
The hill country of Gal’lee County is about
sixty miles up north of Jerusalem, the Big City, as the
crow flies. Now, when a crow goes north from
Jerusalem, first he’s going to fly over Samaria
County, and them S’martians ain’t what we call “real”
Jews. But after you come through there (or go around
it if you know what’s good for you), up here in the
northern hills, we’re the real deal. Kosher as a jar of
baby dills. That’s something I’ve got to make clear to
you, or lots of these stories won’t make so much
sense.
See, those Big City folks don’t give us much
respect. Maybe on account of they get us mixed up
with S’martians. Maybe on account of what they call
our country accents. Either way, folks from the Big
City tend to call us things: hillbillies, rednecks,
country bumpkins, and even ignorant, no-good
cursed (*gulp*)Gentiles! “Galilee of the Gentiles,”
they call us.
That’s why our Council of Tourism and Trade
added a slogan to our welcome signs:“Galilee
County: A Kosher Community.” They were hoping to
turn opinions after many generations of bigotry
(which is a fancy word for hating someone in
advance, before they even did you wrong).
Ready for The Big Surprise?
Jesus chose to associate Himself with our
kind.
Which is right big of Him, if you ask me,
considering He’s God and all. I mean, He could’ve
been a big shot, if He’d wanted to. But He needed to
be called a Nazarene. Because He was.
A Nazarene.
From Gal’lee County.
You know.
Anyway, I guess Jesus was saying that it
doesn’t matter where you’re from; it matters where
you’re going.
I don’t know about you, but as for me, I’m
going wherever He does.
Wednesday Mar 09, 2022
Wednesday Mar 09, 2022
IN THE BEGINNING
In the beginning, way back at the start
was a great big God-sized THINK that He thought
That thought that He thunk well He said it out loud
and the Word that it formed as it turns out was God
Yes His Name and His Nature is God
That Word started it all
It all started with Him
And without Him ain’t nothing that is would have been
And it outshines the dark and the dark cannot hide
For it fills every corner with the brightest of light
Yes His name and His nature is light
And that true light who gives true light to all men
Came to enter the world he’d created for them
He was there in the world with the Word and the light
He came to His kin but some preferred night
Yet to all who accept him, to all who believe
He turns into children not born of man’s need
or a husband’s decision or the plans of a wife
But born of the Spirit of God who gives life
For his name and his nature is life
So the Word put on skin and He settled right in
and His eyes shone the radiant glory within
We took a good look and we all were amazed
At the trueness of truth and the graceness of grace
For his name and his nature is truth and his nature is grace
So when God has a word that He means for the crowd
He’ll whisper it softly He’ll shout it out loud
and He’ll write it all down and display it above
You ask what was the word?
I knew him as Jesus
You might know Him as love
For his name and his nature is love
Yes his name and his nature is love