Luke 9:57-62; 10:1-20

     As Jesus moves toward Jerusalem, Luke tells about some encounters with potential followers. One person says, “I’ll follow you wherever you go.” Jesus tells him that foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.

     The brevity of this story leaves us with questions. Was Jesus telling this person not to follow? Was he recognizing a desire for comfort and security in the individual, so mentioned the difficulties that would come with the choice to follow? Did this person still follow after hearing what Jesus said?
      To another person, Jesus made the invitation to follow. The man said, “First let me go bury my father.” Jesus’ told him that he should let the dead bury the dead, but this person should go and proclaim the kingdom of God. Jesus’ words may seem harsh. Why not let a man bury his father? Wasn’t that a part of respecting his mother and father (one of the ten commandments)? One speculation is that father was living and the man was saying, let me wait until after my father is gone. Yet, again, it doesn’t seem entirely unreasonable. A son was expected to be the support of his parents and if he was the only son, the responsibility was all the greater.
     There were occasions when Jesus put the priority of discipleship over the responsibilities of family. When his own mother and siblings came to see him, he commented that his family were those who did the will of God.  In the same way the apostle Paul spoke of leaving the past behind (Phil 3:13). Yet, at other times, Paul gave the advice that a Christian didn’t need to separate from a non-believing spouse. On the cross, Jesus gave the care of his mother into the hands of the one disciple standing close by.  His brother James became bishop of the church in home. It doesn’t seem as though he was advocating the breaking of family ties, only the prioritizing of them. In the situation of the man who wanted to wait for his father’s burial, the man may simply have been procrastinating or making excuses, and Jesus was calling him on it.
      In the same vein, another person says “I’ll follow you, but first let me say goodbye to those at my house.” This seems a reasonable request, but Jesus says what may have been a proverb (and certainly became one), that whoever puts a hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God. Again, the potential follower may have been making excuses or delaying his discipleship.
     Jesus had a clear understanding of human nature. He knew how easily we procrastinate, make excuses, rationalize or otherwise justify half-hearted commitments. As he moved steadily into the controversies that would lead to his crucifixion, he needed followers who were willing to put everything on the line. As it was, they still scattered and nearly fell apart once he’d been arrested.
      But along with the potential danger of discipleship, Jesus also knew the fulfillment and joy that comes with utter commitment. Why accept anything less?
      Luke doesn’t tell us what the results were of these encounters with potential disciples. Did they abandon their excuses and follow or did they stand back and watch wistfully as Jesus and his committed followers continued on their way? Perhaps Luke didn’t tell us the result so we could recognize ourselves in them.
     After this, Jesus sent out seventy of his disciples with similar instructions that he’d given when he sent out the twelve (Luke 9:3-5), although he speaks in greater detail. And the seventy return with joy because their work has been so successful.
      It is quite possible that Luke deliberately followed the story of potential disciples with this one about the results of committed discipleship. The gospel stories are not simply history books. They were written to communicate the good news. Luke may have been telling all who would read his book, that making excuses to avoid discipleship is like (in modern terms) cutting off your nose to spite your face. It’s turning down the prize. Yet even here, the dangers of discipleship are not forgotten. Jesus tells the seventy that he’s sending them out like lambs in the midst of wolves.
       The woes Jesus proclaims on the cities are more obscure, even on Capernaum, which some scholars speculate had become his home as an adult. The words seem to pronounce judgment on them for rejecting him. (Yet many in Capernaum seem to have heard Jesus with favor). Except for theological traditions often described as “hellfire & brimstone,” it is difficult to know what to do with these words of Jesus. But it is all right to find things in the bible to be challenging and uncomfortable. It is a tribute to the integrity of those who passed on these writings that they didn’t take out the things that are difficult to understand or that do not seem consistent with the rest of what Jesus taught. (After all, he wouldn’t let John call down fire upon another village and forgave those who crucified him).  One theologian has suggested that difficult passages can be put into a mental drawer of things we don’t understand.
      But it is also true that the difficult passages shouldn’t be ignored entirely. Sometimes, in wrestling with it, we can learn and grow. Ultimately, whether Jesus was judging these villages or whether he was simply engaging in hyperbole (overstatement to make a point) or was saying something else, one point might be said to emerge. This is the truth that a choice for Jesus is a choice for goodness and a decision for life-giving reality.

What are the excuses you see being made to avoid fuller discipleship?
How would you express to other people the importance of making that decision?

Luke 9:51-56

     Jesus is now set to go on to Jerusalem and he sent messengers on ahead to villages to prepare to receive them. One Samaritan village refused to have them because he was headed for Jerusalem. John impulsively suggests they should order fire from heaven to destroy them. Jesus rebuked “them” and simply went on to another village.
     John, here, is the vocal one, but was obviously just saying what the others were muttering about behind his back. This is shown by the rebuke, for John isn’t the only one included in it.
     The discomfort of the Samaritans is ascribed to the fact that Jesus was determined to head on to Jerusalem. From a historical perspective, this is not hard to understand. Samaritans were looked down upon by Israelites. They did not see Jerusalem as the central worship site of their faith. Barclay reports that they would seek to hinder pilgrims to Jerusalem if they took the shorter distance through Samaria to get to Jerusalem.
     Jesus was offering a hand of friendship, which was spurned. Again, from a historical perspective, we can wonder if the Samaritans even understood it that way. However they interpreted the request of Jesus to receive him, the disciples thought it appropriate to seek their destruction. But not for nothing did Jesus live a life of understanding and forgiveness. At the very least the disciples needed to learn to tolerate those who were different. This includes the man casting out demons—see last week’s study, or the Samaritans. At their best, they needed to learn how to love those who are different or at odds with them.
     This study is being posted just a few days before Christmas, so it is difficult not to think of the Christmas story in conjunction. In many ways, the world is reminiscent of the Samaritan village. God has offered, over and over again, the hand of friendship and grace. That offering has often been spurned, yet it comes again. Jesus would be born in a hostile world in which those who were powerful wanted him dead. Yet the result was not fire from heaven; it was an empty tomb and the promise of eternal life. What Jesus asks from humans is simple. To love God and each other. Simple, yet not easy. Not only is it hard to love those who are enemies, it’s sometimes pretty difficult to love those who are annoying, rude or inconsiderate. But Jesus obviously believed we could do it.
    
Who do you find most difficult to love?
What part of your own life is like the Samaritan village—that is, are there some parts of your heart, choices or desires in which Jesus is kept from having the influence he should have?









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Luke 9:46-56

      Ironically, a story of spiritual exaltation is followed by a story of the disciples failing to heal and this story is immediately followed in Luke by an account of the disciples arguing amongst themselves about who was the greatest among them.
     The disciples who messed up are arguing over status? (How do you define irony?)
     Apparently, this discussion didn’t take place in the presence of Jesus, but he knew what they were talking about anyway. His response was to take a child and set the child next to them. He said that whoever received the child in his name received Jesus, and whoever receives Jesus receives the one who sent him. “…for he who is least among you all is the one who is great.”
     This wouldn’t be the only time children figure in the actions and teaching of Jesus. On another occasion, the parents brought their children to Jesus to be blessed and the disciples apparently thought their work was too important to be disturbed by anything or anyone with such low status.
     (Children had low status in society, yet obviously were important to their parents who wanted them blessed. Another irony to consider is how children are still sometimes treated under the law in modern society. A parent’s right to have the child often takes precedence over what may be best for the child. Also, there were animals abuse laws in the United States before there were laws to protect children from abuse. The lawyer who first went before a judge to help a child who’d been abused had to argue that the child was an animal and thereby could be protected.)
     The original disciples weren’t the last followers of Jesus to make this mistake. In the late 1970s, an evangelist at a Christian Rock concert in California was speaking while a child was fussing a bit in the audience. The evangelist stopped and ordered the mother to “take that child out of here. We’re trying to do something important.”
     What is the “important” thing the disciples of Jesus are called to do? Attain status? Garner admiration? Jesus continually modeled servanthood. Here he spoke of being among the least.
     The early church dealt with these issues. Christians were an eclectic group of people coming from all parts of society, from slave to wealthy, from powerless to some Roman officials. In I Corinthians, Paul sought to address the concerns of people who thought their spiritual gifts might be of more importance to the community than those of other people. He used the analogy of the body, all parts needed and the least regarded being of special importance.
     The disciples of Jesus had been arguing over who was most important amongst themselves, and Jesus set them straight with a few words. But they clearly didn’t fully understand, because they at least wanted to feel more important than other people. John (possibly the youngest disciples) tells Jesus that they’d seen a man casting out a demon in the name of Jesus and they told him to stop because he wasn’t among the select group of themselves. Jesus must have rolled his eyes when he answered that anyone who wasn’t against them was for them, and shouldn’t be stopped.

How do we balance between self-respect and the call of Jesus to be among the least?
How did Jesus model what he called his disciples to live?

Luke 9:37-45

     After the amazing story of the transfiguration, Luke tells a story that is peculiar in some ways. When they had come down from the mountain the next day, a man came to Jesus and told him of his son’s terrible suffering. This was his only child and had strange convulsions until his mouth foamed. The interpretation of the father and the society was that a evil spirit or demon possessed the boy. The symptoms suggest that the boy’s condition could have been epilepsy. With no other explanation, it must have felt like a demon.
     Regardless of whether it was a physical illness or an evil spirit, the father’s anguish is understandable. His son is afflicted with a terrible condition and there is nothing he can do about it. Then he’d had some hope. There is this Jesus traveling about the countryside with his disciples. The father takes his son to the disciples in the absence of Jesus, his hope high and…the disciples are unable to help.
     Jesus exclaims, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you?”
     Scholars point to God’s “complaints” in Number 14:27 and Isaiah 65:2 in looking at the words of Jesus ere. It seems to be an expression of weariness. The work of Jesus couldn’t have been easy on him. He traveled a great deal, taught, healed, and tried to train the disciples. He’d just had a “mountain top” experience, one in which the suffering may also have been discussed. He returns to find his disciples have failed in his absence (and the one who’d gone with him hadn’t done too well, either). It must have been terribly discouraging. He knew that he might have only a relatively short time. These were the followers designated to carry on when he was gone…and they couldn’t heal this child.
     Yet Jesus still responded to the need of the father and his son. He rebuked the demon, which left the boy, whom Jesus returned to his father. And all were astonished at the majesty of God.
     While everyone was still amazed, Jesus turns to his disciples and reminds them that he would be delivered into the hands of men. As one scholar say, with the conjunction of these two stories, what they are hearing is that the majesty of God is to be delivered into the hands of humanity.
     Jesus frequently tried to teach the disciples that his mission was not to be a conquering hero, but they simply couldn’t hear it most of the time. The disciples didn’t have a clue here what he was talking about, although they were afraid to ask him about it. That might not be surprising—who would want to understand the cross.

How do you feel about a story of how the earliest disciples also failed in some of their tasks?
When he could have simply let them find out in the course of events, why do you think Jesus continued to make sure to tell the disciples about the cross?

Luke 9:28-36

     Sorry, this is going up a day later than usual.
     Jesus took three of the disciples, Peter, John and James, with him as he went up into the hills to pray. What they saw was what we call the transfiguration. His clothes turned dazzling white and something about his face seemed different, although we have few details. Moses and Elijah came to him and spoke of what he was going to do in Jerusalem. The disciples had been asleep at first (not the last time they’d be sleeping when Jesus prayed) and were astounded at the sight.
     As Elijah and Moses were moving away Peter, with typical lack of imagination, asked if they should make three shelters for Jesus and his visitors. Before Jesus could answer, they heard a voice saying ‘this is my Son, my chosen, listen to him.’ When the voice was silent, Jesus seemed to be alone again.
     Luke tells us that the disciples did not at that time say anything about what they had seen.
     There was a popular belief that Moses and Elijah had never died and that they would come again to herald the messianic age. There could have been a sense that the direction of Jesus to Jerusalem was in a sense a new exodus.
      It is hard for us to understand or interpret the transfiguration. What seemed interesting, and somewhat humorous, is the reaction of Peter, who seemed ready to camp out on the mountain. The scholars from the Cambridge Bible Commentary suggest he was making Jesus just one more episode in the history of Israel, while Jesus was a new event. This is interpreting the making of a shelter as trying to reenact the feast of Tabernacles, in which the Jews lived in temporary shelters as a way of remembering the wandering in the wilderness of their ancestors.
      The simplest explanation could be that Peter wanted to linger in the moment. Mountain-top experiences are wonderful and religious folks sometimes become addicted to them. But the work of Jesus was down among the people, in the gritty reality of occupation. He knew that his path would almost certainly lead to his death, but he went forward. To him, this moment was likely less about exultation and mountain top experiences than it was seeking the direction of God upon the path he was following.
     In some ways it seems strange that the disciples apparently kept quiet about what they’d seen for a long time. it could have been because Jesus himself asked them to (though people usually didn’t follow his requests). It seems possible they wondered if they’d be believed, or that they questioned the reality of what they’d seen. After all, they woke up to see it, so might have wondered if their midns were befuddled by sleep.
      It is true that any spiritual experiences are difficult to explain. In the call to witness, we may speak of God’s activities in our lives, of our love for God, a sense of God’s leading, etc. But more unusual experiences, such as visions, voices, etc., may be as real as anything we’ve ever known, yet are difficult to explain without our words being inadequate to describe them. We may fear to have them misunderstood, or we may simply know that some things are private and meant to be so. At some point the disciples sorted out what they thought about that day and decided it was appropriate to give an account.
     

Have you ever experienced something out of the ordinary in which you knew God was involved?
Have you ever shared it with others, and how did they react?
In the rational world in which people try to find alternate reasons, how would you define a true experience of God?

Luke 9:25-27

     Jesus had a clear set of priorities. He clearly cared about the quality of a person’s life in this world. But he didn’t want people trading the temporary quality of life in this world, for the imperishable things of the soul. What value is it to win things of this world at the cost of the true inner self? What he says to drive this home seems harsh. If someone was ashamed of him now, he’d be ashamed of them later. In some ways this statement doesn’t seem on par with the forgiveness and grace he lived. Yet it was also a time when hyperbole, strong and extravagant statements, were the custom. Jesus could have been driving home the point by a strong statement to convince people to pay attention and not trade gold for dross.
     The last statement is one that has caused confusion,--that there were some standing there who would not taste death until they had seen the kingdom of God.
     Many early Christians assumed this meant that the coming of the kingdom (often interpreted as the apocalypse) would come within their lifetime. Yet as the generation died off that had known Jesus in the flesh, they had to deal with the fact that it wasn’t going to happen in that way.
     Interpretation of this ranges widely. Some believe that Jesus, fully human (the purpose of incarnation) simply was mistaken. This is offensive to some who believe that Jesus must have been omniscient, knowing everything. Certainly Jesus did know much. We could ask, ‘did he know the world was round, instead of flat,’ which was the prevailing idea of most of the world for dozens of generations?’ Or did he operate with his time and culture, with the limitations of knowledge that his fellow citizens did? There aren’t any satisfactory answers to this. He had remarkable understanding of human nature. He understood and represented God’s nature. But if he knew everything in the mind of God, he would not have needed to pray.
     Regardless of the answers to the nature of the knowledge of Jesus, it is clear that the kingdom, as in the apocalypse expected by some Christians, did not happen in the 2,000 years since then. But is also possible that Jesus did not necessarily mean the coming of the kingdom in that way?
      Jesus said interesting things about the kingdom. The kingdom is within you. But some would see the kingdom before they died. The kingdom is like a mustard seed cast out with other seeds in the field. The kingdom is like leaven, invisible but active and inescapable until all is leavened. He taught his followers to pray ‘thy kingdom come...’
      As Jesus described it, the kingdom of God both is and is to come. It is visible, yet invisible.   The difficulty in discussing God’s kingdom may be due to the limitations of human language and images for describing something of God.

How do you see the kingdom of God?
When you pray “thy kingdom come” what do you think will happen?
How do you discern (if you do) the kingdom of God around and within you?

Luke 9:23-25

     Jesus just got finished telling his disciples that he was not going to be a conquering hero, then he makes it clear that being a follower of his wasn’t going to be any picnic either. If they wanted to go with him, they would have to pick up their cross daily. Making the saving of their lives a priority will be useless. Those who lose their lives for his sake will save it.
     Christians have grown used to the idea that they are called to “pick up their cross daily.” The subject is probably taken lightly, certainly the “cross” becomes to modern followers whatever little inconvenience or giving they do. Or some may suffer an illness or accident or problem and say that after all this is a cross they’ll have to bear. And perhaps it is, but possibly not the kind of cross Jesus was talking about.
     When Jesus faced his cross, he had a choice. He could have run away. He could have chosen a ministry that would not bring him into conflict with the dangerous elite. He could have had his followers fight on his behalf. He could have used his remarkable powers to circumvent the cross. But he didn’t. He may have prayed and asked God to let him skip this death, but when he believed it was God’s will for him to proceed, that’s what he did.
     The cross was a form of execution that the Romans adopted from the Persians. It was intended as cruel and unusual punishment – also very public.
     Crucifixion hung a man by the arms, stretching the chest muscles which kept the man from being able to breathe properly. Lack of oxygen caused lactic acid to build up in the muscles causing severe and painful cramps. You know how painful those muscle cramps must have been to know that a man would raise himself up on the nails through his feet in order to get some decent breaths of air. But he couldn't take the pain in his feet very long, so his body would sag and the suffocation and the muscle cramps started again. Hours, sometimes days passed with this terrible alternating torture between the breath and the muscle pains and the agony in the feet. Finally, he grew too weak to extend his life by raising himself up and he would die. If the Romans wanted to hasten death, they broke the man's legs.
     It took Jesus fewer hours to die because of what he had already endured—the thirty-nine lashes. Forty lashes was considered a death sentence. Jesus was already in severely weakened condition when he was placed upon the cross. It still took six hours of incredible agony.
     The cross for modern Christians has become a symbol, something that is decorated into a beautiful form. It is hard to estimate what his words sounded like to those who first heard him say they must pick up the cross in order to follow. Even the noose or electric chair, relatively clean and no longer public, would not have the same impact today.
     The disciples showed little sign that they actually believed Jesus would suffer and die—until he was placed on the cross. After the crucifixion there could have been little doubt that being his follower could involve a cross, or something else that was humiliating, painful, unpleasant, devastating, or fatal. We have mostly traditions about what happened to the disciples. Only young John, by those traditions, seemed to have died an old man. An early follower, Stephen, would be stoned to death. Holding the cloaks of those doing the stoning was Paul, (also known as Saul). When he became a Christian later in his life, he would be lashed, imprisoned, and otherwise abused. He also suffered from some form of physical or emotional ailment; he didn’t seem to regard that as something suffered on behalf of Jesus, but simply as a thorn in the flesh.

What might constitute a cross in the life of a modern Christian?

Have you found a cross you had to pick up in being a disciple?

Luke 9:18-22

     This portion of the story sounds as if it could have taken place at the same day and approximate time as the feeding of the multitude. If it wasn’t one speech given, but a moving of Jesus to one group to another, this might have taken place in a moment when he stopped for prayer and guidance in his ministry to the people. Whether it was that day or not, it was Jesus with only his disciples close by.
     And Jesus asked his disciples what the people were saying about him. And the disciples reported the same kinds of things that Herod had been told. That maybe Jesus was Elijah returned, or one of the prophets, or even John the Baptist returned from death.
     Jesus looks them in the eye and requires them to say who they thought he was. Peter answered, “The Messiah of God.”
     Christ is the Greek word meaning Messiah. So when we refer to Jesus as Christ, we are also saying “Messiah.” The term has meaning because of our long usage, yet its significance may vary for Christians, along with its meaning.
     Messiah or Christ means “anointed one.” The King in Israel was referred to as the anointed one of Yahweh. It also referred to a special figure who would be God’s anointed King of the end of time. It has extensive theology, and various biblical authors used the image in their own way.
     The Israelites of the first century seen to have had definite expectations of a Messiah. The Messiah would come, possibly/likely as a great military leader and kick out all the oppressors, most specifically, the Romans. People who are oppressed want a deliverer.
      It is significant that the idea of a Messiah who would suffer and die on behalf of the people was not part of Messianic thought. Yet this is clearly part of Jesus’ concept of his mission, as verse 23 demonstrates, so it is not surprising that he cautioned the disciples not to spread talk of him being the Messiah.
     A legitimate question could be raised in today’s Christian world of whether “Messiah” is the most meaningful title we could use. We refer to Jesus as the Christ, or as if it is his surname. There have even been theologians who have questioned if Jesus was the “Messiah”—not to “demote” Jesus, but to recognize that he might have been someone else entirely in God’s plan. We also use the term “Immanuel” which means God with us. That is not necessarily the same as Messiah, but indicates a powerful purpose in the presence of Jesus.
      Whether or not “Messiah” is a meaningful concept in your theology, it can simply be taken to mean one whom God has set apart or designated for a special task.
      Visit the bible, a hymnal or Christian book of poetry and you will find that multiple titles and images have been used of God and Jesus.
     Among them: Redeemer, King, Master, savior, head, Sun of Righteousness, Lord, Lamb of God, Maker, Father, Ancient of Days, incarnate word, holy Comforter, Spirit of holiness, Spirit of power, Creator, Lord God Almighty, King of heaven, everlasting King, Lord of Hosts, Shield, Defender, Ancient of Days, Almighty, Friend, advocate, guide, Most High, the Word, God of glory, Lord of love, Giver of immortal gladness.
       Well spring of the joy of living; ocean depth of happy rest; Christ our brother; Gift Divine; Source of all our gifts; Star child; God the first, God the last; Creating God; Sustaining God; Indwelling God; mighty fortress; Friend and Partner; Love unconfined, a father kind, a mother strong and sure; Wisdom; Source and Sovereign; Rock and Cloud; Fortress; Fountain; Shelter; Light; Judge; Mercy; Might; Life; Root and vine; Shepherd; Servant; Well and Water.
      Bread and Wine, Way, I AM, Storm and Stillness, Breath and Dove, Thunder, Tempest, Whirlwind, Fire, Comfort, Counselor, Presence, Love, Energies that never tire, God of change and glory, God of time and space, Giver, God of many colors, God of many signs, Freshness of the morning, newness of each night, mother, eagle, sculptor, God of Abraham, Ancient of Everlasting Days, God of love, Jehovah, the Eternal.
       God of the: sparrow, whale, swirling stars, earthquake, storm trumpet blest, rainbow, cross, empty grave, hungry, sick, prodigal, neighbor, foe, pruning hook, ages.
      God near at hand, God of the loving heart, El shaddai (God Almighty), El Elyon (the Most High God), na Adonai (O Lord), One, Strong deliverer, the heavenly potter, ruler, Stem of Jesse's Rod, Crucified, my Life, my Feast, my Strength, my Joy, my Love, my Heart, my Light, my Truth, Man of Sorrows, glorious king, King of Glory, captain, Day spring from on high, Day star, Radiancy divine, the Rock of all ages.
     Hope of every contrite heart, joy of all the meek, Hope of the world, my yearning, companion, Word almighty, Word made flesh, Word eternal, saving Word, Word of truth, Word of life, Alpha and Omega, the source and ending, Fairest Lord Jesus, ruler of all nature, Lord of all the nations, Joy of our desiring, Love the Guest, Love the Rose, Love the Star.
      The Lord's Anointed, great David's greater Son, Emmanuel, God with us, Key of David, Desire of nations, Son of Mary, infant holy, infant lowly, love's pure light, Prince of Peace, God head, seed of Manitou, morning star. Crown of gladness, Lord of the Dance, David's royal son, Blessed One, sacred head, Good shepherd, Rock of ages, king of glory, host, risen conquering Son, risen Lord, the health of the world, giver of good, lover and author of concord, Galilean King, universal Savior, Paschal Lamb, King of Kings, Lord of lords.
      Sweet sweet spirit, sweet heavenly Dove, gentle savior, still small voice of calm, the Nazarene, great high priest, all atoning Lamb, Spirit of the living God, guardian of my soul, Holy One, Fount of every blessing, Abba, Breath of God, crucified Redeemer, judge, captain Christ, lowly Lord, servant king, young and fearless prophet, parent, universal friend.
      Bright heaven's Sun, Ruler of all, lamb of Calvary, physician, flame of divine love, precious lord, Dove, Wellspring of Wisdom, Dawn of a New Day, Garden of Grace, Call to Compassion, pilot, joy of the desolate, bread of life, lily of the valley, captain, coach, leader, hope of the world.
       Pacesetter, shepherd chieftain, refuge, solace, eternal home, priceless treasure, pearl beyond price, Lord of gladness, truest friend, spotless lamb, everlasting arms, Source of calm repose, holy wind and fire, wind of God, winged fire, breath of life, breath of love, three in one, healer, teacher, guardian, the cornerstone, master teacher, son of man, the unknown guest, crown of righteousness, king eternal.
      Liberator, rescuer, Enlightener, divine interpreter, light of light, living word, source, provider, challenger, risen king, perfect love, perfect life, joy of our desiring, windsped flame, hovering dove, voice of prophets, sign of blessing, power of love, love crucified, suffering servant, foe of pride, life bestower, truth beyond all thought's recall, womb of mercy, mysterious being, sinner's Friend, immortal one, shelter, Lord of Harvest, sanctifier, God of the ages, restorer of the spirit, Guest, triumphant lord, rest for the weary, eternal home, everlasting lord, foundation of life,

     Jesus might turn to us today, as he did to the disciples of old, and ask how do we say he is? Not who do others say. Not what do the theologians say. Not what we think we should say. But who is Jesus to us? How do we proclaim him to others? What significance do we give to him in our daily lives, actions, beliefs, words and decisions?

Luke 9:3-17

     Jesus has sent out his disciples to do mission and ministry. He instructed them to travel light, to go where they were welcomed and not to stay where they weren’t.
     Was the ministry of the twelve successful? Luke doesn’t say so in specific terms, but it did catch attention. Herod hears about it, and it probably wouldn’t have raised his interest unless something was getting accomplished. Nonetheless, it isn’t the disciples themselves who gain the majority of his consideration. Jesus still stands out as the leader and the most powerful and effective figure. And people are speculating as to his true identity. Could he be Elijah risen from the dead? Or one of the prophets? Or even John the Baptist risen? Herod might have thought that people were speculating that John had someone escaped and were describing it as having raised from the dead, because Herod’s response is simply his assurance that John is dead because he himself had had him executed. So who could it be that was initiating such strange reports? Luke tells us that Herod actually tried to see him. It is tempting to speculate on what might have happened if Herod had actually followed through and met with Jesus.
     Luke’s low-key description of the ministry of the twelve continues when he tells us that the disciples returned and simply told Jesus about what had happened, but the reader doesn’t hear the details. Jesus takes them away to a deserted place, no doubt because he wants to spend time in reflection, prayer and counsel with them. But the need of the people is great and they seek him out.
     Jesus has too much compassion to send the crowd away so he continues speaking of God’s kingdom and healing those in need of it. As the day got late, the disciples came and asked him to send the people away to buy food and stay there. Amazingly, Jesus told them to feed the people. The disciples must have stared in astonishment as they explained that all they had were five loaves and two fish, which wasn’t enough to feed themselves, much less a crowd of people. John is the gospel writer who adds the details that a boy in the crowd was the one who shared his lunch with them.
     But Jesus directed the crowd to sit in orderly groups, blessed the food and sent the disciples out to serve it.
      There have been various explanations for this miracle. One is that everyone had only a taste, but it was sufficient because they were so filled by the presence of Jesus. Others that people had actually brought food and their hearts were opened to share. Or that the food was miraculously multiplied through the power of God. The first two explanations are no less descriptions of miracles as well. The presence of Jesus was, in the first place, a miracle of massive proportions. To open hearts to generosity is also a wondrous event.
     Nor is bread and fish in themselves ordinary things, though they may be viewed that way. From seed to tasty bread, from fish to table, these are gifts of God, so no matter how they came to people that day, Jesus raised thanks over them.
      Again Jesus has linked preaching the truth of God with the practical things that people need for daily life. From the beginning, Jesus called upon his followers to feed the hungry, visit the imprisoned and the lonely, to clothe the naked…to do so, he said, is the same as doing it for him. This was not new theology. In the book of Proverbs it is said that to give to the poor is to lend to the Lord. And the prophets of Israel’s history made it clear that when people are hungry, when they lack justice, when the powerless are not cared for, then God is displeased.
     Christians stand in middle of a delicate balance of truth. We are called to respond to the physical needs of the world around us. Today, we recognize the needs of the world itself and express that in ecological concerns. At the same time, Jesus reminds us not to trust in physical things when it is the spiritual ones that have eternal reality.

How do you balance physical needs and spiritual ones?
How do you define a “miracle”?
How can the Christians of today do ministry in a way that could make the world take notice?

Luke 9:1-6

     As Chapter nine begins, we see the ministry of Jesus being expanded through the twelve disciples. He called them together and gave them authority to cure diseases and cast out demons and said he was sending them out to preach the kingdom of God and to cure diseases. He told them to bring no luggage with them. They should bring no staff or bag, bread or extra clothing, no money even. If they entered a house, they should stay there and not seek another. If they are not received in an area, they should shake off the dust and move on. So the disciples went out and did what he sent them to do.
     It is clear that Jesus conceived a practical ministry. His disciples were sent not just to preach, but also to heal. It has sometimes been a conversation in the church to determine whether “Mission” should include practical help to an area or should it only proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. Many Christian groups faithfully interpret their mission in either direction. Some restrict their efforts to pure evangelism. Others expand their efforts to hospitals, schools and other practical help. Denominations such as the United Methodist Church tend in this direction and have multiple practical ministries throughout the world. Its United Methodist Committee on Relief, for example, has an excellent reputation for its work. Yet the church has in the last decade recognized its need to be more intentional in the making of disciples. For many years its membership vows included the promise to support the church through prayers, presence, gifts and service. In 2008, its vows were amended to include supporting the church through witness.
     The United Methodists have not abandoned its practical ministries, although it recognizes the need of 200 million people in the United States alone who have no active church or faith life. Spiritual need is real and practical as well.
      Few Christians of any sort have had the nerve to do what Jesus called the twelve to do—set out with only the clothing they are wearing. No money, or extra shirt, no food or resources of any kind. And it is impossible to know even whether Jesus would recommend such a thing in a different day and age. Of course, the twelve did not go out with no resources—they went with the empowerment of Jesus upon them.
      Why was it important for the twelve to go into their ministry without physical resources? We can only speculate, because Jesus did not explain, or if he did, it wasn’t reported. But it seems likely that they needed to learn trust. In this early stage, if they sought the support of anything except the absolute power of God they might fail. Most were humble working men. They loved God, but were not accustomed to the power of God working through them. They needed to learn to trust God and in themselves as ones called by Jesus for this work. Yet this carries a lesson for the Christians of today as well. Are there any resources individuals or churches look for rather than the power of God? Individuals or churches may struggle, thinking ‘if only we had this much money or more people or some other favorable circumstance, then we could accomplish great things.’ Is that the question or concern we should be raising?
     Jesus further advised the disciples to stay in the place where they entered. This is usually understood as saying that they should stay in the home where they were first welcomed and not try to find someplace larger or more comfortable if it was offered. This could relate to the discussion about taking resources. It would be easy to wander from place to place, always looking for the more favorable or comfortable spot. ‘Maybe the ministry would yield more over there…” To do that might mean nothing would be accomplished, nothing firmly established. It is true that individuals and churches may, after an honest effort, make a determination that a particular area of ministry is not the place where they are called anymore. It is also true that dogged effort in places of little discernible results have sometimes done amazing things. It is not, and should not be an easily made decision, but should be made through prayer and seeking God’s guidance.
      Jesus offered a final piece of advice. If his disciples went to a place where they were rejected, they should shake the dust off their feet and move on. Again, we might raise the question of whether this was intended as advice for all situations, particularly in today’s world where so many people are simply uninterested in Christianity or even hostile to it. Do we give up and go back to our church buildings where fewer and fewer people find their way to us? Or do we witness in a world where we are sometimes rejected but still seek to cast some seeds that might take root and grow even in unlikely spots? The early Christians certainly didn’t follow that advice to move on—or so many of them wouldn’t have been martyred…and the church wouldn’t have grown so much. At the same time, when Jesus sent out the twelve it was a time of urgency—get as much done as possible in a short period of time, as well as a learning experience for the disciples.
      In other circumstances, it can be wise to shake off the dust. It is smart psychologically to leave behind the baggage of rejection. It certainly won’t help us succeed in the future.

What baggage of the past do you need to shake off so you can move into a better future?
What baggage are you carrying that interferes with trusting God?
In what ways can you witness and share news of God’s kingdom?

Luke 8:40-56

     The following is for the week of October 6 - 13 - We will be taking a two week break- October 13&20
     In the first century, a daughter had little societal value. But fathers clearly could have tremendous affection for a daughter. Jairus was a leader of his community, the president of the synagogue. The president was responsible for supervising the arrangements for worship. His only child was a daughter and he clearly loved her dearly, for he was willing to approach Jesus, already a controversial figure, and beg his help in healing the child he knew was dying. His anxiety was so great that he fell at the feet of Jesus to make his request.
     Jesus immediately set out to help the man, but as he went, the crowds were fierce and it may have been hard to get through them. The people had come out of their curiosity concerning Jesus, and some through their need.
     A woman was there. She had suffered for twelve years from a hemorrhage. Blood was sacred to the Israelites, yet contact with it made a person unclean. So this woman had suffered for twelve years not only from a debilitating condition, yet also from a sense that her community considered her unclean. Some may have also considered her sinful, for there was still a theology that blamed ill fortune and illness on sin; the assumption being that if a person suffered, then they must deserve to do so.
     This woman clearly felt unacceptable to approach Jesus and ask his help. Her bleeding may have been from a strictly female condition which would have made it even more difficult. It would also have been somewhat scandalous for a woman to touch a man, and an unclean woman would officially have made Jesus unclean for a time.
     But the woman had enough hope and enough faith to creep up behind Jesus and touch the fringe of his garment, believing that even this was enough for her to be healed. It may be important to note that this fringe was not almost certainly not decorative. The prayer shawl of Judaism has a tassel on each corner. It is tied with a specific number of turns and knots which correspond to the Hebrew alphabet. The symbolism refers to the Shema, the central teaching of Judaism—the Lord our God, the Lord is One. The shawl or fringe or tassel always includes at least one purple thread. Purple was an extremely expensive dye, which is why it became associated with royalty. The prayer shawl of the average Israelite used one purple thread as a symbol. Expression of this symbolism may vary from theologian to theologian and person to person, but it can be understood as representing the individual’s importance to God, as well as the individual’s responsibility.
     So, it certainly could be understood that when this “unclean” ailing woman came to touch the fringe of Jesus, she was seeking to be valued also. Her faith was rewarded; she was healed.
      Now, Jesus knew immediately something had happened. Luke expressed it as know that power had gone out from him. So he asked who it was who had touched him. Peter thought it a silly question, for the crowds had been pressing him all about, but Jesus meant something more than this and the woman knew it. Was Jesus actually unaware of who had touched him? We don’t know for he didn’t say so. Either knowing or not, he was giving the woman the opportunity to claim herself before him, which is what she did. She revealed that it was her and explained that she had been healed. Jesus told her that her faith had made her well and to go in peace.
      Some Christians have interpreted faith as a power source for healing, denying themselves medical care on the theory that if they seek it, they haven’t the faith that they’ve been healed. The strength of one’s faith has been used as an explanation for why certain prayers are or are not answered. Was Jesus trying to say here that true faith can win us healing, or was something else happening? Is it possible that he was empowering this woman, and ourselves, in a relationship with God? He always seemed wary of being seen as a miracle-working wonder-man, instead he directed people back to their relationship with the Lord.
     Peter’s anxiety to dismiss the incident could have also had to do with the fact that a very important man had requested his help. Why did Jesus have to talk to someone in the crowd, and a woman no less! Why make her healing front and center? She was a nobody and Peter, like many of the disciples, still had a worldly point of view about importance. But Jesus recognized one person’s value, not matter how ill or unclean or worthless that others might consider her.
     While this was taking place, messengers came from the house of Jairus to say don’t bother anymore, the child was dead and Jesus shouldn’t be troubled with the matter (perhaps these messengers also thought a twelve-year-old girl was unimportant). But imagine the grief of the parents who have lost their only child But Jesus said not to fear, only believe and she would be saved.
      At the house, Jesus only allowed the parents and his disciples Peter, John and James to come in with him. With traditional mourning ritual, they were weeping and wailing. But Jesus told them to stop, because the child was only asleep.
     This made no sense to those who knew death when they saw it and even in the midst of grief it provoked a strange sort of laughter. They didn’t yet know Jesus very well, who was the master of turning mourning into joy. He took the child by the hand and called her to get up, and she did. A practical man, Jesus told them to get her something to eat—this would also have reassured the parents that she was on the path of healing. Her parents were astounded by what had happened, yet Jesus told them not to say anything about it.
     On numerous occasions Jesus told people not to talk about what he had done for them. Of course, it was hardly possible for people not to know about this—the child had been announced as dead and would soon be seen by people to be healthy and alive. So it’s not clear why Jesus asked Jairus and his wife to stay silent—and obviously somebody did tell the story. But Jairus, as William Barclay pointed out, remains a most interesting character in this event. He didn’t stand on ceremony or pride, instead he asked Jesus for help, and he kept enough faith to follow him into the room where his dead daughter lay (note that his wife also had this faith).

Where do we feel unimportant in life?
How can we understand how special we are in the eyes of Jesus?
Is there some pride or other issue that keeps us from surrendering part of ourselves to God?
Where can we throw some faith ahead of ourselves into the rooms where our deepest fears or doubts or ambiguities lie?

The Bible Study which would normally be posted on October 6 MIGHT be posted on October 7.  Also - the study will be taking a two week hiatus from October 13-20.  Happy October!

Luke 8:22-39

     Jesus and his disciples get into boat to cross the lake. Jesus apparently fell asleep, and a heavy storm began. The boat was in danger and the disciples cry out their fear, waking Jesus and telling him they were sinking. He woke, and told the storm to quiet, and it did. Jesus asked his disciples ‘where was your faith?’ They make no answer to this, but instead marvel at the fact that the wind and waves had obeyed him.
     For those who question the existence of miracles, this story will, no doubt, be troubling or less meaningful than others. It has no moral teaching and could be taken to imply that with enough faith, there is no danger. Yet we know that men and women of deep and sincere faith have suffered extreme danger, not only at the hands of persecutors, but in the forces of nature. Jesus himself would comment that the rain falls on the just and the unjust.
     Nonetheless, these were extraordinary circumstances. The disciples had Jesus with them, Jesus whose ministry was hardly concluded. In the time ahead they would face far greater dangers than wind and rain. They would need to muster their faith. Perhaps Jesus knew they would look back on this experience and let it inspire them to be strong.
     When they reach the other side of the lake, they encounter a man possessed by “demons.” Even if you do not believe in spiritual entities such as demons,t here is no denying that there are psychological conditions that certainly feel like possession. And it was the only explanation they could make for schizophrenia and other illnesses. (A pastor who works with homeless folks with this condition explains that they often wear headset with loud music or other things to which they listen in order to drown out the “voices” of their illness.)
     The demons cry out to Jesus asking not to be banished to the “abyss.” Luke tells us that instead they were sent into a herd of swine who went man and rushed into the lake to be drowned. The townspeople who came out were likely dismayed (they were Gentile and the swine were legitimate food for them) by the loss of the pigs, but even more so by the awareness that a strange power was before them. The man had been mad for many years and nothing they had been able to do restrained him. Yet here he was in his right mind. Full of fear, they begged Jesus to leave.
     This may seem strange to anyone who would think it a good idea to have someone around who can accomplish such feats. But even great good linked with awesome power is not always comfortable to have in your midst. C.S. Lewis wrote a science fiction story where the hero met an alien. The character says that he knew with absolute certainty that the alien was good. Yet, contrary to his previous assumptions about goodness, he was also not sure it was safe. Lewis, who wrote in Christian metaphor much of the time, captures very much the sense of fearsome awe there is in encountering the holiness of God. Because we are not entirely good, the entire goodness of God cannot possibly feel safe. God is beyond our control and understanding.
     However, the man who had been healed wanted to go with Jesus. How sane of him! YET Jesus told him instead to go home and tell people what God had done for him, a reminder, perhaps, that the calling of Jesus to follow can be lived out in different ways, including faithful witness in the place we already find ourselves.

Where and how do you see and express the awesomeness of God?
Where is faith necessary right now in what you face?
How do you witness to what Jesus has done for you?

Luke 8:17-21

     There is nothing hidden that will not be made known. This comment follows the one about putting a light where everyone can see it. Barclay takes this verse to stress the impossibility of secrecy. There are three ways people try to keep secrets, Barclay points out--secrets from ourselves, secrets from other people, and secrets from God.
     So this section begins with pointing out that light’s purpose is only served by putting it in a prominent position so that all can see it. Though Jesus did not belabor the point, we know that the importance of light is that all can also see by it. Light changes darkness into light, it is an ancient symbol, it represents safety, hope and knowledge. The mention of light continues into the statement that secrecy is not permanent.
     Was Jesus saying that it is pointless to try and keep our Christian discipleship secret? That all will be revealed. Or was he saying that the truths of God will revealed to everyone?
     He did seem to be telling his followers to be careful, making a comment similar to what he said at the end of the parable of the talents. The one who has will be given to, and the one who has not shall have what they think they own taken away from them.
     The series of three comments is open to imaginative interpretation and is not easily explained. The first is widely interpreted and applied in terms of witness and discipleship. The second, more obscure, says that which is secret or obscure will be revealed. Then Jesus says to his followers that they should be careful in how they listen, for the one who has will receive more and the one without will lose.
      There is call to discipleship, promise of revelation, and the pointed reminded to pay attention. Some might interpret the words at the last as a threat, but it is true to life that those who pay attention get more out of life and those who fail to pay attention lose out.
     Whatever Jesus might have meant, the event which follows may have struck his followers as puzzling as well. They come and tell him that his mother and brothers are outside. We might think—family reunion time. Jesus said instead that his brothers and sisters who those who heard the word of God and did it.
     Jesus was not denying his family relationship, although he was using the opportunity to broaden it.
     Mary and his siblings must have had a difficult time with how the ministry of Jesus took him away from them. Though many if not all became faithful members of the church he established (James became bishop of the Jerusalem church), during this time of his earthly ministry, the gospels indicate that they struggled. He no longer belonged exclusively to them. Jesus must have loved his human family, but he couldn’t remain only Mary’s son and a loving brother.
     What is important to the followers of Jesus is his identification of them as family. Later this family would be called the church, a group that would be characterized by love.

If you had a chance to ask a question of Mary or the siblings of Jesus, what would you ask?
What is hiding in your life that you need/fear/hope to be revealed?
In what ways are you needing to pay more attention?
What do you think Jesus meant when he talked about light and hiddenness being revealed?

Luke 8:16

     No one takes a lamp and lights it and then puts a bushel basket over it, or a vessel of any kind. It is clear and obvious that lights are meant to be seen and to see by, so a light is placed on a stand to give aid to everyone who enters that space.
      It’s become a common proverb: Don’t hide your light under a bushel. Most people who use it may not even realize the image comes from the lips of Jesus. In the same way, a Hollywood writer portrayed a time long before Jesus or anything in the bible, in the mythical days of Greek gods and goddesses. A character protests, “I was just trying to be a good Samaritan.” Of course, it could have been a particularly clever writer, introducing a deliberate anachronism for those who could see the humor in it. Most likely, the phrase is simple so familiar that the writer never thought about the fact that in the time portrayed, there had not yet been any Samaritans, good or bad, nor had there been a Jesus to tell the story of one.
     Don’t hide your light under a bushel. It’s a phrase used to encourage a self-image. It has been employed sarcastically as well as with genuine fervor. Jesus himself was pointing to a simple truth and his followers have puzzled over it, gained from it and applied it in various ways throughout the centuries since then.
     In Luke, the closest to a comment upon his own words is to say (verse17) that everything that is hidden or secret will come to light. But his followers have suspected he meant even more than this.
     Mark records the words in the same general context as Luke, following the parable of the sower. It may be possible, then, to apply them to that parable, perhaps that the good harvest will help give light to the world. That would fit with the context Matthew records it in, where Jesus said specifically to his followers that they were the light of the world. Christians ever since have related it to the subject of witness and discipleship. Jesus was very direct in making this a responsibility of the Christian life. We are to be bearers f light and to give that light to others, and they are to do the same in turn. God make disciples, he this followers at the end of Matthew. In the United Methodist Church we have as our goal: To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. And with more disciples giving and creating light, how could the world fail to be transformed?
     Naturally, the subject can be question and applied in other respects. What about modesty? Jesus also talked about charitable giving that s secret and not praying in ways that are ostentatious.
     This question came up in one church where the special giving of individuals was routinely listed in the church newsletter. Some objected. Their generosity (in many cases great) was something they felt was supposed to be between them and God. For others, the listing of their names was also a witness, and in some cases as they gave to remember a person, it was a witness also to that person’s life. Eventually a compromise was established. The amounts would not be listed and if someone requested it, their names would not be printed.
      Ironically, of course, great good has been done in the world by those who were seeking self-advancement or preservation of their names. Can a business be blamed for wanting some advertising out of the generous gift they gave to a cause? And the cause is usually grateful to give that advertising.
      How do you let your light shine, yet not let the left hand know what the right is doing?
      Jesus might invite us to examine our motives. Is it our light we want advertised? Are we seeking or inviting admiration of ourselves? Are we witnessing to God or to human beings?
      Only the individual can answer that for themselves, and even then we have many ways to fool ourselves. Human motives are also usually not completely pure, so it may be an ongoing process to find ways to let the light shine without letting the process become spiritually unhealthy.

What questions do you think would be healthy in asking about your motives?
Because good might be done, should we forget the motives and throw ourselves into it?

Luke 8:1-15

    Luke mentions the Twelve disciples here, who followed Jesus from town to town. At times there were clearly a number of others , but here the others mentioned are a group of women who had been healed of various problems. Some of these may have been physical illnesses, but Mary of Magdala’s healing consisted of the driving out of seven devils or demons. Mental illness was not understood at the time, or as well today as we would like, particularly as regarding treatment. The fact that the number is described as seven indicates that Mary of Magdala’s condition was severe.
     Among the group of women that are also mentioned by name are Susanna and Joanna, the wife of Chuza the steward of Herod. Joanna’s mention shows that there were followers of Jesus even within the household of Herod, although this clearly did not result in any kindness toward Jesus once he was arrested.
     The women who followed are specifically mentioned as financially supporting the traveling ministry, indicating that they were women with means and who had some autonomy over their money and actions.
     If asked, many people would say that Mary of Magdala or Mary Magdalene was a former prostitute. The rock musical Jesus Christ Superstar presented her in that way and the term “Magdalene” generally refers to prostitutes in many people’s reference. Scholars, however, have questioned the identification of Mary with the profession of prostitution. The scriptures don’t specifically say she was a prostitute and the fact that she traveled with respectable women, including the wife of a high government official, would seem to contradict attributing that profession to her. That is not completely convincing, since the disciples of Jesus also included such a non-respectable individual as a tax collector for the Romans. Association with Jesus would have taught a new attitude toward others. Scholars who question Mary’s profession point out that Magdala, her town of origin, had an unsavory reputation and her memory could have been tainted by association.
      The non-biblical gospel of Mary is attributed to Mary Magdalene and supposedly contains truths particularly conveyed to her from Jesus. Later Luke specifically mentions Mary as watching the crucifixion from a distance and also going to the tomb. While he gives fewer details than many of us today might appreciate having, his portrait still indicates a woman who had been healed of psychological distress, who faithfully followed Jesus, gave generously, remained faithful and courageous when things got hard, and who intended to attend to the difficult task of preparing Jesus’ body for its long sleep in the tomb. She had the joy of being among the first to learn of his resurrection, but the story she and the other women told was dismissed at first by the other disciples, to whom it appeared as nonsense.
     After the mention of the traveling ministry, Luke went on to tell of those who came to listen and the teaching of Jesus in parables. The story of the sower (Luke 8:4-15) was misunderstood by many, including the disciples. It appears simple. A sower goes out to sow. In those days, the seed was sown before the soil was plowed so the sower did not know how fruitful the land would be were the seed first fell. Seed might fall on a path hardened by the feet of those who had passed over it. Thus the seed could be easily eaten by birds. The seed might fall on a thin layer of soil over rock. Warmed more easily by the sun, this seed might show rapid growth, but its roots could not go deep and sustain it. Some seed might fall among weeds or thistles that would choke it out. But some seed fell on good soil where the yield would be bountiful. At th conclusion of the story, Jesus said let those with ears hear. Evidently the disciples were among those without ears, though Jesus said they were given the privilege of understanding. He related the seed to the word of God. It comes to those whose attention is gobbled up by evil. It falls among those attention is taken up by wealth or other worldly priorities. It may fall upon those who have a sudden rapid excitement, but whose interest fades in the time of testing. But it will fall amongst those also who will produce in a great harvest.
     Scholars will say that a parable is intended to convey a single point, which might indicate that this is simply a parable of hope for those disciples of Jesus who help share the word. That while there may be times of discouragement, in the end there will be a harvest.
      For those of us who still like to pick apart the pieces, it may be troubling to think of those for whom life has been difficult and therefore the word finds a difficult time taking root and being successful. Taken in context of the whole gospel, Jesus spoke of how it was the sick who needed the physician. We might note the hardness of Paul, but God kept working on him, and other stories throughout history of those who did not provide good nutritious soil for the growing of God’s word, but who eventually had it take root. Jesus himself, as Luke reports, would forgive his executioners, who had no interest in being forgiven. So it would seem that the parable is not an excuse to shrug and dismiss anyone who is not apparently receptive to the message of faith.

Is it possible that all kinds of soil are found in us? What parts of our lives might be trodden on and hardened? What parts shallow? What parts challenged by less worthy priorities? Where does the word of God find good soil and produce for ourselves and for others?

Luke 7:36-50

     Jesus has noted the irony of the fact that John had come not eating and drinking and had been accused of being possessed. Jesus himself came eating and drinking and had been called a glutton, a drunkard and friend of sinners. It’s the classic catch-22---those disposed to think poorly of John and Jesus would have found some reason to discount the truth that they brought.
     Another irony is that Jesus was, apparently, also a popular dinner guest. It’s not hard to picture why. He was kind and courteous, could intelligently converse, and seems to have had a good sense of humor. This last is often lost because of the change in time and culture, as well as the serious attitude Christians take in reading the bible.
     Starting in verse we hear that Jesus had been invited to dinner by a Pharisee. A woman came in where they were dining. Now this, in itself, was not shocking. Today we would think it very strange if someone just walked into a dinner party that we were holding. It was not considered unusual in those times. This was the opportunity for the average citizen to participate in the intellectual life of the community. People could come in a listen to the dinner conversation. What was shocking about this woman’s presence is that she was known to be living an immoral life. She came, weeping to sit at Jesus’ feet. Her tears fell on his feet, she wiped them with her hair and anointed his feet with a flask of expensive oil of myrrh.
     The host saw this and thought, ‘good heavens, if this guy is a prophet, if he’s really as connected to God as he appeared, then he’d know this woman was a sinner!’
     It is here that we learn that the host’s name is Simon, for Jesus addresses him by name. How Jesus answers is through a parable, asking if someone owed the money lender a great deal and the other just a little, and both were forgiven the debt, who would love the money lender the most. Simon, who surely knew what Jesus was getting at, had to admit it would be the one whose largest debt had been forgiven.
     Jesus pointed out that when he’d come to Simon’s house, no water had been provided for his feet, yet this woman had not ceased from keeping his feet wet with her tears and wiping them with her hair. Simon had given him no kiss of greeting, yet this woman had continually kissed his feet. Simon had provided no oil for anointing his head, yet the woman had anointed his feet with oil of myrrh. The love she showed Jesus demonstrated how great her sense of need for forgiveness was and how greatly she feels the relief in receiving that forgiveness. Simon’s lack of attention shows his lack of need and consequently a lack of gratitude for having been forgiven.
      In fact, Simon’s actions also demonstrate a possible laxness in hospitality. As people mostly went barefoot or with sandals in those times, coming into a home, feet were dusty and dry. Having the servants (if you had them, which the Pharisee certainly must have) wash the feet was a common act of hospitality. Whether or not this was always done can be speculated, but Jesus was noting the difference in the way Simon and this woman had approached him.
     The set up of the room and dinner table would vary from our traditional “dining rooms.” People reclined on couch, leaning on one elbow, with feet stretched away from the table. This would have given the woman easy access to his feet.
     Scholar, Professor Jeremias, indicates that it was considered an act worthy of merit to invite a traveling preacher to a meal, especially if they had preached in the synagogue. Although we are not told that Jesus had preached in the synagogue, it is not unlikely he had done so. The gospel story is as often a series of vignettes more than it is a linear story. This is necessarily so as they tell of years of ministry and teachings in very few words. John would write at the end of his gospel that if everything Jesus did was written down, the world could not hold the books that would be written.
      Although we would see allowing someone to kiss the feet to be an act of abasement, it was at that time a gesture showing deeply felt gratitude. It is sometimes assumed that the woman in question was Mary Magdalene, but there is no other evidence than tradition for making that assumption.
      As shocking as the respectable Pharisee found Jesus in letting a sinful woman approach him, he and the invited guests found it even more shocking that Jesus would then tell the woman that her sins were forgiven. His words likely do not seem shocking to Christians of today, but to these first century religious leaders it was something surprising. Luke does not report a negative response as much as a shocked question, of who is this who even forgives sins? At others times the response is far more negative showing that his forgiveness of sins was considered possibly blasphemous and certainly presumptuous. 
      The story concludes with Jesus telling the woman that her faith had saved her and to go in peace.
     Jesus occasionally told people that their faith had saved them and he didn’t explain what he meant by that. Is faith a work that earns merit? Is faith an act of empowerment? Does faith open a channel between people and God? What of those who are self-righteous about their faith or the perceived correctness of their beliefs? The religious leaders who were observing and debating with Jesus certainly patted themselves on the backs for their faith and theological purity, rejecting others who did not come up to their standards.
      It could be, at least in this circumstance, that his words to the woman were in part an affirmation to her, and in part a lesson for those who were listening. No doubt they found it hard to credit that this woman could have faith or be included in the love and concern of God. By describing the power of her faith, was he trying to upset that assumption?

Who are the “Pharisees” of today among the Christian church?
In what way might any Christian be guilty of a Pharisaic attitude?
How can faith be proclaimed without treading the path of self-righteousness?
Is Jesus came today, how do you think he might act and shock us? What people might he welcome that would surprise us and make us wonder what and who he was?

Luke 7:18-35

     Christians sometimes think of “disciples” as a word belonging directly to the followers of Jesus, although we know it is a word simply designating a follower, adherent, student, etc. John the Baptist also had disciples. In fact, scholars tell us that after the deaths of Jesus and John, there was rivalry between the groups. Adding fuel to it must have been the fact that all the gospel writers report that Jesus went to John for baptism. This may have been used by John’s followers to declare that John was more important than Jesus.
     As a side note to this, we can respect and admire the honesty of the gospel writers. They could have denied Jesus was baptized or simply left out the story. But they all report it. We hear that John himself was uncomfortable about baptizing Jesus, and Jesus only told him it was proper in this way to fulfill all righteousness—a statement over which we still puzzle, for John was baptizing for repentance and it is generally supposed that Jesus had nothing to repent. From a human point of view it might make sense. Jesus had mostly lived a private life until that point. That life must have been enjoyable, filled with good work, friends and family. At his baptism, he was embarking on a public life in which he would be constantly moving from town to town, importuned at every moment by those who needed his teaching, healings and guidance. It was a life which as an intelligent man, he knew would lead to his death. In theological terms, repentance means to be sorry for sins and resolved to change a direction. For Jesus, could John’s baptism be a ritualistic passage, leaving behind his previous life and embracing the rigors of his ministry? We don’t know. Jesus never explained it, or at least none of the gospel writers report it if he did.
     Matthew and Luke both tell the story of John sending word by his disciples to ask whether Jesus was the one to come or should they keep waiting. It has been questioned why he did so? After all he’d baptized Jesus. Some of the gospel writers tell that John recognized something remarkable had happened at the baptism. Why would he need to ask anything more?
     Understanding things from a human point of view, we would remember that John was in prison at the time, which for a man used to living in the wilderness must have been a particular burden. He can be excused for human uncertainties and the need for confirmation.
     The response of Jesus was interesting. He didn’t make a simple “yes” answer. He told them to report what they had seen and heard about the healing and the teaching he had done. It is as if he is affirming John’s ability to decide for himself about who Jesus is. Are God’s purposes being accomplished? Who do you think Jesus is? Doesn’t this remain the question every one of his followers have had to decide for themselves ever since?
     Once John’s disciples had left, Jesus challenged the rest of the crowd. Obviously he knew they had also gone to see John when he was preaching in the wilderness. What had they gone to see? What had they expected? Jesus affirmed that John was not only a prophet, but had gone ahead to prepare the way for him. Jesus lifted up the greatness of John, but typically, turned that around to challenge the people to spiritual growth in their own lives, saying that even the least in the kingdom was greater than John.
     The listeners decided his words were just and that the Pharisees and lawyers who had refused John’s baptism had been rejecting God’s purposes for them. Luke’s wording here makes it sound as though the Pharisees and lawyers had, en masse, rejected John. In truth, this seems unlikely. But by the time the gospels were written, these groups seem to have gained symbolic status for certain attitudes of opposition. We know, for example, that some Pharisees were in support of Jesus while others were not, though the gospels sometimes sound as though the Pharisees were entirely opposed. In fact, it has been suggested by some scholars that Jesus might have been considered a Pharisee at one point. Their frequent opposition could have risen because it was one of their own who was publicizing their hypocrisies.
      Jesus went on to make an interesting, perhaps humorously ironic observations. His generation was like children who want to play a game and call to others to join in (playing at funeral procession, which may seem a strange game to us, but children often imitate grown-up events in play). But the others won’t come and join in the game. John had come in austerity and the serious grown-ups dismissed him with the excuse he had a demon. Jesus had come eating and drinking and they called him a glutton and drunkard, a friend of sinners. Still, Jesus said, wisdom would be vindicated by her children.
      How easily, it seems, did some people reject spiritual enlightenment. They couldn’t respect John because of his self-deprivation and oddities. They couldn’t respect for the opposite reasons- he actually ate and drank.
     Although no stories indicate that Jesus actually ever became drunk or and overindulged, the fact that he was accused of it shows that he did enjoy the pleasures of life, including food and drink. He could fast as well, as he did for 40 days in the desert. But all indications are that he enjoyed the world and didn’t expect others not to enjoy it. He simply had a healthy understanding that life is more than bread or physical belongings and he kept them in their proper priority. In the end, much as he enjoyed life, he was willing to give it up for the sake of others.

     In his comment about wisdom , could it be that Jesus was also challenging other people to make up their minds about him? Should they look at the fruits of his ministry?
What does it mean to know that Jesus enjoyed the pleasures of life the same as we do?
In what ways might we be like the “Pharisees” refusing to join in the “game,” that Jesus invites us to play.

Luke 7:11-17

      Jesus came to the town of Nain. His disciples were with him, along with a large group of the faithful, and the curious.
     A commotion was going on in the town. A young man had died and was being carried out for burial. The mother of the man was a widow and this was her only son.
     Losing a son or daughter must be incredibly hard. There are those who have experienced both the loss of a spouse and of a child and say that latter loss is even more difficult than the first. To lose a son or daughter goes against every instinct a parent has to nourish and protect. It goes against all expectation as well, for a parent expects a child to outlive them.
     Although it may not have been on her mind at that moment with its focus on the grief of her loss, the widow in Nain also faced a desperate future. She was without a husband and now without a son to support her. Women had little status or economic power in that society.
     The story is simple and straightforward. Jesus had compassion for her and he bid the young man to rise. The man sat up and began to speak. Fear seized everyone who saw it. They glorified God and said that a great prophet had come to them. Even more rumors began spreading about Jesus.
     Jesus was not the first to be recorded a bringing the dead back to life. Elijah did the same, and such rumors were spread even about others. Those who find it difficult to credit a death to life miracle might say that the young man wasn’t actually dead. That he was in a coma or otherwise unable to respond. In truth, it was not uncommon for that to happen. Without sophisticated medical equipment, the determination of death was not certain.  It was even a custom in some periods of history to place a string in the coffin connected with a bell above ground, so that if a person was alive, they could pull the string and be rescued from their grave.
      Would it actually be less of a miracle for Jesus to save a man from being buried alive?
      Regardless of how you regard the miracle, the compassion of Jesus is plain. He knew what grief was for those who are left behind. And the scriptures consistently called for awareness of the powerless in society. A widow was frequently named as one of that group representing the powerless. Jesus responded to her need and new life became possible.
     An interesting sidelight is the response of the people. They were filled with fear, yet they praised God. Today we may think of fear as a negative emotion, necessary in the ‘fight or flight’ response, but still negative. Modern people have sometimes been confused by the biblical injunction to fear the Lord, especially when reading other statements that love casts out fear. There is fear as we would experience at the threat of a great danger, and yet great and fierce awe can also be described as fear. God is holy and awesome, mysterious and beyond our control. For the people of Nain, to see this in action, would engender something called fear, but not as the fear they would experience if seeing the Romans advance on their town with sword raised. It was a wholesome fear for they recognized the presence of God in their midst.
     New life was a specialty of Jesus’. A tax collector hated by his society was accepted and renewed. Those who were despised and rejected were loved and given new opportunities. Those about to stone an adulterous woman were reminded of their sin and dropped their own stones. The woman was raised up and her would-be murderers must have experienced a curious release. Even in Jesus’ final hours, a thief reaching out was promised paradise. And when the universe seemed dark and untenable after the crucifixion, a light dawned on the third day inviting the friends of Jesus into an experience of incredible joy.
     What’s the miracle? It wasn’t what he did, but who he was.

What in your life needs to be raised to new life?
Can you write a prayer offering that to God?
Where can you be an agent of Jesus in bringing new life to someone around you or in your community?