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?