Monthly Archives: October 2019

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE – HE UNDERSTOOD FAITH

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HE UNDERSTOOD FAITH

“Jesus went with them. When He was still quite far from the house, the captain sent friends to tell Him, ‘Master, you don’t have to go to all this trouble. I’m not that good a person, you know. I’d be embarrassed for you to come to my house, even embarrassed to come to you in person. Just give the order and my servant will get well. I’m a man under orders; I also give orders. I tell one soldier, ‘Go,’ and he goes; another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.’

“Taken aback, Jesus addressed the accompanying crowd, ‘I’ve yet to come across this kind of simple trust anywhere in Israel, the very people who are supposed to know about God and how He works.’ When the messengers got back home, they found the servant up and well.”  Luke 7:6-10.

What an unusual man!

He was obviously a person of some authority who was used to giving orders and used to being obeyed. Twice in the story, he sent people to Jesus to carry messages for him. He dispatched a group of Jewish leaders to ask for help, and then he sent friends to tell Jesus that he did not expect Him to come to his home but just to give the command and his servant would be healed.

He recognised in Jesus a man who carried the same sort of authority over spiritual forces as he carried over his subordinates. Did that mean that he attributed his servant’s illness to dark powers in the unseen realm? We who are “enlightened” with scientific knowledge would pooh-pooh that idea because we have a better understanding of where diseases come from and why human bodies malfunction.

But what lies behind these causes of imperfections and suffering in the natural world? Was it not the deception of the devil in the beginning that led the first pair into disobedience and all its consequences? However this man perceived Jesus’ authority, he trusted Him enough to know that His word was to be obeyed in the unseen realm.

He was also a man who knew the Jews well enough to honour their scruples about hob-knobbing with Gentiles. He did not expect Jesus to enter his house because he was a despised Roman. It was enough for Jesus to use His authority over sickness to dismiss it from a distance.

To what did Jesus respond – to the man’s reluctance to invite Him into his home or to the expression of faith that revealed his understanding of authority?

It was undoubtedly the man’s grasp of the meaning of faith that caught His attention. Jesus was not bothered by the scruples of His fellow Jews. He touched sick people; He embraced “unclean” people; He handled dead people, and none of these violations of taboos ever affected Him. The sick were healed; unclean people were made clean and the dead lived at the sound of His voice.

He marvelled that a pagan Roman soldier had a better understanding of faith than His own people who had a history of faithlessness and disobedience from the beginning. It seems that Jesus’ response to the soldier’s request was one better than his expectation. Luke doesn’t tell us whether He even spoke to the sickness from afar. He only reports that when the messengers got back to the captain’s home, the servant was up and well.

There is nothing that pleases the Lord more than the confidence we have in Him that doubts neither His ability nor His will to intervene when we cry for help. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6 (NIV).

How can we have a faith like that? By soaking ourselves in God’s Word. “So faith comes by hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.” Romans 10:17 (NLT).

Are you reading God’s Word? It’s the only way to faith.

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE – JESUS IS JESUS!

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CHAPTER SEVEN

JESUS IS JESUS!

“When He finished speaking to the people, He entered Capernaum. A Roman captain there had a servant who was on his deathbed. He prized him highly and didn’t want to lose him. When he heard Jesus was back, he sent leaders from the Jewish community asking Him to come and heal his servant. They came to Jesus and urged Him to do it, saying, ‘He deserves this. He loves our people. He even built our meeting place.'” Luke 7:1-5.

Quite a guy, this Roman captain! A most unusual man! Not like the run-of-the-mill Roman soldiers, it seems. He had a heart for people, unlike most of the others who were ruthless in the course of their duty. He cared about his servant and was distraught when the man lay dying.

He was also sympathetic towards Jesus. He knew about Him; he may have even been on the outskirts of the crowd, listening to Him while he was on duty doing crowd control. Was he perhaps one of those who were among the soldiers who had heard John the Baptist and had been baptised by him in the River Jordan? We will never know.

There was no doctor and no medicine to cure his servant and he stood by, helplessly watching as his servant began to slip away from him. Then he heard that Jesus was on His way to Capernaum. So desperate was he to get help that he sent some of the Jewish leaders to Jesus, hoping against hope that Jesus would not spurn a Roman’s cry for help.

He could not go himself because he was not sure of the reception he would receive. Surely Jesus would respond if the most respected Jews in his community would speak for him? He hoped against hope that this Jew would look past his people’s treatment of His fellow Jews and have mercy on him. He had no doubt about His ability to heal. That was not the issue. But would He help a Roman?

The Jewish leaders, whoever they were, Pharisees, elders of the town, men in charge of the synagogue…who knows?…were ready to plead his case with Jesus. Evidently they held the captain in high esteem because he wasn’t like the other Romans. He had a heart for them. He used his money to build a meeting place for them. He may have even stood outside on a Sabbath, listening to the reading of the Torah and feeling a tug of response in his heart to the God of whom they read.

The Jews were quite willing to act as messengers. They were keen to help the man who had helped them. They went to Jesus with the story of a warm-hearted man who needed help and was worthy of Jesus’ intervention because of all his good deeds.

How did that affect Jesus? Had we been in His place, we might have been impressed by the man’s credentials. The very fact that these Jewish leaders were willing to act as messengers was quite unusual. They came because they were friends, not because they were obeying orders. They were with him in his trouble.

Would Jesus respond to their plea because of who the man was or because of who He was? Would the fact that he was a Roman influence Him? Would He, a Jew, go into the home of a Gentile? Would He help him because it was a group of Jews who acted as mediators?

Luke does not comment on the reason for Jesus’ response. However, if we fast-forward the story, when Jesus was hanging on the cross, suspended on nails that Roman soldiers had driven into His wrists and feet, we hear words from His cracked lips that encompass not only the ones who were responsible for His being there, but also the ones who had carried out the orders. ‘Father, forgive them…!’

Now we understand that the commendation of the Jews was quite unnecessary. Had this Roman captain been a typical soldier, cruel and uncaring, Jesus would have still responded to his request. Why? Because Jesus is Jesus!

You can also have absolute confidence in His mercy!

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE – BEDROCK OR SAND?

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BEDROCK OR SAND?

“‘Why are you so polite with me, always saying, ‘Yes, sir,’ and ‘That’s right, sir,’ but never doing a thing I tell you? These words I speak to you are not mere additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundation words, words to build a life on.

“‘If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who dug deep and laid the foundation of his home on bedrock. When the river burst its banks and crashed against the house, nothing could shake it; it was built to last. But if you use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a dumb carpenter who built a house but skipped the foundation. When the swollen river came crashing in, it collapsed like a house of cards. It was a total loss.'” Luke 6:46-49.

What comes to mind when you read these words?

Jesus was telling His disciples that His words, His, Jesus’ words, were absolutely foundational for living. Who did He think He was? Okay, He was a rabbi and He spoke with authority, and people sat up and took notice when He taught; and He taught things radically different from the other rabbis, even though He taught from the same Scriptures as they did.

But did that give Him the right to claim that His words were the foundation of all life? What made Him so different from all the others? And who or what gave Him the authority to make a claim like that?

Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin, had the courage to challenge Him. ‘What makes you so different from the rest of us?’ he asked. Jesus’ response was surprising. ‘Nicodemus, you will never understand nor have a share in these things until you have come alive by the Holy Spirit.’

‘What are you talking about?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘It is impossible for me to go through the whole birth process again,’ to which Jesus replied, ‘I’m not talking about natural birth. I’m talking about a “birth” brought about by the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit that will give you access to the realm of which I am speaking.’

Nicodemus was in this over his head. ‘I haven’t a clue about what you are saying,’ he said. Jesus’ reply startled him. ‘I know what I’m talking about because I came from that realm. I have first-hand knowledge because I was there. You are a teacher but you don’t really know what you teach. I do!’

That’s what made all the difference. Jesus came from realm where the Father’s will was absolute and was carried out without question. And it was the Father’s will that everything worked together in perfect unity and harmony because that is the nature of the Godhead.

Because of human rebellion, everything is chaotic on earth. When we “see” what Jesus was getting at through the Holy Spirit’s work of making us alive, and reinstitute the way of life God intended for His children to live, generously, graciously, gently and humbly, caring about others instead of only ourselves; when the storms of life rage, God’s peace in our inner being will steady us and keep us trusting in Him until the trouble has passed.

If we live greedy, selfish lives, when trouble hits, we have no foundation and no-one to turn to, least of all God, because we are out of fellowship with Him. We are part of a world system which is continually collapsing because it was not built on the truth.

Jesus’ claim to speak foundational words was not only legitimate but also made perfect sense. When we treat others with kindness, God reciprocates with an inner joy and peace that selfishness cannot produce. That’s how we were created to be. When we live contrary to whom we really are, our lives fall apart, relationships disintegrated and we live in the environment of unhappiness.

Have you built your house on a strong foundation?

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE – A MIRROR IN OUR MOUTHS!

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A MIRROR IN OUR MOUTHS!

“You don’t get wormy apples off a healthy tree, or good apples off a diseased tree. The health of the apple tells the health of the tree. You must begin with your own life-giving lives. It’s who you are, not what you say and do, that counts. Your true being brims over into true words and deeds.

Why are you so polite with me, always saying ‘Yes, sir,’ and ‘That’s right, sir,’ but never doing a thing I tell you. These words I speak are not mere additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundation words, words to build a life on.'” Luke 6:43-47.

There is huge wisdom in Jesus’ simple stories and illustrations. All the sages and wise teachers on earth with all their intricate philosophical ideas have not taught us about real life as accurately as He has – and He drew His wisdom from the natural world which everyone can see if we would only look and learn.

Here is a very basic law which would shock us if we took to heart what it is telling us. In nature it’s the root that produces the fruit, not the other way around. ‘Of course, we know that,’ we respond, but do we realise the implications?

Jesus has just given us a simple prescription for defeating our enemies by turning them into friends. ‘Be generous and gracious,’ He said. ‘Be gentle and humble. Don’t treat people the way they treat you. Start a new chapter by turning the tables on them. Be as kind to them as you can and you’ll put an end to the enmity right there because it will have nothing to feed on.’

Why did He have to say things like this? Isn’t it just because we do treat people the way they treat us, just like everyone else in the world does? If someone insults us, we take it a step further. If someone hurts or offends us, we engage in character assassination by telling everyone around us what he or she said or did. We try to defend ourselves by stabbing our enemy in the back. We make ourselves look good by making the other person look bad.

The real issue of which we are blissfully aware is that our words and actions say more about us than they do about the person who wronged us. That is exactly what Jesus was pointing out. Our words and deeds are like a surgeon’s knife. They cut us open right to the heart and show everyone around us just what we are like! Our words and actions are the fruit of what is inside – the root.

James was Jesus’ brother. He grew up with Him. He must have listened to His wisdom many times and been angered and frustrated by what He said because, after all, He was only his brother, and no-one takes a brother seriously. But after he came to faith in Him, he took to heart his brother’s teaching and reproduced it in his letter.

“With our tongues we bless God our Father, and with the same tongues we curse the very men and women He made in His image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth! My friends, this can’t go on. A spring doesn’t gush fresh water one day and brackish the next, does it…?” James 3:9-11.

Why is this? Jesus gives us the simple answer: “You never do a thing I tell you.” His words are simple and make a lot of sense. They are not incomprehensible theological treatises or complicated philosophical ideas. They are the simple observations of nature, and they work in nature so why not in our lives? Because we ignore them and do it our way.

We would be horrified if we thought people could see into our hearts but we don’t realise that we have a mirror in our mouths and what we say is constantly giving us away!

So why not take Jesus seriously, turn the tables on our “enemies”, act like we love them and experience the change that God supernaturally produces when we choose to do the right thing?

Will you?

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE – WHO GETS THE WASHCLOTH?

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WHO GETS THE WASHCLOTH?

“He quoted a proverb: ‘Can a blind man guide a blind man?’ Wouldn’t they both end up in a ditch? An apprentice doesn’t lecture the master. The point is to be careful who you follow as your teacher.

“It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbour’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this I-know-better-than-you mentality again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your own part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbour.'” Luke 6:39-42.

Isn’t it amazing how right we all think we are! The world is full of blind guides who think they can see, and are leading blind people into ditches everywhere.

Jesus warned His hearers to be careful who they followed. The scribes and Pharisees,  the religious “experts” of His day, fitted His description very well – blind guides who thought they were right, so right in fact that they were ready to destroy truth for the sake of their right-ness.

Take, for example, the scientific fraternity that teaches the ridiculous theory of evolution as proven fact when every intricate detail of creation (a word they freely use, yet deny the Creator), screams out the truth that there has to be a Designer. Yet most of the people in the educated world believe they are right!

And where has that got us? Into the ditch of utter moral darkness! To accept evolution as fact and follow its ramifications is to be just like the apes we are supposed to have evolved from, devoid of common sense and reason. It takes a huge leap of faith into a deep, dark void of foolishness to believe that, in spite of the fact that every simple thing humans make needs a design, the whole of creation just “happened” by chance! Really?

How can we be safeguarded from the boffins who insist they are right regardless of the facts? Weigh up the evidence! In the Apostle Paul’s day, the Bereans were applauded for their good sense. “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” Acts 17:11 (NIV).

What does it take to weigh up the evidence and come to an informed conclusion? It takes a humble admission that I don’t know everything, I can’t explain everything but someone else can, and I’ll take the trouble to find out from an authoritative source.

Jesus laid the problem at the door of our innate human pride. We are so blind to our own pitiful ignorance that we dare to sneer at others and offer to wash the spots off their faces when our own are blotched with contempt because we think we know better.

Test your own heart. What lies underneath those judgmental, critical thoughts, even if they are never uttered? “I’m not like that! I don’t do that! I’m better than you! I know more than you do! I’m right and you’re wrong!”

Humility is a great leveller and it opens the door to many things that pride excludes us from – wisdom, knowledge and understanding, friendship, peace and harmony with others, just for a start and, most important of all, God’s grace. “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another because, “God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5b (NIV).

There is one source of truth upon which we can stand with great confidence, the Word of God. Truth needs no defence. It needs only to be spoken. It will endure while lies, false teaching, and wrong thinking will all disappear because they have no substance. The Scriptures admonish us to test everything and to hold fast to that which is good.

Are you a fool or do you do that?