Joy over one

What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. "Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbours together, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!' Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." – Luke 15.4-10

I love our ministry. I am grateful for where God has put us. I am glad to serve our Lord in this wonderful land of Ireland. But, like anything else we do, there can be frustrations. It’s really nothing new, but we all know that there is a temptation to measure success by numbers – be the people, or production stats, or money in the bank or whatever. There is, of course, a danger that this kind of measurement of success can creep into the church. When that happens the measure of a church becomes their Sunday morning church attendance, or how many we baptised last years, or how many professions of faith, or whatever. When that is the standard it can be tough to be part of a smaller, 'less successful' ministry. 

A danger of the numbers game is that it can eventually make us forget about the importance of the ‘one.’ People can become stats instead of souls. A mind set can develop like ‘Oh, you only had 3 baptisms last year? What are you doing wrong?’

Jesus made it clear that He is concerned about each and every ‘one.’ Here He tells the parable of the lost things. We know the story of the lost son, but before He told that story He told the story of one last sheep and one lost coin.

A shepherd has 99 of his 100 sheep safely tucked away. A woman has only lost one of her ten silver coins. In both cases they search frantically until they find the missing ‘one.’ When they do they invite their friends and neighbours to come and celebrate with them. And why wouldn’t they? These are great things to celebrate!

In both cases Jesus said that there was something even better. ‘I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance…Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.’

Jesus cared about one. He said that even the salvation of one soul causes a celebration in heaven.

If the salvation of one causes such joy – should we not share in that excitement over the ‘one?’ It is great to see vast numbers turn to Christ – but let’s not discount the importance of each and every ‘one.’ 

Dinner guests

Then He also said to him who invited Him, "When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbours, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just." – Luke 14.12-14

There is quite a challenge here. When invited to dinner Jesus used the time for a teaching opportunity. ‘When you give a dinner don’t invite your family or your wealthy neighbours, because they will invite you in return and pay you back for feeding them. Instead invite the people to dinner who can’t do anything to pay you back. Invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind instead.’

While this is a great truth in and of itself, I think the principle behind it is even more interesting.

The key lesson here is that we don’t do things in order to get in return. We don’t just help those who can do something for us. In fact, we do better if we purposefully do for those who can’t do anything for us.

It is easy to do things for those who can pay us back. It is easy for us to feed family, and friends, and neighbours. It is easy to have a dinner and invite all the right people.

But when is the last time we chose to feed or entertain those who need in the most? When is the last time we did something for those who have no hope of paying us back?

When we do things for those who can’t return the favour we may not have any immediate reward. But we can be assured that God’s blessing is on us and we will one day have our repayment. 

Unless you repent

There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish." - Luke 13.1-5

We see it all the time. A man-made or natural disaster strikes somewhere and some Christians jump on the bandwagon and try to claim that this was the wrath of God being poured out because the people there deserved it. They say that God did this to them for this or that sin.

This is what happened here. Some folks referred to two different disasters. Some Galileans had been slaughtered by Pilate. The people said ‘are these people worse sinners because they suffered so?’ Jesus responded ‘I tell you, no, but unless you repent you also will perish.’ ‘Okay, how about the 18 guys who died on the building site when the tower being built at Siloam collapsed and killed them?’ ‘No, but if you don’t repent you will perish as well.’

Sure, Jesus is stressing the importance of repentance. That is clear, everyone must repent or face God’s wrath.

But I also see something else. People are far too quick to look at other people’s sin while ignoring their own. It is easy for us to say that the hurricane wiped out New Orleans because of its wickedness. People say 9/11 happened because of America’s sin. Some sad the Stephen’s Day tsunami struck because the people there we mostly Buddhists (or whatever the story was). This happens all the time.

I think part of what God is saying here is that we all need to think about our own sins and not be so worried about other’s sins. In fact Jesus actually answered their questions in this passage with the word ‘no.’ They didn’t suffer because they are worse sinners than anyone else.

Jesus answered the two questions with the exact same answer. Both times he drove the questioners back to the same point – deal with your own sin or you are going to be in trouble as well.

We need to be careful that we don’t get distracted by situations like this. The debate is not about other people’s sin, but our own. We don’t need to worry so much about why things happen to others, but more about keeping our hearts right with God. 

Doing when He comes

Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.  - Luke 12.43

Jesus did a lot of teaching in parables. He was the Master Storyteller.

Here He told a story about a man who went on a long journey. While he was gone he left his servants with certain responsibilities. Not every servant was faithful. It was easy to get lax when the master was gone. It is just human nature. When the cat is away the mice are indeed very likely to play.

Jesus said that the servant who remains faithfully at his work when the master returns is truly blessed. Not everyone given a task is going to stay at it. People get distracted, things get in the way, but the faithful man stays at the work.

We are like those servants who have been given tasks to do. . Our Master has left and He has left us work to do. We are to be living lives that honour Him and to share the glorious gospel.

I read a lot about when Jesus is coming back. There is all kind and speculation and headline interpreting and even fighting over His return. We have conferences and seminars and books and videos and websites all dedicated to trying to figure when He is due back.

We can get so busy trying to figure it out that we forget about the doing that Jesus talks about here.

I contend that we spend far too time talking and looking and fantasising and not enough time doing. Jesus, our Master, is coming back. That is a fact. We don’t have a clue when. That is a fact.

It is also a fact that Jesus expects us to be faithfully ‘doing’ when He comes again. In his letter to Titus Paul told the church on Crete what to be doing as we are looking for our Master to return.

‘For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.’

Can we call ourselves faithful stewards in the light of this passage? 

Fool!

Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?' So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry." ' But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' "So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." – Luke 12.16-21

I remember an ad on television a few years ago. It opened when a family was faced with the dilemma of having far too much stuff. It has falling out of everywhere. The presses, wardrobes, and closets were all so full they could take nothing more. So they looked for a solution.

What did they come up with? Buy Rubbermaid storage containers! Once they had everything organised they realised they had more room. ‘What are we going to do?  one of them asked. They said in unison – ‘MORE STUFF!!’

That ad always reminded me of this parable. This rich man had so much stuff and his crops were so plentiful that he decided to tear down his barns and build new ones so that he had room for MORE STUFF!!

‘Ah, now I can take it easy. I can eat, drink, and me merry because me and my stuff are safe.’

Jesus had one response to that kind of attitude – ‘Fool! You have all this stuff gathered together and tonight you are going to have to give an account of your soul. Anybody who lays up treasures for himself is not rich toward God.’

That is kind of blunt, but the message is clear. You are a fool if you focus on your ability to get more stuff and live to get it. There are not many other times – I can’t think of any off the top of my head – when Jesus calls someone a fool.

That tells me that a whole lot of us are acting like fools. Our focus on stuff is obvious. The passage goes on to tell us that of we are seeking God’s righteousness we can trust Him to take care of everything else.

Do our lives reflect faith or foolishness? Only each one of us can answer that question. 

Take heed of covetousness

And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." - Luke 12.15

Jesus well knew the temptation that covetousness would be. It is a battle that man has fought since the very beginning. It was so big a deal that one of the Ten Commandments was ‘You shall not covet…’

As Jesus went through His ministry he would often have people come up to seek his advice. Here a man was upset because his brother would not share his inheritance. ‘Tell him to give it to me!’

Jesus took the opportunity to deal with the deeper problem. If He were saying these words in 21^st century English He might have said ‘Don’t get so bent out of shape. Be careful about wanting so much stuff. Your life is not about what you have or don’t have.’

In our current Age of Materialism this is a constant battle. While we millions of fellow believers still struggle in abject poverty most of us in the west have it better than we ever have. Even the average ordinary Christian has a decent place to live, enough food to eat, wearable clothing, a car that runs, electricity, and heat. Many also have a phone or two, a computer, a television, internet service, and a few other electronic devices.

Many of our churches are defined by their opulence. Vast sums of money are sunk into making the place look good and ensuring that there is no discomfort.

If we are not careful we can get the idea that these are thing that define us as churches or individuals. That naturally leads to a spirit of covetousness. Some of us don’t have it as nice as others. Some of us don’t have the newest car or the latest iPad or the nicest house or the best clothes. Some of our churches don’t meet in palatial edifices of grandeur. Some of us still meet in community centres or store fronts or even in homes.

It can be hard to be content. It can be hard to avoid covetousness. That’s why we need to remember Jesus’ words ‘beware of covetousness. All this stuff is not the measure of a man.’

Let’s be sure we keep our focus. Let’s be sure that we don’t measure our lives by the world’s standards. We may not wear the best name brands. We may not drive the best car. We may not go to a fancy church. Our computers might need an upgrade. That’s not what is all about. How is our relationship with Jesus today? 

What to say

"Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say." – Luke 12.11-12

Jesus made it very clear to the disciples that the norm for His followers was going to be to face opposition. That had to be a scary thought. The day would come when they would have to stand in Jewish or secular courts and defend themselves for what they believed.

How would they handle that? They weren’t Jesus. They were theologians. They didn’t know the Law in order to defend themselves. What were they going to say when that happened? What were they going to do?

Jesus told them not to worry about it. ‘The Holy Spirit will show you want to say.’

The future ministry of the Holy Spirit was still unknown to them. We know much more about it now that we have the completed Bible. We now know that He opens our eyes to spiritual truth. He guides us into all truth. He comforts and convicts. And here we see that when the time comes He will give us the words to say.

We may never have to face magistrates and authorities, though we very well might. But we all are going to be called on at some time or another to answer for what we believe. Even that thought can be a bit scary. ‘What am I going to do? I don’t know what to say!’

I think we can rest with confidence that the Holy Spirit who told the disciples what to say can do the same for us. Now He indwells us and fills us as we yield to Him. We can rest assured that He is not going to leave us speechless. All we have to do is rely on Him to show us what to say and then trust Him as we speak. 

A lesson from Uncle Tom

"And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do - Luke 12.4

I recently read Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin. I had of course heard of it for many years, but never took the time to read it. All I had ever heard about it was that it was a load of abolitionist propaganda that was a waste of time to read.

But I did, I listened to the story until I got enthralled by it and then started reading it on my Kindle. I found myself moved by a very powerful story of the faith of Uncle Tom. His witness pervades the book no matter what kind of situation he faced several owners and slave dealers. Some were decent, some were cruel, and one was very kind. As the story reaches its conclusion he is sold to Simon Legree

Legree is cruel, vicious, and brutal. One of the things he hates most about Tom is his faith in Christ.

If you have access to a copy of the book and don’t want to read the whole thing, let me direct you to Chapter 38 – ‘The Victory’ where the conflict comes to a head. The book is available to search and read free online.

Legree’s cruelty had Tom is total despair. We pick up the story just after a particularly cruel beating. His faith was wavering. He had stopped reading his precious Bible. He was just about to give up.

He was preparing his meagre dinner when he saw His Bible and picked up to read.

Quotes are from Kindle’s free e-book  - Stowe, Harriet Beecher (2006-01-13). Uncle Tom's Cabin. Public Domain Books. Kindle Edition.

‘There were all the marked passages, which had thrilled his soul so often,--words of patriarchs and seers, poets and sages, who from early time had spoken courage to man,--voices from the great cloud of witnesses who ever surround us in the race of life. Had the word lost its power, or could the failing eye and weary sense no longer answer to the touch of that mighty inspiration? Heavily sighing, he put it in his pocket. A coarse laugh roused him; he looked up,--Legree was standing opposite to him.

 "Well, old boy," he said, "you find your religion don't work, it seems! I thought I should get that through your wool, at last!"

The cruel taunt was more than hunger and cold and nakedness. Tom was silent.

"You were a fool," said Legree; "for I meant to do well by you, when I bought you. You might have been better off than Sambo, or Quimbo either, and had easy times; and, instead of getting cut up and thrashed, every day or two, ye might have had liberty to lord it round, and cut up the other niggers; and ye might have had, now and then, a good warming of whiskey punch. Come, Tom, don't you think you'd better be reasonable?--heave that ar old pack of trash in the fire, and join my church!"

"The Lord forbid!" said Tom, fervently. "You see the Lord an't going to help you; if he had been, he wouldn't have let me get you!

This yer religion is all a mess of lying trumpery, Tom. I know all about it. Ye'd better hold to me; I'm somebody, and can do something!" "No, Mas'r," said Tom; "I'll hold on. The Lord may help me, or not help; but I'll hold to him, and believe him to the last!"

We seem Tom’s faith being restored. He began praying and eventually the Lord began to deal with him and give him confidence in his eternity. Tom’s faith was stirred and he found new strength.

‘From his deepest soul, he that hour loosed and parted from every hope in life that now is, and offered his own will an unquestioning sacrifice to the Infinite. Tom looked up to the silent, ever-living stars,--types of the angelic hosts who ever look down on man; and the solitude of the night rung with the triumphant words of a hymn, which he had sung often in happier days, but never with such feeling as now:

"The earth shall be dissolved like snow, The sun shall cease to shine; But God, who called me here below, Shall be forever mine.

"And when this mortal life shall fail, And flesh and sense shall cease, I shall possess within the veil A life of joy and peace.

"When we've been there ten thousand years, Bright shining like the sun, We've no less days to sing God's praise Than when we first begun."

We don’t often sing the two verses of Amazing Grace that Tom remembered, but what comfort they give!

Here is how Stowe describes the change in Tom –

When the dim gray of dawn woke the slumberers to go forth to the field, there was among those tattered and shivering wretches one who walked with an exultant tread; for firmer than the ground he trod on was his strong faith in Almighty, eternal love. Ah, Legree, try all your forces now! Utmost agony, woe, degradation, want, and loss of all things, shall only hasten on the process by which he shall be made a king and a priest unto God!

From this time, an inviolable sphere of peace encompassed the lowly heart of the oppressed one,--an ever-present Saviour hallowed it as a temple. Past now the bleeding of earthly regrets; past its fluctuations of hope, and fear, and desire; the human will, bent, and bleeding, and struggling long, was now entirely merged in the Divine. So short now seemed the remaining voyage of life,--so near, so vivid, seemed eternal blessedness,--that life's uttermost woes fell from him unharming.’

Shortly after Tom is gladly singing the words of Isaac Watt’s hymn ‘On My Journey Home’ while working in the field.

"When I can read my title clear To mansions in the skies, I'll bid farewell to every fear, And wipe my weeping eyes "Should earth against my soul engage, And hellish darts be hurled, Then I can smile at Satan's rage, And face a frowning world. "Let cares like a wild deluge come, And storms of sorrow fall, May I but safely reach my home, My god, my Heaven, my All."

Legree heard him and was incensed so he beat Tom more severely than ever before, but now it was different –

‘But the blows fell now only on the outer man, and not, as before, on the heart. Tom stood perfectly submissive; and yet Legree could not hide from himself that his power over his bond thrall was somehow gone.

Tom was free. Simon Legree was no more his master. He knew that all Legree could do was to kill his body, but Legree could not control his soul.

‘What more can they do,’ Jesus asked, ‘once they have killed the body?’

‘Nothing’ is the answer. Uncle Tom knew that and the time he had left was spent in loving witness. Two of the overseers who had viciously beat Tom were saved through his witness.’

We can be as free as Tom found himself when we finally realise that all the enemy can do is take our body. When they do that it just hastens the day till we meet our Saviour. 

Jesus and his mother

And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, "Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!" But He said, "More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!" – Luke 11.27-28

I live in a country which has a long history of Marian veneration, or even Marian worship. There can be no doubt that Mary is a person well worth our study and our interest, but it interesting to see what the Bible says about her in her role as Jesus’ mother.

I don’t know for sure, but it looks like some type of veneration of Mary had already started. As Jesus was speaking a woman from the crowd shouted ‘Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that fed you!’

I imagine that she was expecting an ‘amen’ or at least an acknowledgement of the truth of what she said.

But she said ‘More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.’

Jesus didn't put Mary down. He didn’t even deny the veracity of the woman’s statement. He didn’t bash her for taking things too far – he just pointed out that there is a way to a surer and greater blessing.

The greater blessing than being Jesus’ mother comes to those who simply hear God’s word and apply it. There is no greater blessing on earth than to listen to what God has to say and then apply it to our lives.

We are reminded once again that it is not enough to just hear the word of God. Anyone can do that. The blessing comes when we keep Gods word by doing it.

Mary was blessed, but not because she bore Jesus. She was blessed the same as we are, by hearing God's word and applying it to her life. 

How much more?

If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" – Luke 11.11-13

This passage continues talking about prayer. It focuses on a father and his son communicating about the son’s needs. I love the picture of God as our Father and how Jesus uses the illustration of father and son to illustrate prayer and talking to Him.

I have to acknowledge that not every family is perfect. Sadly the illustration doesn’t fit every family. The curse of sin produces some terrible situations and cruel brutal fathers are a part of that curse. This illustration is of a loving and caring father. For those who tragically don’t have that it pictures God as the Father who can fill that void.

A good father is not going to give his child a stone when he asks for a piece of bread. If a son asks for fish fingers we are hardly going to give him a snake. If he asks for a boiled egg we are not going to serve him a scorpion.

That just makes sense.

Why then would anyone that God refuse the Holy Spirit to those who ask? The Holy Spirit is the gift above all gifts. This was before the Holy Spirit took on His current ministry. Jesus was preparing His followers for the wonderful truth that one day God would pour out His Holy Spirit on all who ask for Him.

We as sinners know how to give our children what is best. How much more does our heavenly Father know how to give the Holy Spirit, that which is best of all. 

The basics of prayer

Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples." So He said to them, "When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one." – Luke 11.1-4

Prayer had always been a part of Jewish religious life, but now they knew things were different. Jesus was their teacher now. As disciples they were His students.

One day they saw Jesus praying. Here we have a scene where God the Son praying. The disciples waited and then asked Him ‘Lord, teach us to pray like John taught His disciples.’

Jesus did a marvellous job of breaking prayer down into its essential parts. These are not mindless words to be repeated without thinking. It is just what they asked for – a lesson on prayer.

Here are the essentials. Recognise God as Father and as reigning in heaven. Recognise His holiness. Seek His kingdom instead of this earthly realm. Seek His will. Recognise our need of His provision. Recognise the need to deal with sin. Recognise the danger of temptation.

That’s what prayer breaks down to. It is talking to our Father, recognised who He is and who we are. It is like a child taking to a daddy. Prayer is about supplication to His will, not trying to conform Him to ours. 

Marthaness and Maryness

Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me." And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her." – Luke 10.38-42

Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were friends of Jesus. I think that is pretty amazing in and of itself. How wonderful that must have been to be known as Jesus’ friends.

I am not sure, but I think this is the first time we hear about this friendship. When Jesus and the disciples came to town and passed by Mary and Martha’s house Martha invited them in. I have always liked Martha. I like that she answered the door, was hospitable enough to invite them in, and set about preparing the tea while her sister Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to Him teach.

I also have always understood Martha. Here she was bustling about doing all the work while Mary just sat there. I can almost sense the frustration building as she clattered the dishes and slammed the drinking vessels trying to get Mary’s attention. Finally she had enough – ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister is making me do all the work? Tell her to help me!’ In fact, I can almost feel the emotion behind it. I can be very Martha like – I like to get things done. I hate to see tasks undone. I can get bothered by those who won’t help when there are jobs to do. The Marys of this world can really irritate me (uh, not my Mary of course).

So Martha, like I would have done, said something. I can see that.

Jesus’ reply was to the point. You can sense His compassion when He says ‘Oh Martha, Martha, you are concerned about so many things. But one thing is needed and Mary has chosen that.’

Jesus was not condemning Martha, there are things that have to be done. The tea needed to be prepared, we have jobs that need sorted. But Mary knew something. She knew that the most important thing was to sit at Jesus’ feet and learn from Him. All those jobs that I think are so important are going pass away, but what we learn from Jesus will never pass away.

Lord, don’t take the Marthaness from me – but give me a dose of Maryness to go with it. 

Go and do likewise

And he said, "He who showed mercy on him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise." – Luke 10.37

A rich young ruler came to Jesus asking about eternal life. ‘What do I need to do to have eternal life?’ he asked. Jesus responded ‘how do you read the law?’ The ruler rightly said ‘love the Lord your God absolutely and love your neighbour as yourself.’ ‘Do this and you will indeed live,’ said Jesus. ‘But who is my neighbour?’ asked the young man.

Jesus then told the famous story of the Good Samaritan. A Jewish man was travelling to Jerusalem when he was attacked and left for dead by the side of the road. He lay there while a priest and a Levite ignored him, even crossing the road not to have to look at him. Finally a Samaritan saw him and stopped. Samaritans and Jews did not get along – at all. Yet, the Samaritan helped him, treated his wounds, took him to an inn, and paid for his care.

The young ruler had to admit, in response to Jesus’ question, that the Samaritan was the man’s neighbour.

‘Go and do likewise’ was Jesus simple response.

So here is the test of ‘Love the Lord your God with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your might, and love your neighbour as yourself.’ And it case we missed it our challenge is the same as the young man’s. ‘Go and do likewise.’

We can’t get away from it. The proof of our loving God is in how we love our neighbour, even our ‘enemy neighbour.’ In this case even our religious enemy neighbour.

We seem to think it is okay to hate if the object is those who don’t follow our God. These are troublesome days as evidenced by the vitriol spewed at Muslims and others who are ‘not like us.’ This is not of God. The Samaritan showed us that our neighbours can be the people we tend to hate.

How are we doing in loving them? 

I have decided to follow Jesus, but...

Then He said to another, "Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God." And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house." But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."  - Luke 9.59-62

Not everyone was so quick to forsake everything and follow Jesus. When Jesus said ‘follow me’ to others one replied ‘Let me go bury my dead father first.’ Another said ‘I will follow You, but I need to go say goodbye first.’

We might think that this is to be expected. These are reasonable request.  What could be wrong with going to your father’s funeral or saying goodbye to your family?

I don’t think that is the point. Jesus knew their hearts. He knew that these were more excuses than reasons. He knew these people had a ‘I will follow You but…’ attitude.’

Those who have this kind of attitude are always going to be able to find another ‘but’ in their discipleship. ‘I am going to get back to church, but first I need to sort a few things out.’ ‘I am going to tell my family about Jesus, but I need a little more time to show how my life is different.’ ‘I will start giving to my local church, but first I need to get buy these few things I really need.’

There really are no ‘buts’ in discipleship. Either we follow or we don’t. We have to decide if we are going to follow the world or follow Christ. If we try to follow both we are going to get frustrated and confused.

How many of us can truly say ‘I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no ifs, ands, or buts.’  

Keeping focus

And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?" But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them." And they went to another village.  - Luke 9.54-56

While travelling through Samaria the disciples tried to make preparations for Christ, probably for a meal and a place to stay. Jesus was dead set on going to Jerusalem so the Samaritans would not receive them. The place of worship was a source of contention between the Jews and the Samaritans.

The disciples were furious that the town would not receive them – ‘Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to destroy them like Elijah did?’

These guys were like us when we face opposition – ‘let’s just blow away the opposition and move on. We are on God’s side, if they don’t like us – let’s just wipe them out!’

But Jesus had a different response, ‘I didn’t come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.’ And then they just moved on to a different town.

From all appearances we live in a world that deserves destruction. It makes sense that those who openly oppose God and His work ought to just be dealt with so that we can carry on. It makes sense, in our feeble minds to just have God wipe out the opposition.

But Jesus didn’t have that attitude. His purpose was to save, not to battle the enemy. I think there is something here for us as well. Our purpose is to share the gospel and bring men to Christ.

We have to expect that the world is going to oppose us. That is between them and God. Jesus kept His focus on Jerusalem and would not be distracted. We need to keep our eyes on our task and do the same. 

They forsook all

For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men." So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.  - Luke 5.9-11

Peter, James, and John were in their fishing boat. They were partners in their trade and apparently pretty successful fishermen. They had had a bad night fishing when Jesus got on the boat and told Peter to put out from shore. They didn’t think it would do any good, but Simon ordered the nets to be lowered.

Immediately they felt the drag of a heavy load of fish. They could hardly drag the fish on to the boat. Peter knew a miracle had happened, was afraid, confessed his sins to Jesus, and told Jesus to depart because he was a afraid of Jesus.

Jesus told him, ‘don’t be afraid, I am going to make you a fisher of men.’

All three of them; Peter, James, and John took their catch of fish to the shore and then they ‘forsook all and followed Him.’

Jesus’ first followers set the pattern for all of us who have followed. When they decided to follow Jesus they left everything to do so. They left their boats, their nets, and apparently even the catch of fish to follow Him.

That’s what following Jesus is all about – forsaking all to follow Him.

Paul pled with the believers in Rome to offer their bodies as a living sacrifice. Jesus said that those who want to follow Him must lay down their lives, take up their cross, and follow Him.

Judson Van DeVenter wrote a song in 1896 that we all know and most of us have sung, but I wonder how well we do at living it?

All to Jesus, I surrender;

All to Him I freely give;

I will ever love and trust Him,

In His presence daily live.

All to Jesus I surrender;

Humbly at His feet I bow,

Worldly pleasures all forsaken;

Take me, Jesus, take me now.

All to Jesus, I surrender;

Make me, Saviour, wholly Thine;

Let me feel the Holy Spirit,

Truly know that Thou art mine.

All to Jesus, I surrender;

Lord, I give myself to Thee;

Fill me with Thy love and power;

Let Thy blessing fall on me.

All to Jesus I surrender;

Now I feel the sacred flame.

O the joy of full salvation!

Glory, glory, to His Name!

I surrender all, I surrender all,

All to Thee, my blessed Saviour,

I surrender all.

The scripture fulfilled

And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. – Luke 4.17-21

Please pardon a little repetition and confusion in these thoughts. I got a little confused in my postings yesterday, but think I may have it figured out.

By the time we get to Luke 4 Jesus has grown to adulthood and entered His ministry. At this stage He was in Nazareth, His hometown. As an adult male He had the opportunity to read the scriptures in the synagogue.  When the attendant handed Him the scrolls He opened them to Isaiah and read the prophecy of Messiah. He read of the Messiah that when He came He would 1) preach the gospel to the poor, 2) heal the brokenhearted, 3) proclaim liberty to the captives, 4) give sight to the blind, 5) to set the oppressed free, and 6) to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.

But then He said something that stunned them – ‘today this prophecy is fulfilled.’

Those who knew their scriptures would have been amazed. Jesus, the carpenter’s Son, was claiming that He was fulfilling the prophecy of Messiah!  

The Jews expected a mighty and triumphant Messiah would come in on a white charger to deliver Israel, but here a meek carpenter’s son claims the role. And his role was to preach the gospel to the poor, heal the broken hearted, give sight to the blind and free the oppressed.

‘To proclaim liberty to the captives’ were the words that everyone wanted to hear, but not from Joseph’s boy. That would take a conquering hero.

We know of course that Jesus ministry was so much more than just a political deliverance. Jesus came to preach the gospel of salvation to those who spiritually poor. He came to heal the broken hearts of those devastated by the results of sin. He came to proclaim liberty slaves of sin. He came to give sight to those blinded by sin. He came to free a world oppressed by sin. He came to proclaim that this was the year of the Lord – that it all started now.

It is true that all of the other things do happen physically as well, but it all happens because sins power is broken.

Praise God for the acceptable year of the Lord. Praise Him as well that He frees, enlightens, and saves those who are captive to sin.

Praise God that He did all this for me. 

With Authority

Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths. And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority. - Luke 4.31-32

By the time we get to Luke 4 Jesus has grown to adulthood and entered His ministry. At this stage He was in Nazareth, His hometown. As an adult male He had the opportunity to read the scriptures in the synagogue.  When the attendant handed Him the scrolls He opened them to Isaiah and read the prophecy of Messiah. He read of the Messiah that when He came He would 1) preach the gospel to the poor, 2) heal the brokenhearted, 3) proclaim liberty to the captives, 4) give sight to the blind, 5) to set the oppressed free, and 6) to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.

But then He said something that stunned them – ‘today this prophecy is fulfilled.’

They couldn’t believe their ears – ‘This is Jesus, Joseph’s son!’ And eventually they were so disturbed that they wanted to stone Him because he claimed to be Messiah, The people in His home town could not accept Him, even though He spoke such gracious words.

Jesus escaped and went to Capernaum where He continued to teach in the synagogues. Here though the people were astonished because as He taught He spoke the words ‘with authority.’

Despite seeing the power of God’s word the people of Nazareth rejected. The people of Capernaum though were astonished that He taught with such authority.

When Jesus left earth and He told the disciples that as the Father sent His, He was sending them. We have the same message to share. As we go in His name we have His authority. His words have the same authority now as they did then. When we speak His words, not ours, we too have authority. That’s why it is so vital that when we speak we don’t ever try to do so in our own authority.

Only when we speak His words do we have any authority to speak for Him.

Jesus grew

And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men. – Luke 2.52

It is easy sometimes to forget that our Saviour had to grow up like every other Jewish boy. The last we hear of Him before His public ministry was that He grew ‘in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.’

I like the reality of this. Jesus grew in four areas and I think we can see the importance of teaching and training in a balanced manner.

Jesus grew in wisdom – He grew intellectually and with the skills to use His intellect.

Jesus grew in stature – He grew physically.

Jesus grew in favour with God – He grew spiritually

Jesus grew in favour with man – He grew socially

I don’t have a whole lot of theological context for this one, but more of a practical answer.

Jesus sets a natural pattern for child development. He developed in a balanced manner. He developed in all four major areas. (I am not sure how He developed in favour with God; I need to look into that part).

When we work with our children and grandchildren, or whenever we have the chance to minister with children we need to be sure that we take all four areas into consideration. We need to make sure that children have a chance to develop in all four areas. We need to teach them the knowledge and skills to grow in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. 

He went with them

And He said to them, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?" But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them. Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. – Luke 2.49-51

I find the brief accounts of Jesus childhood interesting. We don’t get to see much, only a few hints and suggestions.

This is really the only actual glimpse into Jesus’ childhood. When Jesus was twelve his parents (I know Joseph was not his actual father) took him to Jerusalem for a traditional feast. When they headed back they were travelling with family and friends, with everyone talking and catching up. Nobody really thought about where the kids were. They would be fine. 

After about a day’s walk Mary and Joseph realised that Jesus was not with them. I can’t imagine the shock and fear that ran through their minds. I am quite certain that, like any of us would, they were blaming themselves for not paying better attention.

So they retraced their steps. They headed back to Jerusalem and it was three days before they found Jesus. When they did He was discussing matters with the Temple leaders, asking them questions and listening to them. Everyone who heard the discussion was amazed at His questions and his thoughts.

Put yourself in Mary and Joseph’s sandals. Your twelve year old son has been missing for three days! What is your initial response going to be?

‘Where have you been? We have been looking for you for three days! You had us worried sick!’

We all know the tone of voice they must have used – that combination of relief, anger, and love that spills out when this kind of thing happens.

So Jesus answered them – ‘Why were you looking for me? Don’t you know that I have to do my Father’s work?’

They didn’t understand that, and that is fine. Mary kept these things in her heart and thought about them.

But I love what Jesus did next. The Creator God incarnate obeyed his parents and went home with them.

‘He went with them…and was subject to them.’

What a picture of submissive humility. The One who created mankind and established marriage and set the standards for relationships between parents and children submitted to human authority.

If Jesus, God Himself, could submit to the authority of His fleshly sin-cursed parents, should we not be willing to learn the vital lessons of submission?