Days 262 & 263: Matthew 26:1-5, 14-35; Mark 14:1-2, 10-31; Luke 22:1-38; John 13-17

Jesus time on earth is drawing to a close. I've never fully understood why the chief priests and officers of the temple needed someone to betray Jesus to them. I mean it's not like Jesus was in hiding or on the run and they needed help finding him. I think a big part of it was that they wanted to get him in a time and place when no one else was around. They were afraid of the people...

And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. They were delighted and agreed to give him money. He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present. (Luke 22:4-6) (Italics are mine.)

John 13 is the famous passage where Jesus washes the feet of his disciples. It's an amazing scene. It boggles the mind, really. First of all, think who Jesus was. This is not just some other guy...this is their Creator. The One who spoke them into existence. And he gets on His knees...and washes their feet.

We humans get pretty caught up in the whole status thing. I think maybe it's because we're basically insecure. We're afraid someone will think we're less important than...well, less important than we want them to think we are if we lower ourselves too much. We'll do some service, because doing service for others elevates our status in other people's eyes. But not too much...and none that is completely unknown because then what would be the point? We're insecure. We are not confident enough in ourselves to willingly be put in a position that may reflect poorly on us. Jesus, however, knew who he was...so he could humble himself without worrying about status...

Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. (John 13:3-5)

If I know who I am then I don't need to worry about status...

"I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." (John 15:15)

That's who I am.

So...if the world looks down on me, or even hates me, I'm in good company...

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also." (John 15:18-20)

Day 261: Matthew 24-25; Mark 13; Luke 21:5-38

Harold Camping is a radio preacher who has become famously distracted with predicting the exact date(s) of Jesus' return to earth. To be honest, I'm not really sure how he comes up with his results but he is completely confident of his conclusions and backs them up with his study and calculations. He has been confident at least four times (maybe more)...and wrong every time. He is not the only Christian to become absorbed with trying to figure out exactly when judgment day will occur. In fact, Jesus knew that many of his followers would get caught up in this type of thing...

"At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time." (Matthew 24:23-25)

The thing that troubles me about all this is that it undermines, not only our credibility as a Christ-follower, but even the faith of many who are already believers. How many really take these guys seriously? I'm sure there are some...but not many. But the thing is, judgment day will occur. Jesus will return someday. I'm afraid that when we hear someone say they've figured out that Jesus will return next Thursday we immediately write them off as a lunatic, not because they've figured out when Jesus will return...but because they seem to believe that he really will return. I mean, think about it...if some crackpot predicts the end of the world on a certain day, who's to say that it won't occur as he has predicted? If Jesus could return at any moment (and I believe we should live each day with that expectation)...why not on the day a crazy person predicts?

"So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." (Matthew 24:44)

If Jesus is going to return when I least expect him what better time than Harold Camping's 5th (or 6th or 37th) calculation? I certainly won't be expecting him to be right!

Day 260: Matthew 22:15-23:39; Mark 12:13-44; Luke 20:20-21:4; 13:31-35

Jesus was anything but meek and mild in Matthew 23. He lays into the teachers of the law and the Pharisees pretty severely. I remember one time when Dan Pence was teaching a Bible study group on the life of Jesus - he asked me to read this chapter allowed as we began the class. But he asked me to read it dramatically...as I imagined it sounded when Jesus said these things the first time. It felt like powerful stuff...to me, at least. We so often read scripture in this dry monotone that takes away so much "life" from the words. I don't believe Jesus delivered these words in a quiet, conversational tone. I think he was fired up.

If you've never done it, I encourage you to try reading this chapter aloud. You might want to make sure you're alone when you do! Read it with the passion it deserves.

This one stood out to me today...

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.” (Matthew 23:25-26)

It occurs to me that this is the essential difference in Jesus' approach to morality. Morality is more than our outward actions. It begins on the inside and works its way out.

Day 259: Matthew 21:23-22:14; Mark 11:27-12:12; Luke 20:1-19; John 12:37-50

     “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’
     “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
     “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.
     “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”
     “The first,” they answered.
     Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him." (Matthew 21:28-32)

It seems to me that the people who have the most trouble accepting the grace that Jesus offers are the "religious" people. Those of us who have grown up in the church sometimes have a harder time accepting grace than those who have not. I think that may be because deep down inside we don't really think we need it. We've lived our whole lives around Christian people, doing Christian things, and active in the church...so, naturally, God will accept us. But we have a hard time believing that God would really and truly accept someone who hasn't done that stuff. And yet, Jesus spent most of his earthly life telling us and showing us that we all need God's grace and forgiveness and that includes the "tax collectors and prostitutes". In fact, they were drawn to Jesus and his offer of forgiveness more than anyone else.

"Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you."

I pray he doesn't mean me.

Day 258: Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; John 11:55-12:36; Matthew 21:1-22; Mark 11:1-26; Luke 19:28-48; John 2:13-25

     While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.
     When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.” (Matthew 26:6-9)

This sounds so right at first. It does seem like a waste. It seems like the selling of the expensive perfume to help feed the poor would be a more tangible and practical expression of love then simply pouring it out on Jesus' head. I would imagine that if this choice were brought before any of the many different eldership boards I've had the pleasure of working with over the years it would be a pretty easy decision for most of them. The truth is, I think it would be an easy decision for me, too. Use the money to do some good. Touch people in Jesus' name...that's what would bring him honor. Isn't that the "missional" thing to do?

Apparently Jesus didn't think so.

Of course, Jesus has the advantage of being able to know the heart of the person doing the giving. He knew that the hearts of those claiming to care for the poor. He knew they really didn't. He also knew the heart of the woman who poured it out. He knew that she was motivated by her devotion to her Lord. Perhaps he would have supported a decision to help the poor with the proceeds of the sale of this perfume...if it were motivated by compassion for the poor and devotion to God. One thing we do know, he was moved by this woman's sacrificial act. It was accepted by God as the act of worship it was intended to be.

What do I have that could be poured out as an expression of devotion to Jesus? He would never consider it a waste.

Day 257: Matthew 20; Mark 10:32-52; Luke 18:31-19:27

Matthew 20 begins with another story told by Jesus. It's the story of a landowner who hires some guys to work in his field. He hires some the first thing in the morning at an agreed upon wag. He hires a few others around lunch time and then towards the end of the day hires a few more guys to work only about an hour. At the end of the day he pays them...and they all get paid the exact same amount. The ones who worked only an hour received the same pay as the ones who worked all day long.

The men who were hired in the morning were a little upset. But the thing is, they weren't really cheated. They were paid the pay they were promised. Still they complained...I would have, too! This is the landowner's response to their complaints...

“But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’” (Matthew 20:13-15)

If there were no other workers the guys who started working early in the morning would have been perfectly content with their pay and even grateful for the chance to work. But because they compared themselves to other workers they were upset.

I think this is a great Thanksgiving day passage. It's true that there are others who have far more than I have...and sometimes, if I'm completely honest, I am envious of them. But the real truth is that God has been overwhelmingly generous to me. I lack nothing. He has given me way more than I could ever deserve.

I need to learn to allow Him to be generous to others as well. If He is, it really doesn't cost me anything.

Day 256: Matthew 19; Mark 10:1-31; Luke 16:1-18:30

I've always been a little intrigued by this statement of Jesus...

"Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." (Mark 10:15)

I've always wondered what, exactly, it was about a little child that Jesus was referring to? On the one hand, little children are completely self-centered. But on the other hand, they are also completely dependent on someone else for their very lives. In John 3:3 Jesus says that a person must be born again in order to see the kingdom of God. I suppose when that happens you start over as a little child. You start as a blank slate and are completely dependent on God for your very life.

Another statement of Jesus in today's reading really jumped off the page at me. He says it after he has told the story of the shrewd (I would call him dishonest) manager. (This is one of Jesus' parables that I also find intriguing. I've never really been completely satisfied with the interpretations I've read.) He says it directly to the Pharisees who, it is noted in Luke 16:14, loved money...

"What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight." (Luke 16:15)

It is true that our priorities are often screwed up. And it's not just with money. I've often thought that many of the things that occupy so much of our time and energy are really not important to God at all. But Jesus says that those things are important to God. They are important in the sense that he hates them.

I'm beginning to think that living life could be described simply as the process of learning to love the things God loves...and hate the things God hates. I think I have a tendency to forget about that second part.

Day 255: Luke 14-15

I mentioned yesterday that I've been noticing that Jesus didn't try very hard to please people. In fact, I'm starting to think that Jesus was actually pretty straightforward and at times even abrasive. Today's reading starts with Jesus intentionally provoking a reaction...

One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. There in front of him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of his body. Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way. (Luke 14:1-4)

Then there's the lawyer thing I mentioned yesterday as well. These guys (the Pharisees and experts in the law) were so wrapped up in trying to keep every little letter of the law that they miss the big picture. It's never the wrong time to do the right thing...even on the Sabbath.

Luke 15 closes with the famous story of the Lost Son (or the Prodigal Son, or the Loving Father). There's a line in the story that I think is very important...and it's one that I think these "Pharisees and experts in the law" probably would gasp at, if they knew Jesus was talking about God. I think maybe we have trouble with it as well....

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. (Luke 15:20)

This wayward son had decided to return. He hadn't made it yet...he was still a long way off...but the father ran to his son...

I think there's enough in that sentence to meditate on for a lifetime.

Days 253&254: Luke 10; 12:1-13:30; John 10:1-11:54

I think we make a terrible mistake when we read scripture as if it were all a book of law...of rules and regulations. We often read it to find out how God expects us to live and therefore we interpret it as if it were written in "legalese".  Here's an example of what I mean...

     On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
      “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
     He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
     “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
     But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:25-29)

I think we do that a lot. We need to stop trying to pick apart and dissect the language of scripture so much that we lose the meaning. Instead of asking questions like, "Who is my neighbor?" we should be asking questions like "How can I live out the command to love others to the fullest?" The Bible is not just a rule book for life. It's a book that tells a narrative. It's a story about God and His relationship with people from His point of view.

On another note, I have been getting a little different picture of Jesus from reading through the Gospels this time. I suppose I always knew this about him, but, for some reason, I'm seeing it a bit more clearly this time. What I'm seeing is that Jesus wasn't always the most fun person to be around. He comes across as pretty abrasive a lot of the time. He'll begin talking to you with phrases like, "You hypocrites!" or "Don't you have any faith?" He didn't worry about making friends or getting along with everybody or making people feel good about themselves. He spoke truth. And he spoke it freely and without any concern about who it would offend. And yet, in spite of all this, people couldn't help but be drawn to him...especially the outcasts and "sinners". But even the religious leaders would invite him into their homes for dinner even though they had to know it wasn't going to be a comfortable get together. Jesus said this about himself...

     “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed! Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” (Luke 12:49-53)

How I wish that I could have experienced being around the flesh and blood Jesus! But I honestly don't know if I would have believed him if I had.

Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” (Luke 10:23-24)

Days 251&252: Matthew 17-18; Mark 9:2-50; Luke 9:28-56; John 7-9

     They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it. (Mark 9:30-32)

I notice a couple things in this passage. First, I notice that Jesus spent time alone with his disciples. He had important work to do with them. They were his plan A for establishing the church for all time and there was no plan B. He taught the crowds and healed the sick but these things seemed to take 2nd place to spending time with his disciples. There's a lesson here for us.

Second, I notice that, even though Jesus was very clear about the fact that he would be killed...and raised...the disciples couldn't get their minds around it. It made no sense to them. It wasn't until after it all happened that things started to clear up for them. One of the things I take away form this is that the success of God's work here on earth is not dependent on my complete understanding...only on my complete obedience.

Much of today's reading involved arguing with the Jewish religious leaders about who he really was. One of the most notable exchanges is this one in John 8...

     Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”
     “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”
     “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds. (John 8:54-59)

I absolutely love the fact that he used the name "I AM" in this discussion. When God called Moses to lead the people out of Egypt he was afraid. He asked God, "When Pharaoh asks who sent me, what should I tell him?" God says, basically, "Tell him I AM sent you!" There was absolutely no doubt in the minds of the religious leaders that when Jesus says, "before Abraham was born, I am" he was claiming to be God. That's why they took up stones to stone him!

Day 250: Matthew 16; Mark 8:11-9:1; Luke 9:18-27

In a pluralistic society like ours there are bound to be lots of differing opinions about who Jesus is. Some will say he was a great moral teacher who met an unfortunate end. Others may say he was a deluded psycho who led a cult of misfits. Some will put him in the same category as Buddha or Muhammad...a founder of a religious practice and one of many ways to find God.

What people think about him is extremely important to Jesus...

     When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
     They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 
     “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
     Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
     Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. (Matthew 16:13-20)

This is the thing that separates a Christ-follower from everyone else. It's not the way we live our life, though Jesus does have a lot of expectations in this area. It's not the fact that we go to "church" on Sunday, though Jesus fully expects us to be a part of the Church, his body. The thing that makes us different is who we say Jesus is. If he is "...the Messiah, the Son of the living God..." then all the other stuff follows. If Jesus is who he said was then there is no other way to God. The text says he THE Messiah, THE Son of the living God.

Who do you say that Jesus is?

Day 249: Matthew 15; Mark 7:1-8:10

I don't think Jesus subscribed to the idea that people are basically good:

He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.” (Mark 7:20-23)

We have this idea that people are generally good and that when they do bad things (Joe Paterno & Jerry Sandusky are in the news now...but it could be any crime in any time) the badness is not normal. Therefore we can sit back in our "basic goodness" and judge them because we would never do whatever it was that this "bad person" did. The thing is, it's inside all of us. We're not "basically good". Goodness is the thing that's not normal. We're all basically sinful, rebellious people who have the same kinds of things inside of us that Osama bin Laden or Bernie Madoff or Jerry Sandusky has inside of them. It's only the power of God working in a person's life that enables any goodness.


Evil comes from inside...not from the outside. Jesus said so.

Day 248: Matthew 10; 14; Mark 6:7-56; Luke 9:1-17; John 6

Jesus' teaching is sometimes very difficult to fully understand and appreciate. I love the parables Jesus tells that are rich in meaning and application. However, John 6 contains what is, in my opinion, one of the most difficult teachings of Jesus. It's commonly referred to as his sermon on "The Bread of Life". I understand the reference to spiritual bread and comparing it to the manna that God gave the Israelites in the OT. He also told his disciples in John 8 that he has bread to eat that they don't know about. He also says that man doesn't live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from God. So, I get that the Word of God is the source of real life. But this teaching goes a little further and actually starts sounding a little macabre...

Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” (John 6:53-58)

I'm very sympathetic with his disciples...

On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” (John 6:60)

In fact this seems to be sort of a turning point in Jesus' ministry. Up until now crowds would gather and his popularity was on the rise. But now...

From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
   “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.
 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:66-69)

We don't understand all of your teaching, but we do know that you are indeed the Holy One of God...the Messiah...and so we trust you. You have the words of eternal life. The bread of life. So we accept by faith the things we don't yet completely understand...and we'll do our best to follow.

Day 247: Matthew 8:18-34; 9:18-38; Mark 4:35-5:43; Luke 8:22-56; 9:57-62

It seems to me that the way we talk to people about the gospel and becoming a Christ-follower is way different than Jesus' approach. We spend a lot of time trying to make people feel comfortable and selling them on the benefits of being a Christian while Jesus always seems to lead with the challenge...

When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
   Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” 
   Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
   But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” (Matthew 8:18-22)

Luke adds this tidbit...

Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62)

Are there benefits to following Christ? Well, sure...I suppose so. But the benefits aren't really reaped until the price of discipleship has been paid. What is the price? Only our very lives. I think maybe we set people up for disappointment if we allow them to begin their relationship with Jesus expecting some immediate positive changes in their experiences. I'm not saying miraculous things never happen when a person becomes a Christian, I know they do. What I am saying is that when we choose to follow Jesus we're choosing to follow Jesus...whatever He has in mind for us and wherever he may lead. And it often (always?) involves sacrifice. The blessings will come...but it may not be until after death. People need to know that going in.

It seems to me that fear is a real theme in today's reading. Once again, we see that the soft, tender Jesus we often see depicted isn't the whole picture.

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
    He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
    They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” (Mark 4:39-41)

Isn't it interesting that the disciples were afraid of the storm...but they were TERRIFIED when it was calmed. The storm is a known thing...they've experienced storms before. But a man (God) who speaks and the weather obeys him is sort of a new thing. They like the calm weather...but they are uncertain about the power of the person who controls it.

The same sort of thing happens when Jesus heals the demoniac in the region of the Gerasenes. This man was apparently a known fixture in the area. He was wild and scary...but familiar. Jesus has compassion on the man and heals him...casts out the demons. Oddly, the calm they see in the man scares them...

When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. (Mark 5:15)

In fact, while they had put up with the antics of this demon possessed man for years they just weren't comfortable having Jesus around.

Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region. (Matthew 8:34)

Have you ever been afraid of Jesus?

Have I ever been afraid of Jesus?

If not, I wonder if we really know him.

Day 246: Matthew 13:1-53; Mark 4:1-34; Luke 8:1-18

Jesus told a lot of stories. In fact, in today's section of scripture Matthew says:

...he did not say anything to them without using a parable. (Matthew 13:34)

The disciples were curious about this...

The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. This is why I speak to them in parables: 

   “Though seeing, they do not see;
   though hearing, they do not hear or understand. (Matthew 13:10-13)

I wasn't really curious about why Jesus spoke in parables...I thought I understood that. Stories are a great way to teach important lessons. They stay with you...plus, you can pack several layers of lessons into one story so that a listener is still learning from the story long after the teaching is over. But it's Jesus' answer to the disciples' question that makes me curious. It almost sounds as if he is intentionally keeping these important lessons about the kingdom out of reach. These people need to understand. Why would he not help them by making it clear? I know that God's desire is for everyone to come to Him so I know He is not intentionally
keeping them from understanding what they need to know. Consequently, there must be another way of understanding Jesus' response. I do think it's true that some people are way more receptive and open to spiritual teaching than others. Maybe this is where the explanation lies. I need to think about this more.

I do know that growth of understanding in a person's heart and life is something that is really out of our control. We may do all we can to help in this process but ultimately it is the work of the Spirit in a person's life...and their willingness to allow Him to work...that causes growth:

Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. (Mark 4:27)

Jesus did take the time to explain all the parables to his disciples...

But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything. (Mark 4:34)

The cool thing is that, because these explanations are recorded in scripture, we get in on the same insight that was given to Jesus' closest followers. We get the inside info. So, when Jesus says this to his disciples he is also saying it to us...

But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. (Matthew 13:16-17)

Day 245: Matthew 12:22-50; Mark 3:22-35; Luke 8:19-21; 11:14-54

I love to picture Jesus as the loving, forgiving and accepting man/God that he so often was. I like to see him allowing the children to came to him and play. I love it when I hear him say:

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

These are very comforting and reassuring words. We quote them at funerals to help comfort the grieving. They comfort me.

But today's passage shows us a less comforting side of Jesus. He was invited to the home of a Pharisee for dinner. I don't know why these guys kept inviting Jesus into their homes. Surely they knew what to expect. I suppose, since they were the "religious leaders", they figured they needed to be seen with him in order to show the people that they were doing their jobs. Maybe each one thought that he would be the one to succeed where others had failed to expose Jesus as the charlatan/blasphemer they believed him to be. But they had to know by now that it wasn't going to go well for them.

Jesus accepts the invitation but while he's there he doesn't have one kind word for the Pharisee. At least none that are recorded here in Luke 11. These are not Jesus quotes that we use at funerals. There is no comfort to be found in these words for the Pharisee...and none to be found for us. These are challenging words for him and for me...and for any of us who are in a position of spiritual leadership.

"Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone." (Luke 11:42)

 Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them. (Luke 11:46)

“Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.” (Luke 11:52)

 Yes, I like the comforting words better. I pray that I lead and serve in such a way that I never deserve the harsh ones.

Day 244: Matthew 8:5-13; 11:1-30; Luke 7

This passage has always moved me. I don't know exactly know why but I think maybe it's because when I read it, and try to put myself in the story, I always see myself as Simon the Pharisee...and that troubles me. The truth is, I am the sinner. We all are. But I'm not sure we always recognize that. If we did I think our expressions of love would be a bit more extravagant. Don't you?

    When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
    When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”
     Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
    “Tell me, teacher,” he said. 
    “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
    Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”
    “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
    Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 
     You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
    Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
    The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?"

    Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” (Luke 7:36-50)

Day 243: Matthew 5-7; Luke 6:20-49; 11:1-13

The Sermon on the Mount is perhaps the most well-known and most studied section of the Bible. It seems to capture in a few chapters the essence of Jesus' moral and ethical teaching. It's been praised as one of the highest standards of moral conduct. I suppose if you're a "fan" of Jesus you could read these chapters and say "Amen!"..."Great sermon!"...Preach it!" But I have to say that, as a "follower" I don't really enjoy reading this sermon.

Don't get me wrong, it's a truly revolutionary teaching. I still remember the day that Ralph Shead (a college classmate of mine) preached his senior sermon in chapel. His sermon was simply preaching verbatim Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. He didn't read it...he preached it...word for word...as he thought Jesus would have. It was extremely powerful.

But to be honest, the teaching in this sermon is quite intimidating. I could probably spend a lot of time and words on my reactions to virtually every sentence...but I'm going to react to just a few.

If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:46-48)

I don't know about you...but I find this somewhat challenging. Ok...let me be honest...I find this impossible to live out. Luke also records the Sermon in a very abbreviated form and this is one of the sections he chose to include...probably because he found it so astonishing. That last bit about being perfect reads a little different in Luke...and sounds perhaps slightly more attainable. He says:

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. (Luke 6:36)

But still. That's a tall order. One that I honestly don't think I'll ever be able to do.


Here's another hard teaching in this sermon:

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (Matthew 6:14-15)

See what I mean? I can't say that I really enjoy reading this sermon. It's too hard. It's too convicting.


But here's the thing...Jesus expects us to live this way. It's not some lofty standard to study and admire...it's the practical day-to-day life he expects his followers to live out...

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (Matthew 7:24-27)

Hear these words of mine...and put them into practice!

I mean it when I say I can't do it. It's impossible.

I'm gonna need help.

Thank God for the Holy Spirit. Thank God for grace.

Day 242: Matthew 8:1-4; 9:1-17; 12:1-21; Mark 1:40-3:21; Luke 5:12-6:19

Today we find Jesus healing a leper, forgiving the sins of a paralyzed man then healing his paralysis. He was accused of blasphemy for the forgiving sins part. He calls Matthew (a tax collector!) to follow him. He is questioned about fasting and keeping the Sabbath. He names 12 to be his apostles ( "...that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons." Mark 3:14-15) and we find that his family thinks he's crazy: "When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, 'He is out of his mind.'" (Mark 3:21)

When Jesus heals the man with leprosy he doesn't just heal him...he does something more:

When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”  Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. (Matthew 8:1-3)

He reaches out and touches the man. I don't know for sure but I think it's possible that this gift...the gift of another human reaching out to touch him...was just as valuable as the fact that he was healed. Jesus touches the man while he's still a leper. In a way, I think it's easier for us to stand back and do good deeds by giving our money, or our time in ways that don't bring us into contact with "those people". While it's important to do the those things - the things that provide medicine, or funds, or food - it's also true that people need a human touch. If Jesus can do it...so can we.

When Jesus met the man who was paralyzed, the first thing he did was forgive his sins. This, of course, stirred up the religious leaders who thought this was a blasphemous thing to do...I mean, after all, who can forgive sins but God alone? Jesus knew what they were thinking...

Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?" (Matthew 9:4)

Yeah...and he knows what I'm thinking, too.

Days 240 & 241: Matthew 4:23-25; 8:14-17; Mark 1:21-39; Luke 4:31-44; John 3-5

Several things about Jesus stand out to me in my reading today.

First this comment about his teaching:

They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. (Mark 1:21-22)

I've often wondered about this but I think the simplest explanation is that he didn't really refer to other teachers or authorities he simply spoke about what he knows...first hand.

Next I notice how important prayer is to Jesus:

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. (Mark 1:35)

I notice that, while Jesus is all about grace and forgiveness, he never shies away from teaching the truth about condemnation. We love John 3:16&17 because those verses tell us that Jesus came because of his love for the world and his desire to forgive and therefore save the world. But immediately after John 3:16&17 comes John 3:18...

"Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son." (John 3:18)

I notice Jesus willingness to talk to ALL people...even a Samaritan woman...with a messed up past. He may have been the first Jewish person to accept her and the rest of the people who lived there. And it's not that he accepted their ways...he accepted them and taught them the truth. Accepting them didn't mean he agreed with them. Somehow he was able to teach them the truth in a way that didn't continue the ancient divisiveness but in a way that built bridges. We need to learn how to do this.

Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers. They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” (John 4:39-42)

We begin to see how the Jewish leaders rationalize their persecution of Jesus. He had just healed a man...on the Sabbath...which broke one of their rules...

So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. (John 5: 16-18)

Jesus says this about those Jewish leaders...I pray he never says it about me...

"You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life." (John 5:39-40)

But the Jews will be judged by the standard they choose. I wonder if this isn't universally true. Of all the ways people use to come to God, Jesus is the only one that offers grace and forgiveness. If we choose any other way to God we will be judged...but it won't be Jesus who judges us...we'll be judged by our own choices. Jesus doesn't judge, he forgives...if we choose him...

“But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set." (John 5:45)