Luke 10:38-42

 Luke 10:38-42

Mary and Martha give us a mirror for our own discipleship. Martha was not being evil she was being distracted. She was busy with her plans to honor the Lord with the feast.  But a couple of key questions escaped her. First, did Jesus want a big banquet? In the context of going to Jerusalem was a fancy celebration what Jesus wanted or would He, at this time, have preferred thoughtful conversation? A second question, which would have been harder for Martha to formulate because of cultural expectations would be, should service be divorced from the Word of God? Martha was fulfilling the expected cultural roles perfectly. In terms of cultural expectations Mary was the one who was out of line. But no culture has ever been very good at recognizing the priority of God's Word. That is our constant battle.

Jesus appears to offer a double meaning in verse 42, "…Only a few things are necessary really only one."  At first he seems to be saying, “We only need one dish for the meal.” But there seems to be a deeper meaning:  “The Word, the learning of a disciple is all that is necessary.” Service that is devoid of the Word of God will have no lasting impact. In so much of the life of the church we are like Martha busy with many things. We act as if the Word made flesh is not enough. We are so busy trying to satisfy our members or attract new people via a dog and pony show that we have lost the ability and the value of just listening to Jesus.

“Lord forgive me for being so busy that I am not thoughtful. Amen”

Luke 10:26-37

Luke 10:26-37

We have heard the story so much and it has become a part of our culture and language so that we are sometimes tempted to forget that it's not about the story, but it is about the application. A person would have been foolhardy to travel the road from Jerusalem to Jericho alone. But in this parable four people do this very thing on the same day. We must suspend reality for a moment to get the story to work. But if we do not overemphasize the story and focus on the application there is a gem for us.

The lawyer comes to tempt or trap Jesus. The lawyer was hostile and hoped to make a fool of Jesus. The question is, “How do I inherit eternal life?” The lawyer knew the answer to the question before he asked. Jesus tells him plainly, “Love God and love your neighbor.” The parable is not going to answer the question of how to inherit eternal. The parable is in answer to the attempted self-justification of “Who is my neighbor?” The lawyer was looking for a loophole, a way out. Jesus is not telling the parable to teach salvation by good deeds. Jesus is telling the parable to force the lawyer to confront his own failure.

Jesus responds to the self justification with the story of the Good Samaritan. The answer to the lawyer’s question is not, “Do good deeds, be like the Samaritan.” We do not inherit eternal life by being good. The parable is told to explode the complex lines of who is my neighbor. The religious elite had a complex system that allowed their misbehavior to be justified. For example, they forbade the helping of a Gentile woman during labor because that would help bring another Gentile into the world. Jesus simplifies the whole “who question” and says to each of us, “Do the same.”

We have often made the church complex, a bureaucracy of power and authority to justify our own agenda, sin and apathy. Being a follower of Christ is difficult but it is not complex. It is complicated but it doesn’t have to be. In fact, there is I believe an inverse correlation between complexity and disciple making. Loving God and our neighbor shouldn’t be confusing because it isn’t.

“Lord, help me love the person in need. AMEN”

Luke 10:17-24

Luke 10:17-24

With the parable of the Good Samaritan coming next we often overlook this section of Luke 10, but this is a profoundly powerful passage.

The ministry expands from 12 disciples to 70 who are sent out. That in itself is important. In the course of a few months, Jesus has equipped 70 ministers to go out and preach. These return having been engaged in pretty heavy ministry. Their message that the “kingdom of God has come near you” has been demonstrated in dynamic power. It is worth our meditation if these preachers did so much with so little, “ no purse, no bag, no shoes”, then why is the church of today, with buildings and paid staff and position in the community seems to be doing so little with so much. The question of “Why is this the case?” It is worthy of our contemplation.

Their power over the demonic was evidence of the coming Kingdom. This powerful manifestation of the exorcism of demons was for these preachers very heady stuff. Jesus gives a keep “first things first” warning. Casting out demons is good but does not call for celebration. They were to celebrate that they were saved. We sometimes become so excited about victories, large and small, that we forget that our personal salvation is a grace and we forget to be thankful for that grace.

Verse 21 is an enigma. In the prior passage Jesus denounced His critics that rejected His message. The 70 are sent out on their preaching tour and return with reports of great success. In that context, Jesus talks about the fall of Satan and the great priority of their personal salvation. When all this is looked at together we see a picture of the power of humility. Satan was once the prince of angels but has fallen suddenly like lightning. Then we see the cities of Chorazin, Bethsadia and Capernium are not exalted. But by their rejection they put themselves below Tyre and Sidon. Both the hierarchy of rebellious angels and the pomp of proud cities didn't understand one key lesson, humility. That humility was manifested in the life and heart of the seventy, faithful, simple people. The power and priority of simple faith and trust in relationship with Jesus causes our Lord to “rejoice greatly in the Holy Spirit”. Before the ruin of every good church and believer there was a walk on the path of pride.

“Lord grant me a humble spirit, and if I am proud break me. AMEN”

Luke 10:1-16

Luke 10:1-16

This passage is worthy of an entire book. While we are often thinking of the books of I and II Timothy and Titus as books for those in ministry, this passage is sort of a primer for those called to ministry. For the Gospel worker there are a number of practical directives for keeping their ministry effective. One that is a bit mysterious is the instruction of verses 5 and 6.

The 70 are being sent out as evangelists to do advance work for Jesus' arrival. The people they are to seek out, as the first contacts, are those people Jesus identified as a “man” or literally a “son” of peace. This does not refer to someone who is already a disciple, rather someone in whose heart there is a longing for the Gospel of peace. Jesus is directing His disciples to seek out and reach those who are already receptive, but are not yet disciples.

Today the church typically focuses most of its efforts on speaking to those who are already disciples. We in the American church often bemoan the decline of the church and we decry the moral decay of our society. But we in the church have failed to link the decline of our evangelistic and disciple making efforts with the church’s decline.

If what Jesus is saying is accurate, which is always the case, there are people in whom there is a desire for the peace of God. These people will respond positively to the gospel and will be a positive influence in their communities. These people do not currently attend church. They will not, most likely, suddenly walk into a church building and come to Christ by faith. They are waiting for the disciples of Jesus to come to them and bring the Gospel of peace.

“Lord, give me Your heart for the lost. Help me find the ‘son of peace’ in my world. AMEN”