Luke 22:63 - 71

 Luke 22 63 - 71

Jesus held by the temple guards is mocked, beaten and cursed. Do not miss the irony in this moment. Jesus who is God Almighty in the Flash, who was the agent of all creation is bullied, manhandled and abused and appears to be utterly helpless. The guards are beating a man not realizing that they are beating the One before Whom they will stand when He is their judge.

Next Jesus is brought to trial before the Sanhedrin. This was a mere formality that was needed before they could turn Jesus over to Pilate. This trial had nothing to do with Justice, it was merely a box to be checked in the process of accomplishing murder by the government. It didn't matter what charges were delivered to Pilate, the real objective was to get rid of Jesus. Three titles are discussed and all of them apply to Jesus. Jesus is asked if He is the Christ. This was the charge that the Sanhedrin most wanted to take to Pilate. This title carried in popular thought of a  Davidic type Kingdom and would imply in popular thought a political revolution. This would have been a death sentence type charge to turn over to the Pilate. Jesus replies that they won't believe Him or learn from Him if He answers them. But He goes on to assert two things that are associated with the Messiah. Jesus makes the claim that He is the Son of Man from Daniel 7: 13, and that He will be seated at the right hand of God as mentioned in Psalm 110:1. In response the high priest asked Jesus if He is the Son of God, and Jesus ascended to that claim. There was no Roman law that would condemn a man for claiming to be the Son of God or the Son of Man. The claim to be the Christ would be different. So in this trial Jesus is ultimately convicted on non punishable charges. But to the high priest it didn't matter so long as they had a trumped-up reason to have Jesus killed.

We should note that all three titles are true of Jesus. And there is some overlap in them but they are different from each other. Jesus is the Christ Jesus, He is the Son of Man, and Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus makes all those claims. But the Sanhedrin only wanted Him to make the first claim, that is to be Christ.  That would facilitate their collaboration with the Romans to get rid of the upstart. What the Sanhedrin missed was the implication if these claims were true.  Blinded by their agenda and ambitions they were literally standing in the presence of the Hope of all ages and they missed the point.  What a colossal failure, they heard from the lips of Jesus that He was the Messiah and all they could think about was how this moment could advance their agenda.  

“God, save us from our own self blinding agendas. AMEN”

Luke 22:54 - 62

 Luke 22 54 - 62

Peter transitioned from one who is ready to single-handedly take on the whole contingent of soldiers and guards to the one who would deny the Lord. And he makes this transition in a matter of a few hours. The transition from radical bravery in the face of a mob to being intimidated by a servant girl speaks volumes to us. How is this possible? We all know this happens, we see it and the historical record. We have it happen in our own lives. But why does it happen? How is such schizophrenia of loyalty possible?

As we attempt to answer that we find a clue in Peter’s emotions. There was no more miserable man and all of Palestine that night than Peter. He wanted to be brave and loyal and to fight for his Lord, but he also wanted to be safe. He wanted to be near Jesus, and he wanted to be far from Jesus. He wanted to be Jesus's right hand man in the coming Kingdom and he wanted to be a simple observer watching an interesting trial. There is no one more miserable than the person torn between two ultimate and mutually exclusive desires. That is perhaps the reason of how Peter could perform such a radical transition, at his core his heart was divided by his own wants.

The lesson for us from Peter is that as long as we are captains of our own heart and soul we will always be tormented by conflicting desires and wants. Our hearts are in and of themselves wicked, selfish, and divided. There is no wholeness in our own heart. That wholeness is only possible when we deny ourselves, die to self, and follow Christ. Jesus’ call for us to come and die is the only protection from the misery like that which Peter had that night in the courtyard.

Consider those there that night. The high priest and their delegation were playing a high-stakes political game. They were no doubt in some anxiety that if things went wrong and the people rioted the Romans reacted. They were in high anxiety.  There would have been conflict among their servants about this teacher and His treatment. Their accusations and the denial from Peter did not bring them peace.  The servants would have viewed Peter with suspicion wondering if he might not start something in the courtyard.  Every person there that night was to some degree in a state of inner conflict and anxiety with only one exception.  It was the only person who had given Himself over completely to the will of the Father that was at peace.

“Lord, grant me the peace of complete surrender to You. AMEN”

Luke 22:47-53

 Luke 22 47 - 53

Not waiting on God it's not a new problem. From the perspective of the disciples Jesus was about to establish an earthly Kingdom. They are anticipating that Jesus will at the coming Feast make His move to go public with the newly revived Kingdom. They are expecting that conflict might be in the making and they are armed. When Judas arrives more than one of them assumes that the battle has begun. We know this because in verse 49 we read, “they said, “Lord shall we strike with the sword?”. Notice that it is plural, this ideal of fighting was in the mind of more than one of the Apostles. It is also worth noting that Luke uses the word “said” not “asked”. It was phrased as a question but it was in reality a statement. Then without input from the Lord one of them, Peter, launches into an attack.

We need to notice the pattern here. This pattern is something that we all do. First we come with our own agenda fixed in our minds. Second we make a pretense of asking what the Lord's will is, while in reality we are trying to tell God what ought to be done. Third, without waiting for an answer from the Lord we presume to act. Fourth we find ourselves in a mess having done more harm than good.

Thankfully God's grace is so great that His mercy can shine through even in the messes we make. But how much better would it have been if we walked with God rather than running rashly ahead of Him trying to anticipate His plans. We need not doubt that the sword-wielding disciple had good intentions, he was no Judas. But at the same time harm done with good intentions is still armed. 

“Lord, grant that I may have the grace and wisdom to wait on You. AMEN”

Luke 22:39-46

Luke 22:39-46

Luke’s report of The Garden of Gethsemane is short, matter of fact, and to the point. We see the humanity of Jesus struggling, as we all do, with the painful reality of obedience. Jesus in His divine nature knew what the cross would mean. Jesus in His human nature did not want to face that reality. Every Jew had seen the misery of crucifixion. But the physical torture would be only the tip of the iceberg of what lay in store for Jesus. The horrors of the wrath of God for all sin for all mankind were fully known to Jesus.  His human nature did not want to experience that wrath. This was no play acting example, this was not a dramatic presentation for our benefit. This was going to be the fully retributive justice and punishment of sin.  This was no sham struggle for Jesus.  The emotional battle, the psychological agony, the heart felt struggle were all real.

This passage is the most perfect example of submission and acceptance of the will of God when it is contrary to what we want. So much of teaching on prayer is about gaining what we want. But here Jesus makes a request which is rejected by the Father. Instead of having His prayer answer with a positive answer an angel is sent to Him to strengthen Him. That would have been a fascinating conversation to hear. The messenger did not offer a way out, but apparently re-emphasize the way through. Jesus's response to the angelic message was to return to agonized prayer.

The fundamental problem with our lives is a miss location of the center of the universe. This is most evident when we look at our prayers. When we make ourselves the center of the universe we see prayer as a means to get what we want. We use it to avoid uncomfortable circumstances, people or things and to acquire pleasant things for ourselves. But when the Father is the center and the focus of the universe, prayer is about His will and His glory no matter the circumstances. And God’s will is not always for us to be rich, comfortable and at ease.  Being a disciple is not easy. It is at its core dying to self in order to be alive to God. That sometimes means going through what we don't want, for reasons we may not fully understand, and even when we understand them we are still praying in agony.

“Lord, not my will but Your will be done. AMEN”

Luke 22:31 - 39

 Luke 22:31 - 39

The Last Supper may have been one of the most socially awkward events in Jesus' Ministry. It was messy and there was plenty of drama. It ends with two of the most unusual statements of Jesus. First, Satan has demanded and has been given permission to sift Peter like wheat. This is reminiscent of Satan's attacks on Job. If we plan to stand up and to be a leader Satan will desire to destroy us. The enemy will want to wreck our lives and testimony by cruel hardship and testing. What is more, God will grant him permission to try. Peter failed but he did not become an apostate which was Satan's goal. Had Satan succeeded in his goal of Peter's ultimate and complete ruin the effect on the other disciples would have been incalculable. But the failure of Peter was not complete. Rather than destroy him God used this sifting of Peter for good. After Peter's denial, repentance, and renewal we see him a better leader with less of the arrogance that seems to have marked his life. By grace our past failures are forgiven and they are gone. But we mustn't forget the lessons that are learned in our failure.

The concluding comment at the Last Supper is odd and frequently misunderstood.   Verse 35-38 concludes with “Lord look, here are two swords.” And He said to them, “it is enough”.  Verses 35-37 is more of a parable than direct teaching.  But the disciples, because of their earthly kingdom aspirations, failed to grasp what Jesus was saying. There comes a day when we must go out on our own.  For example we move from the comfort of our parents' care for us to being responsible for our own self-care. Jesus is telling the disciples that they are about to experience a fundamental change and they will have to accept responsibility for much of their self-care. Jesus is not literally calling for every disciple to go get armed for military conflict.  The emphasis in this parable is the contrast between the outer cloak and the sword. The outer cloak was the comfort on a cool night, it was the domestic warmth of home. The sword was life in the field, cold and uncomfortable, with the awareness that any moment might be the moment of struggle. If we may paraphrase and contemporize this passage Jesus said: “Being a disciple is not about comfort but conflict. So go and sell your Sleep Number bed and comforter and go get an AR-15 and get ready for battle”. Too many Christians are more interested in their domestic comfort than sacrifice is needed for Kingdom Life.

“Lord, grant that I will always be ready for the conflict that is needed to advance the Kingdom. AMEN”

Luke 22:24 - 30

 Luke 22:24 - 30

As always, context is so vital to this passage. Jesus moves from the Lord's Supper and it's a picture of death and sacrifice to this teaching on the role of service in His kingdom. In our imagination we might need to see the twelve trying to get a better position to take the cup. This was not a spontaneous new disagreement. This was an argument that has been building for some time. The disciples may not have known this significance and implications of The Last Supper but they knew it was important. Anticipating an earthly kingdom any day now, each was going to position himself in the best possible position for power and political promotion and prominence. We project into the Last Supper the quiet reverential worship, which we strive for during our communion services. Most likely it was a room filled with big goals, egos, and plans.

Jesus warns against us trying to be “benefactors”. This was a formal title claimed by pagan kings, not just a role. Like political leaders today those benefactors would aspire for power, wealth, and greatness, all the while making claims that it was for the benefit of their people or subjects. The picture we need is that of power mad, self-serving, self-invested, self-aggrandizing politicians who all the while are trying to convince their audience that they are doing it for the people. This happens in the Kingdom,  the church, and it is in the Kingdom that it is the most disgusting and disturbing.

Jesus doesn't deny that in the Kingdom or the church there are distinct roles of leadership or authority. He is not advocating spiritual or ecclesiastical anarchy. Rather understand the “servant/leader inversion principle”. Leadership exist for the purpose of serving and the more humble the person served, the more humble the service, and the more humble the server’s motivations the more like Christ they are. Humble service is not a photo op; that is being a benefactor. Humble service has three parts: The Humble person served, the humble service rendered, and the humble attitude as motivation. The absence of any of these turns us into political minded benefactors.  The Lord knows we have too many of these in the church already.

“Lord, grant me to serve like Jesus served, especially in my attitude. AMEN”

Luke 22:14 - 23

 Luke 22 14 - 23

A “passionate desire” fulfilled is a wonderful thing. Jesus “earnestly” desires to eat the Passover with His disciples and in this He gave us the Lord's Supper. That word “earnestly” is a word we might not expect to be used of or about Jesus. It was often translated lust. It is a compound word. The first part means “on” or “focused on”. The second part means literally “heated up” or “breathe violently”. We can see how this word might be used of a man who wants to fulfill his sexual appetite. He can think of little else, he will go to any length, and take any risk to have that desire fulfilled. This is no pastel pale word. In this we can be hear Jesus say, “I have an overwhelming desire to share this moment of holy connection with you.” Why is it that we desire the Lord's Supper so little?

In our churches the Lord's Supper is only a tiny slice of the life of the church. Celebrated perhaps infrequently and if weekly as a ritual with little thought. We in the church have typically three approaches all of which began with a good idea but which because of our fallen nature they tend to degenerate into something inferior. First; “We do this rarely so that it will not lose its meaning.” But because we do it rarely we don't think about it often and so when we do it we stumble over the prima facie and never move to greater and deeper understandings. Second, “We do this frequently using careful thought, scripture, prayer, and ritual of the great saints over the centuries so we will have great meaning”. Because we follow a very careful pattern it becomes possible to do the ritual while our hearts and minds are running to other places. Third, “We do this frequently but we do it freestyle with each occasion having its own thoughts and themes so it is always fresh and meaningful.” The best attempt at complete novelty results in shallowness of soul and on some occasions there is false teaching in which the Lord's Supper becomes about us.

Is there a solution? Yes, to be like Jesus and “earnestly” desire to be a part, to love Him passionately, to focus on Him as the desire of a whole being. When He is the object of our desire we will want to celebrate this meal frequently. We will want to discover the depth of this moment.  It will always be fresh and new even if it is accompanied with prayers that have been said a thousand times. In this simple part of creation, Bread and Wine, let us have earnest desire for Jesus.

“Lord, forbid that I would ever come to the Lord’s Supper with anything less than earnest desire.  AMEN”

Luke 22:1 - 13

 Luke 22:1 - 13 

None of us are as far from the enemy as we would like to believe. Judas had a besetting sin, if you wish to use that term.  Luke doesn't go into details about the circumstances of Judas's decision to betray Jesus. But there was a sin and then came the opportunity.  All the disciples struggled with one thing or another. All the disciples had the opportunity to go wrong. But Judas was different. Luke uses the phrase “Satan entered into Judas”. That step into a deeper level of evil requires a partnership.  Satan had a stronger level of influence with Judas. This is an important warning for us for every follower. 

At some point and for some motivation, of which we can only speculate, Judas made a choice, which allowed Satan to enter. We tend to think of Satanic influence in a Hollywood motif. A monstrous possession accompanied by visible, audible, and/or physical terrors. Satan typically doesn’t overplay his hand like that. Judas may not have realized it was Satan to whom he was opening himself up. It may have only been one sliver, one part of his heart that was given over to evil. It may have been nothing but a momentary fantasy of making a point, or an imagination of some sweet revenge that was the first crack of the door to his heart.

There are two points we do need to remember and consider every day. First Satan did not come to Judas against his will. If God will not violate our will then it is reasonable to assume that He will not allow our, and His, enemy to violate our will. The door to the heart has no outside handle; it can only be opened from within. Second, whenever we willingly enter into any evil we are opening the door of our heart to the power of darkness. God may protect us and not allow evil to enter. But if we persist in flirting with evil, if we open the door over and over we must not assume and presume upon God's protection. We must not tempt God. Open the door long enough, often enough, wide enough, and consistently enough and evil will enter. We must never stop praying those two lines of the model prayer; “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”  

“Lord, don’t let me go into the place of temptation. AMEN”