Luke 8: 40-56

Luke 8: 40-56

Jesus apparently wasn't offended to be the last resort. With both Jarius and the woman it was only when all else failed that they turned to Jesus. Perhaps they had only just heard of Him or they thought the situation would be worked out by means that did not require Divine intervention. For whatever reason, Jesus was the option of the last resort.

Jesus was not offended by their late coming. We see no word of rebuke or indication of exasperation. We do not see Jesus responding with anything that even vaguely looks like a, “What took you so long?” response. They both came to Jesus with a profound faith fueled by desperation that He could save them. That faith was what Jesus wanted from them; it is what He wants from us. Naturally, we can save ourselves much grief and trouble and suffering if we come to Him sooner rather than later. But Jesus appears to be unbothered by the issue of time.

These two people shared nothing in common accept that their situation was hopeless apart from Jesus. Jarius was the ultimate insider having all the advantages a Jewish man could have. The woman was the ultimate outsider. Church tradition identifies her as a gentile. But the desperation of their hopelessness led them to the common Faith and Hope that Jesus alone can save.

The Lord will allow us to experience whatever is needed to come to that same conclusion. The struggles and trouble and grief of today may have more than meets the eye. They may be guides turning us to the one who can rescue us from greater misery. Can we look at each moment with the question, “How could this turn me to the Lord?”

“Lord, help me in my struggles to come to You. AMEN”

Luke 8:26-39

Luke 8:26-39

“Jesus Son of the most high God” is the confession of the demons. If there's a moral scale from perfection to the worst in the universe, demons are very near the worst end. But these demons have a better understanding than a great many people about who Jesus is, including those who are called progressive Christians. The forces of Hell cannot deny that Jesus is the Son of the most high God.

The reality of eternal punishment is the second place where the demon has a superior understanding to the liberal progressives of our day. The very presence of Jesus and the knowledge they will one day face a judgment and eternal reward prompts them to cry out. Here again we have demons with a more orthodox faith than liberal Christianity. The fad of Universalism that seems to sweep the church from time to time has less to do with Scripture than our own sentimental, wishful thinking. We want a sort of fuzzy universalism and so we feel that is what God should say. We need to recall the prayer that includes, “Imprint upon our hearts such a dread of Thy judgments as may make us afraid to offend Thee.” We often offend because we do not fear Him.

Rather than fearing God, we often are afraid to offend the powers of Darkness. The Lord appears, then evil manifests itself, the Lord expels evil and a holy situation is established. What reactions do we see? The locals were gripped with fear. We might expect the eradication of evil would result in joy and celebration. Having become accustomed to the presence and predictability of evil the people are afraid when it is defeated. Those who are not possessed by the demon often want evil around so they can dabble in it if they like. A man may be horrified at the idea of human trafficking, but still wants to occasionally indulge in pornography. A business owner may have a high standard for gross corruption, but enjoy taking advantage of a sharp deal occasionally. When we are confronted with the Holiness that gives no quarter to evil that Holiness frightens us because there are certain evils we want to keep and enjoy.

“Lord, help me not to harbor even the least tiny evil in my heart. AMEN”

Luke 8:16-25

Luke 8:16-25

When it comes to our deepest desires, our words say less than what our condition. A person's actions reflect the deepest level of their heart’s desires not what they say. A student may say, “I want better grades,” but the deeper desire is to take it easy when it comes time to study. One might say, “I want to get up early, but I have a greater desire to stay up late at night or to sleep in.” One might say, “I want to lose weight, but at a deeper level I want to eat ice cream.”

What we say we want and the deepest desires of our heart may not be the same thing. We will act out the deepest desires of our heart, which may or may not reflect what we say. What we say may be nothing more than a vague wish or the socially accepted construct of what is acceptable.

The condition we are in now is because in the past we have wanted the things that have brought us to this condition. They are, of course, other factors involved. If I had no ability to sing I can't overcome that with pure will power and desire. At the same time all the natural talent in the world will lay dormant if desire isn't attached.

This is true spiritually as well. Jesus says in verse 18 that if we have, we will grow in that area; if we are apathetic what we have will have to be taken away. Pay careful attention how you listen. If our attention to the Lord is distracted don't be surprised if we miss the lesson. If I want to follow the Spirit’s promptings then I must obey the prompting I have perceived from His leading.

Where I am at in my spiritual walk is where I wanted to be at some point in the past.

“Lord, give me a heart that desires You above all else. AMEN”

Luke 8:1-15

Luke 8:1-15

We often times rush past the first three verses of chapter 8 to get to the parable of the sower. These verses ought not be ignored. Jesus having been rejected in the synagogue now focuses his teaching in the streets. When church has become a religion club, more interested in its own comfort than proclaiming the Gospel, Jesus’ disciples ought to move out of the building and into the streets.

Luke points out that along with Jesus and the 12 there was a company of women who were partners in ministry. Luke specifically names two women Mary from Magdalene and Joanna. Mary had been possessed by seven demons. The number seven is the number of completion sort of a complete inventory of the spirits, this may also have reflected that she was completely under their control with no respite or relief for peace. Traditionally, she was identified as a prostitute. Scripture never says that specifically. Though prostitution and demonic possession are closely linked. Joanna, on the other hand, was the wife of Herod’s steward. The word “steward” means he was responsible for all of his financial affairs. It was his job to see to it that Herod's financial investments were protected; he was the CFO of the regional king.

Stop for a moment and consider. The wife of a C-level executive and a former prostitute with the demonic history are working together. No sense of superiority or condescension no suspicion or envy apparently marked their lives and relationship. In our world, we are becoming more and more stratified and that is exactly what we would expect when the Gospel and the Lord are absent from our churches.

"Grant to me, Lord, blindness about place and rank so that I can serve You without distraction. AMEN"