On Line Bible Study - For the Week July 26-August 1, 2010

Lesson 450

Luke 8: ¹After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, ²and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; ³Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod's household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

Darrell Bock quotes C. H. Talbert in citing eleven references found exclusively in Luke with regard to the gospel narrative and women. This is one of them.

Jesus is on the move, notes Bock. This is true both geographically as he 'traveled about from one town and village to another ...' It is also true sociologically as Christ's ministry moves from the bottom of the social ladder (women) to the top (Herod - see Luke 9:7).

Luke makes a point of it to tell us that women not only were ministered to by Jesus, but they ministered to Jesus by supporting him. While this was not completely unusual - the Jewish historian Josephus records a story of women who paid a fine that was owed by some Pharisees - one of the characteristics of that support was an effort on the part of the women to position themselves for power. In this example from Luke the women offer their support in response to the healing they have received. This is not an attempt to gain power, but a response to having been empowered by Jesus.

Jesus' touch upon our lives, if it is authentic, calls for a response from us - thanksgiving, praise, and most of all, a willingness to serve.

This brings us back to the age-old discussion of faith and works. Throughout the Christian Testament we see evidence of faith, not in what people say the believe, but in the ways their lives are changed.

These three verses can go by very quickly; however, before we let them go, let's consider two things:

1. Jesus ministers to anyone and everyone; this means he will minister to us if we let him.
2. Does our life manifest any proclamation we might make with regard to our faith in Jesus?
   

On Line Bible Study - For the Week July 19-25, 2010

Lesson 449

Luke 7: ³⁶Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. ³⁷When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, ³⁸and 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.

³⁹When 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."

What is your process for scoping people out? Me, I like to hang back, watch people for a while. I like to see who they mingle with, perhaps try to overhear some of their conversation, and make a determination whether I should get into it with them.

I don't usually invite people over for dinner unless I'm pretty sure I am going to like them. However, especially when looking to hire someone for a ministry position, my wife and I invite the individual and their family to have supper with us. If we are not comfortable with them at the table, I probably am not going to be comfortable with them in the office.

Jesus was invited to supper at Simon's house (that's the Pharisee ...). There is no indication that the woman was invited. In fact, I think it's safe to assume just the opposite. Perhaps it was reluctance to turn someone away in front of company that caused Simon to allow the woman in ... unless of course, the entire thing was choreographed.

I often have skits as part of a Children's Message. And these are frequently made to look as if they are impromptu. Last week, as one of these skits began, one of the children looked at me and asked: Is this planned?

Whether Simon had it choreographed, or the woman simply wandered in as a result of her being drawn to Jesus, it doesn't take long for the Pharisee to make assumptions about his invited dinner guest.

You know how this story goes - that Jesus calls out Simon on his assumptions, and that Christ both forgives the woman's sins and tells her she is saved. Then we have this wonderful line toward the end of the story: And those who were eating with him began to say among themselves: 'Who is this, who even forgives sins?' This is not what they expected. It is a bit difficult to say for sure whether they got more or less than what they had hoped for.

But isn't this the point: Simon is amazed that Jesus would have anything to do with a sinful woman, yet he seems completely impervious to the miracle that Jesus would have supper with him! Jesus has the desire to have supper with you, too - not because of anything special you have done, but because he loves you, pure and simple.

On Line Bible Study - For the Week July 12-18, 2010

Lesson 448

Luke 7:¹⁸John's disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, ¹⁹he sent them to the Lord to ask, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?"

³¹"To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? ³²They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other:

" 'We played the flute for you,
and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge,

and you did not cry.' ³³For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.' ³⁴The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." ' ³⁵But wisdom is proved right by all her children."

On average, how many times and in how many different ways do you need to hear or experience a message before it sinks in?

Let's think about this another way: If you were to compare the way you imagine John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth, what would be the differences? Was their message the same? Perhaps you could refer back to Luke 3 where John addresses the multitudes who came to hear him: You brood of vipers! With that as an opener it is amazing anyone stayed around to listen to John at all. But there must have been something attractive in that confrontational style of his, for people engaged him: What shall we do?

Contrast this with Jesus. Luke presents Jesus' first words in Nazareth (following his being tempted or tested in the wilderness) as these: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor ... This teaching got him run out of town.

Of the two approaches, which one is most palatable for you?

The point of the passage in Luke 7 under consideration this week (you can fill in verses 20-30 as you read your Bible) has to do with the fact that, while both men come with the same message - Repent, believe, and experience the Kingdom of God - their approach is radically different. The people, while initially attracted to both John and Jesus, will ultimately turn from them and the message they bring.

If you don't take the message straight up, and you reject it watered down; if you refuse it because it is too harsh, or not harsh enough ... Well, after a while it becomes apparent, doesn't it? It's not the manner of presentation you are rejecting; it is the message itself!

I think we do the same thing with Jesus and Paul. This is not to discount the difference in style; it is simply to say that the heart of the matter is what is important. Do you get it? Are you willing to receive it? Or have you convinced yourself that, if only you had a different pastor, or went to a larger (or smaller) church, or they made the worship time more convenient, that would make all the difference?

Do you ever wonder ... To what would Jesus compare this generation of ours ...

On Line Bible Study - For the Week July 5-11, 2010

Lesson 447

Luke 7: ¹¹Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. ¹²As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. ¹³When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, "Don't cry."
¹⁴Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" ¹⁵The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.
¹⁶They were all filled with awe and praised God. "A great prophet has appeared among us," they said. "God has come to help his people." ¹⁷This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.

Undoubtedly this story is about the power of life meeting the inevitability of death. It is a story of Jesus stepping into the same script as Elijah and Elisha (see I Kings 17 and II Kings 4). A great prophet had appeared ... indeed.

But the line that catches me and stops me short is the simple, heartfelt compassion of Jesus expressed in the phrase: Don't cry.

Religion is about power and peace. It is about faith, faithfulness, meaning. It flows over the solid rock of theological truths; but ultimately it splashes up on the shores of human experience; and our speculative theologies gain credence and staying power to they extent they remain relevant, timeless.

Not given to excess emotion, I can listen to lots of bad news while making my morning coffee and not give it a second thought. But every now and then I get caught. I hear the report of some young soldier coming home in a casket, the reporter's voice drowned out by the sounds of pipes - usually playing Amazing Grace. It happened to me just this morning. Every now and then I can't help but feel my father-heart break for some parent who will never again see the smile of their daughter or son. I feel my knees buckle, and with absolutely no warning I begin to sob. I find myself praying - and hoping hard - that someone is there ... someone who has the capacity to love with the Love that made us - someone to put their arms around a grieving parent.

Only Luke tells the story of this "resuscitation" and there is controversy as to the authenticity of the text. (Did Jesus really do this? Are the details added to make a theological statement about him?)

Here is what I know ... with all my heart I hope to hear Jesus saying to me: Don't cry.

Here is what I believe ... for those who are crying now, Jesus is saying those words to you, perhaps with a tear in his eye.

The question: Who is this Jesus? Sometimes it is put to us at point blank range. Other times it comes at us through a story. Ultimately it arrives on the doorstep our lives because of some experience we are in the midst of. Too much emotion here? Maybe. Maybe not.

On Line Bible Study - For the Week June 28 - July 4, 2010

Lesson 446

Luke 7: ¹When Jesus had finished saying all this in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. ²There a centurion's servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. ³The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. ⁴When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, "This man deserves to have you do this, ⁵because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue." ⁶So Jesus went with them.

He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: "Lord, don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. ⁷That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. ⁸For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."

⁹When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel." ¹⁰Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

With the "Sermon on the Plain" complete, Luke now turns to questions of faith and Jesus' identity. The story before us now is that of the Centurion - also told by Matthew, and possibly told by John. In John we read of a "royal official" whose son is ill. Several textual notes:

• In Matthew (8:5ff) and John (4:46ff), the centurion / royal official comes to Jesus personally. In Luke, he sends emissaries.
• In John, Jesus responds to the official's request with a rebuke: Unless you people see signs and wonders you will never believe. In Matthew and Luke no such rebuke is recorded.
• In John, no mention is made of the official's faith.
  

Darrell Bock notes a number of other textual challenges. There is the sense, however, that behind the several (not insignificant) differences in the telling there lies a real story - a story of faith that both surprised Jesus, and caused him to compare it to that of the faith of Israel. The centurion or royal official is a Gentile - an outsider.

We have seen earlier in this gospel the leaning toward a universal awareness of the import of Jesus' message. In a sense we could say that Jesus has come not only for those who would be expected to believe in him (that is, those whose religion had an explicit messianic expectation), but for those who had no awareness they needed him.

The heart of the matter is this: Jesus' word has the power to heal, to restore, to make whole. In Luke 7 the centurion got exactly what he was asking for. Luke tells us the elders of the Jews spoke on behalf of the man. While one might be tempted to wonder about the motives behind an alliance between a Roman centurion and Jewish elders, in this case we have to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. And in the final analysis, the question before us is this: What is the strength of our faith? It is easy to pay lip service to the notion that "God will take care of us," but when push comes to shove, do we truly believe it?

This story is about faith - the centurion's and ours. The following story - a resurrection story - is about who Jesus is. We turn to that next time.