On Line Bible Study - For the Week of January 10-16, 2011

Lesson 474

Luke 12: ²² Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. ²³ For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. ²⁴ Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! ²⁵ Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? ²⁶ Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

²⁷ “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ²⁸ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! ²⁹ And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. ³⁰ For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. ³¹ But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

³² “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. ³³ Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Don't worry. I think what that really means is this: Don't be afraid. Increasingly in my life I am confronted with the power of fear. We are afraid of growing old, of financial insecurity, of environmental degradation. We are afraid that there won't be enough for ourselves. We are afraid of taxes being higher. We are afraid of gun control. (Two teenagers in Vermont took their lives last week with guns.) We are afraid of too much government, not enough government. We are afraid of our own shadow.

What would your life look like if you could truly accept the two things Jesus is saying in this text from Luke - Do not worry about your life, and Do not be afraid?

Darrell Bock says this section is about trust. In the previous section Jesus told his disciples how foolish it was to trust in wealth and possessions. In this section Jesus tells them what is worth putting their trust in.

Bock comes at this with a kind of spiritual fatalism - Is Jesus suggesting that we are all completely dependent on God anyway, so why bother wasting energy on trusting anything or anyone else? Another facet to this text - note the command quality to it. "Don't worry" is not a suggestion; it is an imperative.

"Consider the ravens ..." Bock tells us that ravens (crows) were unclean and among the least respected of birds in antiquity. If God cares for them, how much more does God care for us?

What are the fears that keep your faith from growing, your trust in God from blossoming?

On Line Bible Study - For the Week of January 3-9, 2011

Lesson 473

Luke 12: ¹³ Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” ¹⁴ Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” ¹⁵ Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

¹⁶ And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. ¹⁷ He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ ¹⁸ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. ¹⁹ And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

²⁰ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

²¹ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

Ah - money! This section is unique to Luke. Jesus hits the money question head on. It is interesting to note Jesus' unwillingness to get involved in family disputes. (Remember how he would not speak to Mary when Martha was complaining about her? See Luke 10:38-42.)

Darrell Bock notes that we have no details with regard to the brothers and their squabble over their inheritance. But Jesus' refusal to involve himself might suggest that he will not get mixed up with partisan disputes. We have to be careful when we are praying for "us" against "them".

The real issue is greed and the extent to which we depend on material things for our security. Things that seem so important to us in this life are so irrelevant in the next.

Wait a minute ... if things are of no consequence "then", why do we place so much importance on them "now"?

The parable Jesus tells presents us with a man many of us might envy - to have so much that we could retire early and take life easy - that's the goal! We find all kinds of financial advice these days - on line, in our newspapers, on the radio. Here is what you have to do to prepare for the 'golden years'. Save up. Plan. Then what? (Pray the stock market doesn't collapse!)

Brennan Manning speaks of God's presence as creating an emptiness in us. (The Ragamuffin Gospel.) Think about this image for a moment ... When Jesus invites people to follow him, he is usually calling them away from whatever it is they are currently doing. In other words, Jesus creates an emptiness in our lives that can now be filled only by God. How quickly we fill that empty space with stuff. Manning admits to his own weakness in this area -

"I have tried to fill the emptiness ... through a variety of substitutes - writing, preaching, traveling, television, movies, ice cream, shallow relationships, sports, movies, daydreaming, alcohol, etc." What does Jesus say of such things - all the substitutes we use for God (especially money!)? He says it is foolish!
‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you.'

Darrell Bock points out just how self-centered this man is! And self-indulgent.

At some point we are all faced with the decision around the definition of wealth. Just exactly what is it? How do we measure it? How do we acquire it? How do we keep it? In the next verses Jesus has something to say about what's worth worrying about and what isn't.

On Line Bible Study - For the Week December 27, 2010 - January 2, 2011

Lesson 472

Luke 12: ¹ Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. ² There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. ³ What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.

⁴ “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. ⁵ But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. ⁶ Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. ⁷ Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

⁸ “I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. ⁹ But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned before the angels of God. ¹⁰ And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

¹¹ “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, ¹² for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”

As Chapter 11 concluded Jesus was railing against Pharisees and Scribes. Now he turns his attention to his disciples, issuing warnings to them (and in public, no less!) with regard to their own behavior. He warns them against hypocrisy.

Hypocrisy .... what a dangerous sin that is. And it is so easy to fall into it. In fact, more times than not we willingly walk into it. Don't say one thing and do another. Just don't. The problem with so much hypocrisy is that it is two sins in one - it's the thing we are ashamed of or denying, and then it's the actual pretending that the thing doesn't exist.

Come clean sooner, because you are going to have to come clean sooner or later.

Stop worrying. That's the next lesson Jesus teaches in this text. As my friend Jon Zander once preached (using a clip from a Bob Newhart Show), just stop it! How could we have come into being if it weren't for some Mind (or Heart) that willed and wanted us to be here? Even the sparrows, as plentiful as they were in Jesus' day, require divine attention in order to exist. Our importance is more than equal to theirs. Stop worrying.

And finally, our life is completely and utterly dependent upon the Holy Spirit. To deny the Spirit (verse 10) is to self-suffocate, for the Spirit is our breath! (Verse 12.) Absent the Spirit we really don't have anything to say at all!

The passage begins by telling us that "thousands had gathered..." Darrell Bock asks the question: Does this suggest that the message of Jesus was taking root? Was he going to win the hearts and minds of the people? I wonder if Jesus was tempted by this popularity to tone things down a bit, to play to the crowds. I wonder if he thought there might be safety - and a special kind of power - in thousands of people listening to him and following him.

Jesus does not succumb to the temptation of popularity. He issues the warnings we need to hear. Just how popular is this message of his? Not so much in terms of "the crowds" ... but in terms of our own priorities - How popular is Jesus with you?

On Line Bible Study - For the Week December 20-26, 2010.

Lesson 471

Luke 11: ³⁷ When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table. ³⁸ But the Pharisee was surprised when he noticed that Jesus did not first wash before the meal... 39-54

We are looking at what Bible scholar Darrell Bock calls "one of the strongest condemnation discourses." Our interest this week is in Luke 11:37-54. You will link to the full text by clicking on the verse above and scrolling down to the appropriate verses.

We might summarize this section of Luke's gospel by saying: People who live in glass houses should not throw stones! The precipitating event for Jesus' list of "woes" is that he did not properly wash before eating a meal at the home of a Pharisee. Was it the awkward "glance" of the host toward him that set him off?

Jesus then lays into the Pharisees - they neglect the poor (verse 41), are indifferent to the call of justice (42), are prideful (43), and are death-traps for innocent people (44). For them to be critical of his washing technique is a bit like them noting the splinter in his eye while neglecting the plank in their own. (It's so easy to do that!)

Let's look at verse 44 -
Luke 11: ⁴⁴ “Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which people walk over without knowing it.”

I'm not sure I can come up with a contemporary equivalent to this statement. The assumption is that a person might fall into an unmarked grave, thus coming in contact with a dead body and be rendered ceremonially unclean. The image of falling into a grave next to a dead and deteriorating corpse is a most unpleasant one! Jesus is saying the Pharisees are, metaphorically, like that. In a sense, he is suggesting that there is nothing good about coming into contact with a Pharisee! Note: Jesus is saying this while the guest at the table of a Pharisee. (Darrell Bock says this image is "stark, tragic, and deadly".)

Jesus is interrupted by a Scribe who complains that Jesus' words to the Pharisees are also condemning to them. The man would have been better off to have said nothing, for this only causes Jesus to turn his full attention to the "teachers of the law" (or 'lawyers').

Jesus then chastises these teachers for laying burdens on others.

It's very hard here to avoid the temptation to criticize religion in general. Does your relationship with Jesus liberate you, or burden you? I don't mean to imply that it's all easy; but the relationship should be one that brings joy, freedom, hope, healing - just like any other meaningful relationship you have. I have to work at my marriage; but my relationship with my wife brings more joy than I can say, more love than I can describe. And no one has forgiven me more than she has.

Isn't that what the relationship with God is supposed to do? It comforts, heals, encourages, corrects, forgives. The religion of the Pharisees and Scribes has been heavy on rules and short on joy! They have turned heaven into hell for people, and Jesus is giving them hell for it.

On Line Bible Study - For the Week December 13-19, 2010

Lesson 470

Luke 11: ²⁹ As the crowds increased, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It asks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. ³⁰ For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation. ³¹ The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom; and now something greater than Solomon is here. ³² The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and now something greater than Jonah is here.

³³ “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. ³⁴ Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness. ³⁵ See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. ³⁶

Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.”

The request for a sign happened in verse 16. Give me a sign! Aren't we saying that all the time, in many different contexts? We look for signs of love, or respect. A parole board looks for signs that suggest the guilty accepts responsibility for their actions and is on the road to transformation.

In Luke, the "sign" is Jonah's preaching to the people of Nineveh. Contrast this with the parallel passage in Matthew; there, the sign is Jonah in the belly of the fish. The difference is significant. For Luke it is not resurrection that tips the scales; it is repentance. How many more signs can be given? People with far fewer indicators than the religious leaders of Jesus' day had, have shed their doubt and believed.

What do we need from God? Or from anyone else, for that matter? Are we aware of the power of forgiveness? Are we liberated from the notion that we have to earn God's grace? What more do we need than that?

If there isn't sufficient power in the message of Jesus, then nothing else will work for us either.

We encounter here an interesting situation - do we believe out of fear, or out of love? If judgment (the fear of hell) is what is motivating us, we might want to reconsider. Isn't the truth of grace enough? Even the ancient Queen of Sheba recognized the presence of God - shouldn't those who were supposed to be looking for it have recognized it as well?

Light can be slippery! It can be pervasive and still we can close our eyes. Like children who think they disappear when they cover their eyes, we act as if our ignoring God will make God go away.

What's needed is not more light. What's needed is for us to open our eyes.

On Line Bible Study - For the Week December 6-12, 2010

Lesson 469

Luke 11: ¹⁴ Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. ¹⁵ But some of them said, “By Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.” ¹⁶ Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven.

Our attention is focused on Luke 11:14-26. By clicking on the text above you will come to BibleGateway and Luke 11 in its entirety. Scroll down to the verses under consideration.

The issue at stake in this text continues to be extremely relevant today. The issue is this: Just exactly who is Jesus? Luke pushes the question hard. Look at what Jesus is quoted as saying:

Luke 11: ²⁰ But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

Is Jesus doing the work of the Devil, or the work of God? If he is doing the work of God, then something wonderful is going on. But it's complicated ...

Consider the following from Deuteronomy 13: ¹If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, ² and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” ³ you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Is Jesus a 'test from God' - a man who performs wonderful signs, but who is actually using his powers to lead people astray?

There are those who claim this is exactly what the Christian Church has done for centuries - used its power over people to prevent them from knowing the truth. It's a scathing indictment. And Jesus leaves very little wiggle room. Note what he says in Luke 11: ²³ “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters."

So, just what are we choosing if we choose to follow Jesus? Is his vision the true vision of the kingdom of God?

It doesn't get easier when we consider the amazing sign that Jesus has offered - the healing of a mute. Accused by some as having demonic power, these same folks want a "sign" from him! Luke 11: ¹⁶ Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven.

So, make up your mind! If you receive a sign, then say it is from the Devil, how can you ask for another sign? What would a "sign from heaven" look like? Is Jesus the messiah or not?

A related question has to do with just what we are looking for in the first place. Is the Jewish messiah what the world needs? Does Jesus meet their requirements? Sometimes I wonder if the problem Jesus had wasn't related to the fact that he exceeded their requirements. They expected some sort of temporal demonstration of strength; instead they got forgiveness. They were hoping for a political edge; instead they got a taste of the kingdom of God. They wanted Israel to be a player again on the international stage; instead they got the promise of eternal life.

From Jesus' perspective, the accusation that he was casting out devils by the power of the Devil just didn't make any sense! What do you think?

On Line Bible Study - For the Week November 29 - December 5, 2010

Lesson 468

Luke 11: ⁹ “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

¹¹ “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? ¹² Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? ¹³ If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

This is the third teaching with regard to prayer that Luke offers to us in these opening verses of Chapter 11. Verses 9 and 10 tell us to "ask", "seek", and "knock". John Nolland says we are invited to pray to God (ask), we are invited to pursue God (seek), and we are given the image of coming into God's presence (knock and it will be opened).

There is a response to our action - asking, it will be given. Seeking, we will find. Knocking, the door will open. There is a three-fold assurance that God will respond to us.

If sinful people have the capacity to respond appropriately to human need, how much more will God respond to us! But here is the important piece - Jesus gets very specific in terms of what it is God wants to provide - The Holy Spirit. How does one receive the Holy Spirit? How is one certain it is God's Spirit and not our imagination, or some mental imbalance or hallucination?

The Holy Spirit is a central theme for Luke, not only in the Gospel, but also in the companion volume, what we call the Acts of the Apostles. A major point is this: Ask for what is needed for your spiritual well-being. Jesus is not suggesting we can ask and get whatever we want. Rather, he is telling us that if we truly desire what is needed for spiritual growth, assurance and maturity, God is faithful to provide it.

To recount the themes of these first 13 verses in Chapter 11:
In the Lord's Prayer (Luke 11:1-4) we learn of our dependence on God, with an emphasis on community (our bread, lead us, etc.).
In the parable that follows (Luke 11:5-8) we are instructed to be bold when we pray, believing God is faithful to answer especially when our prayers have to do with the welfare of others.
The next section (Luke 11:9-13) we are reminded that insight comes to us through the agency of the Holy Spirit.

The next verses take us back into controversy - that's where we are heading in the next lesson.

On Line Bible Study - For the Week November 22-28, 2010

Lesson 467

Luke 11: ⁵ Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; ⁶ a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ ⁷ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ ⁸ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.

When you pray, be bold! Don't take "No" for an answer! Is that what Jesus is suggesting? Just as we are completely dependent upon God - for bread, forgiveness and protection (see the previous lesson here) - so God wants us to step up to the plate when we ask. Don't pray for less than what you need, and don't pray halfheartedly.

This prayer seems to me to be a challenge for how we live our lives. There is a wonderful statement by Marianne Williamson about "playing small". I wonder if the same might be true of "praying small". As we anticipate the new year, a question to ask ourselves might be: Have we lived too small?

The parable in Luke 11:5-8 is found only in Luke. There are some cultural intricacies that must be noted. Scholar Darrell Bock reminds us that First Century Palestine folk baked the bread they needed each day. There were no 7 - 11's open all night. The scarcity of food coupled with the Mideastern mandate for hospitality had put this man in a tough spot. He was out of food; no shops were open; and company had come! Here is the choice he is faced with - impose upon his neighbor, or not be a good host.

So ... Is Luke contrasting the "neighbor" with God? The reluctant neighbor, though his argument was valid (My children are asleep; I am in bed; our doors are locked!), was not pleasant to deal with. Is Luke suggesting that, especially when we are attempting to assist others, as the man with the unexpected company was doing, God is more than willing to be inconvenienced?

The story puts prayer into perspective. When it comes to showing respect and love for our neighbor, God is willing to listen to any prayer, any time.

There is one more component to prayer Jesus wants to share with us - we'll talk about that next time.

On Line Bible Study - For the Week November 15-21, 2010

Lesson 466

Luke 11: ¹ One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” ² He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. ³ Give us each day our daily bread. ⁴ Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’”

As we head into the eleventh chapter of Luke's Gospel, we find Jesus dealing with prayer. It is not unusual for a spiritual leader to teach their disciples to pray. Darrell Bock points out that we have three insights into prayer in the first 13 verses of the chapter. In this study, we look at the first of these.

The disciples look for a way to pray together. The prayer is communal, not only in its intent, but in its language. "Give us ..." "Forgive us..." "Lead us..." After acknowledging the holiness of God ("Hallowed be your name ..."), the emphasis is on the importance of the community. Is there an inherent unity in the Christian witness when it is truly faithful to the mission and ministry of Christ? With such an intense emphasis on the personal relationship with Jesus that so many of us are accustomed to, does this prayer invite us to look beyond this to the importance of loving each other?

We find this prayer in Matthew 6. Let's compare the text: Here is the prayer as found in

Matthew 6: 11“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, ¹⁰ your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. ¹¹ Give us today our daily bread. ¹² And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ¹³ And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

The sections in blue are missing from the text in Luke. But there is agreement in terms of the themes of the prayer. (There is debate among scholars as to which version is the older - did Luke shorten Matthew? Or did Matthew lengthen Luke? Was there a separate source, and if so, why would one author add to it or shorten it?)

The use of the term "father" suggests both an intimacy with God as well as a respect for divine authority. Note that Matthew qualifies "father" with the word "Our". Might we say that Matthew's rendering suggests a more formal liturgical use of the prayer, whereas Luke, who simply addresses God as "Father", sounds more intimate? Are there times when our relationship with God is on the intimate side, and other times when we feel more of a sense of awe and majesty?

"Thy kingdom come ..." Our desire must be for what God has in mind.
"...daily bread..." God will provide - and "bread" suggests a justice that insures all people have what is needed for their lives. (For one of my sermons on this topic, see 'The Possibilities of Daily'.)
"...forgive us our sins ..." - Note the assumption that forgiveness has been rendered by us, thus the conviction that forgiveness is due us. While the wording is a bit different in Matthew, the intent is the same.
"...Lead us not into temptation." Are we asking to be spared the temptation to sin, or to be spared from being tested? Perhaps that is saying the same thing ... but it opens up the door to God's power to spare us.

Perhaps a "New Year's Resolution" could be to say the Lord's Prayer once a day, and to pray it slowly, thoughtfully - first thing in the morning before getting out of bed, or last thing at night before our eyes close in sleep...

These 4 verses speak to us of God's glory and our dependence upon God. Next time we will look at a parable and an exhortation to pray.