On Line Bible Study - For the Week February 21-27, 2011

Lesson 481

Luke 14: ¹ One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. ² There in front of him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of his body. ³ Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” ⁴ But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way.

⁵ Then he asked them, “If one of you has a child or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?” ⁶ And they had nothing to say.

⁷ When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: ⁸ “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. ⁹ If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. ¹⁰ But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. ¹¹ For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

¹² Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. ¹³ But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, ¹⁴ and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

I'm growing weary of this ... the ping pong match between Jesus and religious leaders of various stripes that seems never to result in a 'win'. Jesus scores more points, but he is always coming from behind. How is that possible?

Some might say it is not Jesus, but the evangelist who is tireless. Others would argue that Luke reflects the tenacity of Christ in dealing with a people who just don't want to receive the grace God is offering us.

The setting is a Pharisee's home (why do those guys continue to invite Jesus for dinner?). This is supposed to be an environment of radical hospitality. The text answers the parenthetical question: Jesus is invited so they can keep close tabs on him. Would the same be true as an explanation for why Jesus keeps accepting the invitations? Is this a situation where the devil we can see is preferable to the one we can't?

This is the seventh (and the last) time Luke presents Jesus on the Sabbath. And it is clear by now that neither side is going to back down.

I can't help but be aware of the political face off in Wisconsin - an important one in so many ways, but one that pales into insignificance when compared to what is happening in the streets of Tripoli, and what has recently happened in the streets of Cairo. And we read in the press that folks on either side of the abortion issue are gearing up for more intense battles as are those on either side of the 'Defense of Marriage' act.

The text before us is radical in part because of how completely counter-intuitive it is. We are not brought up to back down. In Viet Nam we didn't back down until we were chased out. We have long ago declared "Mission Accomplished" in Iraq. Our pilot-less drones are but another way of attempting to influence the political landscape through some back door. Who is going to be first at the table? Who is going to be lauded as the greatest?

Is it possible to "serve" without being proven to be "right"? Does one always have to maneuver from a position of power?

In Anthony Robinson's book Changing the Conversation he talks about a dearth of modern (or should I say post-modern) day prophets. Then he poses the question in a way that is both deft and wickedly whimsical: How can we expect to 'generate giants from a movement that is itself anemic?' "Anemic" is how he characterizes post-modern Mainline Protestantism.

Evil thrives in an environment of theological anemia. Is that what I'm feeling? Has my faith grown anemic?

Spiritual vitality does not come from sucking up (I hope that is not an offensive phrase to you ... or maybe I hope it is ...) to the power brokers and the economically elite. I'm not saying they are bad; I'm just saying that what they - and so many others of us - are desperate for is the kind of non-compromising commitment to serving, to dishing out lavishly the grace of God that Jesus embodies.

There is life at the table - of this I am certain. But if the seating arrangement is such that people are placed in some weird order of diminishing return, we need to be careful about how we are doing the math. Think ... and pray ... before you sit down.

On Line Bible Study - For the Week February 14-20, 2011

Lesson 480

Luke 13: ³¹ At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.”

³² He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ ³³ In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!

³⁴ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. ³⁵ Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

How are you with conflict? Are you a 'pleaser', looking for any way you can to maintain the peace? Perhaps Herod wanted to kill Jesus because he (Jesus, that is...) was a rabble rouser. And it is telling that the Pharisees seem to be on the "in" with Herod. They come with information about Herod's intentions, and Jesus sends them back with a message. For Herod, keeping the peace at all costs was essential.

Jesus will not be dissuaded. Not only does he fully intend to 'stay the course', as it were; he will keep right on doing what he has been doing. If it riles the crowds up, so be it. But the messianic work will be accomplished.

The city of Jerusalem represents the nation of Israel. Israel does not have a good track record when it comes to receiving with open hearts the message God sends to them. (Refer to Luke 11:47ff.) In spite of this, God yearns for the people to hear and heed. Whatever their response, however, Jesus will bring the word to the heart of the Jewish religion. The message of salvation will be a message that results in the people (that is, the nation) being left desolate. Thinking back to that fig tree in Luke 13:6ff, Jesus is telling the people that Jerusalem's time has come. The proverbial 'year' is up. Time has run out.

Lest we find ourselves tempted to write Judaism out of the script of salvation, we should be careful to hear the message for our own lives. Where is our theological clock at right now?

The journey of 'today, tomorrow and the next day' is most likely an idiom referring to an indefinite passing of time. Some try to read a reference to Jesus' rising after three days. While it may be tempting to interpret it that way, the phrase more likely means that Jesus is determined to do what God has called him to do and go where God has called him to go, no matter how long it takes. That he was so certain of his calling is amazing. That he was so determined - and willing - to carry it through to completion is testimony to his obedient spirit.

Have we heard? Will we heed? Do we obey?

On Line Bible Study - For the week February 7-13, 2011

Lesson 65

Luke 13: ¹⁹ It is like a mustard seed ... ²¹ It is like yeast ... ²³ Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”
(Click above to see the full text under consideration...)

We are talking about mustard seeds, yeast and a narrow door this week. Luke moves back and forth between hope and judgment, all under the umbrella of time. Do we know what time it is? It is the time of the kingdom of God, but it's not going to happen the way folks thought it would.

In his commentary on Luke's Gospel, Darrell Bock points out that Jewish messianic hope had a quality of immediacy to it. The assumption was that the Messiah / King would either quickly rise up from among the ranks or miraculously appear from heaven. In these two short parables Luke paints a different picture.

First - the mustard seed. There are several Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) passages that refer to birds finding shade in the branches of trees - Psalm 104:12; Daniel 4:12. Perhaps the passage that most closely compares to our text in Luke 13:18-19 is found in Ezekiel 17:22-24. A major difference, however, has to do with the tree itself. In Ezekiel the tree is a cedar - noble, tall, and great. In Luke 13 it's a mustard seed - small, insignificant. The surprise is two-fold: Jesus uses the mustard seed. Matthew and Mark both tell us this is a small seed (Mark 4:31; Matthew 13:32). There is nothing majestic about it. Then, we learn that the kingdom is not going to happen instantaneously; rather, it's going to be something that has to grow.

Now - the leaven. If you have seen and experienced leaven you know we are talking small but mighty! The mustard seed provides protection; the leaven describes the power of the kingdom to permeate every corner of the universe. The time will come, says this parable, when everything that exists will do so under the influence of the kingdom of God. It's going to take time, and it's going to have to be worked in, but it's going to happen.

Finally - the narrow way. You will notice this section opens with the following:
Luke 13: ²² Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem.

The 'narrow way' is one Jesus is willing to take. There certainly is irony in the question addressed to him - he has met resistance to his message, and now he heads into the very center of religious fervor - Who will be saved?

The surprise in this section is less about how many are saved and more about who will be saved. Familiarity with Jewish law and practice is not equivalent to a "pass" into the kingdom.

I suspect the person asking the question assumed he or she was "in". Jesus' answer counts no one out; nor does it assure anyone that they are in. It concludes with the surprising statement: ³⁰ Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.” "People come into blessing from everywhere." So comments Bock. However, there is only one way to get to the blessing, and that is God's way. The reason people miss getting through the door is because of our tendency to try to get through on our own terms.

I take home three lessons from this section:
First, God's kingdom offers protection. Second, the kingdom has to be worked into the world - that is a task I can participate in. Third, it's God's kingdom, not mine. "Narrow" doesn't mean difficult; it means 'specific'. It's God's kingdom and we get there by following God's instructions.

On Line Bible Study - For the Week January 31-February 6, 2011

Lesson 478

Luke 13: ¹⁰ On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, ¹¹ and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. ¹² When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” ¹³ Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

¹⁴ Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”

¹⁵ The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? ¹⁶ Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”

¹⁷ When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.

Lurking in the background is the question: Will people recognize what time it is? (See Luke 12:56.)

This is the last time in Luke's Gospel Jesus will be in the synagogue on the Sabbath (Darrell Bock). Does Luke want us to think about what Jesus is teaching and the action Jesus takes? There is conversation among scholars as to whether this story is symbolic - does the "bent over" woman represent the synagogue? The nascent Church? The woman struggles as a result of a spiritual battle. And note: The woman does not reach out to Jesus; he reaches out to her.

She is suffering from a condition mentioned only here in the New Testament. And she is set free not because of her faith. No mention is made of that. She is set free because of the authority of Jesus. The healing is both physical ("...she straightened up...") and spiritual ("...set free from Satan..."). This woman makes the connection between her healing and God's presence - she praises God is she straightens up. And this is the crux of the problem for religious leaders who watched Jesus in action.

It's interesting, isn't it, that the synagogue leader expresses indignation toward the crowd. Who is he actually upset with? Jesus - obviously! "There are six days for work ..." Who had done the work? Jesus! The anger is routed one way, but fully intended to boomerang back at Jesus.

Jesus trades rebuke for rebuke. It's that harsh word, that pointed accusation that surfaces once again - "You hypocrites!"

Are we not at least equal to (if not superior to, with a repentant nod to animal lovers) the beasts of burden? It is a most damaging testimony - that they are kinder to a donkey than to a person.

Jesus' action of healing and liberation began the process of dividing the house. The people loved him. The leaders loathed him. But are any of them truly recognizing the times in which they lived?

On Line Bible Study - For the Week January 24-30, 2011

Lesson 477

Luke 13: ¹ Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. ² Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? ³ I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. ⁴ Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? ⁵ I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

⁶ Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. ⁷ So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

⁸ “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. ⁹ If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”

Remember that just before this passage Jesus has posed a question: Luke 12:56 How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?

This section is found only in Luke's Gospel. Perhaps the question regarding the Galileans is put to Christ as a way of inquiring as to whether "this is the time". In reading Darrell Bock's commentary on Luke, I learned that "mixing blood" is an idiom that refers to two things happening simultaneously. An example he gives from the Midrash speaks of the mixture of circumcision blood and Paschal blood - an indication that whoever eats the Passover should be circumcised. So, while on the way to offer sacrifices, these Galileans were executed - that is probably how the text is to be understood.

The situation presented to Jesus may be more a question about divine punishment for sin than anything else. Neither violence from human hands (as is the case with the Galileans) or natural disasters (such as the tower at Siloam collapsing) are to be interpreted as punishment. Rather, says Jesus, the question is this: Have you repented?

We don't know exactly what either the slaying of the Galileans or those killed by the tower's collapse refers to. If they are specific historical events we don't know what they are. But the more pressing issue has to do with our understanding of how precarious our situation is! In the parable about the fig tree Jesus drives the point home that the time is short.

If we take the gospel seriously, one thing that should not catch us off guard is the brevity of life. Doesn't "repentance" have everything to do with the choices we make today? Doesn't it have everything to do with the priorities we set for ourselves? Repentance is the invitation to keep the main thing the main thing. The call to repentance means God gives us permission to reflect and rejoice in life. It's not only 'permission' - it's an invitation. The repentant life, rightly understood, is the most joyful and fruitful life of all.

On Line Bible Study - For the Week January 18-23, 2011

Lesson 476

Luke 12: ⁴⁹ “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! ⁵⁰ But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed!"

For the full text under consideration (Luke 12:49-59), click on the passage above. We will look at the full piece in three sections.

Luke 12:49-53 Jesus came to bring fire. The Greek word (Πῦρ - 'Pyr') is used to refer to judgment (see Luke 3:9, 17; 9:54, etc.), or the presence of the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:16). Jesus also came to bring peace between God and us. Ironically, that 'peace' sometimes comes at quite a cost. Darrell Bock writes: "With Jesus' arrival comes a period of decision and crisis for people and between people." (Bold mine.) Who Christ wants us to be is not always consonant with how we present ourselves in every and any given moment. Jesus separates out life from death in our own lives - and in our relationships. Choosing life sometimes means we have to let go of others - even the people we love.

Jesus knows his ministry is 'under constraint' until his baptism on the cross occurs. The fullness of his ministry can not be known or understood until it all has been accomplished.

Luke 12:54-56 ⁵⁶ Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?

In our day we might not be quite as glib as to presume we can predict the weather. In Jesus' day, it was simple - a cloud in the west meant moisture from the Mediterranean Sea was heading inland. Rain was on the way. Our weather forecasters have more equipment to work with, and greater knowledge sometimes brings greater humility! Still, whether talking about the economic environment, nature's next move, or what the market might do, we proceed with much more confidence in those areas than we do with reading the status of our spiritual health. What do the events of the present day mean?
Be careful now! This is not an invitation to start running around proclaiming the sky is falling. Rather, it is the command to be honest about the state of things, and to ask ourselves: Just what am I preparing for?

Luke 12: 57-59 ⁵⁸ As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled on the way ...

This section has to do with what we owe God. Once again some care has to be taken. In one sense we owe God no more than any of us owes our parents. We did not ask to be brought into the world. I have always been grateful for my parent's attitude toward their children - an attitude represented in Ephesians 6:4 which instructs fathers not to "exasperate" their children! In one sense we owe our parents nothing. But in another sense, we owe them everything because apart from them we would not exist.
We owe God nothing - we owe God everything! This section of Luke 12 has to do with reminding us that Christ insures that whatever we owe to God is paid - paid in full.

On Line Bible Study - For the Week January 17-23, 2011

Lesson 475

Luke 12: ³⁵ “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, ³⁶ like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him."

Click on the text above to read Luke 12: 35-48 in its entirety.

Jesus - coming again. The first challenge for us: What does this mean for us today?

It's 2000 years now since Jesus was born. Scholars look at the "Second Coming" in several ways.

1. First, some say Jesus spoke these words and meant us to believe he would physically come again.
2. Others believe the 'Second Coming of Christ' represents the faith of the early Christian Church, especially as it experienced persecution. The 'apocalyptic' passages are a reflection of the church's belief that, while the Messiah's spiritual work was finished, the physical work - that of bringing all things under submission to Christ - had not been completed. We are called to participate in the work of bringing about the kingdom of heaven, but it is going to take Jesus coming again to bring the fullness of the kingdom to earth.
   

The focus of the text is not on whether Christ will come. Nor does it take any time speculating on how he will come. The focus is on our being ready when (not "if") he comes.

Peter asks the question in verse 41: “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?” Why would that be important to Peter? Is his question an innocent request for clarity, or a desire to understand if the 12 were being singled out for special behavior? Are the leaders the only ones being singled out for 'watchfulness'? And the punishment for lack of watchfulness is rather severe - dismemberment: He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

What is the key to the kingdom - is it faith, or faithfulness? Is it what we believe or what we do? Jesus tells the disciples the more they know they more they are responsible for.

This is a tough message - I think the apocalyptic passages in the Gospels are the tougher part of Jesus' message. Somehow we have to reconcile the fact of this message with our belief in a 'God of love and forgiveness'. Love HAS its rough edges! Faith does require patience! And perseverance!

It is important that we don't try to explain away what we struggle to understand. Will Jesus physically return? Another way to think about it: Do you ever encounter the presence of Christ in your life now? Is Jesus alive? Isn't that the point? What are the ramifications of our not living life his way? Are there any ramifications? You bet there are. Just look at the shape our world is in!