Reading Luke - Week 8 of 11 - February 25 through March 3

Luke 16-18 …And More Parables

This week Jesus continues on his way to Jerusalem teaching in parables.  And we continue to notice that his mission to the marginalized shines forth in his words and actions.

 

Jesus told stories where the one with less wealth, status, or power is very often the “hero” of the story.  This leads me to ask “who are the heroes of our society’s stories?”  Over the past month our society has gathered around a special storytelling event each Sunday – many of us joined in watching the Super Bowl, the Grammy Awards, the NBA All-Star Game, and the Academy Awards.  Among the high-status celebrities, flashes of wealth, and alluring advertisements, what kind of story is being told about meaning in life?  Contrast this with the story Jesus is telling about God’s kingdom.

Follow this guide through Jesus' parables and his encounters with people on his journey to Jerusalem and the cross.  Consider the characters and the unlikely heroes.  Ask yourselves the following questions:

 

• Why is this person the hero?
• What kind of person would read this and rejoice?  Do I have cause to rejoice?
• What kind of person would read this and be upset?  Do I have cause to be upset by what Jesus is saying/doing?
• From this story/encounter, how is Jesus calling me to grow in following him as a disciple? 

The Parable of the Dishonest Manager ... Luke 16:1-13

Characters: A rich man and his dishonest manager

Hero: The dishonest manager!

Key verse: “No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” (16:13)

The Parable of the Rich Man & Lazarus ... Luke 16:19-31

Characters: A rich man, a poor man named Lazarus, Father Abraham

Hero: The poor man Lazarus, neglected by the rich man in life but rewarded in eternity

Key verse: “But Abraham said ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony…’” (16:25)

Jesus Cleanses 10 Lepers (ministry encounter) ... Luke 17:11-19

Characters: Jesus, 10 Lepers (one of whom was a Samaritan, a despised people)
Hero: The one Samaritan leper who returned to give thanks

Key verse: “Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” (17:18)

 
The Surprise Coming of the Kingdom (teaching) ... Luke 17:20-37

Characters: Multiple examples from regular life and Old Testament stories

Lesson: Our lifestyles and what fills them - “eating & drinking, buying & selling, planting & building” – will suddenly come to nothing when the kingdom of God comes in fullness.

Key verse: “Those who try to make their life secure will lose it, but those who lose their life will keep it.” (17:33)

 
The Parable of the Widow and the Unjust Judge ... Luke 18:1-8

Characters: A bothersome widow and a disrespectful judge

Hero: The widow

Key Verse: “And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them?” (18:7)

The Parable of the Pharisee & the Tax Collector ...Luke 18:9-14

Characters: A self-righteous Pharisee and a contrite tax collector (these folks were considered sinners)

Hero: The tax collector

Key verse: “I tell you, this man (the tax collector) went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.” (18:14)

Jesus Blesses Little Children (ministry encounter) ... Luke 18:15-17

Characters: Jesus’ disciples, people bringing infants to Jesus, the little children themselves

Heroes: The little children & the people bringing them to Jesus (definitely not the disciples!)

Key Verse: “But Jesus called for them and said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.’” (18:16)

 

The Rich Ruler (ministry encounter) ... Luke 18:18-30

Characters: a ruler who couldn’t let go of his wealth, Peter, …and a camel

Hero: The camel!

Key Verse: “Jesus looked at him and said, ‘How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!’” (18:24)

A Blind Beggar Recognizes the Son of David (ministry encounter) ... Luke 18:35-43

Characters: A blind man begging on the roadside, a crowd following Jesus
Hero: The blind beggar.  Yes, he was healed by Jesus, but this blind man was also the only one to recognize that Jesus was the "Son of David,” the Davidic ruler who was about to enter the Holy City of Jerusalem.
Key Verse: “Those who were in front sternly ordered him to be quiet; but he shouted even more loudly, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’” (18:39)

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Lord Jesus,
Show us your heart for the marginalized, lowly, poor, hurting, forgotten.  Reveal to us your care for us in our blessed imperfections and struggles.  Empower us to be your agents of compassion and reconciliation among the downtrodden, in our neighborhood and around the world.  Amen.

Pastor Kurt

 

Reading Luke - Week 7 of 11 - February 18-24

Luke 14-15. Jesus Taught in Parables

Jesus’ Mission to the Marginalized

(Today's Subtitle)
Did He Just Say That? Oh No He Didn’t!
Revolutionary Words in the Subversive Parables of Jesus

The parables of Jesus play an important part in Jesus’ Mission to the Marginalized.  This is true in each of the gospels, but Luke puts the parables together in such a way that it’s easier to notice how Jesus lifts up those of low status.

Eugene Peterson calls Jesus’ parables subversive, meaning that they indirectly challenge the status quo in an attempt to forge a new loyalty to the different values in God’s kingdom.  Follow this link to read what he has to say, quoted from Peterson’s book The Contemplative Pastor by fellow blogger Ted M. Gossard:

http://communityofjesus.wordpress.com/2010/07/11/eugene-peterson-on-jesus-the-subversive/

In his parables in Luke 14-15, Jesus lifts up the lowly and marginalized to a place of greater honor and respect.  Here is a list of four questions that might help us interpret the impact of these parables on our lives: 

1. For whom is this good news?  How might Jesus want them to respond to this good news?
2. For whom is this bad news? (That is, who might be threatened by this?)  How might Jesus want them to respond?
3. Is this good news or bad news for me?  In what ways am I the one being lifted up?  In what ways am I the one being brought down?
4. How can I extend these insights beyond myself to the larger social world (family, friends, class, region, nation, race, etc.)?

Chapter 14 – Status Reversal

This chapter features parables that portray God’s reign as an “Upside-Down Kingdom.”  Here, the tables are turned in the area of status and honor.  Jesus speaks of a reversal of fortunes, good news for the lowly but downright infuriating to people of power & privilege.

Here Jesus’ parables arise from an encounter with the “haves” and a “have not” in 14:1-6.  Jesus rubbed shoulders with the upper class, but he didn’t buy in to common upper class notions that de-valued those of low or impure status.  Here he’s heading to a high-class dinner at the home of a prominent Pharisee.  On the way he encounters a man who is suffering from a disturbing physical condition.  Everything about the situation said "hands-off," but Jesus draws near to heal him anyway, offering some choice words to his high-class friends in verse 5.

Key verses:

From the Parable of the Wedding Banquet, Luke 14:7-14

• 14:11 “For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

From the Parable of the Great Dinner, Luke14:15-24

• 14:21-24 “… ‘Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame’… ‘For I tell you, none of those who were invited will taste my dinner.’ “

A note on Jesus’ teaching about the cost of discipleship, Luke 14:25-35

Seen in its context in Luke 14, the cost of following Jesus looks more like downward social mobility.  No longer tied directly to the status of family, and now committed to following a leader who calls you to take up the cross and live a humble life of service to the lowly.  Notice how the challenge ends…back to possessions again, the currency of status.  14:33 “…none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.”

 

Chapter 15 – Lost People Matter

Notice that all the parables of the lost in this chapter emerge from a social situation in Jesus’ ministry.  “Tax collectors and sinners” were coming to him to listen to his teaching, and Pharisees and scribes grumbled about this disapprovingly.  In these parables the tables of religious status are turned.  The lost matter just as much (or more?) than those who are already in the family/fold.

Key verses:

From the Parable of the Lost Sheep, Luke 15:1-7

• 15:7 “Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”

From the Parable of the Lost Coin, Luke 15:8-10

• 15:10 “Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

From the Parable of the Lost Son, Luke 15:11-32

• 15:31-32 “The father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’”

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Jesus, in our pride/exalted status bring us down, in our sinfulness/lowliness lift us up, all to the glory of Our Heavenly Father. Amen.

 

Kurt

Reading Luke - Week 6 of 11 - February 11 to 17

Luke 9:51-13:35

Beginning the Journey to Jerusalem (see links to the right)

This week my blog focuses on a theme that is crucial to BOTH the worldwide movement of Christianity and the Messiah’s ministry to the marginalized.  One marginalized group Jesus cared for was poor disciples. They would give their all in serving Jesus, but would Jesus meet their physical needs?

Providing for the Physical Needs of Disciples/Apostles

Follow this path of touchstones in the text to see how Jesus provides for the needs of those who carry his message into the world.  You're looking for references to food, clothing, possessions, money, etc.  Here is a general set of application questions for the journey:

 

• What difference does this make for how you think of God's provision in your life?
• Do you trust that God will meet your needs?
• Do you bring your needs to him in prayer?  Do you pray for others' needs?
• How might God use you to meet another disciple's practical needs? In your church? In another part of the world?

ONE - Jesus sends out the seventy and they return with joy

10:4 “Carry no purse…” 10:7 “Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid.”

TWO - Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan

10:25-37 “…when he saw him he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, took out two denarii (coins/money), gave them to the innkeeper, and said, Take care of him and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.” Question: Did the early Christians ever get beaten up like this man? See 2 Corinthians 11:23-29.  For the movement to keep going, no doubt disciples had to fund "recovery operations” just like the Good Samaritan did.

THREE - Jesus teaches his disciples how to ask God to provide their food

11:3 “Give us each day our daily bread” (Your Bible may have a note that says this could be translated as “Give us each day our bread for tomorrow").  Question: In 11:5-13, how does Jesus follow up this teaching on prayer?  By talking about God’s provision in terms of food: the lending of loaves of bread and parents giving children the food they ask for.

FOUR - Jesus denounces the Pharisees for their neglect of justice

11:42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and herbs of all kinds, and neglect justice and the love of God; it is these you ought to have practiced, without neglecting the others.”

FIVE - Jesus tells the parable of the Rich Fool

Luke 12:13-21 “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.”  Question: If God provides food for his people, do you think he may want to use the grain in those barns to answer the disciples’ prayers for food?  Look up Acts 2:43-47 and compare this parable to the way that the early church disciples would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all as any had need!

SIX - Jesus teaches his disciples not to worry about food & clothing

12:22-34 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food and the body more than clothing….And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying.”

SEVEN - Jesus teaches about growth in the kingdom of God from small beginnings

13:20-21 The kingdom of God is “like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”  There it is again...the expansion of food.

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Before we go, I have to mention that in this week's reading we are introduced to a topic that is both representative of ministry to the marginalized and of the strategic expansion of the early church:

 

Samaria & Samaritans

• 9:51-56. Samaria is territory on the road to Jerusalem.  Notice that Jesus doesn’t condemn them when they do not receive him.  Why not?
• 10:25-37.  Surprisingly, the marginalized Samaritan is the model citizen in the story.
• Samaria is important territory in the expansion of the church beyond Jerusalem, as recorded in the Book of Acts
• In Acts 1:8 Jesus said “And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
• In Acts 8:4-25, Philip fulfills this commission.

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Did you see the Holy Spirit sightings?

• 10:21 “Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit…”
• 12:12 “…for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what you ought to say.”

Key Verse - What does it mean to you?  What might it mean to the powerful?  What might it mean to the lowly?

Luke 10:21 - “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants.”

Blessings in Christ,

Kurt

 

 

 

Reading LUKE - February 4 -10 ... Week 5 of 11

Luke 7-9:50  Miracles, Mission, Messiah

Tracking Jesus' mission to the marginalized...

In 7:22, we see Jesus summarizing and restating his mission: “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them.”  It appears that these were important to Jesus.  How important are they to you?  How do you see any or all of these activities still happening by Jesus’ power through the work of the church around the world?

JESUS & WOMEN

I think the most significant marginalized group of people presented in these chapters of Luke’s gospel is women.  In Jesus’ day, women were marginalized to a low status of society.  They had few rights, and their lives often unfolded based on the (wise or unwise) decisions of the men in their families and community.  In Luke & Acts, particular women are lifted up as models of discipleship and service.  These are meant to inspire all believers, not just women.  Some parts of the Bible are silent in this regard, and this can lull us to sleep so that we miss these radical portrayals. Notice them!  Make sure you spend time with the following characters/scenes:

The Widow of Nain, 7:11-17

Jesus performs a miracle. A man brought back to life! Question: Why him? Answer: “Blessed are the poor.”  It turns out that the main subject of this episode is a widow.  Women whose husbands died relied on the financial support of their sons, but she only has one, and now he is dead.  This loss of a treasured loved one brings with it a loss of material well-being.  Without him she is destitute, utterly poor.  How will she know the blessings of God’s kingdom?  Jesus blesses her in a powerful way.  He brings her son to back to life, and in so doing restores her means of financial support and material well-being.  Have you ever been in this woman’s shoes, or known someone who has?  In addition to the loss of a treasured relationship, what else was lost?  How did God provide?

The Sinful Woman Who Anointed Jesus' Feet, 7:36-50

One of the ways that women were marginalized is that their sins and moral failures were judged as more awful than those of men – even when people of both genders were involved with each other in the same sinful activity! Jesus welcomes this woman and receives her offering of love.  Jesus forgives her.  The shame of sin – whether felt internally or heaped on us by our judgmental peers – is no match for Jesus’ forgiving love.  How do you identify with this woman?  Have you experienced Jesus forgiving you of a sin that you once thought was unforgiveable?  Is there a sin that you have committed that you think Jesus would never forgive?  Follow this woman to the feet of Jesus and find the freedom of forgiveness.

Jesus’ Female Disciples, 8:1-3

One of the ways women have been marginalized through the years is that their stories have not always been included or acknowledged.  Here Luke gives us a window into the stories of women who responded to Jesus’ call to follow him.  They had received his ministry; oppressed by evil spirits and/or sick with disease, Jesus made them whole and now they followed him.  And they weren’t just along for the ride!  Luke mentions that they contribute their resources to the movement.  Take time to memorize the names of these disciples: Mary Magdalene, Joanna, & Susanna.  Allow yourself to be inspired by their discipleship and the way they provided for Jesus' ministry in Galilee.  Here's a fun question: Whose wealth was Joanna diverting to Jesus’ ministry?  Isn’t that incredible!

 

Tracking the orderly account of a world-changing movement, the person at the center, and the power behind it…

Authority continues to be a theme.  Jesus is demonstrating the power of God, and people are asking question “Who is this?”

• The Centurion's Testimony, 7:1-10
• Jesus Calms the Storm, 8:22-25
• Jesus Heals Women, Young & Old (Jairus’ daughter  & a suffering woman), 8:40-56

Jesus gives his disciples his power and authority as he sends them out as apostles, 9:1-6
“When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick…So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.”

In the context of the two-volume Luke-Acts, this scene is a preview of the “acts” of the apostles.  It establishes that the power the Apostles demonstrate is not their own, but it is from Jesus who gives it to them for his purposes.

 

How does Jesus' authority function in your life?  How have you been given authority by Jesus to use in his service and for his purposes?

Blessings...and let's keep reading!

Kurt