Tag: leader

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Luke: Pre-Trial of the Messiah

Luke 22:63-71

In the last post, our focus was on Peter’s denials and his reaction to the realization that what Jesus said previously was not symbolic–it was very real. During these pre-morning scenes, Jesus is aggressively questioned by the high priests who have already decided His fate. It seems the guards pick up the scent as they begin to treat Jesus brutally.

They blindfolded him and demanded, “Prophesy! Who hit you?” And they said many other insulting things to him. Luke 22:64-65

For some reason, Joseph Conrad’s, Heart of Darkness, comes to mind. We see here those who are supposed to be most civilized acting with complete disregard for human life. Beating a blindfolded man makes no sense. Mocking and insulting their prisoner is surrealistic, out of step with Jesus’ teaching and healing ministry. And yet it is real.

The council of elders must know this is going on. There is no indication that the guards are bridled in the slightest. The mock trial continues.

Daybreak

Sleep deprivation is one of the most often used techniques for breaking prisoners. If you keep someone awake long enough, they’ll say whatever you want at some point. In this episode, I think the council is losing focus, not Jesus. They are working hard to come up with a case they can present before the Roman authorities since they are trying to put the responsibility for eliminating Jesus on government shoulders.

They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?” He replied, “You say that I am.” Then they said, “Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips.” Luke 22:70-71

The entire Sanhedrin finally gets the non-answer that they wanted. By not refuting their claim, Jesus admits He is indeed the Son of God. That seals it for the Jewish leadership. They heard what they wanted to hear.

Darkness

Though it is daybreak, the story turns incredibly dark. In God’s great compassion for mankind, He sent Jesus into the world and only a few received Him. It seems we, as a race, haven’t advanced far from Genesis:

The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. Genesis 6:5

Instead of flooding the earth this time, God provided the perfect sacrifice to save the world. This doesn’t make sense to most people because their focus is on themselves first, lost in the sea of selfish desires.

Lord, help us to step back and see what it is You see, through Your eyes. There are too many times that we are surrounded by darkness. Don’t let our hearts feel the weight of those who would be misled. Instead, fill our hearts with the joy of Your salvation and may this true light be our testimony.

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Luke: Destruction and Encouragement

Read: Luke 21:5-38

The balance of chapter 21 is titled, The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times. Mostly red letters, the words of Jesus, are meant to motivate us to be courageous as the world falls apart. Mostly. Some quotes make me pause. Entire books have been written on the Olivet Discourse, so many details and much to debate. I’m not trying to add to that discussion here and I’m not about to explain pre-, post-, a-millennialism in this brief post! What I hear from this morning’s reading is that things are going to get much worse before they get much better. If we stick with Jesus, we will ultimately win. If we choose to ignore His words, we will suffer greatly (to put it mildly).

The disciples are in awe of the beauty of the Temple and make some comments about the beautiful stones and gifts. In my imagination, I can see them looking up and smiling as they express the wonder of the place where God is honored. The music swells, then Jesus throws a wet blanket on the whole group.

“As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.” Luke 21:6

And so the story begins. The Temple, the pride of the Jewish people, will be destroyed. For the Pharisees and Sadducees, this was ludicrous talk! Tantamount to blasphemy. Here’s a thought: when we begin to worship buildings, we’re probably not focused on God. Just sayin.

Jesus goes on to provide a lot of details. I hope He laid these out one at a time because each is heavy and take time to process. For example,

You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. Everyone will hate you because of me. Luke 21:16-17

If I were there, I’d probably try to get Jesus’ attention and say, “WAIT! What did you say? Put some of us to death? Can you explain how you want us to stand firm and win life?”

He’s on a roll, there is much more to be said. As He spoke these words, I envision a somber atmosphere where each is leaning in to hear as they sincerely try to comprehend what is being said.

Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. Luke 21:24

These are not words that Jesus provides out of pride, He is sad about the reality that is about to be imposed on His friends and on the world. Remember His entry to Jerusalem just a few chapters ago:

As He approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it Luke 19:41

Jesus wept over the vision of what was to become of this most sacred place. So much of the Old Testament was about the Temple. David wanted to build it, but God said no. Solomon built it but got lost in the plethora of wives and concubines. Back and forth we watched as Israel was split and ultimately dispersed. In Jesus’ day, the Jewish community was going through a massive redecorating program where the Temple was once again looking nice. Unfortunately, it appears this was all in vain because those in charge missed the most important event in history: The Messiah was right in front of them. They were so focused on themselves, they missed Jesus. Let that thought sink in for a while.

The Encouragement

When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. Luke 21:28

When these things take place, not if. Lift up your heads, not with pride or arrogance, but with the assurance that you have chosen well, you have seen beyond the fog of this present day and to the future that holds eternity.

I leave you with a glimpse of John’s revelation:

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. Revelation 22:17

Be strong and courageous. Seek the lost as one who is found.

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Luke: The Proud and a Humble Offering

Read: Luke 20:45-21:4

Mark and Luke both provide two brief stories to contrast pride and arrogance versus humble obedience. The former will be severely punished while the latter is honored far above the proud.

The Proud

Jesus holds no punches in revealing the proud and arrogant Pharisees, the teachers of the law, that go about in flashy robes, long prayers, and seats of honor. We see this in a lot of different venues, especially in the entertainment business which, in my definition, includes sports. A pro basketball player makes the game-winning buzzer-beater then runs around beating his chest, standing on tables, making sure everyone knows he is the hero.

In this first story, Luke lets us know that the Pharisees’ actions will have consequences:

These men will be punished most severely. Luke 20:47c

Their punishment, however, is not so much because of their boasting, their buzzer-beater pride, it’s because of how they mishandle an important responsibility for the temple: offering, especially from those who are widows.

They devour widows’ houses Luke 20:47a

Widows and orphans have a special place in God’s heart. As we read through the Bible we see references to the fatherless and widows quite often, each time to make a point that we have a responsibility to care for those who are seen as the least in society.

Jesus makes the point that those responsible for the temple offering are abusing their position by taking advantage of widows. The crowd would certainly agree, but what can be done? No solution is offered except this important perspective: Jesus knows.

The Humble Offering

To hammer the point home, Jesus looks out over the area where the offering is rendered and notices a poor widow.

he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. Luke 21:1-3

No doubt the temple coffer keepers looked down upon the widow for her insignificant gift, but Jesus sees something completely different. He uses this as an example for us to follow as well as some assurance that the inappropriate behavior of those in charge is seen by the Father. He will not let this go unpunished.

Our Response

We know the story well. I hope this reminder helps us to pause when we interact with the waiter at a restaurant or friend or neighbor.

Jesus knows the hearts of mankind. He will avenge those who cannot speak for themselves. Have faith. Don’t be like these people. Learn the art of servant leadership as demonstrated by Jesus. We don’t need fancy titles or reserved parking spaces. All of that stuff is temporary anyway.

Lord help us to see the widows of this world, those who are fatherless, those who are far from You. Help us to see the hearts of all we interact with and humbly offer our very best to advance Your kingdom.

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Luke: Whose Son Is the Messiah?

Read: Luke 20:41-44

Chapter 20 seems to be a chapter of questions and answers, some of the FAQs for our edification as we grow in our knowledge and faith in Jesus Christ. The Pharisees ask about Jesus’ authority,  and whether it’s right to pay taxes. The Sadducees try to find support for their short-lived movement by talking about marriage at the resurrection.

In this passage, Jesus adds His own question for people to consider:

Why is it said that the Messiah is the son of David? Luke 20:41

Matthew 22:41-46 and Mark 12:35-37 both include this brief narrative, three of four gospels compel us to dig into this question, so let’s take a moment and see why this is so significant.

  • Matthew’s angle reveals a group of Pharisees gathered, perhaps trying to figure out who Jesus is or since we know the rest of the story, they may just be looking for ways to trip Him up. Matthew 22:46 lets us know they had no answer.
  • Mark 12:37b points out that there was a large crowd that heard this question along with its answer and responded with delight.
  • Luke chooses to let the rhetorical question linger, no response, no details about who heard the question.
  • All three consistently point to Psalm 110, Jesus’ most quoted psalm in the New Testament.

The Problem

The Lord said to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.
Luke 20:42-43

If the Lord is speaking to David’s Lord, He must be of significant authority since David is historically known and the greatest king in Israel’s history. No one would argue that any king is greater, so we have to wonder about this Lord.

The Question

David calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?” Luke 20:44

From the most superficial perspective, Jesus had to be a man that absolutely amazed the learned scholars in the audience. In the previous section, He hushed the Sadducees with His answer about the resurrection. Now He pinpoints a riddle that it’s doubtful the scholars ever wrestled with, let alone had an answer for.

Jesus isn’t showing off, nor is He trying to intimidate these people, He’s trying to move them from their high places of authority to a higher place of understanding. We all have room to grow. The Bible gives us a leg-up on the challenge, but there is so much more to learn than just the text in front of us.

Our goal should be to learn the how and why more than the chapter and verse. In this case, I suspect the Pharisees could grab the scroll that contained Psalm 110 with ease and precision, but they had no idea about the weight of the few words quoted above.

The Answer

King David points to the Messiah as his Lord, the one who will sit at the right hand of God. He is “priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek” (Psalm 110:4), the One to be revered. See, you knew the answer was Jesus!

For those in the audience, the question essentially points out that since the Messiah is Lord of the Lord, the one who sits on His right with ultimate authority, why don’t you respect Jesus Christ who is standing right in front of you?

Wake up, people! He’s right in front of your eyes.

 

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Luke: They Ask About Paying Taxes

Read: Luke 20:20-26

Eight times in this short passage we see the words “they” or “them” as Luke refers to those conspiring to kill Jesus.

Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. Luke 20:20

At the beginning of this chapter Luke identifies those who are leading the conspiracy as a band of self-righteous religious leaders, “the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders” (Luke 20:1). This time, instead of looking for a lesson on biblical authority, they want to trap Jesus with a question about paying taxes.

Their Plan-A is to find something Jesus says or does that would be illegal so the government would get involved. The word sedition comes to mind as I think about them in this story. If they could paint Jesus as one who is leading a cause against Roman authority, the governor would quickly and decisively remove Jesus.

It’s a great plan, but not God’s plan.

He saw through their duplicity and said to them, “Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?” Luke 20:23-24

First of all, Jesus saw through their thinly veiled plot to trap Him. Whoever drew the short straw and got the dubious honor of asking Jesus this question had to feel like an idiot. Jesus played along with a twist:

He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” Luke 20:25

They might have suspected Jesus would publicly announce something along the lines of paying what you owe to the government to avoid a rather obvious illegal position, but He added “and to God” to the discussion. This put them squarely in their place and sent them running for cover.

In essence, Jesus quickly calls them out for their lack of integrity and their plot is ruined. Not only did Jesus squelch their not-so-crafty trap, He points out it’s important to be responsible in both realms: support those in civil authority and give back that which belongs to God.

If I understand the ancient practice, carrying a Denarius with Caesar’s image was evidence that I would be seen as a law-abiding citizen. Not much argument there. Here’s the question, are we carrying a coin with God’s image? Can we produce evidence that we are God’s people?

This goes far beyond pulling a church membership card or WWJD bumper sticker. In a simple phrase, Jesus commands that we pay God that which is already His. The religious leaders of the past got the point and quickly backed off. How about us?

Lord help me to lean in when I hear these challenges and do that which Jesus is clearly demanding. Help me figure out how to work within the system of government while focusing on the greater mission: spread the gospel to all parts of society.

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Luke: Parable of the Tenants

Read: Luke 20:10-19

The way Luke presents the narrative, Jesus simply keeps going after denying the chief priests an answer to their insidious question about His authority. This time, the parable is directly aimed at those who are still trying to figure out how to trap Him. One important lesson to draw from this chapter is that Jesus is not marching around with His nose stuck up in the air, He is bold and confident, not arrogant. Yet He does not change His story to appease those who oppose Him.

The parable reads like a horror movie, one that could easily be produced in this modern age where villains are heroes. A man plants a vineyard then goes away on a long trip. If you’ve never planted grapes you need to appreciate that it takes a very long time before the vines start producing fruit, let alone a harvest big enough for wine. Planting is just the first step.

After some time, the owner sends a servant to retrieve a sample, a sensible step for a winemaker. Instead of welcoming the servant and providing a reasonable response, they beat him and send him away. They repeat this action when the second and third servant arrives, the last one being injured in the process. Choice words come to mind to describe these tenants, none of which will be posted here!

But the worst is yet to come. This is where the chief priests and teachers of the law lean forward to hear the rest of the story. The owner decides to send someone who can best represent himself:

I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him. Luke 20:13

This action probably sounds familiar to you, but keep in mind those who were listening had no idea what was going to happen in the next few days. The next two verses contain the key to this parable:

“But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Luke 20:14-15

The tenants talked it over amongst themselves. As tenants, they have a responsibility to care for that which the owner has provided, yet they respond with arrogance and audacity as if the vineyard was their own to do with as they pleased. They gathered together to conspire against the master with brutal force — they killed his son.

Then comes the question: what should the master do? Ha! That’s easy, load up the 50-cal, we have a simple solution for you! Jesus provides the rhetorical question for consideration:

“What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” Luke 20:15-16

The people are enraged by the story, “God forbid!” is their response. Absolutely! No one in his right mind would support the tenants in this story.

Jesus makes sure the point isn’t missed. I love the next line that emphasizes how He explained the parable, “Jesus looked directly at them…” Ouch! In my mind, He paused to let people soak in the story before continuing, making sure everyone was paying attention.

Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: “‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’? Luke 20:17

Psalm 118 and Isaiah 53 come to mind as Jesus explains. Yes, we have the Bible to lean on, but I’m sure the temple leaders were familiar with both references, even without a smartphone. They knew what Jesus was talking about. Anyone who opposes the master will be severely dealt with. They will be broken to pieces, crushed, done.

Still afraid of public outcry, the priests back off, but their minds are completely set on killing Jesus as if they needed yet another reason.

We are the tenants of this parable and we have a choice to make. We can act like everything we have is ours for our own benefit, hold tight and say, “mine!” Or we can honor the Master who freely provides everything we need, who only asks for that which we can give.

Lord help us to be the people who not only say, “God Forbid!” but live lives that draw people to You, that reveal Your truth and Your desire for an eternal relationship filled with joy. May we be known as the people who sing Psalm 118 and boldly proclaim,

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
Psalm 118:29

 

https://soundcloud.com/teracomp/the-parable-of-the-tenants

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Luke: Jesus in the Temple Courts — Not So Friendly

Read: Luke 19:45-20:8

For those who have rendered Jesus as their personal companion, friend, and a buddy of sorts, the scene in the temple courts should provide some evidence that He did not come here to be best friends. The seriousness of His mission comes into focus as we enter the last section of Luke’s gospel. Beginning with yesterday’s triumphal entry through chapter 24, Jesus’ main purpose comes into focus. The first 19 chapters provided the foundation. Events will now speed up quickly.

When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be a house of prayer’; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” Luke 19:45-46

Forget the image of Jesus as the mild and meek carpenter’s son. Regardless of His physical stature, no one is about to stand in His way as He drives out those who have turned the Temple into a business enterprise.

One thing I find interesting is His physical action here. The wind and the waves obey His simplest of demands to “be still,” but in this instance, He gets physically involved. Once again, we are given an example that we can follow. His actions are not supernatural, though I would certainly not want to be one that stood in His way!

The chief priests and teachers of the law, however, have had enough of this Jesus guy. From their perspective, it’s bad enough that He performs miracles they can’t begin to replicate or preaches sermons they can’t understand, now He’s directly in their business! No doubt each of the sellers doing business in the Temple courts contributed to their bottom-line. Now Jesus is driving them away. Something has to be done!

The foolish priests’ first plan of attack is question Jesus’ authority.

“Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,” they said. “Who gave you this authority?” Luke 20:2

I’m confident they’ve heard all the stories, if not witnessed some of the miracles, and yet they are confused about His authority. Well, actually, they’re not confused. It’s simply a trap to get Jesus to publicly say something that they could use to kick Him out of Jerusalem.

Jesus doesn’t play well with this kind of attitude. He fires back a question that they have no way of answering without recognizing the true authority.

He replied, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me: John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin?” Luke 20:3-4

They hold an emergency council meeting to debate the pros and cons of possible answers, but ultimately they give up and admit, they don’t know. Their position in the church (to use a contemporary term) would be severely compromised if they take a position on His question. If they confirm John’s baptism was from God, they are at fault because they did not present themselves to John for baptism. However, if they affirm his baptism was human, all of the public support for John would turn against them.

These leaders of the Jewish faith are more concerned about appearances than facts. Their position, their status, even their livelihood is based on maintaining their authority and high status in society.

I wish this were only a story from ancient days, but sadly this is a theme we witness in our ultra-conservative, postmodern society. At the risk of showing my age, I’ll quote a Billy Joel song,

Honesty is such a lonely word, but mostly what I need from you.

Lord, help us to expand Your kingdom on earth by being honest with each other. Teach us to wade into the pool of transparency without drama. May we each find brothers or sisters in Christ that we can openly confide in. May we be the church you meant when you reminded us to forgive one another, to love uncontrollably, and to reach out to the least, the lonely, and the lost.

 

https://soundcloud.com/teracomp/luke-jesus-in-the-temple-courts-not-so-friendly

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Luke: Triumphal Entry as Jesus Weeps

Read: Luke 19:28-44

Most of this passage is focused on the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem as prophesied hundreds of years before. The text contains highlights of the momentous occasion, songs, and joyful celebration as well as tears from Jesus as He reflects on the future. Let that last thought sink in for a moment. Only God can look back on that which has not happened in our time.

As we dive into the passage, I can’t help but wonder how amenable the owner of the colt was to the disciples’ request.

As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” They replied, “The Lord needs it.” Luke 19:33-34

With that short explanation, they take the colt and present it to Jesus. This is a colt that’s never been ridden before. The owner must have been thinking these guys are a bit off their rocker for borrowing this particular colt. I can picture him shrugging it off with a “good luck with that” kind of glance.

No one hesitates. The colt is secured, covered with a few coats to make the ride comfortable, and the animal appears to calmly accept its burden. Jesus enters Jerusalem.

Memories flood the minds of the crowd of disciples, more than just the twelve, a festive atmosphere begins to fill the hearts of the few that actually got to witness that which multitudes have been hoping to see for centuries.

the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Luke 19:37-38

Not everyone was happy about this moment. Luke reports that some of the Pharisees told Jesus to rebuke His disciples. From their perspective, this couldn’t possibly be right. With their pious belts tight, they have the audacity to confront Jesus, but He will not be moved.

“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” Luke 19:40

Without a doubt, Jesus will be honored, He will be praised. For most of those present, at least from Luke’s account, this is a joyful moment.

The Roman authorities are not in the least bit threatened. The people might be using the word “king,” but where is the army? No worries, go about your business. This is just some religious thing. I suspect they simply dismissed the activity.

On the other hand, Jesus looks to the future and sees what no one else can. As I proposed at the beginning of this post, He reflects on the future. He knows that within the human lifespan of many of those who are singing, Jerusalem will be destroyed. Utterly and completely. No one of Jewish heritage could view that scene and hold back tears. This is a tragic moment.

As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. Luke 19:41-42

This is our Lord, our Savior, our God. He is mighty and powerful and yet He truly cares about us and for us. There are a lot of “ands” in the last sentence, not enough to capture His essence, but I hope you get the point.

In His role as Creator, I don’t think God gets excited about judgment or effecting His wrath. But I don’t think He withholds it either.

We are about to enter the last days of Jesus on earth through Luke’s eyes. It seems fitting as we continue to prepare for Pentecost at this present time. Lord, help us to remember and help us to look forward to your next triumphal entry. May this thought cause us to spread your Gospel today!

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Luke: Blind Beggar Now Sees

Read: Luke 18:35-43

I ordered a new set of reading glasses this morning, something I need, pretty common for people my age. My distance vision is great, but when I read, it’s a strain. This is quite a switch from when I was very young and couldn’t see the board at school. Eye doctors quickly figured out I needed glasses. For years I wore glasses, then contacts, then LASIK changed all of that. Our children inherited my poor vision and have been blessed with LASIK because the optometrists all agreed:

Your eyes are healthy, you just have bad vision

I heard that phrase many times, something I find amusing and somewhat prophetic about my life. My challenge isn’t health, it’s just poor sight.

In today’s reading, Luke portrays one of the least in society. The unnamed beggar is no doubt an outcast, unable to contribute to the agro-centric culture in which he was raised, he’s forced to live on the streets and beg for anything he can get.

He can’t see, but it’s apparent that he can hear.

He’s heard about Jesus of Nazareth. He’s heard that He is the one prophesied about, the Son of David. This is not a casual label applied to someone, this is a significant observation from one who is being shunned by those leading the procession. The man will not miss this opportunity:

he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Luke 18:39

In our typical church setting, our security team would have done the same. They would have escorted Jesus carefully out of this potential threat and made sure peace was maintained. But Jesus is not troubled by the commotion.

Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”
“Lord, I want to see,” he replied. Luke 18:40-41

How I long to see. Glasses, contact, surgery, glasses again. I just want to see clearly — way beyond optometry.

This chapter in Luke’s gospel gives us a wide view of different people from varying levels of clout in society: the persistent widow, the arrogant Pharisee, the humble tax collector, the little children, the rich young ruler, and now, a blind beggar.

Here’s what I think Luke is trying to tell us: Jesus is for everyone. No one has an excuse big enough to walk away. No one has fallen too far for too long. No one is so bad that they cannot shout loud to Jesus:

Lord, I want to see!

Lord, I want to see too. Here’s the promise of this story that we must not miss:

Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” Luke 18:42

I pray many prayers this morning for many people of all kinds, but my most persistent prayer is that all would have the faith of this blind beggar. I pray that all would hear Jesus’ words: your faith has healed you!

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Luke: Then Come, Follow Me

Read: Luke 18:18-30

Luke recalls a time when Jesus had the opportunity to interact with an authority figure, someone who carries the title “ruler.” Matthew’s account of this interaction notes this is a “young” ruler (Matthew 19:16-30), someone of social and civic prominence.

It never ceases to amaze me how Jesus gets into these conversations. He gets invited to dinner with Pharisees, who must know that He will not bow to their ways. He meets with rich, poor, blind, arrogant, humble, young, old, etc., as He makes His way from village to village.

In this case, the meeting is between Jesus and a ruler. The ruler is a good guy, respected by the people, one who has been a loyal leader, or at least that’s the impression I get. He patronizes Jesus a bit in his opening statement, “good teacher,” but Jesus will have nothing of that kind of attitude. Jesus wastes no time in getting to the point, the thing that is keeping this man from reaching the Kingdom of God: wealth. To be more precise, his love of money.

You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me. Luke 18:22

Don’t miss the first four words of verse 24:

Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Luke 18:24

Jesus’ response is not offered to woo the crowd, though many are taking notes. He looked at him.

I suspect the ruler had many preconceived notions about meeting Jesus. No doubt he expected to be lauded for his exemplary behavior as one who follows the commandments. Like many of us, we come to the throne room with expectations, with visions of grandeur, but Jesus will not be swayed by our swagger. He looked at him. He looks at us.

The others gathered for this conversation are equally confused.

Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?” Luke 18:26

Social media would be buzzing and words that can’t be printed here would be explicated. Wow! (Put in your own word or phrase.) The crowd seems to say, “If this guy is rejected by Jesus, this amazing, wonderful, civic leader, I’m a total loss!”

How quickly we become impressed by the trappings of success in this world. Jesus offers something He knew would be rejected — no doubt. He said it directly to the ruler, but I’m convinced He said it for each one of us.

Will you hold onto that which is in your hand or will you let go and follow Christ?

The funny thing is this: Jesus might not ask you to let go. He might not ask you to move. He might not suggest that you sell everything, adopt orphans, feed the homeless, or change your address. He might not. But He most certainly will if those things stand between you and Himself. I’m 100% sure of that.

One of my favorite quotes is from a missionary who gave his life in pursuit of his holy calling:

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose. Jim Elliot

True confession: the first time I heard this I didn’t understand the quote. It took me several times to get what he was talking about. Today, I believe he was referring to this passage.

Here are some words that I would encourage you to consider:

Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:23-24

Lord, please look at my life. You know my thoughts, my desire to know You, to reach the least, the lost, and the lonely. Lead me, Lord.

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