Creative Space for Wanderers
Read: Finally, the event that overshadows all events in history: Jesus is resurrected! The course of the world is changed from this point forward. Luke provides words that are beyond amazing: “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! The women came with spices to anoint …
Read: It’s important to appreciate the significance of this short passage: Jesus’ body was dead and buried. Anything short of death would fuel the conspiracy theorists who suggest that Jesus wasn’t actually dead, that somehow He survived the torture and cross. This is nonsense, of course. The Roman soldiers were good at completing their mission …
Read: The crucifixion of Jesus, the horrible torture to death invented by the Romans, was a public spectacle designed to deter people from breaking laws. It literally made no sense for Jesus, He did nothing to earn execution, except that it was required for our redemption. The gospel writers don’t provide a lot of detail …
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 …
Read Enter the Sadducees. Luke inserts the memory of a conversation that includes the Sadducees, along with others. They don’t believe in the resurrection, life after death, spiritual battles, or anything not explicitly written in the first five books of the Old Testament. Their impact on Jewish culture was significant during the time of Jesus’ earthly …
Continue reading “Luke: Who’s Wife Dilemma and the Sadducees”
Read: Interestingly, just after we read about Zacchaeus’ conversion, Jesus continues with a parable that uses money management to make His point. Much like Matthew’s account (), Luke presents three servants to depict those who do and those who do not. From the outset, it’s important to appreciate this is not a parable of the …
Read: Luke presents the wealthy, cheating, scum of the earth, tax collecting thief known as Zaccheus as the center point for teaching us how to reach those who are lost. Well, that’s probably what the people were thinking when they saw him run ahead to climb the infamous sycamore-fig tree. Jesus is going through Jericho, …
Continue reading “Luke: Zacchaeus – Sought and Saved By Jesus”
Read: In the moment, the disciples are unable to comprehend what Jesus is telling them. It’s so easy to look back and criticize them, but Jesus’ actions were unprecedented, no one did the things He did, well, that is the point, right? Here in the midst of some amazing teaching, Jesus takes the disciples aside …
Continue reading “Luke: Jesus Predicts His Death a Third Time”
Read: Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.” The Left Behind series, among a host of fiction novels that explore this concept, dive into the end times, those days we look forward to with great anticipation and fear. In the next few paragraphs, I’ll make this all …
Read: What is discipleship all about? Sin, forgiveness, faith, and duty. The reading this morning encourages us to look at three aspects of discipleship, well, bullet points from Jesus’ presentation. Don’t cause someone else to sin: Forgiveness: Have faith: Do your duty: Causing someone to sin who is under your leadership is a tragedy that …