Category Archives: Luke

Crazy, Dangerous Love

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Luke 10:25-29
An expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
He answered: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
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What was this expert in the law asking?  Who is my neighbor? In other words, just who do I have to love? I certainly don’t want to be wasting any love on anyone I don’t have to. The law seeks to limit liability and responsibility. “According to my contract I have to do this and no more.” “Just who am I obligated to love to fulfill the command? I will love my neighbor but no one else.”  Do you sense the straight jacket of legalism in this? Continue reading →

What will people think?

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Luke 7:31-34 – “What can I say about such men?” Jesus asked. “With what shall I compare them? 32 They are like a group of children who complain to their friends, ‘You don’t like it if we play “wedding” and you don’t like it if we play “funeral'”! 33 For John the Baptist used to go without food and never took a drop of liquor all his life, and you said, ‘He must be crazy!’ 34 But I eat my food and drink my wine, and you say, ‘What a glutton Jesus is! And he drinks! And has the lowest sort of friends!’
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Though it was not His main message this reminds us of the futility of trying to please people. No matter what you do some will complain you did too much and some will criticize you for doing too little. “You should have danced when you were mourning” or “You were mourning when you should have been dancing.” You can’t please all the people all the time. Continue reading →

I wish I knew WWJD

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Call fire down on them!Luke 9:51-56
As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. (Samaritans and Jews disliked each other based on their religious pasts.  Samaritans felt true worship should be at a location in Samaria so anyone going to Jerusalem was not welcome.) When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?”  But Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they went to another village.
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While I love the idea behind the WWJD concept (in every situation ask yourself “What Would Jesus Do?” and then do that) I find it interesting that the very men who walked with Him, talked with Him and lived with Him were often clueless as to what He was going to do. James and John were following a Biblical precedent of calling fire down on those who oppose the Lord (2 Kings 2:12-14) but they were rebuked for their suggestion.  Perhaps they asked, “WWJD when a town insulted Him and would not let Him stay there?” and, based on Scriptural precedent, they decided He would destroy these evil people.  They accurately understood the Word of God but they totally missed the Heart of God. Continue reading →

We should obey Mary

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Obey MaryMary, the mother of Jesus, was surely a wonderful young woman. God chose her as a special vessel to bring His Son into the world and to raise Him as a boy. There are those who venerate her beyond what Scripture teaches but in my zeal to keep Jesus as the only way to the Father – not by obedience to the church, not by keeping the law, not by any other name than the name of Jesus (Acts 4:12) – I must be sure I do not denigrate the mother of our Lord, or for that matter, any other follower of Jesus.

I have decided a great way to bridge the gap between my view and those who overly venerate, perhaps even worship Mary, is to just encourage them to do what I do and “Obey Mary.”  Continue reading →

Jesus was rude to Mary

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STOP!

Luke 8:19-21 – Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.”  He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”
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What kind of son would not even help his family get through the crowd to be able to talk to Him? Sounds pretty rude and inconsiderate, doesn’t it. But this didn’t come as a surprise to the original readers. They knew something that Luke doesn’t record here. We have to go to Mark for the surprising explanation. Continue reading →

I guess I’ve never met a Christian

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Cut it outLuke 6 starts great but I would like to cut out the last half of it. Most of us have a desire to have a little money,  be able to eat regularly, live indoors, enjoy life and have friends. But Jesus says “woe” to folks like that. The blessed ones are poor, hungry, weeping, hated, ostracized and insulted.

The rest of the chapter is a study in opposites, too. Love folks who hate you. Bless those who curse you. If hit, don’t hit back but invite a second blow. Give to get. If someone takes from you give them even more. Then he says this, “”Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”  UGH!

I have never met a single Christian nor even read of one who, by this standard, could call Him Lord. Continue reading →

Devil on the run

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Devil tastes defeatLuke 4:13
When the devil had finished every temptation, he left (Jesus) until an opportune time.
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You know Satan wanted to stay on top of Jesus 24/7 tempting and attacking Him.  But after a period of intense temptation Satan left Him alone.  Clearly Satan didn’t want to leave Jesus alone but the Bible promises that if we will do two things the devil has to get out of our face – 1. Submit to God and 2. Resist the devil (James 4:7)  . Certainly he doesn’t do that by choice but he must flee.  If the devil is constantly knocking at your door and never goes away, something is wrong – either on the submission side or on the resisting side. Continue reading →

We lost Jesus!

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Luke 2:43
When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know it;
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It is interesting that they did not lose Jesus in the market place or at Joseph’s workplace. They lost him in the temple while fulfilling religious duties. It is so easy to lose the Lord because we are busily engaged in church and religious activity. We think He is still among us, like they thought he was in the caravan, but in our activity, even good activities, we have left Him behind. Continue reading →

God seems strange to me.

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Revelation 13:7
(The beast) was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. …
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The fact that you are reading this indicates we survived the Mayan “end of the world” December 21.  That’s nice but it doesn’t mean an apocalyptic end is not coming.  This passage warns us one is coming.  But doesn’t this passage seem strange to you?

Biblically we know any power originates in God so whatever power the beast has ultimately comes from God. The beast is given power, from God, to conquer God’s people. Lord, I see a few reasons You would do this but it still confuses me that these folks, who have your Word and all its wonderful promises of overcoming Satan, are going to be conquered. That seems strange to me.

Then I think of Mary. Gabriel appears telling her she will become pregnant by the Holy Spirit – a story folks are not likely to believe. (Luke 1) You could have had Gabriel tell the whole town or tell her parents so at least they would believe her story. Instead, you do it privately and let her bare the ridicule that certainly accompanied such a fantastic story. I can see some reasons You would do that but it still seems strange to me. Continue reading →